Description
Searching for a king worth following is the project of a knight and his squire.
A 5 segment comedy musical drama for use in VBS or other children’s program, with an optional Segment 6 final session performed for parents and the community.
All 6 segments are included in this download.
Segment 1: Jesus, the child, is King – Matthew 2:1-12
Segment 2: Jesus, God’s true King, has the power to heal – Matthew 20:34
Segment 3: Jesus calls the fishermen to follow him!- Matthew 4:-22
Segment 4: Jesus, the King, is killed, rises again, beats sin – Matthew 27:28
Segment 5: Will you follow Jesus? – Matthew 16: 24-28
Optional Segment 6: Repeat of Segment 5
Cast: 4 m or f
- Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow, a knight
- Mathew Ling, Sir Cedric’s squire
- T1, one of the Travelling Troubadours
- T2, one of the Travelling Troubadours
Bible Reference: Matthew 2:1-12
Set: standard
Sound: wireless mics if available
Song:
- Original lyrics written by DramaShare, done in a kind of rap, or spoken words in rhythmic fashion, have a song such as “Greensleeves” played softly in the background.
- NOTE: A Google search will bring up the lyrics and instrumental music.
Lighting: standard
SFX:
- sound of bugle to indicate song is over and children need to settle down
Props:
- backpack
Costumes:
- medieval dress would be appropriate
Special Instructions:
- Each segment 10 – 12 minutes, first segment slightly longer
- Total time including Segment 6 approx 60 minutes
Time: 60
Sample of script:
Segment 1: Jesus, the child, is King – Matthew 2:1-12
Focuses on Jesus as a baby and the wise men – how would you respond to the true King?
T&T come on stage, sing:
There’s a knight on a mission
It’s Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow
And his good squire Maxwell Ling
Seek a king they can follow
Be a leader to guide them
One who would never depart
Who would make a path for them
And would be brave and wise, pure of heart.
Cedric comes on stage, looks around happily, looks back offstage
Cedric: Forsooth my noble squire, what keeps you?
Maxwell comes on stage staggering under the weight of backpack and other material
Maxwell: Stop your forsoothing . . . the reason I am delayed is that you insist on bringing along a ton of this . . . stuff . . and you refuse to help carry it.
Cedric: But see here my noble squire . . I am a knight . . . I am Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow . . . and just how would it look if I . . a knight . . were to be doing . . . ewwwwwww . . . manual labor?
Maxwell: How would it look if I, . . your noble squire, Maxwell Ling . . should fall over from exhaustion . . right here in front of everyone?
Cedric, shock: Oh my, my, my no! . . . You simply must not fall over from exhaustion in front of everyone! . . . Now please, if you must fall over from exhaustion please do go out back, away from everyone, and there fall over from exhaustion.
Maxwell: Sir Cedric, if I had strength enough to go out back then certainly I shouldn’t need to fall over from exhaustion.
Cedric: Well that settles it then! . . No need for you to fall over from exhaustion, no more talk about it then. . . . Now let us mount our fine horses and carry on.
Maxwell: Nooooooo! . . . Not the horses Sir Cedric! . . . That is just sooooo embarrassing Sir Cedric!
Cedric: Now my noble squire Maxwell Ling . . . I will not hear another word about our fine horses! . . . We shall ride forthwith into the village, proudly, admired by all who see us.
Maxwell: But Sir Cedric! . . . They are not real horses!
Cedric: What a terrible thing to say noble squire Maxwell Ling! . . Of course these are real horses! . . . Now not another word, we will mount up, immediately!
Maxwell: This is so lame!
Cedric: How can you say such a thing about our fine horses, they are not lame at all! . . . Their feet are just fine! You will recall that we had one of the finest veterinarians in all England examine our horses and he found not at all lame, and not so much as one blemish.
Maxwell: That . . fine . . veterinarian was also 95 years old and declared legally blind.
Cedric: That is no way to speak of a man who was once congratulated by royalty!
Maxwell: Queen Victoria I believe it was.
Cedric: We really must get going noble squire Maxwell Ling! . . . We must remember why we are here.
Maxwell: I am with you on that Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow. . . We must find a king worthy to be followed.
Cedric: Then not another word my noble squire . . Now let us mount up!
Maxwell: Oh, alright!
Cedric and Maxwell mime putting their leg over a horse, holding the reins
Cedric: Off we go! . . . Tallyho! . . .To the hounds!
Maxwell: I think you are in the wrong drama Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow.
Cedric: Forsooth, of course, how foolish of me! . . . Let’s try this . . . To find the king!
Maxwell: To find the king indeed sir!
Maxwell and Cedric mime riding horses, standing upright, then going down bending knees
NOTE when one is upright the other is squatted down and so on
Cedric: To find the king!
(sings as they ride)
Off we go to find the king
The king who we can respect
He’s the king above all kings
Who will lead us and protect.
Troubadours come on stage and watch
Cedric & Maxwell, sing and ride:
Off we go to find the king
The king who we can respect
He’s the king above all kings
Who will lead us and protect.
T1: Very well done, people!
T2: And who are you, exactly?
Cedric: Forsooth, who are we you ask? . . . Who indeed are you two, exactly?
T1: We are the Travelling Troubadours. . .
Maxwell: Travelling trouble doers? . . . What kind of trouble are you doing and why?
Cedric: No, no my noble squire Maxwell Ling, I believe what these . . individuals . . said was . . Travelling Troubadours. . .
Maxwell: Oh now I understand . . not! . . . What are troubadours?
T2: Travelling troubadours are balladeers, singers who wander about merry old England, singing their songs . . .
T1: Wandering in and out of village and hamlet . .
Maxwell: So where are the village and hamlet you two wander in and out of ?
T1: Actually we don’t wander in and out of village and hamlet . . . We wander in and out of scenes in this here drama.
Cedric, looking at papers:
Forsooth I do believe I saw mention of that in my script.
Regardless, what will you two be singing about?
Maxwell: Yes what will you be troubulling?
T2: Troubulling?
Maxwell: You said troubadours are singers so it just makes sense that when you are singing you are actually troubulling. . . . So what will you be troubulling here?
T1: We will be singing about the adventures of you two as you go looking for a king to follow.
Cedric: I say chaps, how did you know that I, Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow and my noble squire Matthew Ling are searching for a king to follow, forsooth?
T1, holds up some papers:
You forgot, we got copies of the script too.
T2, reading from paper:
Yep, says right here, “Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow and his noble squire Matthew Ling are searching for a king to follow.”
Maxwell, crosses to T2, reads from T2’s papers:
Amazing, it does indeed say, “Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow and his noble squire Matthew Ling are searching for a king to follow.”
T1: Amazing to me how Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow rhymes with follow.
T2: And Matthew Ling rhymes with king.
Cedric: Amazing coincidences happen perhaps once in a lifetime.
T1: Talk about amazing . . . I love that song you guys were singing when we came on stage.
T2: Maybe we could join in and sing along with you?
Cedric: Forsooth it would be a pleasure but unfortunately we have no horses for the two of you to ride.
T2: No problem Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow, we brought our own horses.
Cedric: Well then, not a moment to lose . . . mount up and follow Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow. . . .
Maxwell: And his noble squire Matthew Ling, as we search for a king!
all mime mounting horses
Cedric: To follow a king!
All: To follow a king!
All, sing and ride:
Off we go to find the king
The king who we can respect
He’s the king above all kings
Who will lead us and protect.
SFX: Bugle
Voice: Dismount, quiet please
Cedric: Jolly good, jolly good, forsooth I say!
Maxwell: Nice when everyone sings together.
T2: Well, not quite everyone is singing . . .
Maxwell: No?
T2, points at the children:
See all the young village people out there?
T1: Wow, lots of kids. . . . You think maybe they might want to sing along?
all actors and leaders urge kids to sing along
Cedric: Forsooth these children might even have horses to ride as we sing!
Here’s how we do it children . . .
actors mount their horses; leaders encourage kids to do the same
All, sing and ride:
Off we go to find the king
The king who we can respect
He’s the king above all kings
Who will lead us and protect.
Off we go to find the king
The king who we can respect
He’s the king above all kings
Who will lead us and protect.
SFX: Bugle
Voice: Dismount, quiet please
T2: To find a king we can follow.
T & T sing: There’s a knight on a mission
It’s Sir Cedric Mockingbird-Swallow
And his good squire Maxwell Ling
Seek a king they can follow
Be a leader to guide them
One who would never depart
Who would make a path for them
And would be brave and wise, pure of heart.
T1: Sir Cedric, you are looking for a king to follow. How do you know what kind of king to follow?
Cedric: Well a king must be brave and fearless . . .
Maxwell: And strong and wise and . . .
T2: But remember in the Bible, when everyone was looking for a leader to guide them . .
T1: I remember that . . . and Jesus was born in a manger. . .
T&T, sing: Who would follow a baby
When they had been searching for a king?
And who would gladly believe
In the blessings he would bring.
That this child poor and humble
He could be God’s own dear son
He’d bring grace and salvation
To the young and the old, everyone.
end of Segment 1
