Murder at Checkmate Manor
Synopsis
This is a fractured fairy tale of a different sort. Mr and Mrs Hood, Wed’s parents, I mean Red’s
parents are lazy people and instead of attending to their daughters (they have two other, Medium
Purple and Big Green Hood), they watch television endlessly. The girls are pretty much left to their
own devices. The older two are interested in getting married and Red, well she just like to go for
walks in the forest. They all live in a small Kingdom of Wychwood-under-Ooze. The King has decided
that it is time for his own sons to be wedded and so he gathers the Kingdom together and hope to
find a suitable young woman. His sons, however, have all decided they would like to marry Red Hood
and so the Fairy Godmother must orchestrate some tasks for the princes to win her hand.
Directors Notes
Thank you to all the children in Year 5 & 6 who have been so resilient. They have made a
commitment and stayed the course and seen this little play come to fruition. It’s a big job when
you’re 10 and 11 to do theatre and these young people have done the very best work they could,
and we are all very proud of them and their effort. Learning lines and acting on stage is a skill set
that enables confidence, positive risk taking and dealing with pressure. It allows for creativity and
collaboration and what it means to be a part of a team.
