British Comedy Guide

My first ever sketch

I've thought about writing for years but have always put it off for one reason or another. So here is my first attempt.

‘Paper Maché moons’
By Richard Robinson
TWO FARMERS STANDING IN A FARMYARD TALKING

(TOM is standing next to BILL with some bails of hay nearby like a table)

Tom: What’s thou up to Bill?

(Bill is carefully paper Machéing a balloon (the pear shaped kind) on the bails of hay and ignoring Tom)

(In a louder voice)

Tom: Bill what is thou doing?

(Bill looks up at Tom for the first time)

Bill: Now Tom I’m…..er…….erm………..making a ‘moon’.

Tom: What’s thou doing that for?

(Bill looks around at the crowd his arms outstretched looking like it is obvious. Whilst he says the next line)

Bill: In’t it obvious

(Tom looks around at the crowd also)

Tom: Well humour me a little here Bill. Why yer making a moon? You’re a single farmer, you’ve no kids to entertain, shouldn’t you be out in ya fields farming or somet?

Bill: I’m working on that right now Tom.

(Tom looks exasperated)

Tom: Call me stupid but that (points at the moon) don’t look like farming to me.

Bill: Its part of me long term plan to make money.

Tom: What selling paper mache moons. I don’t think people will buy em. Its not even round its pear shaped

Bill: Well if I turn it around

(He turns the balloon around to show the bottom to Tom)

Bill: It looks round now

Tom: Well that’s me sold, can I buy one?........ Come on Bill seriously whose gonna buy em?

Bill: They’re not for selling Tom.

Tom: What? Then whys thou wasting time making em?

Bill: Its biodynamic farming in’t it.

Tom: Biodynamic farming? You’ve lost me there.

Bill: Biodynamic farming is all to do with the moon and how it affects crop growth

Tom: I’m still not on ya wave length.

Bill: Well I thought that if using biodynamics with one moon can increase crop production. I’m gonna make hundreds of moons and hang em all over me fields. Hopefully I’ll be a millionaire by the end ov year.

Tom: That’s…………..that’s………..stupid. Their not real moons. Your crop production won’t increase with these.

Bill: That’s where my secret plan comes into operation

(Tom gulps)

Tom: And what’s that then?

Bill: I’m not gonna tell em.

Tom: Let me get this straight. You’re making hundreds of paper maché balloons to hang over all ya fields to increase crop production using biodynamics and it’ll work because ya won’t tell your crops that they’re fake. And by the end ov year you’ll be a millionaire?

Bill: Yeh

Tom: Well count me in

(Tom starts to paper maché the balloon that Bill is holding)

And thankyou for reading :)

if that's your first sketch, it's a very good start,

would just lose everything after "i'm not gonna tell him" the sketch works well enough not to need extra explanation

it's the this is totally ridiculous but every one plays it straight style of surreal humor i love

Thankyou for the quick reply. I'll have to remember not to over explain things.

This is quite nice actually and I agree with Joel that you should lose the last few lines.

For me, it should end something like:

Tom: That’s…………..that’s………..stupid. They can't possibly have any effect. They're not real moons.

Bill: No, they're not real. I'll grant you that (PAUSE, THEN WITH A WINK)) but the crops don't know that, do they?

Yeah this is a good first start, I found it an ok sketch... some of the dialogue needs some work but COF has already mentioned that, instead of having "............." a "(PAUSE)" will work just as well

Welcome and a very interesting sketch

Quote: Paul W @ February 2, 2008, 10:43 AM

COF has already mentioned that, instead of having "............." a "(PAUSE)" will work just as well

Haven't had time to read the sketch (bit long) but saw the comments.

Paul and COF are right re: the conventions. Multiple dots are to be avoided. If the character pauses then use (PAUSE). The ellipsis has another and very specific use that does not mean pause, despite the common misuse of it.
:)

The long dash (- or sometimes -- if the Wordprocessor can't handle long dashes) indicates an interruption to speech by another speaker:
Man: It was on --
Woman: Thursday.

The ellipsis (...) indicates trailing off as if the speaker is losing focus or hiding something intriguing, it's usually the time when a person has to prompt:
Man: It was on ...
Woman: Thursday?

Seems like you've had a good reaction to your first sketch - excellent :)

thanks for all the input eveyone

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