The Secret Hen House Theatre by Helen Peters Read Free Book Online Page B

excitement.
    Hannah prised the letter out of its envelope.
    Dear Miss Roberts and Miss Perfect
     
    Many thanks for entering the Linford Arts Festival’s Youth Theatre Celebration. We are delighted that your drama group has chosen to participate in this exciting event and enclose the complete festival programme and competition rules for your information.We very much look forward to seeing your play, By Her Majesty’s Appointment. Mrs Fran Butler, one of our team of adjudicators, will visit your theatre to watch your performance at 3p.m. on Saturday 20 March…
    “What!” Hannah jerked her head up, wide-eyed. “That’s only—”
    “Three weeks. I know. Keep your voice down – Miranda will hear.”
    “Three weeks!” whispered Hannah. “There’s no way we’ll be ready by then. We haven’t even had one rehearsal. Oh, my goodness, I can’t believe we’ve entered this.”
    “Think of how much we’ve already done, though. The theatre’s nearly ready, isn’t it?”
    They had spent every evening since Monday hacking a path from the back of the thicket to what they now called the stage door, and then smuggling all the junk out of the shed and concealing it around the farm.
    “It’s not exactly ready,” said Hannah. “We haven’t even built the proscenium arch yet.”
    “The what?”
    “Proscenium arch. You know, the walls at the front of the stage, either side of the curtains. Can you come for the whole day tomorrow? We can make the arch with fence posts and sacking.”
    “Won’t the others be around, though?”
    “Martha’s going to Jade’s house in the morning.”
    “Jade? Danny’s sister Jade?”
    “Yeah, can you believe it? Typical Martha to bebest friends with Danny’s sister. But at least she’ll be out of the way.”
    “Cool,” said Lottie. “Then on Sunday we can start rehearsing. And the performance date’s a week into the Easter holidays, so we can rehearse every day then. Oh, and the new script’s brilliant.”
    “Really? You like it?”
    “It’s great. Although I didn’t understand half the words the queen uses.”
    “I did use my thesaurus a lot. Good words though, aren’t they? My favourite was ‘mellifluous’. And ‘serendipity’. And ‘solipsistic’.”
    Lottie shook her head. “Your granny should never have given you that thesaurus. It’s like a deadly weapon in your hands.”
    Hannah looked at the letter again.
    The winners in each category will be announced and the prizes awarded at the festival’s closing ceremony on Thursday 25 March, to which all participating groups are warmly invited.
     
    The Linford Arts Festival Committee wishes you the best of luck and much enjoyment with the preparations for your play.
     
    Yours sincerely
     
    Martin Dean
    Chairman, Linford Arts Festival Committee
    “What do you think the judge will think?” said Lottie. “When she comes and finds a theatre in a hen house?”
    “She’ll love it. It’s original. And we’re doing everything ourselves.”
    “Yeah. All two of us.”
    “Exactly! I bet Miranda’s group has adults doing everything for them.”
    Miranda had drifted across the room and was flicking through a magazine with Emily. At the mention of her name she turned round.
    Lottie slapped her hand over the letter and slid it off the table, but not before Miranda had seen the logo at the top.
    “The Linford Arts Festival. How come you’ve got a letter from them?”
    “Mind your own business, Little Miss Nosy,” said Lottie.
    Miranda narrowed her eyes. “Are you entering? Are you in a drama group?”
    “Oh, which one?” asked Emily.
    “Yes, which one?” said Miranda, her eyes fixed on Hannah. “I didn’t know you went to a drama group, Hannah. Is it a special group for farm animals?” Her eyes lit up. “What play are you doing? Animal Farm ?” She nudged Emily, who giggled on cue.
    Hannah felt a blush rise from deep inside her and start to spread all over her cheeks. Oh, why couldn’t she control