JET: Drama in the Classroom

23 Ella on Pop Dream

Language 6 Allocate roles. You should choose a good singer to
 agent, famous, judge, live (adj), pop star, presenter, play the role of Ella, as she will have to sing
confidently in front of the audience. (There are no
producer, song, studio, TV show
 past simple, will future specific song lyrics in the play, as it is easier if the
girl playing Ella chooses a song that she already
Drama focus knows.) There are a total of eighteen speaking
 performing a play parts including an optional Narrator and a group
2+ lessons: If you want to invite parents or other that can be as many people as you need. If you
classes in for a real performance, you may need have fewer than eighteen pupils, you can reduce
extra rehearsal time. the number of singers and share the spare lines
 reacting to imaginary events between them. If you have more than eighteen
pupils, some of these will form the group of
Materials singers. In addition you can add non-speaking
 Photocopy 23A, one of each page per pupil camera crew and singers, and stage hands to help
 Props: a biscuit, a plastic cup, something to look with Marlon’s magic.
like an electric heater, a fan; a piece of paper in an 7 Set up your ‘stage’. Ella’s house will need a door, for
envelope (an invitation); pop star clothes for Holly which you may be able to use the classroom door,
and Polly; pop star clothes and an old half open. The Palace Studio will need desks for the
T-shirt for Ella (and a woman’s wig if possible); two judges, a queuing area for the singers, and a
home-made posters of the same window, one performance area with microphones at the ready.
with a sports car visible through it; a clipboard, 8 Marlon’s magic needs careful planning. Here are
cardboard tubes or plastic bottles (as microphones); some ideas:
a hairbrush The car: Use a home-made poster of a window, and
another, slightly smaller one underneath it with a
Getting started sports car seen through the same window. When
1 Introduce the play by asking pupils if they have Marlon says Watch this! and clicks his fingers, the
ever seen a singing or dancing competition on TV. lights could go off for a second while a stage hand
Do they enjoy this kind of show? Would they like to takes off the top poster.
compete in one? What do they think of the judges? The driver: The lights could go off for a second,
Are they nice to the people who go on the show? then the driver comes in through a door or pops
2 Teach / Review the key vocabulary in the play up from behind a desk.
(see list above) using board pictures, mime and L1 Ella’s clothes: She needs to be wearing her pop
translation where necessary. star clothes under an old baggy T-shirt and, if
possible, a scruffy wig. The lights could go off for
Drama activity a second while she quickly takes off the T-shirt
and wig.
3 Give out Photocopy 23A. Explain that this is a play
9 Practise the play until you are ready for the
that the pupils are going to perform.
performance.
4 Read the play round the class. Give help with
10 For performance and feedback ideas, see
pronunciation and meaning as necessary. Check in
Introduction.
particular the pronunciation of the adjective live
/laIv/.
5 Ask the pupils if the play reminds them of any
stories they already know. Discuss any similarities
and differences between Ella on Pop Dream and the
fairy tale Cinderella.

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 JET: Drama in the Classroom

23A Ella on Pop Dream

Narrator: Scene 1: At Ella’s house Holly: What’s that? Jake Love?

Ella: [reading] ‘Do you want to be a

famous singer? Jake Love and
Nina Sweet invite you …’

Polly: Ella, I’m hungry! Polly: [reading] … to Pop Dream, the live
TV show. Come to the Palace
Holly: Ella, I’m thirsty! Studio, tonight at six o’clock.’

Polly: Ella, I’m cold! Holly: It’s four o’clock now.

Holly: Ella, I’m hot! Polly: In two hours we’ll be stars!

Ella: And I’m tired! Holly: Let’s go and practise our songs.

Polly: Ella, the post! Polly: We don’t need to practise.

Ella: OK, I’m going. Holly: You’re right. We’re fantastic

singers already.

Ella: Wow! An invitation from Jake Polly: Ella, where are our cool clothes?
Love and Nina Sweet. I love Jake
Love. Holly: Ella, help with our hair!

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JET: Drama in the Classroom Ella on Pop Dream

Holly: Look at me! I’m beautiful. Marlon: No car? Watch this!

[He clicks his fingers.]
Polly: No, you’re not. I’m beautiful!

Ella: Are there any clothes for me?

Polly / Holly: Ha ha ha.

Polly: Those are your only clothes.

Holly: And they’re old and boring.

Polly: You can’t be a pop star in those

clothes. Ella: A car! Wow! But no
‘Abracadabra’?
Holly: Goodbye, Ella.
Marlon: Abracadabra’s for kids. I’m
Polly: See you after the show. Marlon and I do things my way.
Now, get in the car.

Ella: But I can’t drive.

Marlon: No driver?
Watch this!
[He clicks
his fingers.]

Ella: A driver! Wow! Hello!

Driver: Hello, Ella.

Marlon: Now, get in the car.

Ella: But my clothes are old and

Ella: I’m a good singer. But the Pop boring.
Dream people will never hear me.
Marlon: No clothes?
Marlon: Yes, they will. You’ll be the best Watch this!
singer at the show. [He clicks
his fingers.]
Ella: Er … who are you?
Ella: Cool clothes! Wow!
Marlon: I’m Marlon, your new agent. They’re great.

Ella: My agent? But I haven’t got an … Driver: Come on, Ella.

Marlon: Now, get in the car. Marlon: But come home before midnight!

Ella: But Polly and Holly took the car. Ella: OK! Thank you, Marlon.

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JET: Drama in the Classroom Ella on Pop Dream

Narrator: Scene 2: At the Palace Studio

Nina Sweet: No, you can’t be a pop star.

You’re too old.

Singer 3: Please listen to my song. Then

decide.

Jake Love: Let’s hear the song, Nina.

Nina Sweet: No, no. She’s too old.

Presenter: Next!

Polly: 1, 2, 3, 4!

Polly / Holly: [singing badly] I just want your

l–o–v–e. Your l–o–v–e. I want to …

Nina Sweet: Stop! That was really terrible.

Nina Sweet: You’re a terrible singer. Presenter: Next!

Singer 1: But I … Polly: She’s crazy.

Nina Sweet: You’ve got an ugly voice and an Holly: There’s something wrong with her
ugly face. ears.

Presenter: Next! Polly: We’re the best singers here.

Jake Love: She wasn’t a great singer, Nina, Holly: And the most beautiful.
but don’t be horrible! Please!
Group of
Singer 2: [to Polly] Nina doesn’t like singers: When you look in my eyes, I …
anybody.
Nina Sweet: Stop! Cats sing better than you.
Polly: It’s OK. She’ll like me.
Jake Love: Nina!
Holly: And me.
Nina Sweet: All the singers are terrible. I’m
Polly: We’re the best singers here. getting a headache.

Holly: And the most beautiful. Presenter: Next!

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JET: Drama in the Classroom Ella on Pop Dream

Jake Love: This girl’s beautiful. But can she

sing?

Ella: [She sings her song beautifully.]

Jake Love: That was fantastic!

Ella: Thanks. It’s my favourite song.

Jake Love: I loved it. The winner will sing

Singer 4: Wow! Who’s that girl? with me at the end of the show.
I hope it’s you!
Singer 5: She’s beautiful. Who is she?
Ella: Wow, thanks, but … What’s the
All singers: Who is she? time?
Polly: I don’t know. But Nina won’t like Jake Love: The time?!
her. Er, it’s midnight.
Holly: Nina doesn’t like anyone – not Ella: Oh no! I …
even us! er … goodbye!
Singers 6 / 7: Your love is my … Jake Love: [shouting]
You can’t go!

Producer: I’ll find her.

Producer: She’s not there.

She disappeared like … magic.

Jake Love: I’ll find her. She can’t be far away.

Producer: But you can’t leave. It isn’t the

end of the show.
Nina Sweet: Stop! My poor head! I need
peace and quiet. I need a doctor! Jake Love: I’ll be back when I find her. And
I’m leaving! then we’ll sing together.

Producer: But we’re in the middle of the Producer: But who can judge the show now?
show. You can’t leave now.
Presenter: Ask some of those singers.
Nina Sweet: I can’t listen to this terrible music. Maybe they can do it.
Bye!
Producer: Well, OK … You, and you – can
Producer: But … you be judges? Jake and Nina
aren’t here.
Jake Love: It’s OK. We don’t need Nina.
Polly: Of course we can.
Presenter: Next!

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JET: Drama in the Classroom Ella on Pop Dream

Holly: We’ll be great judges. Presenter: Well, you’re the judges. You can’t
be the winners too. So who do
Polly: Better than Jake and Nina. you choose?
Presenter: Next! Polly: Well, who sang * ......................?
She wasn’t bad.

Narrator: Scene 3: At Ella’s house Holly: It was an easy song, but she was
OK. We choose her.
Jake Love: Ella, open
the door! Producer: But where is she? And where’s
Jake? We need them for the song
Ella: Jake? How did at the end of the show.
you find me?
Jake Love: I’m here. And Ella’s with me.
Jake Love: The police helped. I gave them
free concert tickets. Open the Presenter: Well done, Ella. You’re the winner!
door, Ella, please!
Ella: Polly? Holly? Are you the judges?
Ella: But I’m wearing old clothes and … Wow! And you chose me. Thanks!

Jake Love: It doesn’t matter. You’ve got the Polly: Ella? Is that you?!
perfect voice and the perfect face.
Come back to the studio. If you Holly: Ella? Our Ella?
win, we can sing together.
Polly: Excuse me! We chose the wrong
Ella: Well, wait there. I … er. I’ll just person.
brush my hair ... Oh, hello Marlon!
Holly: Yes. We want a different winner.
Marlon: Shhh! Watch this! We choose …
[He clicks his fingers.]
Producer: You can’t change the winner now!
Ella: Wow, I look great again. Thanks!
Holly / Polly: But …
[She goes to the door again.]
OK, Jake, I’m ready now. Presenter: Many thanks to our new judges,
Polly and Holly. And now for our
Jake Love: That was quick! Have you got a
last song. It’s … Jake and Ella!
magic hairbrush?

Narrator: Scene 4: At the Palace Studio

Presenter: And that was the last of tonight’s

singers.

Polly: Terrible, terrible, terrible!

* Write the song title that Ella sings.
Holly: We were the only good singers!

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