THE FIERCE BRAVE GANG – IN IT TO WIN IT
Mrs Beauchamp read out the advert as the class gasped:
"Drama Competition:
We are holding a competition at the end of April this year to find new writing and acting talent in schools. If you can write a two-act play of no more than two hours' duration and have children aged 6-10 in your class who could act it in front of adult judges, please submit your basic storyline to us by the 30th January. The theme for this play is 'A new fairy tale'. This can be an old tale with a twist or an original tale. Music may be included, but we are not specifically looking for a musical. All plays will be performed on the final week of April in front of judges, and the prize will be a four-night, five-day break in Disneyland Resort, Paris, with travel by Eurostar and accommodation in a top Disney hotel for the entire class and four teachers, plus spending money to be divided among the children as the teachers see fit."
She looked round the class, who could only be described as gobsmacked by this news.
"Well, class? Can we do it?"
Hesitant nods at first, then Noel and Cal bawled 'Yes!' with Lofty and Robyn nodding more shyly and Zax following suit.
Late that afternoon, Mrs Beauchamp read out the advert to a wide eyed Ethan, who could hardly finish the smoothie she'd made for him, for excitement.
He wanted to go to Disney so much. He'd once been kicked down a couple of steps at home because he'd naively asked his dad if they could ever go.
Next morning, talk of the competition eclipsed the new game that Noel had invented before Christmas, which had been a winner with the kids.
'Lethal Injection Man', which was a modern twist on 'Hangman'. For every clue you got wrong the person you were playing against had to draw a bit of a picture of somebody with a big syringe in their hand. Once the picture was completed you were dead and you'd lost the game. Cal and Noel had almost come to blows over it at morning playtime, because Noel had cheated and drawn two bits of syringe when Cal couldn't guess his clue.
But now Lethal Injection Man was ignored. Everybody was talking about Disney.
Even Mr Keogh: 'Robyn, if five children from one family buy tickets for a day in Disney, and four buy them for two days, how many tickets is that?"
Poor Robyn was caught out thinking of days not tickets, but Mr Keogh was very nice about it and told her she just needed to be alert in future. Robyn resolved to be A Lert.
Miss Honey, who was soft-hearted, was glad they weren't playing 'Lethal Injection Man' any more. It wasn't nice for kids to play games like that.
And Taylor, in the classy new school that mummy and daddy had moved her to, fumed because she knew that Mrs Beauchamp could put the best plays together, and she wanted Holby to lose and be made fools of now she wasn't there any more.
"You, me, Disneyland hotel, fun, fun, fun…." Teased Rita.
"We haven't even won it yet, Freeman. And it's not till at least early June when we'd go."
"A girl can dream…"
Just one thing I ought to mention. Holby Mixed Infants is a fairly exclusive school though far from being snobby, has just the one class, which moves up throughout the school until it's time for them to go to Holby Juniors. There are other kids in the class but focus is on FBG.