Friends Who Practically Live at the House

WalkingOnSunshine

The decade of big hair, big egos, and big aspirationsas seen through the eyes of the Milroy family and their neighbours on Sunshine Rd, Hackney. The show features well-known 80spop songs and draws on characters from 80s sitcoms. A flexible cast: 7 men 11 women plus chorus.

At Number 80

Friends who practically live at the house

At Numbers 82, 84 & 86(Houses are never seen)

At Number 88(The corner shop)

Locals/Visitors

Soho inhabitants(one scene in Act One only) – only Ruby has solo singing

* Ruby, Boy-George, Marilyn Dirty Den can be played by Pennywise, Granddad, Nick & Gregory.

SONGS & SCENES

ACT TWO

PROPS

STORY

ACT ONE: Sunshine Road, Hackney/The Milroy’s house

It’s Rory’s surprise 21st birthday party and all the neighbours are there. - Our House. Telboy gives Rory a briefcase (a factory reject). Left alone mum, Nellie is wooed by persistent local shopkeeper, Pennywise. But Catholic Nellie is still married. All the pair can do is reminisce over their look-but-don’t-touch ‘affair’ - Don’t You Want Me? Telboy, as usual, has a dream. But this vision came direct from the Supreme Being (Maggie Thatcher) - Opportunities. Wannabe sisterKatie also has had a dream – Express Yourself. These visions of money and fame lure the younger Milroys up town. Tired Nellie turns in early and the boys head-off to make a night of it –Uptown Girl.

Sunshine Road The girlssneak out and head-up town– Girls Just Want To Have Fun.

Gregory is also restless.

Soho Sex Shop & Outside/InsideMadam Jo Jo’s,

I Don’t Wanna Dance. The boys arrive at Soho and enter a colourful club. The exotic Ruby Venezuela & Les Girls perform I Will Survive as Oscar the vicar collects for charity. Telboy goes to work his charm on Ruby while Rory and Dodger try to chat up two long-haired ‘girls’ at the bar. They turn out to be Boy-George and his very feminine mate, Marilyn. Meanwhile Telboy had an unfortunate encounter with ‘Miss’ Ruby. Swearing to never mention their mistake the boys are about to exit whenWPC Lightfoot bumps into them. Lightfoot is undercover trying to catch a pornographer. Suddenly there is a scream. A dishevelled Katie and her mates are trying to escape form Dirty Den – the pornographer. Oswald knocks him out and WPC Lightfoot cuffs and arrests Dirty Den. Telboy and Katie are smitten with the ‘saviours’ – as are the clientele. Let’s Hear It For The Boy/Girl.

Sunshine Road - Outside the Shop

Gloria (of the gold-tops) is delivering the milk when a worried Nellie asks if she has seen the girls. Gloria says not to worry. Nellie says worrying is a mother’s lot. Say A Little Prayer. Gloria sees shop ’boy’ Gregory is off to the explore the world. He tells Gloria not to worry and leaves. Reprise: Say A Little Prayer. The clan return (with WPC Lightfoot & Oswald) and once again they’re Walking On Sunshine.

ACT TWO: Sunshine Road, Hackney/The Milroy’s house

It’s Katie’s 18th surprise party and everyone is there -Reprise: Our House. The reformed Telboy (with the now pregnant WPC Lightfoot) gives a charm bracelet. Nellie wishes they would marry. Katie announcesshe has married the protestant Oscar. To make matters worse, Nellie’s estranged husband (Nick) turns up. He claims he has a weak heart and wants to make amends and turns on the charm Always On My Mind. Telboy suspects his dad is after the family heirloom (Granddad’sgold hunter watch). With Rory and Dodger he cooks up a plan to get rid of him and enlists the neighbours’ help.

Sunshine Road/Outside the local shop

Granddad’s Wake, the Milroy’s house

Later that evening a drunk Nick arrives back and finds the household in mourning for Granddad - Don’t Leave Me This Way. . Nick plays the distraught son throwing himself on his ‘dead’ dad’s chest (but is unable to find the gold watch). In keeping withGranddad’s Haitian beliefs Nick must keep a midnight vigil by the body to stop him becoming a zombie.

Sunshine Road: Gloria reads another postcard from Gregory (from Kathmandu). The Widows tell her not to waste her life moping. Death is only round the corner – look at Granddad being taken so sudden. Gloria realises she misses Gregory - It Must Be love(taken-up by the returning Gregory). He had forgotten his passport and had only got as far as Dover. They kiss and with Pennywise offering promotion Gregory can marry Gloria.

Midnight in the Milroy’s house

Things go bump in the night as Granddad and zombies rise from the dead - Thriller. The shock gives Nick a heart-attack. Nellie is free at last so Pennywise proposes. Nellie accepts but only if Telboy marries WPC Lightfoot. Telboy agrees. No need to save money though a double-wedding, however, as Oscar has had the gold watch valued and it’s worth a fortune. At least Telboy is a millionaire. Now the Milroys and their friends really are Walking On Sunshine.

ACT ONE: Sunshine Rd, Hackney:

DSR outside of number 80 - the Milroy’s. Centre SRa covered dining table (NB needs only be an 8 inch ledge) with three chairs.

Next to this is an armchair in which sits GRANDAD in his dressing gown, pyjama s and flat cap. DSL is the outside of the

local shop (number 88) witha rack of postcards on special offer. Doors to both properties open inwards (i.e. upstage)

GRANDDAD (Bangs on floor with waking stick) Are you there? Why’s it dark? Lights come up.

(GRANDDAD sees the audience) What you lot gawping at?

(Bangs on floor with waking stick) Wakey! Wakey! Where’s my breakfast? ‘

(GLORIA appears DSR with a cradle of milk bottles which she places SR to SL as TELBOY appears DSR and half asleepmakes a cuppa)

NELLIE (Handing over a gift box) Many Happy returns Rory from me and the neighbours

at Sunshine Road. Well go on open it. It’s a dressing gown – with your initials on

the back. Well go on show everyone. (RORY reluctantly shows a dressing gown with the

word ‘RAM’ emblazoned on the back. The girls giggle) See ...RoryAnthony Millroy.

DODGER Nice one Mrs M. I got you an IOU, mate. Bit short of the readies.

TELBOYNice one Dodger! Well. Unlike this plonker Igot you some'fink special.

(Handing RORY a briefcase in a paper bag) ‘Appy returns from me, brouv’.

It’s for your new job as my executive partner.

RORYTelboy! We’ve only got a market stall.

TELBOY Yes. But that’s ‘ow Marks started out. An’ now e’s an institution.

RORYKarl Marx had a market stall?

TELBOY No! Marks and Spencer, you plonker! (RORY takes out the briefcase)

That’s real genuine leather vinyl, that is. S’got a combination lock an’ all.

RORYTerrific! It should fit right in at Hackney!

TELBOY It will do, Rory.... after we’ve flogged the other twenty-nine I’ve got.

RORY So where’s the combination number, then Tel?

TELBOYY (Pause) The what? (RORY shakes the case)

RORY You plonker! (KATIE, ROXY & CARMAN produce trays of plastic glasses)

TELBOY Never mind that now. ‘Os for a drink? (With a large bottle) Come on don’t be shy.

Drink up. Plenty more where that came from.

NELLIE(Ushering) Off you go. There’s a spread laid out in the front parlour.

GREGORY Whey! Hey! Grub up! (The company begin to exit but PENNYWISE lingers).

PENNYWSIE (TO GREGORY) You better take yours b-b-b-back to the shop, Gregory.

It’s been closed for nearly half-an-hour, now.

GREGORY Crikey! That could mean the end of capitalism!

(PENNYWISE gives him a clip round the ear and they exit into the parlour)

NELLIE Catherine show them where everything is.

KATIE It’s Katie not Catherine.

NELIIE Not to your mother it’s not! And you two - Pepsi and Shirley....

ROXY & CARMAN Roxy and Carman!

NELIIE No getting Granddad up to dance. You know what happened last time.

(The girls exit. Calling off ) And eat something.! (Leans over the t able to wipe it)

GREGORY (Entering holding aloft a plate piled with food) Excuseme. Grocery-boy on an urgent

errand coming through. (Exits to shop. NELLIE bends over the table to wipe it with a cloth)

PENNYWSIE Luverly spread, Nellie. And the food’s not ‘arf bad, either.

NELLIE Ah! Away with you and your foolishness, Horace Pennywise. Don’t you have

a shop that needs keeping?

PENNWISE I’ve just sent Gregory back in case we get a sudden rush. Got a special offer on

po-po-po-po...cards this week.

NELLIE SoI’ve seen. Who the heck is going to buy foreign postcards?

PENNWISE Folks who can’t afford a real holiday. Ah! Nellie. When are you going to

m-m-m-make me a happy man? Or failing that, marry me!

NELLIE Ssssh! I’m still married. Just because my low-down good-for-nothing husbandabsconded with a jezebel and once, in a bleak moment of despair , we were....

close, doesn’t mean I should break the holy sanctity of my marriage vows .

PENNYWSIE That’s a very one-sided view. Ah! Nellie where did yesterday go?

TELBOY (Enters with hobbling GRANDDAD) All right, Mum? Granddad’s had a bit of bother.