Summary: In a harried household, a stressed mother's two daughters experience a miracle.
Style: Dramatic. Duration: 7min
Actors: 3F
Scripture: Matthew 14:13-21
Characters
MUM: Hassled, busy, stressed, a worrier
ANNA: Daughter – not in school uniform – a child actor if possible
EBETH: Anna’s sister – not in school uniform – a child actor if possible
Setting is in the kitchen of a house. There is a table centre stage and a box stage L as a fridge. There are 5 bread rolls, 2 paper fish and 2 small bottles of coke in the fridge. 2 Book bags, a plastic box and a rucksack. In the rucksack is a box full of scraps of bread and torn up paper (fish)
Script
MUM: [Calls upstairs] Come on girls. It’s half past eight, you’ll be late for school. [She puts books and envelopes in the school bags and gets money ready, busy in the pre-school rush]
ANNA [Enter ANNA] Hi Mum. Can you make us a packed lunch today?
MUM Are you not having school dinners? I’ve got your money here. [She offers ANNA money]
EBETH [Enter EBETH laughing as she overheard] It’s Saturday Mum! No school!
MUM [relieved] Of course. Silly me! [She sighs, then looks worried] Well I’ve got lots to do today. You will have to amuse yourselves.
ANNA [grinning at EBETH] Yippee! What shall we do?
EBETH [whispers] Remember, we were going to ask Mum…
ANNA Oh yes, can we go out with Uncle Tony today?
MUM I’m not sure what he’s doing today. Have you been plotting something?
EBETH Yes, he’s going to see the great teacher man.
MUM Who’s that then? [She puts the school bags away]
EBETH Jesus! Uncle Tony says he’s going to see him up the valley today. He said we could go with him. Can we go? Please!
MUM Why do you want to see Jesus?
EBETH Jemma and her Mum saw him last weekend. They said he was amazing!
MUM I suppose so. Make sure you take your phone in case you get lost.
ANNA We won’t get lost Mum. Don’t worry. Uncle Tony will keep us under control! [giggles]
MUM I’ll give him a quick ring now. [She picks up a phone and dials. She exits, but can still be heard clearly, chatting with Uncle Tony and sorting out details of the day.]
EBETH Let’s take a packed lunch. [Calls out to Mum] Mum! What can we take to eat?
MUM [Off stage] There are the little loaves I made on Thursday if there’s any left. [She keeps talking on the phone]
ANNA [shouts to MUM] Anything else we can take?
MUM [off stage] I think there’s a couple of smoked mackerel – look in the fridge.
EBETH Anything to drink?
MUM [off stage] Coke - in the fridge – everything’s in the fridge.
ANNA [ANNA and EBETH mime opening the fridge door. They take out the bread, fish and coke in the box] This must be them. I’ll get a box. [She finds an empty ice cream tub]
EBETH I’ll get my rucksack. [She finds it. They put bread, fish and coke in the box, then in rucksack]
MUM [Enters, clicks phone off] That’s all arranged. Uncle Tony will meet you at the bottom of the hill.
ANNA What time?
MUM In ten minutes. [She realises the time and starts to panic] Food ! Have you got enough?
EBETH All sorted. Five rolls, two fish and coke – OK?
MUM Oh, yes, good. Now have you got your phones…? [girls show phones] Remember, don’t talk to strangers and stay with Uncle Tony. If you get separated, ring him. I want you both home by five. And…
ANNA & EBETH: Be good. We know! [happily. Together:] Don’t worry Mum. Byeee! [They both kiss Mum goodbye and Exit]
MUM [She calls after them] Bye girls. See you at teatime – no later than five o’clock. [calls out as an afterthought] Have fun!
[PLACARD: “4 hours later”]
{SOUND: Phone rings}
MUM [Enter MUM and picks it up] Hello? Hi Anna, is Ebeth there, too? Everything all right? Good, yes. What? Someone took your lunch? No? You gave it to them? What? I can’t hear you….[She is cut off] Oh, it must be bad reception.[looking worried] I hope they are OK. [She rings Tony] Tony? Oh hi, it’s me. Anna rang, but I got cut off, are they OK? {yes} She said something about someone taking their food? Oh, everything’s fine is it? {yes} Are they behaving themselves? {yes} Good. Have them back by five please. Thanks, give them my love. Bye Tony.
[PLACARD: “6 hours later”]
MUM [She is pacing, phone in hand] Where are they? I said five and it’s now seven. What are they doing? They’ll be starving! [SOUND: doorbell. She is relieved] Oh thank goodness! [She opens the door and hugs both girls]
ANNA Mummy! Sorry we’re late! You won’t believe what happened!
MUM What? Was everything all right?
ANNA Yes, it was fine. It was amazing! [The girls jump around with excitement] Jesus was amazing!
MUM What happened?
EBETH Well, we walked for ages following this massive crowd, and then Jesus stood on a big hill and talked. It was so…
ANNA So inspiring! Mum, you should go and hear him.
MUM What was this about someone taking your lunch?
EBETH That was the best bit, wait for this! Jesus’s followers used our lunch to feed the whole crowd. [she jumps up and down feeling special at the thought. ANNA jumps too]
ANNA Everyone sat down, you could see crowds of people everywhere, thousands!
EBETH Then Jesus’s friends started walking through the crowds asking if anyone had any food.
ANNA We were miles away from anywhere and no one else had brought any lunch.
EBETH So I said “We’ve got some. You can have ours”, and held our box of food up.
ANNA Then a man – he said his name was Matt, took the box, looked inside and waved to Jesus shouting “five loaves and two fishes”.
EBETH Then Jesus called out “bring it over here!” About our food!
ANNA Then they got us to sit in groups of 100.
EBETH We could just see Jesus. He lifted up the fish and the bread, our food. We could just hear him couldn’t we, Anna?
ANNA And he said a thank you prayer.
MUM Then what?
EBETH There was enough food for everybody. We all ate till we were full to bursting.
ANNA There were thousands of people there and we all ate! It was so exciting!
EBETH I’m not even hungry now!
MUM That’s makes a change!
ANNA But Mum, it was our food, those little loaves and the fish had somehow got…bigger. [demonstrates with arms] Uncle Tony called it… multiplying. It multiplied.
ANNA & EBETH [together] Our food! [They embrace, jumping around excitedly]
MUM [hesitantly] Did people like it? It’s the first time I’ve made bread and those loaves were a day old.
ANNA [grinning] Mum, they loved it .
[MUM smiles proudly]
EBETH And guess what?
ANNA We brought some back with us!
MUM What?
EBETH [She opens rucksack and shows a box full of scraps of bread and fish] Look. Even after they fed everyone, there were loads left over.
ANNA So Jesus’ followers picked it all up. Twelve basketfuls, and gave it out for people to take home.
EBETH Matt came over to us especially and said … [looks at ANNA]
ANNA & EBETH [together] “Jesus says thank you. This is for you”.
ANNA And he gave us this, [she gets the box of scraps out of rucksack] then he said … [she looks at EBETH]
ANNA & EBETH [together] “Tell your MUM she makes great bread!”
MUM [amazed] Wow! [She looks in the box] And you’re sure you’ve not just squashed your lunch up because you didn’t want to eat it and made up this story as a very clever excuse?
EBETH No, Mum. Honest, it’s the truth. Ask Uncle Tony. [she believes them]
MUM And when did you say Jesus is coming back this way?
ANNA Tomorrow! Can we go again Mum. Will you come with us? Please!
EBETH [begging] Yes, please Mum.
MUM Yes all right. We’ll go together. [excitedly, an idea occurs to her] I think I’ll make a chocolate cake and see if Jesus likes that too! Now… is anyone hungry?
ANNA & EBETH [Both shake their heads smiling] No, but we are a bit tired.
ANNA Lets go to bed! [She grabs EBETH’s hand and they both kiss MUM and say goodnight]
MUM Well that does make a change. Happy to go to bed at seven o’clock? Right, now, where did I put my recipe for chocolate cake?
……………………………….
© Copyright Pam Norman 2010, all rights reserved. The script may not be reproduced, translated or copied in any medium, including books, CDs and on the Internet, without written permission of the author.
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed. She may be contacted at