Chatterbox the musical
Whitehouse School - Summer 2025
Scene 1
We are in a class room with students waiting for the teacher.
Julie
I don't know about you guys but I'm loving these new music lessons
Tom
Me too
Amanda
I didn't think I was going to like it at all. But Mr Pellington really get's us into the music.
Yana
And your suggstion James for him to write a song about how music is being devalued in education was brilliant.
James
Thank you Yana it's something I feel really strongly about. But it was Emily who came up with the name Silenced so credit to you Emily
Emily
Thank you. I just can't wait to hear what Mr Pellington has come up with.
Suddenly someone walks in and shouts out
Philip
Silenced
everyone stops and turns around
Fay
Philip, always you
Sean
It's so peaceful until you turn up
Philip
It would be boring if it wasn't for me and Karl.
Philip looks around
Philip
Talking of which, where is Karl, I haven't seen him all day.
Tom
That's because he's got a new friend. The new boy Costello so he doesn't think of you at all anymore
Philip
That's not true
Julie
Oh really?
The bell goes and Mr Pellington walks in
Mr Pellington
Morning class
Everyone
Good morning Mr Pellington.
Mr Pellington
Hold on. Have we got a couple of people missing?
Just then Costello and Karl walk in
Costello
Sorry sir, we got delayed because we helped the headteacher with a problem. The toilets flooded so we ran to let him know and then a whole load of us went there and we helped with the mopping up.
Mr Pellington
Is that right Karl?
Karl
yes, I'm exhausted.
Mr Pellington
Ok, well welldone guys but let's get on with the music now. So I've written the song Silenced as promised so put on your headphones to get to know the song and then we'll sing it.
Everyone puts on their headphones, except for Philip who goes up to Karl and pulls off his headphones.
Philip
What you playing at.
Karl
More like what are you playing at
Karl puts his headphones back on, and Philips again rips them off
Philip
I waited for you for ages at break, just like yesterday. What are you spending time with that Chatterbox for?
Karl
No hard feelings Philip. Costello is a quality guy, we have such a laugh together
Mr Pellington
Mr Pellington
You two what's going on?
Philip
Oh nothing sir, Karl had a problem with his headphones and I fixed them
Karl gives Philip a non appreciative look
Mr Pellington
Ok everyone. We're now going to sing Silenced. Are you ready?
Everyone
Yes
notices and takes off his headphones
Verse 1
See things through the eyes of a child
one moment
Listen to the words I must say
Please hear me
Arts are being labelled as not important
I respectfully disagree
Bridge
I was born to sing
I was born to dance
I was born, I feel, to bring you story
Don’t hold back, shout it out
Let’s unite and tell the world
Chorus
The Arts must not be silenced
The Arts must not be silenced
Verse 2
Imagine waking to a new kind of silence
Everything you see comes to you through your screen,
Actors, and musicians all but departed.
Comedians & singers denied
Bridge 2
But they were born to sing
They were born to dance
They were born, I feel, to bring you story
Don’t hold back, shout it out
Let’s unite and tell the world
Chorus
The Arts must not be silenced
The Arts must not be silenced
Break
I fear a world, where no one performs live, all performances you see are on a screen
It’s been implied, the arts are not required, that there’s more important ways to spend our time
And yet you'll see, in history that all the greatest empires would unite the people through performing arts
arts bring us together, working as one entity, all of us with one big beating heart.
Chorus
The Arts must not be silenced
The Arts must not be silenced
The Arts must not be silenced
Everybody you’ve go to tell the world
The Arts must not be silenced
Don’t let them pull the rug from us
The Arts must not be silenced
It’s the thing that makes us feel alive
The Arts must not be silenced
We’ll end up yearning for the past
The Arts must not be silenced
Don’t take away our beating arts
The Arts must not be silenced
Music unites like nothing else
The Arts must not be silenced
Don’t let this silence engulf us
The Arts must not be silenced
Unite to bring it back to us
The Arts must not be silenced
Scene 2
Some of the students have already arrived in class and they're chatting in amongst themselves when Philip and two of his friends walk in carrying boxes.
Philip
Right everyone I've got this brilliant idea for a wind up.
Julie
Who are you winding up?
David (Philips friend)
Costello
Tom
Why would we do that?
Matt (Philips friend)
For a laugh
Amanda
Not my idea of a laugh
Yana
Nor mine
Philip
Come on guys. It's only a joke
David (Philips friend)
And we've got a little gift for you if you do
James
What gift?
Matt opens the box to reveal lot's of crisps
David (Philips friend)
A packet each for anyone who does
Emily
Tempting I must admit.
Fay
What do we have to do?
Philip
When we sing Chatterbox we all aim it at Costello.
Sean
Well I'm out
Matt teases her
Matt (Philips friend)
You'll go without
Sean snatches the bag
Sean
Oh alright, I shouldln't really but I can't resist salt and vinegar
Everyone grabs a bag, suddenly Costello and Karl walk in
Karl
What's going on?
Philip
Oh I'm giving away free crisps
Costello
Oh what a cool guy
Mr Pellington walks in
Mr Pellington
Hi everyone
Everyone
Good morning Mr Pellington
Mr Pellington
I hope everyone's had a good week. Are you ready for Chatterbox
Everyone
We can't wait Mr Pellington
Mr Pellington
Ok, headphones on
Everyone puts on their headphones. We then see Karl takes his off and take Philips off
Karl
Phil. What are you up to?
Philip
Nothing
Karl
Gifting everyone crisps?
Philip
Yeah I was feeling generous
Karl
You? Yeah you're a good laugh and I'm sorry that I haven't been hanging around much with you anymore but you? Generous?
Mr Pellington
Karl. I see what you did and I'm disappointed. Go to the head teachers office.
Karl
But sir
Mr Pellington
You hear what I said.
Paul
Sir, I don't think Karl did anything wrong.
Mr Pellington
I do
Karl goes off stage
Mr Pellington
Right everyone. Headphones off. Let's sing
They all sing Chatterbox and all aim it at Costello. After a while Costello realises what's going on and storms out of the class
SCHOOL bell goes off everyone leave
Verse 1
Remember that time when I phoned you
to make you fully aware
it took you an hour to realise
that I was gone
Bridge
So please listen now
I need you to...
Say no more I'm more than sure of what you're going to say
I try so hard to fill the gaps the truth is I'm afraid
Chorus
Chatterbox, won’t you stop,
oh for crying out loud, could I say, just one word,
oh for crying out loud, oh for crying out loud, hear me out
Verse 2
Now hundreds of times I have told you
but you don’t seem to have changed
if you were in the olympics
you would win the gold
Bridge
So please listen now
I need you to...
Say no more I'm more than sure of what you're going to say
I try so hard to fill the gaps the truth is I'm afraid
Chorus
Chatterbox, won’t you stop,
oh for crying out loud, could I say, just one word,
oh for crying out loud, oh for crying out loud, hear me out
Break
So what were you thinking
when you realised I’d gone?
That I don't have a clue and all I say is wrong
Antonio you're the best when you're true to yourself
So try and make peace with you and let go of the rest?
Bridge
Say no more I'm more than sure of what you're going to say
I try so hard to fill the gaps the truth is I'm afraid
Chorus
Chatterbox, won’t you stop,
oh for crying out loud, could I say, just one word,
oh for crying out loud,
Chatterbox, won’t you stop,
oh for crying out loud, could I say, just one word,
oh for crying out loud,
oh for crying out loud,
oh for crying out loud,
hear me out
Mr Pellington
Well class. That wasn't nice. Who's responsible for this?
Everyone is silent for a while. Eventually Philip puts his hand up.
Mr Pellington
Everyone. Class dismissed. Except you Philip. Come with me, we're going to chat with the headteacher.
Scene 3
We see Karl and Costello walk in to the empty class.
Costello
I hope you and Mr Pellington have made me do the right thing.
Karl
You are Costello. You can't let people like Philip win.
Costello
I just want everyone to get along, for people to respect everyone and be happy that we're all different.
Mr Pellington walks in with his bag that has his music sheets.
Mr Pellington
That's right Costello. I just wish everyone thought like you.
Costello
But I want everyone to be different.
Karl
The world would be boring otherwise.
Mr Pellington
Yeah you're right. Nothing wrong with that but they should just be respectful.
One by one we see classmates walk in and approach Costello, each one handing their bag of crisps to him
Julie
Costello, here's the bag of crisps that Philip gave me.
Costello
Why are you giving me these
Tom
Because he bribed us with these
Amanda
So that we would sing Chatterbox to you
Yana
And embarrass you in front of everyone
Jane
Thing is. It worked
Emily
Which is why we're ashamed of what we did
Fay
We felt so bad afterwards
Sean
That none of us
David
Not one
Maddie
Ate those crisps
Mr Pellington
That's a lot of crisps you have there Costello.
Philip walks in
Philip
And here's another bag
Costello
What if I was to say I don't want your bag of crisps? After all, your false generosity hasn't made me feel good up till now
Philip
I woulldn't blame you
Mr Pellington
I don't have a bag of crisps to give back to you Costello. I wasn't bribed but I was fooled into writing a song to hurt you. I was very annoyed about that and I'm sorry.
Costello
You have nothing to apologise for
Mr Pellington
Well this week I haven't written a song
Everyone says 'oooohhhhhhh'
Emily
Why not sir?
Mr Pellington
Because this time, Philip has written a song. I've worked out the piano for it. Philip are you ready
Philip nods and Mr Pellington starts to play
Verse 1
I know I was wrong,
I know it was bad
The thing that I did would make anyone mad
I lost myself in Jealousy and hurt
I tried to look strong
I tried to look tough
The truth is I'm anything but the above
I wanted the whole world to play my game
bridge
Slowly but surely I saw that, what I did was harmful
to me and to you
Chorus
I'm sorry, I apologise will you forgive?
I'm sorry, I apologise will you forgive?
I'm sorry, I apologise will you forgive my pride?
I'm sorry, I apologise will you forgive?
Costello
Sure
Everyone cheers
Cast - Chatterbox
-
Philip - Rufus
-
Mr Pellington - Frank
-
Karl - Reyansh
-
Costello - Arya
-
Julie - subhasri
-
Tom - Jayden
-
Amanda - Prisha
-
Yana - Mantra
-
Jane - Sarvagjna
-
Emily - Nikhitha
-
Fay - Vasiliki
-
Sean - Pranav
-
Daisy - Rihan
-
Maddie - Rihaan
-
Paul - Moses
Cast - What's it to you
-
Jaswina - Mantra
-
Stranger 1 - Rihan
-
Stranger 2 - Rehaan
-
Stranger 3 - Sarvagjna
Songs for Chatterbox
1 Silenced -
2 Chatterbox -
3 I'm sorry -
Sons for What's it to you?
1 What's it to you? -
What's it to you
Jaswina is walking along when someone walking towards her says
Stranger 1
Why are you wearing summer shoe's when it's cold?
Jaswina
What's it to you?
and with that she walks off. She carries on and then see's someone else approaching
Stranger 2
Why are you wearing a jumper when it's warm?
Jaswina
Well, what's it to you?
and with that she's off. Walking again to her destination. The she see's another person approaching with a smirk on their face.
Stranger 3
Why the heck are you carrying an umbrella when there's no rain forecast?
Jaswina
What's it to you?
one week later we're at a school showcase. Jaswina get's up to perform.
Jaswina
Hey everybody. Today I'm going to perform a song I wrote after I had been judged by strangers
Verse 1
Do you ever wonder, just who makes up the rules
who has decided what you can or cannot do
Bridge
And what’s it to you if I don’t do things like you do?
what’s it to you if I’m not playing the same tune
Verse 2
Is there a reason, I shouldn't be myself?
I see many people, who follow all the rest
Bridge
And what’s it to you if I don’t do things like you do?
what’s it to you if I’m not playing the same tune
Chorus
Realise,
Won’t you realise
we’re born to be free, You don’t own,
No you don’t own
any rights to me
let’s agree to differ and be free
Verse 3
I am not like you, that doesn’t mean I’ve failed
I’ve simply decided, to only be myself
Bridge
And what’s it to you if I don’t do things like you do?
what’s it to you if I’m not playing the same tune
Chorus
Realise,
Won’t you realise
we’re born to be free, You don’t own,
No you don’t own
any rights to me
let’s agree to differ and be free
PIANO BREAK
Bridge
What’s it to you if I don’t do things like you do?
what’s it to you if I’m not playing the same tune
Chorus
Realise,
Won’t you realise
we’re born to be free, You don’t own,
No you don’t own
any rights to me
let’s agree to differ and be free
After Jaswina finishes she is approached by the 3 strangers
Stranger 1
Sorry about last week. It was me wearing the wrong shoes not you. And I was only wearing them to be like everyone else.
Jaswina
Thank you for apologising
Stranger 2
I apologies too. I had to end up borrowing a cardigan.
Jaswina
I must admit I had noticed.
Stranger 2
I realised, and yet you didn't mock me like I did you
Stranger 3
And I'm the plonker who get wet after checking the weather forecast on the wrong day.
All strangers
Will you forgive us
Jaswina
ummh, let me think. Yes.
Props
Bluetooth speakers
Microphone amplified
14 headphones
Summer shoes for Mantra
Jumper for Mantra
Umbrella for Mantra
Many bags of crists in a box
