The Successor

By Samuel Braide

The Successor is a play. Due to its elements in the main sequence of events, which is the death of the king and the queen with Smith ascending the throne.

The play opens with Smith who is the kings servant. He appears on stage and begins to address the audience of his life experience. In a jiffy, Michael and Bechtel, the kings sons, come on stage to hear his last words. This is seen in page 2.

BECHTEL: Did I hear you call yourself a hero?

In this context, Michael and Bechtel are only interested in living a voluptuary life at the pub, only for them to come back from the inn looking drunk, staggering as they both make a caricature of their parents.

Smith being a fraudster, he deceives the king, claiming to be a clairvoyant. Conversely, when the king reveals his dream to him, he visits William the fortune-teller to seek for an interpretation of his masters dreams. After a lengthy conversation between the fortune-teller, Smith gets back to the palace and convinces the king that he has finally arrived at the interpretation of the dream. He then narrates as in pg. 29 and 30.

SMITH: [Calmly, relaxed.] Space represents the throne, the drinking of the poisonous acid represents the strength of the palace, and your growing like a giant indicates that the kingdom will increase in wealth. The amethyst you consumed denotes the alluring powers of the crown you possess, while the white teeth signify that everybody in the palace shall live long and be prosperous.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Oct 9, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477230077

Samuel Braide

Samuel Braide is a British-born Nigerian, who is presently residing in London. He is a creative playwright-cum-poet; he is one of the most vibrant writers to emerge in this present-day generation of writers. He holds a degree in mass communication. The Successor is his first fiction in his numerous years of writing.

Book preview

© 2012 by Samuel Braide. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/04/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-3006-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-3007-7 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Contents

CHARACTERS

ACT ONE

SCENE 1

SCENE 2

SCENE 3

SCENE 4

SCENE 5

ACT TWO

SCENE 1

SCENE 2

SCENE 3

SCENE 4

SCENE 5

ACT THREE

SCENE 1

SCENE 2

SCENE 3

SCENE 4

SCENE 5

About the Author

I dedicate this piece of work to my father, Mr Jeremiah Patrick Braide (FCA), for his paternal tutelage.

CHARACTERS

SMITH, the king’s servant/successor

CENSIDO, the king

TERRY, the queen

MICHAEL, BECHTEL, royal children

SINGLEDO, FERNANDO, royal bodyguards

AGNES, the queen’s attendant

PHILIP, KENNETH, royal pages

SIR VINCENT, a vassal

WILLIAM, a fortune-teller

FIRST CHIEF, Dr Floyd

SECOND CHIEF, Dr Stephen

THIRD CHIEF, Dr Tony

FRANCIS, a lunatic

ALBERT, the young royal’s mate

MR JORDAN, a solicitor

TRUMPETER, MOURNERS

ACT ONE

SCENE 1

This play takes place in the Western world, somewhere in an unknown province.

In the palace. The king’s throne is clearly visible. The palace is heavily decorated with six armchairs and a dining table; a coffee table is set in the centre, and a well-stocked miniature bar is by the corner, full of assorted spirits and wines. Well illuminated by lights from the walls, the palace floor is completely covered with fitted carpets. On the wall stand a large mirror, many framed pictures, portraits, and an alarm clock. Also on the wall is another large board on which are placed stone effigies of late kings and dignitaries, various kinds of well-stored crowns, swords, and sceptres.

The king’s palace is directly opposite the audience; to the right is an antique local shrine and to the left a neighbouring village.

A rangy, handsome young man gorgeously dressed in a pair of breeches, a T-shirt, and a pair of shoes with a matching hat on comes in from the king’s palace and addresses the audience with an air of articulation.

SMITH: Life is like a shadow, it’s seen but not regarded. I am of low birth, an orphan born into the cowboy’s family. Immediately I came out of the womb and took my first breath, my mum ceased to exist. My dad had already gone to the great planet beyond. We, the orphans, are numerous, but people don’t have regard for us. I don’t know why. However, I must use my intellect and make sure my hair is well trimmed in this palace. Life is a complicated task; nobody is born a successful man. Power, wealth, and fame are made and developed. I must make hay while the sun shines. In this