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Wow! What A Year!

By Andrew Oxspring & Nick Haworth
Ages: 7-11yrs

Running Time

60 Mins Approx

Speaking Parts

50

Cast Size
(Including Non-Speaking)

70

Cast Size
Easily Reduced To

20

Suggestions for how to easily reduce and increase the cast size to suit your numbers are included in the "content samples" for this musical.

No. Of Songs

9

Where to start? Home-schooling, empty supermarket shelves, social-distancing, bubbles, tiers, facemasks, not being able to hug our grandparents…these have been extraordinary and challenging times! But through it all, heroes have emerged and with a strength of spirit, hope in our hearts and a sense of humour, we are coming out the other side. So, what better way to commemorate our place in history than with a bloomin’ good sing-song!

*FREE Word doc. of the script to edit yourself*

 

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Overview

Plot Summary

A teacher and her/his class reflect on the monumental events that have shaped our lives in recent times. They discuss the pandemic and how various aspects of lockdown have put us all in some quite challenging situations. As we look at snapshots of these situations, we see that amongst the sadness and frustration there have been moments of hope, heroism and even humour.
Song – Wow! What A Year!

Firstly, home-schooling! As two siblings squabble about whose turn it is on the laptop, Mum and Dad try to juggle the demands of working and housekeeping, whilst making sure their children are breakfasted and educated! As things get comically fraught, they find ingenious and slightly unorthodox solutions to making sure all bases are covered!
Song – Round The Twist

Next, we celebrate those frontline workers whose amazing efforts provided a lifeline during lockdown. In a cinematic scene, we imagine them as a team of Marvel superheroes, assembled to battle an evil foe! With KERPOWS aplenty, they emerge triumphant, but acknowledge the sacrifices and efforts made by all of us in this epic struggle!
Song – H.E.R.O.

Heroes come in different shapes and sizes…and ages. We take a moment to focus on one in particular, as we mark the fabulous achievements of Captain Sir Tom Moore and commemorate his remarkable life.
Song – Captain Tom

Remember when certain items were in short supply on the supermarket shelves? As a family hungrily awaits the return of Dad from the shops, they worry why he’s taking so long. When he finally staggers into the kitchen, battered and bruised by the panic-buying hordes, he enthusiastically tries to convince the family that tonight’s dinner will still be delicious, even though he had to make a few ‘substitutions’ to things that were on the shopping list!
Song – None Left

We then consider all the rules and restrictions we were subject to during lockdown, how confusing they could be and how they seemed to change from one announcement to the next! We join three ‘experts’ as they prepare to give another Covid briefing to the nation, in which they will outline their latest ideas to flatten the curve. Realising that perhaps previous instructions had been less than straightforward, they decide to inject some pizzazz into today’s briefing, hoping the message will really hit home!
Song – Put That Mask On

Of course, the pandemic and lockdown have had serious consequences for many people. Livelihoods have been destroyed, loneliness and isolation have affected the vulnerable, and lives have tragically been lost. We take a moment to recognise the sacrifices that have been made by so many and, where fitting and appropriate, to pay our respects on a more personal level.
Song – A Place In My Heart

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, with the development and roll-out of a vaccine. This has been a cause for celebration and we take a fly-on-the-wall look at how such celebrations may have taken place amongst the scientists responsible!
Song – A Shot In The Arm

So, here we are! Having lived through our very own piece of history, we can now look to the future with hope. Things may take a while to get back to normal, but there will soon be possibilities and opportunities to make the most of and enjoy – a chance, at last, to live our lives and be anything and everything we want to be.
Song – Running Free

Listen below to the songs from ‘Wow! What A Year!’
"Wow What A Year"
"Round The Twist"
"H.E.R.O."
"Captain Tom"
"Put That Mask On"
"A Place In My Heart"
"A Shot In The Arm"
"Running Free"

Characters

50 Speaking parts in order of appearance
*Approximate number depending on scenes 5 & 7. This number can easily be increased or reduced to suit your cast size – suggestions included.

All continuity scenes
Teacher and 6 children

Scene 1
(change the family members to represent different set-ups as you feel appropriate)
Mum
Son
Daughter
Dad

Scene 2
Iris the Virus
Nurse
Doctor
Bus Driver
Shop Worker
Construction Worker
Teacher

Scene 3
(change the family members to represent different set-ups as you feel appropriate)
Son
Mum
Daughter #1
Daughter #2
Dad

Scene 4
3 Experts
Rock Singer
Rock Guitarist

Scene 5
Approx. 5 of your children sharing their personal thoughts

Scene 6
Professor Hans Facenspace
Professor Pam Demic
2 Scientists

Scene 7
As many children as possible sharing their personal thoughts

Non-speaking characters (if numbers allow) for featured songs
Home-schooling children & parents
Costumed heroes
Shoppers
Rock band
Scientists

What do you get?

This musical production is available to buy in 2 different formats.

Option 1 – Physical Product – Posted

This option can be paid for online, or schools* can request to have goods sent with an invoice to be paid within 30 days.
* Non-UK schools and private individuals (not ordering on behalf of a UK school) must pay online.

A wire-bound book with:
Full script
Detailed stage directions
Character information
Tips for costumes, props and scenery
Piano score for all songs
Licensing information

An Audio CD with:
Vocal demo tracks to all songs
Backing tracks to all songs
Continuity/incidental music
Sound effects

Option 2 – Digital Download

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.

Both PDF and editable MS Word documents of:
Full script
Detailed stage directions
Character information
Tips for costumes, props and scenery
Piano score for all songs
Licensing information

MP3 files of:
Vocal demo tracks to all songs
Backing tracks to all songs
Continuity/incidental music
Sound effects

Extras included:
JPEG files of cover artwork for making posters or other promo 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.

Share your thoughts!

5 out of 5 stars

14 reviews

Let us know what you think...

14 reviews with a 5-star rating

  1. Amelie

    Really fun

    Amelie

    We did this last year and me and my friends had so much fun and we love going back and listening to all the songs.

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  2. Alfie

    Amazing

    Alfie

    I did this and I was the bus driver

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  3. Mya

    SUCH A GOOD PLAY

    Mya

    Me and my class did this last year and we all absolutely loved it. We enjoyed every moment and I was mum 2 and I couldn’t hold on my laughter! I still go back on this website and listen to the songs. This will always remind me of my last year at primary. Loved it!

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  4. bobosa

    I loved doing this play

    bobosa

    I was a shopkeeper in the song this was a poggers play

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  5. Abbie

    The best play I’ve ever done

    Abbie

    Was so cool I was a daughter 1 and let me tell you I was trying so hard not to laugh

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  6. Amara

    Amara - St Mary's Primary School

    Amara

    I absolutely love this production. It is so cleverly written and the songs always put me in a good mood. Professor Hans Facenspace? Professor Pam Demic? So clever 👏🏻 . This production has made my class so happy, thank you so much!

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  7. jaycee coles

    jaycee coles

    I AM DOING THIS AT SCHOOL AND ITS AMAZING

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  8. LilyColby2010

    Awesome

    LilyColby2010

    We’re doing this at school and I’m loving it !

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  9. Izzy

    Amazing!!😁😀

    Izzy

    I love this production and the songs, characters and the topic. Me and my whole class have really enjoyed everything!

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  10. A Girl Who Likes The Songs

    This is fantastic!

    A Girl Who Likes The Songs

    I absolutely love this play. I am a student in the play and I love it as I have been practicing it at school. Is it possible though to make a like to send to the pupils with the songs and lyrics or something as it is difficult to learn the songs just at school and we can’t manage to get the children to learn it at home as there are no lyrics.

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  11. Jenna Sainsbury

    Jenna Sainsbury - King Henry VIII School

    Jenna Sainsbury

    THANK YOU for producing ‘Wow! What a Year’. You may just have saved my sanity for the summer term and I can’t wait to perform it with our Year 6s. We have used loads of your shows before, but never before have I been QUITE so grateful for your special brand of perfectly balanced humour, hilarious pastiche songs and thoughtfully (yet simply) put together shows for primary aged children. I’m sitting here listening to the songs, getting ready for our first proper singing rehearsal in over a year, and I’m genuinely tearing up because it is just so perfect for what we need right now. (and as I’ve been writing this, the song ‘A Place in my Heart’ has come on and now I’m genuinely crying!! ) You guys are so clever and I thank you for doing what you do!!

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  12. Jackie Murray

    Wow! What A Year! Jackie Murray - Beckington C/E

    Jackie Murray

    This marvellous musical is a once in a lifetime chance for children to act out, it will go down in history as being a year like no other! It is a great reminder to the children as well as adults of what we have all had to live through in this past year. Hopefully we will be able to put it on the stage with parents being able to watch, and I think it will help the children remember all the sadness, the changes, as well as amazing things that have helped us all get through the year. Who, other than Edgy Productions, could be clever enough to have written a school musical with two characters called Professor Hans Facenspace and Professor Pam Demic, as well as Iris The Virus! 😂 As always, the track listings are brilliant, with intros, as well as other great sound effects, which all adds to the brilliance of this production. I always find the staging and production suggestions helpful too, as well as the Character list, how many lines they say, and also the costume suggestions are always a great help. As for the songs, they are all, as always well written, and the score caters for most musical abilities. The words of the songs are meaningful to support the script and above all, the children have great fun singing them. This musical will make us all sit back and think…………. Wow! What A Year!

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  13. Anonymous

    Celia A - Springfield

    Anonymous

    Genius idea. We love the songs already. Fingers crossed we get to share this with the parents at the end of the school year.

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  14. Lauren Oxspring

    Wow!

    Lauren Oxspring

    This is amazing! And perfectly timed. Can’t wait to get started with the children.

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