Jon Smith | Screenwriter

Scary Musical

music & lyrics by Leon Parris | libretto & lyrics by Jon Smith

High School Musicals can be a trying time for all of us; but when there's a Christmas show to be performed, a crucial laser-crusade game to win and a killer on the rampage how do you keep your head in the game when everyone around you is losing theirs?

The Show

Loglines:

Scary Musical - The hills are aliive, but that's about all....

It's not big and it's not clever, but murder can be so much fun.

Opera. n. A format in which, when a player is slain; instead of bleeding s/he sings a song.

Prologue.

Belinda was a model student at South High School. She was head of the maths club, she was the composer and writer of all the school productions, and thought by many to be the next head-girl. But on this night, while strolling along, playing her guitar, as if in a Shania Twain music video, singing one of her new compositions, entitled "The First Day of the Rest of My Life", Belinda meets with a gruesome end. She is being followed by a cloaked figure, who 'boogies' along with her for a short while before killing her.

Act I

Friday night. Jasper's summer is drawing to a close and, with only two days of holiday left until the school year begins again, Jasper (or 'Jazz' to his friends) meets up with the whole gang at a karaoke bar for one final night of fun, frolics and underage drinking. Belinda's demise is the topic of conversation for the night.

The karaoke bar is full to overflowing. Bethany is on the stage performing "If I Die Tonight", the same song she has sung every year, much to the dislike of Charmane, who sits with her brother, Bryan, casting evil looks and bitchy comments at the stage. Bethany has always played the lead role in the school musicals, because Belinda was her best friend, but maybe now Charmane stands a chance. However, Charmane's first concern is who will be writing the school musical now that Belinda is gone. Daniela is sitting in a corner on her own reading Quantum Physics text books; a few bullies a little the worse for ware pour their drinks all over her books. Jazz sees this and comes to her rescue; he sends them on their way. Their eyes meet and they share a moment. Bethany finishes her song to rapturous applause.

After lashings and lashings of blue WKD's, Jazz and Daniela are forced into performing the final song of the night by Carson and Tyrone. Charmane comments on how dreamy Jazz is, and how she'd give anything to sing a love song with him. Reluctantly, Daniela and Jazz begin to sing a love song, "You Could Be My First", and lo… by the time they get to the chorus, they have fallen in love!

Meanwhile, in the Girls toilet, Bethany is fixing her make up. A cloaked and hooded figure turns out the lights. Bethany's screams cannot be heard over the music.

Jazz and Daniela finish their song with everyone joining in. They swap numbers, and take pictures of their privates with each others mobile phones. They are about to kiss, but are interrupted by Charmane screaming as she runs from the Girls' toilet. Everyone runs to the scene of the crime. Bethany has vanished, but her arm is protruding from the U-bend of the toilet, still holding her personalised microphone.

Two days later…

Monday morning. Welcome to South High School. Since they were last together, so much has changed. The girls have grown breasts and begun to menstruate, the boys voices have broken and they have hairy areas. Everyone celebrates the start of the new term and their ascent to puberty with a song...

A full synopsis is available upon request.

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