There's A Hole In The Bucket

We here at Casa de Plank enjoy taking traditional songs and jazzing them up a bit with fresh new arrangements and funny bits. This is one such song. Our version is done as a lighthearted jazz waltz, complete with harmonica, banjo, washboard, and a few other fun instruments. The original melody is still intact, but for the sake of brevity (and comedy) we've added actors in the form of Henry and Liza, a cantankerous couple if ever there was one. Since we found 19 verses in the traditional version, we nixed a few in favor of dialogue between our actors, which keeps the song from being ten minutes long. The script we used can be found with the lyrics on page 25 of this magazine. As you will hear, our actors (Melissa Schott as Liza and Shelley Martin as Henry) took a few liberties with it. Your actors are invited to do the same.

As you pick your Henry and Liza, make sure your actors have chemistry and can play off one another, as this will make the skit funnier. In addition to actors, you'll need an announcer, which can be played by an adult or child. You'll also want to divide your singers in half - one half to sing for Henry, the other for Liza. Have them on opposite sides of the stage.

Your actors should dress as if they were in a rural area, such as a farm - overalls, work jeans, bandannas, anything cliche that seems to work. If you have the means to create a basic set, this will help tell the story. You might include a bale of hay and a cardboard shed or barn. Also, the props would be most helpful - a bucket (with hole), some straw, a stone, and a plastic hatchet. Farming implements optional. Oh - and a handkerchief for when Henry sobs and blows his nose. On the recording at the end during Liza and Henry's exit ad libs, you can hear Liza mention a gold card. If you use a similar line, a gold card prop would be in order as well.