We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday!

Sample Songs

Listen below to some of the songs from We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday

Plot Summary

As headteacher, Miss Belcher, delivers her final assembly of the term, the staff and children are excited about what the holidays will bring, now that school’s out! Whilst nervously talking with a group of friends about the prospect of ‘big school’, twins Lily and Josh Summers tell them, with muted enthusiasm, about their forthcoming family trip to Poplins Holiday Camp! It’s their grandparents’ ‘treat’ – a chance to live the high-life before they’re too old! Meanwhile, the teachers discuss the ways they’ll be winding down and all agree that six weeks off school is just what the doctor ordered. Song – Summer Vacation

While the Summers family suffers a cramped car journey, with cries of ‘Are we there yet?’, complaints about lack of phone-charge and plenty of adult bickering, the Green Coats of Poplins marvel at the refurbishment and upgrade their camp has recently undergone, including the recruitment of famous Chef Raymond Blah-Blah and celebrity dance instructors Anton Du Pantalon and Angelina Pasodoble! Song – Ready To Go
As the Poplins’ doors are flung open, the hoards arrive and they are dispatched to their chalets by the Green Coats, with promises of a thrilling timetable of events ahead! As well as the Summers family, the guests include a mysterious couple, Mr Smith and Miss Jones, who seem intent on avoiding contact with their fellow camp-mates!

Each day’s event is introduced by the camp announcer, with those familiar Hi De Hi-style xylophone ‘ding-dongs’ played by a rather over-enthusiastic assistant! Our first experience of Poplins hospitality is ‘Steak Night’ in the restaurant, where Chef Raymond Blah-Blah laps up the praise from adoring diners. Song – Et Voila! Unfortunately, Grandpa George is thoroughly unimpressed with the gourmet dish he is given to eat. He didn’t serve 47 years in her Majesty’s army just to be ‘poisoned by some silly man in a silly hat’. Grandma Margaret, upset by his rudeness to the chef and his unwillingness to try something new, storms out leaving George with a few harsh home-truths to consider. Is he too old to change his ways and make amends?

Next on the agenda is the ‘Precisely Poplins’ dance masterclass, with the tastefully-tanned and superbly-sequined instructors, Anton Du Pantalon and Angelina Pasodoble. As they guide some star-struck couples through their paces (song – Two Left Feet), Julie Summers (Mum) waits on her own for her husband Dave to show up, knowing he is a reluctant participant in the class. Dave arrives too late for them to dance and his forlorn wife makes her feelings about his up-tightness and lack of gumption very obvious! How will Dave make it up to Julie?

It’s a morning by the pool, where Grandma Margaret takes the bull by the horns and enters the Poplins Glamorous Granny Competition (song – H-A-P-P-Y O-A-P), much to the embarrassment of her husband George! However, against some stiff competition, her attitude that ‘you’re never too old’ puts her in contention for the winner’s rosette, the recipient of which will be announced at the big farewell bash the following evening.

That afternoon we find Lily and Josh in the woods enjoying a treasure hunt with some other children. As the others wander off in different directions, the twins contemplate their young lives, their pending move to secondary school and the fact that their family can be a real pain! Discovered by an understanding Green Coat, Lily and Josh are given words of encouragement and some tips on how to deal with the changes that are coming their way. Song – It Isn’t Easy

It’s the final evening at Poplins and all gather in the ballroom for the end of holiday party. And what a party it is! In a wonderful sequence of events, conflicts are resolved, attitudes are changed, mysteries are solved and each one of the Summers family finds cause for celebration and optimism. Life lessons are well and truly learned and shared in an emotional finale!Song – Dance Like No-one Is Watching

Characters

*Click on the Line count/Costumes tab for more details

For larger schools, extra speaking characters can be added to scenes and the lines shared out between them, or new lines created. If you have a smaller cast, because some characters only appear in one scene, multiple parts can be played by single actors. Alternatively, for bigger cast numbers, many of the larger speaking parts have enough lines to be shared out between any extra characters you want to include.

44 Speaking parts
At School:
Miss Belcher – headteacher
Her tired staff:
Mr Titmarsh
Mrs Perkins
Mr Smart
Miss Tidy
4 Children – eagerly awaiting the summer holidays

The Summers Family:
Josh & Lily – twins
Julie – Mum
Dave – Dad
Margaret – Grandma
George – Grandpa

The Poplins Team:
Announcer – keeping us up to date with events as they unfold
6 Green Coats –hosts with the most
Chef Raymond Blah Blah –that cook off the telly, likes his cheese and he likes it smelly
Waiter –working hard to earn the tips
Anton Du Patalon & Angelina Pasodoble –celebrity dancers with celebrity egos
4 Judges –choosing the most glamorous granny

Poplins Guests:
Mr Smith & Miss Jones – a mysterious couple, if slightly familiar…hmmm
5 Diners – enjoying Chef’s cutting-edge cuisine
4 Dancing Couples – trying to Cha-Cha-Cha with two left feet
Audrey & Gwen – glamorous grannies
3 Treasure-hunters – lost in the woods

2 non-speaking (but important) parts:
Assistant to the Announcer – a whizz on the xylophone
Pool Attendant – a whizz with a fishing net

Ensemble Characters– for featured scenes and songs

More school staff and children
Poplins holiday makers
Diners and kitchen staff
Dancing couples
Glamorous grannies
Treasure-hunting kids

What do you get?

This musical production is available to buy in 3 different formats. When ordering, simply choose the option (details below) which best suits your requirements.

• Option 1 – Book & Audio CD.
  A wire-bound book containing the full script with detailed stage directions, character information, tips and suggestions for costumes, props and scenery, and a piano score for all songs. An audio CD of all songs (backing tracks & vocal tracks) plus continuity/incidental music and sound effects where required.
• Option 2 – CD-ROM & Audio CD.
  A CD-ROM containing both a PDF and an editable MS Word document of the full script, with detailed stage directions, character information, tips and suggestions for costumes, props and scenery, and a PDF of the piano score for all songs. An audio CD of all songs (backing tracks & vocal tracks) plus continuity/incidental music and sound effects where required.
• Option 3 – Digital download.
  All the PDF and MS Word files from Option 2 above, all audio tracks as MP3 files, plus JPEG files of cover artwork for use in making posters or other promotional material. Upon completion of your order, a link will be automatically sent to the email address you provided, from which all the files can be downloaded.

Any order containing a digital download option must be paid for online at the point of ordering. Any order containing a digital download which is not accompanied by payment will not be processed.

UK schools can order Book & Audio CD and CD-ROM & Audio CD options with an invoice to be paid within 30 days. Non-UK schools and private individuals (not ordering on behalf of a school) are required to pay for these at the point of ordering.