Nursery Rhyme Origins Assembly

Nursery Rhymes Origins Assembly
This assembly on the origins of nursery rhymes covers ten nursery rhymes. All of these (bar one - Humpty Dumpty) are different from two other scripts on Nursery Rhymes - one (10 nursery rhymes) entitled: Nursery Rhymes Assembly for Key Stage I; and the other (20 nursery rhymes) entitled Nursery Rhymes Assembly Extended Version (which can be used by either Key Stage I or Key Stage II or both!)
Cast Size - 30 - easily adjusted up or down
Duration - around 20 minutes.
Sample Text:
Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Narrator: So. I’m hoping nothing worse than an omelette?
Humpty Dumpty: (Indignantly) Not even as exciting as that! (Pauses) A cannon!
Narrator: Pardon? The most well-known nursery rhyme
Humpty Dumpty: I know! The best loved, the most popular, the
Narrator: (Irritably) Yes, yes.
(Aside to audience) I can see where the large head – make that ego - comes from!
But do tell us about this cannon!
Humpty Dumpty: Not a lot to tell, really. Apparently used in the English Civil War, placed on a wall, and, well, I don’t need to tell you the rest!
(Exit Humpty Dumpty and soldiers)
Narrator: Well, that was a bit of an anti-climax! I do hope we’ve got something better coming up before the end of this assembly.
(Sound of noisy children)
Narrator: (Looking at watch) Oh please don’t tell me its playtime already!
(Enter Old Woman waving a stick as children run around her boisterously)
(Whole cast recites nursery rhyme; Old woman and children act out lines)
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do;
She gave them some broth without any bread;
Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.
Narrator: (Sarcastically) Delightful!
(Aside to audience) I’ve no doubt we’ll be hearing from social services!
Old Woman: No! No! Just giving them a little discipline!
(Old Woman waves stick at Narrator who backs away quickly)
Narrator: So, who was the real Old Woman?
Old Woman: (Placing crown on her head) Ah that’s better! Queen Caroline II. I gave my husband eight children!
(Looks around) It would seem some of them got away! Grrr!
(Old Woman flails around with her stick)
Where are the little blighters?
Narrator: Long since gone, if they’ve got any sense!