To Be A Princess

 The story:

The StarStruck film Co. Is planning to shoot its next movie – To Be A Princess - in the house and grounds of Hallthwaite Manor.  The trustees have agreed to let them do so free of charge but have made one stipulation: that the majority of the cast, including the main character – Princess Aurora – must be  recruited from the AdAstra Dance/drama group of which the Hallthwaite Manor Trust is  a principal sponsor.  Conrad Baker, the CEO of StarStruck has no problem with this, but a former mistress of his, Cynthia Tudor-Jackson is determined that her daughter, Karina-Belle, should get the main part. With the history that she has with Conrad, she is attempting to  blackmail him into giving Karina-Belle the role. 

Meanwhile, the AdAstra dance/drama group is buzzing with the news of the impending auditions. Act 1 charts the story of the casting for the film – and crucially, who gets the part of Princess Aurora.

Act 2 is the film itself, and can be performed as a stand-alone item if a shorter one-act piece is required.  The story is set in the mythical kingdom of Halceyria.  When the King and Queen’s daughter, the Princess Aurora, is ten years old, an ancient manuscript is discovered which foretells the rise of a ruthless tyrant who will seize power in the neighbouring kingdom of Propinquia, imprison the Prince  and threaten to invade Halceyria. The manuscript also describes how Princess Aurora will be trained as a warrior,  defeat the tyrant and rescue the prince. This indeed is how events play out, although the standard fairy-tale ending, already turned upside-down  by have a princess rescue a prince rather than vice versa, is further subverted by not having them falling for each other and living happily ever after.