Jude Simpson – Poet, wordsmith, performer
This fab school musical has just been published!!
I wrote the script and lyrics for this musical, designed especially for Year 6 leavers, but workable for any children’s drama group, youth theatre or school production. I absolutely loved the process of dramatising Mary Anning’s story.
The musical is available at the website of The Little Musicals Company – a new, dedicated imprint of Kevin Mayhew.
Here’s the full blurb:
It’s the early 19th Century in Lyme Regis, England. Mary Anning has just discovered Ichthyosaur – the fossil that will change her life. She’s delighted! But although her friends share her excitement, there are plenty of others who want to take advantage of her skills for their own purposes.
From London Geologists and well-dressed ladies to hard-working Quarrymen, penniless urchins and her pet dog Tray, Mary finds out who her real friends are, how to hold on to them, and how – sometimes – it’s the most surprising people who end up saving the day!
This history-based musical, about fossil-hunter and self-educated paleontologist Mary Anning, explores themes of exploitation, friendship and generosity against the backdrop of the stormy cliffs of Dorset. A colourful and characterful cast – including three fossil narrators – joyfully brings the story to life.
Songs include, “On the Sidelines,” which explores inequality and unfair treatment, “Hold on to your Friends” on the power of friendship, and the show-stopping “Woohoo! I’m Fossilised Poo!” – perhaps the world’s first scientifically accurate rap about dinosaur dung…