Musicals for Kids | What A Knight! | Musicline

‘What A Knight’ is packed full of witty one liners; even the names of the characters will get you chuckling. Lester Lugabout enters and sets the scene, followed by the ensemble singing ‘The Castle of Camelot.’ Moving swiftly into action, the royal family and courtiers prepare for the king’s birthday celebrations; this scene allows the characters to introduce themselves... ‘King Arthur Ain’t ‘Arf A Bad King!’ follows. The audience are then transported to Kitty’s Kitchen where the two guards are sent to taste the food in preparation for the banquet. Jake the Jolly Jester and Watt Cobbler make an appearance and the audience sympathise with Kitty Cobbler’s son as he describes his failed attempts at becoming a knight (this is shown in a flashback scene.) Following this is a comical scene between Kitty and her son as Watt fails miserably at helping his mother to cook the all-important scones.

Merlin the Magic Magician enters, trying desperately to find something which leaves the audience bemused and inquisitive; Watt reappears and Kitty presents her son with a book for his birthday present ‘How to be a Hero’ (unsurprisingly Watt cannot hide his disappointment!) On the other side of the stage, Princess Alice, who is also failing at becoming a princess is presented with a book and as they sing a duet either side of the stage, ‘How To Be Me’- the audience predict a friendship emerging!

We then move to another castle, eerie and dingy, in which the Black Knight and his Army discuss a plan to kidnap the princesses to hold them ransom in return for Excalibur-the sword that will pronounce the Black Knight king. The audience are transported back to Camelot castle (a friendlier environment!) and Watt begins as an apprentice for Merlin the Magician in which the audience witness a comical interaction between the two. His first job involves labelling bottles of potions and the audience have a funny feeling he is going to get it wrong...Watt encounters Princess Alice and her pet, Dusty the Dragon and Merlin reveals his worries with the three of them; he has shrunk Excalibur in order to hide it from the Black Knight but has lost it! ‘One Of A Kind’ follows.

A flirtatious scene between the princesses and knights follow and soon after, the princesses are captured. (The knights jump at the chance to save them!) This puts Merlin under even more pressure to find Excalibur; ‘We’re On A Quest’ follows and provides a contrast to the Black Knight’s castle in which the Black Knight uses Marvin the Mirror to reveal King Arthur’s strategy to rescue his daughters.

In the following scene, Watt discovers that instead of taking the strength potion, the knights who have gone to save the princesses took the animal potion. A Reprise of ‘We’re On A Quest’ follows. At the Black Knight’s castle, the knights drink the potion which leaves Alice, Watt and Dusty the Dragon to successfully defeat the Black Knight’s army and set the prisoners free. However, in a sudden twist of plot, the Black Knight returns to Camelot but is defeated by Alice and Watt in a surprising manner! All ends happily as Excalibur is found (in an unexpected place...) and Watt finds that his book really did come in useful... ‘What A Knight’ ends the show.

 

Click the "Script & Songs" heading to read the script, look at the score and listen to the songs.