### Act 1, Scene 1: Going down in History

- Backdrop:
- Stage Setup: pile of sand in [3-4] (2nd Playrail), rope ladder (attached to pole in pile of sand), backpack in [3]
- Props: Shovel (Pan), 1 paper lunch bag (Jyanon), flashlight (Jyanon)
- Puppets: Marcus (Fairlight / o`wolf / Ears: Furvan - cloth: modern), Vinnie (Eisfuchs / Tigerseye - cloth: modern)
- PreRec: None
- Setting: The ruins of Pompeii in the Summer of 2012 - a small excavation site. There is a large pile of earth/sand [4-5], tools, a lot of red-white blocking tape. It's getting late, the sun is setting and it's getting dark. Marcus the archeologist is the only person to be seen, and he's very focused on his work.

The show begins with a TV series "cold open" style.

0101 - Outside Ambience

0102 - "The Ancient Ruins of Pompeii - Naples, Italy - September 1st, 2012"
0102 - Short Intro "Sting"

Curtain - open

Daylight (not full daylight because the sun is setting maybe red/yello 70%)

Marcus takes a shovel of dirt (shovels from direction [4] to [3])

0103 - Shovel in 1

Marcus puts the dirt on top of the pile

0104 - Shovel out 1

Marcus takes a shovel of dirt

0103 - Shovel in 1

Marcus puts the dirt on top of the pile

0104 - Shovel out 1 (throwing dirt on pile)

Marcus hits something with his shovel and scrapes it free

0105 - Scrape - Scrape - Scrape

Marcus startles and looks down

Marcus: "Aha! So it's really there! Excellent!"

Vinnie (off, singing): "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts"
Vinnie (off, singing): "There they are, all standing in a row"
Vinnie (off, singing): "Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head"
Vinnie (off, singing): "Give them a twist a flick of the wrist"
Vinnie (off, singing)" "That's what the showman said"

Marcus puts the dirt on top of the pile while Vinnie sings

0104 - Shovel out 1 (throwing dirt on pile)

Marcus: "*SIGH* Oh no. Anything - but not that song."

Vinnie enters from [7], carrying a large paper lunch bag, merrily dancing along to the silly tune.

Vinnie (singing): "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts"
Vinnie (singing): "Every ball you throw will make me rich"
Vinnie (singing): "There stands my wife, the idol of me life"

Marcus takes a shovel of dirt

0103 - Shovel in 1

Marcus puts the dirt on top of the pile

0104 - Shovel out 1 (throwing dirt on pile)

Marcus: "*GROAN*"

Marcus throws the shovel away

Marcus: "Vinnie. Vinnie!! VINNIIEE!!!!!"

Vinnie (singing): "Singing roll a bowl a ball a penny a pitch."

Marcus: "If you sing this song one more time... I ... I ... "

Vinnie: "Yes?"

Marcus: "Vinnie, I really don't have the time to put up with your antics ... Francis just called. The meeting with the cultural ministry is over, and the news isn't good. Our project's been canned. Tonight will be our last night here."

Vinnie: "Awwww, don't be sad. I know you really liked your job here, but I'm sure there's a lot of other work out there for a skilled guy like you! And let's face it: It was only a matter of time until this happened, Euro crisis and all ..."

Marcus: "I know, I know. But hope is always the last thing to die."

Vinnie: "But now it's over. So let's get out of this sad place and have a drink. Or two. Or three."

Marcus: "No, not yet ... I don't want to leave any unfinished business behind."

Vinnie: "And that is?"

Marcus: "This!"

Marcus jumps

0106 - hollow thump 1

Vinnie: "What is this?"

Vinnie jumps

0107 - hollow thump 2 (increasing crunchiness)

Marcus: "These ... "

Marcus jumps

0108 - hollow thump 3 (increasing crunchiness)

Marcus: "... are the remains of an old cistern. And what makes it so fascinating is, that it's not really supposed to be here. It's not on any of the old maps. But the ground scans we did last summer clearly showed a hollow space - which is really amazing after more than 2000 years! Francis didn't believe it could be man-made. But here is the proof: You can clearly see it's made of bricks!"

Vinnie: "Cooool! I wonder what's down there!"

Vinnie jumps up and down

0109 - hollow thump 4 (increasing crunchiness)

Marcus: "Probably not too much. I suspect it's just another water storage for the amphitheater - that would make sense. And you should stop jumping around like that. It might be unstable."

Vinnie: "Oh come on, if it hasn't fallen down during the last 2000 years, I'm sure it'll last another day or two."

Vinnie jumps (three times)

0110 - hollow thump 5 (increasing crunchiness)

0111 - hollow thump 6 (increasing crunchiness)

0112 - CRACK

Vinnie: "Now it sounds funny."

Wait for sound effect!

0112 (cont.) - CRASH

The ceiling of the cistern caves in.

Vinnie: "Yiiiiiikes!"

Vinnie disappears from view - into an invisible hole - and takes the lunch bag with him.

0113 - Impact

Vinnie: "Argh!"

Marcus rushes forward looking down into the hole where Vinnie just disappeared

Marcus: "Vinnie? Vinnie! Are you alright? Say something! Vinnie!"

Vinnie: "BAAAAHAHAHAAA! NOOOOOOOOHOOOHOOOO! AAAAAAAAAHH OH MY GOOD! PLEASE! NOOOOHOOOO!!!"

Marcus: "Oh my god, what's the matter? Are you hurt?"

Vinnie: "No! But I fell on my lunch bag! Mozzarella Caprese, my favourite, and now it's ruined!"

Marcus: "Vinnie, you idiot, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

Vinnie: "Ooh look!"

Marcus: "What? What do you see?"

Vinnie: "A mars bar! And it's still good!"

Marcus: "I DON'T BELIEVE IT. All right, I've had it with you - I'm now going to let down the rope ladder and you get your ugly butt up here ASAP. And the drinks are on you tonight!"

Vinnie: "Wait a minute ... "

Marcus: "What is it now?"

Vinnie: "I'm not sure, it's a little bit dark down here. Can you chuck down a torch please?"

Marcus: "*SIGH* All right. Here, catch."

Marcus walks to the backpack in [3] and takes out the flashlight, then throws it down

Vinnie: "Thanks!"

Marcus: "What do you see?"

Vinnie: "Oh Ciao Signora! Are you doing anything tonight?! I spy, with my little eye ... BOOBIES!!"

Marcus: "This is getting really old, you know?"

Vinnie: "No, honestly! You've gotta see this! She's beautiful!"

Marcus: "What are you talking about?"

Vinnie: "If this is a water reservoir, it sure is a darn pretty one! You should really come down here and have a look ... "

Marcus: "I warn you ... if you're making this up I'm going to kick your arse from here to ancient Rome!"

Marcus walks towards the pile of tools, picks up the rope ladder (which is conveniently already fixed to something) and throws it down the hole.

Vinnie: "What are you waiting for?"

Marcus: "I'm on my way."

Marcus climbs down the ladder, disappearing from view

0114 - Intermission Music fades in
0101 FADE

Marcus (to himself): "I know I'm going to regret this. I am SERIOUSLY going to regret this..."

Title Video begins

Lights out (wait for the title video to appear)

Curtain - close