ScaredyBugs is a brand new smash-hit children’s musical. International licensing will be available soon.
What’s it about?
The students of Sunny Hill School are becoming obsessed with a new game called “Splat the Bugs”. One student, Ariana, is best friends with a spider called Syd who lives in her classroom and is picked on for not joining in the game. After an incident where Syd goes missing, a dazzling group of bugs with an array of personalities join forces with Ariana to find Syd and put a stop to the game for good.
Jam-packed with catchy songs and a host of interesting characters, ScaredyBugs is the perfect musical for your school or youth group to produce. The morals explored within the show are relevant to children of all ages with themes of accepting differences, showing empathy and building friendships.
As a completely new musical, it is written with children and teachers in mind. The songs are suitable for young voices, the script is structured in a way to make rehearsals a breeze and the roles are flexible and non-gender-specific. The ensemble is formed of two groups, the “Human School Kids” and “The Bugs”, each group has two special musical numbers each and then two wonderful finale numbers. There is also one duet and a solo each for Ariana and Syd.
The set and costumes can be as simple or lavish as your budget requires. There are four main settings, the school classroom, the school stage, the playground and the bugs’ hideout. Costumes are an array of Bugs and then the Human School Kids’ uniform.
Synopsis
ScaredyBugs is a brand-new musical written for children. It’s Monday morning at Sunny Hill School (Urgh, It’s Monday) and the students are increasingly obsessed with a new game, led by the class bully Riley, called “Splat the Bugs”. One student, Ariana, does not take part in the game and wishes the other children would stop playing it. Ariana’s best friend is a spider called Syd who lives in the cupboard in her school classroom. One day, the children go out to play and Ariana stays back to talk to Syd (Hey Friend How’ve You Been). After playtime, Riley returns and spots Ariana talking to Syd and threatens to splat him, so Ariana quickly decides to throw Syd outside of the classroom in a bid to save him and, in doing so, loses Syd his home.
Syd finds himself alone in the playground and reflects on the need for everyone to focus on their similarities (Weaving a Web). After building his spirits up, a ladybug called Lady Fuchsia bumps into him on her way a meeting. Lady Fuchsia convinces Syd to come and meet her other bug friends at “The Bugs Against Getting Splatted Society” (BAGSS for short).
Under the school stage is where the “BAGSS” meet. They are rehearsing for their annual talent show when Lady Fuchsia enters with Syd. Syd meets a whole host of bugs; B the Bee, Cookie the Caterpillar, Frankie the Fly, Melody the Moth, Sandy the Slug and the “Antz” who Dance (Bugs Against Getting Splatted). Syd is welcomed to their community and suddenly finds out that he has a hidden dance talent. The bugs invite Syd to perform in their talent show and he reluctantly joins.
Later in the day, the children head to the school stage to prepare for their own talent show, Riley rehearses his dance act, which shows that his dance needs work and is not as polished as he believes. After the rehearsal, the children head out to play and Syd, who thinks the coast is clear, comes out to rehearse his dance for the “BAGSS” talent show. Riley comes back to the school stage to collect his bag and spots Syd dancing. He decides to capture Syd and make him perform in his own talent show act to wow the audience with a dancing spider.
After school, Ariana becomes increasingly worried about the whereabouts of Syd, but feels a little hopeless. She laments about losing him and reflects on their wonderful friendship (Friends for Life). After building up her own morale, Ariana vows to find Syd.
The next day, the “BAGGS” are in rehearsal for their talent show and, with Syd not showing up, they begin to worry. After a discussion, and Lady Fuchsia remembering that he mentioned a girl named Ariana, the bugs decide to bravely head out to the playground to find Ariana to see if she knows where Syd is.
The bugs set a diversion on the school kids and meet Ariana in the playground to tell her about Syd. After deciding it is not safe in the playground they all arrange to meet at lunchtime in the “BAGGS” hideout, under the school stage to hatch a plan. The children then return and think Ariana is talking to herself so start to make fun of her (Look at Ariana). After playtime, Ariana spots Riley talking to Syd and putting him into a hidden box in the playground. Once Riley leaves, Ariana heads over to Syd and they are finally reunited. Instead of immediately saving Syd, they both decide to hatch a plan to put an end to the bug-splatting game at the school.
At lunchtime, Ariana heads to the “BAGSS” hideout as planned and tells them that she has found Syd and what has happened to him. They all work together to form a plan to secretly join Riley’s act in the talent show to make it outstanding and hopefully lead him to see that bugs are special and not for splatting (Put Your Hands in the Middle).
It’s Tuesday evening and time for the school talent show. During Riley’s act, the “BAGGS” members join Riley on stage to dance and the audience loves it making Riley’s act a huge hit. After the performance, the attention goes straight to Riley’s head and he begins to invite everyone for a big round of “Splat the Bugs”. At this point Ariana steps in and finds a clever way to explain the effects of the game and bullying to the school kids. After this, the school kids gradually decide to quit playing the game and Riley quickly finds himself as the only child left willing to play it. After some convincing from his peers, Riley eventually gives in and decides to stop playing too. The school kids see that the bugs are not that different from them and that they deserve respect (Weaving a Web/ Friends for Life Reprise). They all celebrate with a song and dance highlighting that it’s always good to take time to understand others and learn from them (Singing the Same Tune).
