The Emperor and the Nightingale: - stage adaptation

By Neil Duffield

From a story by Hans Christian Andersen

In ancient China, young emperor Wu is kept a virtual prisoner in his palace by his devious guardian, Li Si. Wu believes the world outside the Forbidden City is an evil and dangerous place. But when Xiao, a young servant girl, tells him of the most beautiful sound on earth – the song of the nightingale – it’s too much to resist. The two embark on an adventure that will take them across mountain tops and waterfalls, past chattering monkeys and magical dragons to the far reaches of his kingdom. When Wu returns with the nightingale, and starts to overturn the old palace customs, Li Si plots to restore things to the way they were before.
Featuring puppetry, music and all the colour, movement and spectacle of Chinese theatre, this joyful adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale is a feast for the senses that will delight the whole family.

Neil Duffield has written more than fifty plays and adaptations which have been staged extensively throughout Britain and abroad. In 2006, he won the Arts Council England Children's Award for Small Fry 'for work which displays excellence, inspiration and innovation in children's theatre.' Neil lives in Bolton with his wife, theatre director Eileen Murphy.

Reviews of Plays for Youth Theatres and Large Casts 

“Neil Duffield is a highly successful writer of plays for children and young people, with over fifty productions under his belt, many of these commissioned by leading UK theatres and touring companies… Having worked closely with Neil during my career as a theatre director, I can vouch for his understanding of young audiences by the spellbound silences (and roars of laughter) that greet his productions.”

— David Farmer, Drama Resource 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aurora Metro Books
• Release date: Apr 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9781910798928

Book preview

THE EMPEROR AND THE NIGHTINGALE

by Neil Duffield

Based on The Nightingale

by Hans Christian Andersen

First produced by The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster, December 2002.

Rewritten for Theatre by the Lake, 2016.

The play is a fantasy, set in ancient China. Music, set and costumes should all give a feel of this.

Wherever possible music is live, played by the actors.

The play is written for eight actor/musicians. With larger casts, chorus parts may be reallocated.

Characters and suggested doubling:

Chorus 1 / Peasant woman / Servant 1 (female).

Chorus 2 / The Emperor Wu (male).

Chorus 3 / Li Si (male).

Chorus 4 / Xiao (female).

Chorus 5 / Dragon King / Father / Ambassador / Monkey 2 (male).

Chorus 6 / Tiger King / Clockmaker / Monkey 1 / Servant 2 (male or female).

Chorus 7 / The Nightingale (female).

Chorus 8 / Servant 3 (male or female).

Acrobat, Street vendor, Juggler – from the Chorus.

ACT 1

Music. Shadowy light. Spotlight fades up on Chorus 1.

She sings softly and gently.

CHORUS 1

Listen

Will you listen

Will you listen to me

Rest of chorus gradually appear and join in.

CHORUS

Listen

Will you listen

Will you listen to my story

A tale of magic, a tale of mystery

A tale of beauty, a tale of jealousy

The emperor and the nightingale

Music gradually swells and picks up tempo. Lights fade up to full.

Listen

Will you listen

Will you listen to me

Listen

Will you listen

Will you listen to my story

A tale of magic, a tale of mystery

A tale of beauty, a tale of jealousy

The emperor and the nightingale

Song and music end.

CHORUS 1

Imagine a land so vast that no-one can say where it begins or where it ends.

CHORUS 2

A land so old that its beginnings are lost in the mists and tides of time.

CHORUS 3

The name of this land is China.

CHORUS 4

The people of China are ruled by two kings.

CHORUS 6 (putting on a tiger head-dress and becoming the character)

The Tiger King.

CHORUS 5 (putting on a dragon head-dress and becoming the character)

And the Dragon King.

CHORUS 7

The Tiger King is a warrior.

CHORUS 2

Daring and fearless.

CHORUS 8

Famed throughout China.

A few moments of hard clashing music in which we see the Tiger King in martial arts type action.

CHORUS 1

Yet the Dragon King is even more famed.

CHORUS 2

In his kingdom can be found the finest and most beautiful creations of all mankind.

Chorus reveal some of them.

CHORUS 7

Silk paintings –

CHORUS 4

of white-topped mountains, teeming waterfalls and lakes so blue you’d think the sky had fallen into them.

CHORUS 3

Books

CHORUS 1

their pages soaked in dreams.

CHORUS 2

And music

CHORUS 8

as joyful as the song of the nightingale.

The Dragon King produces a flute and begins to play. Chorus gather enthusiastically around him.

CHORUS 1

Travellers journey from every corner of the earth.

CHORUS 2

To look, to read, to