This new musical is aimed at ages 9–13 so will work brilliantly as a Year 5/6 production. There are 30 speaking parts, again with guidelines for scaling these up or down dependent on your group size. The plot has been adapted from Treasure Island by R. L. Stevenson, nearly 140 years after its first publication. Crossey and Kirkham have adapted this rich and complex tale to make it relevant and exciting for a modern cast, while keeping the central themes of peril, treachery, and adventure. The main character, Jen Hawkins, cannot believe her luck when she finds a treasure map, and the plot follows her on her journey aboard The Hispaniola to Skeleton Island, accompanied by familiar characters Long John Silver, Captain Flint, Captain Smollett, and Dr Livesey.
The whole tale is peppered with nautical terminology which may well be lost on modern readers and makes for a valuable opportunity to embrace this in the wider curriculum. Keep in mind that the spread of lines for this play has a heavy emphasis on the main characters, but there is always scope to divide these parts and every part is a named character – no ‘pirates 1-10’ here!
Forever Treasure Island comprises of 10 songs. Favourites include ‘Mum Said be a Sailor’ with a short excerpt of ‘Drunken Sailor’ among chanted words, a mischievous ‘Murmur Mutiny’, and menacing ‘Skeleton Island’ with brilliant optional harmonies. ‘If We Work Together’ is an upbeat, lyrical final song with a perfect message for any class. This song seems to epitomise the aim of this company – to produce shows that engage all the students taking part.
Overall, I am really impressed with The School Musicals Company – they are clearly passionate about everything they do, and a brief peruse of the website shows how approachable they are, willing to assist and full of ideas. I was grateful to Tom Kirkham, co-founder and publishing director, who gave me some background to both these musicals and the company's other publications. What is clear is the effort that goes into helping music and drama teachers put on these shows, and an awareness of what guidance is needed based on extensive first-hand experience.
