Andrew Oxspring: Troy Story
All year round musical for 7-11 years (KS2)Running time 60 minutes approx.Hitch a ride on this riotous rock-pop romp through Ancient Greece, as Achilles leads a legion of heroes to rescue Helen from the wicked clutches of Paris and the Trojans. Jam-packed with memorable characters, witty dialogue and catchy songs, Troy Story will thrill adults and children alike, and is all you could wish for in a musical production. Truly the stuff of which legends are made!Plot summaryAs the opening song (Troy Story) finishes, we witness Mount Olympus in turmoil. Hera, Aphrodite and Athene are arguing over which of them is the most beautiful, much to the annoyance of the other gods. Paris, a handsome but sly Trojan, is asked to make the tough decision on their behalf. Each goddess offers him a fabulous reward if he chooses in her favour (song - Pick Me, Paris), but it is Aphrodite's promise to give him the most beautiful mortal woman, Helen of Sparta, which clinches it. Furious at this, Hera and Athene vow to bring destruction on Paris' home city of Troy.Paris arrives as a guest at the court of Menelaus, king of Sparta, and immediately falls for his beautiful wife, Helen. Struck with a well aimed arrow from Eros' bow, she in turn falls for Paris (song - Completely Stuck On You) and, in a trance, is whisked back to Troy. The furious king raises an army of Greek heroes (song - Hard As Nails), and led by Achilles they set off to rescue Helen.After a long journey they arrive at Troy, but exhausted they are beaten in battle by the pompous Trojans (song - Bunch Of Losers). Devastated at the killing of his friend Patroclus, Achilles slays the Trojan prince, Hector, after a long chase around the city walls. The vengeful Paris and his father, King Priam, decide to lure Achilles into the city by using Princess Polyxena as a honey trap! It works, and as Achilles excitedly gets ready for a romantic liaison Paris shoots an arrow into his vulnerable heel. The Greeks are overcome with grief at the death of their top man (song - Always And Forever), and revenge is swift. Philoctetes slays Paris in a duel, releasing Helen from her trance-induced love, and with her help secret plans are made for the Greeks' invasion of Troy.The Trojans are curious as to what the hammering sounds are in the Greeks' camp (song - Chop-Chop, Brother), and surprised to see their enemy's fleet of ships sailing away from the shores of Troy. On discovering a huge wooden horse which is left, they believe, as a gift from their fleeing foes, they rejoice in their supposed victory and bring it into the city. As night falls, the heroes emerge from the belly of the horse and massacre the entire Trojan population in its sleep! Finally victorious (song - Job Done) they return with Helen to Greece, finishing the tale with a resounding reprise of the song Troy Story.
