Scene: Alderbury Prison, cells 55, 57, 59.
Cast
Prisoners asleep. 57 snoring. 55 suddenly wakes up, removes stones to outside and to cell 57, grabs 57 (who is still snoring) and throws him out of the wall.
"AAAAAaaaaaaaa — (klunk)"
55 patches up the wall and goes back to sleep. Guard 1 enters.
Guard I: Well, well! 57 isn't snoring. (looks inside cell) Hey! He isn't there! (yells) Hey! The Guy in 57 escaped! (runsout)
55: So what?
59: Lucky kid! I wonder how he got out.
Guards come in with jailer, them all talking at the same time. 59 wakes up and tries to find out what happened. 55 sleeps.
Guard I: Here, just like I told you! I'll check the door. Go call the police! The door's locked. O.K. (opens the door). Look at the stones! He must have pulled out the rocks in the wall. I'll get the police. (Closes door locking in Guard and Jailer.)
Guard II: What happened? How'd he get loose? I don't know. Did you see anything 59? Open the door! There bars don't look loose. Maybe the door (checks) These hinges are loose! Why doen't you? Hey, open the door! Sure (opens door) I'll get help! (runs off)
Jailer: What's going on? Call the police? I don't know . Open the door! Wait for me!
59: Where is he? What happened? I ws asleep. Maybe he jumped out the window? Does anyone know anything? I wonder what happened.
Scene shifts to below the jail.
57: Where am I? Who am I? What am — oh, think! This is a jail. I just suffered a blow on the head. Oh, of course! I'm Sherlock Homes. I'd better get some rest.
The Next Day —
(Guard I opens cell 57 to look around, 3 tourists rush in but guard holds them back)
Guard I: Stop! Whaddya think you're doing?
Tourist II: I want to see this place! I love mysteries, and this is the best I've seen in ages.
Guard I: Well ...
Tourist I: Come on! Maybe we can solve this case.
Tourist III: I just want some souvenirs. (other tourists stare at him.)
Guard I: Well, I guess. (All 3 tourists rush in, and inspect the place thoroughly.)
Tourist I: I wonder how he got out (examines window)
Tourist II: Probably picked the lock (examines door)
Tourist III: I bet a U.F.O got him (I looks at III)
(Jailer comes in) Jailer: What's going on?
Guard I: These people thought they could solve the case.
Jailer: So you let them in? (Guard II and Detective come in.)
Guard II: This man may help.
Detective: Get these people out of here! (Newsman appears)
Newsman: Hello, Alderbury Tribune! So, what was the escaped criminal's favorite color?
59: Uh, I think it was —
Jailer: Get out of here! (Guard I and Jailer escort tourists and news out)
59: Do you know what's going on?
Detective: No, that's what I've come to find out. Were you awake at the time? (accusing 59)
59: No, I was sleeping.
Detective (under his breath): I'll bt he's responsible for this whole thing.
Guard II: Here's the cell. Nobody knows anything. (Detective enters, takes out magnifying glass, looks over bars.)
Detective: Aha! Fingerprints! He's been fiddling with the bars.
Guard II: Of course. He's fiddled with everything. He was there 5 years.
(Detective puts away magnifying glass quickly) Detective: Just what I was thinking. (Checks bars) Aha! Loose hinges!
Guard II: Yea. We need new ones, all our hinges are bad. They're old.
Detective: And these stones. He must have removed the wall. (Detective inspects wall by 59 well, glances around at others.)
Detective: Well, he did a good job of patching it up. This is what happened: 59 pushed out the stones to 57 and helped him knock down the door to escape. Then 59 fixed the door and patched up the wall. I'll add 20 years to his sentence.
Guard II: You'll need to have a witness and go to court.
Detective: 55, did you see anything?
55: Yea, I heard some stones fall and a door open. Then I heard the door close and the rocks being put in place. I figured it was a dream, so I went back to sleep.
Guard II: Why didn't you tell us sooner?
55: Nobody asked.
Detective: I'll see you tomorrow in court. (Detective leaves.)
(57 enters as Holmes) 57: So, what seems to be the problem?
Guard II: Who are you?
57: Sherlock Holmes.
Guard II: I thought you were taller.
57: Everyone does. So, what's the case?
59: 57 escaped, I've been convicted, and I'll get 20 more years for it. It goes to court tomorrow.
57: Any witnesses?
55: I heard something. I heard some stones being moved, a door opening and closing, and some stones being put back in place.
(Holmes inspects cell 57 thoroughly.) 57: I'll see you tomorrow.
Judge: Order in the court! So where is your witness?
Detective: He was a dangerous criminal, we kept him locked up. We do have his testimony, though.
Judge: That will do. What was it?
Detective: He said he heard rocks being pushed out of the wall, a door being opeend and closed, and the rocks being put back in place. I say that 59 came into cell 57, helped 57 open the door to escape, and patched everything back up.
Judge: And the defence?
59: I'm not guilty!
Judge: Well?
59: All that needs to be said.
Judge: Jury?
(Jury murmurs, then stand up together) Jury: GUILTY!
57 (as if he figured soemthing out) Of course!
Judge: I hereby sentence you to —
57: Stop! He's innocent.
Judge: Who are you?
57: Sherlock Holmes.
Judge: I thought you were taller.
57: Everyone does. There's no time to explain. 55 is about to escape! (everyone runs off)
57: THERE!
(55 jumps) "AAAAAAaaaaaa —"
(guards run off, bring back 55)
57: He thought by sidetracking investigation, he could escape without bother. The threw 57 out while 57 was asleep.
Judge: But how?
57: Like this (knocks down wall between 55 + 57)
57: He knew the jailkeeper wouldn't make any fuss after the trouble caused by 57 escaping.
Jailer: True
Judge: Of course!
55: Liar!
Judge: 20 more years!
57: So, now to find 57. (pauses.) GEE WHIZ! I'M 57! (starts running, guards catch him and put 55 and 57 back in) (everyone pauses)
Judge: And you should get new hinges.
Guard I: Yes.
— ALMOST THE END —
— THE NEXT NIGHT —
55 throws 57 out the wall again.
— THE END —
At the end of the year in 8th grade for Miss Butt's chorus we were allowed to do an unconstrained final project. I chose to write a play and have people in the chorus act it out, and half the chorus chose to participate as their final project.