clap hands here comes charlie
Clap hands, here comes Charlie
Pre-reading Activities
1. Charles Henderson
One of the main characters in the story is Charlie Henderson. He is going to see a pantomime – a form of theatre traditionally seen at Christmas time – with his family. From the following extracts you will get an idea of what the relationship between him, his son Alec and his wife are.
Mrs Henderson’s son, Alec, said Peter Pan wasn’t a pantomime. At least not what his mother understood by the word. Of course, there was a fairy-tale element to the story, dealing as it did with Never-Never land and lost boys, but there was more to it than that, ‘It’s written on several levels,’ he informed her.
‘I’ve been a lost boy all my life,’ muttered Charles Henderson, but nobody heard him. ‘And I doubt,’ said Alec, ‘if our Moira’s kiddies will make head nor tail of it.* It’s full of nannies and coal fires burning in the nursery.’
‘Don’t talk rot,’ fumed Charles Henderson. ‘They’ve seen coal fires on television.’
‘Shut up, Charlie,’ said Alec. His father hated being called Charlie.
*won’t understand anything
When Alec had gone out to attend a union meeting, Mrs Henderson told her husband he needn’t bother to come to the theatre. She wasn’t putting up with him and Alec having a pantomime of their own* during the course of the evening and spoiling it for everyone else. She’d ask Mrs Rafferty from the floor above to go in his place.
‘By heck,’ shouted Charles Henderson, striking his forehead with the back of his hand, ‘why didn’t I think of that? Perish the thought that our Alec should be the one to be excluded. I’m only the blasted bread-winner.’ He knew his wife was just mouthing words.
*'having a pantomime of their own' implies they will be arguing ridiculously
On the night of the outing to the theatre, a bit of a rumpus* took place in the lift. It was occasioned by Moira’s lad, Wayne, jabbing at all the control buttons and giving his grandmother a turn*.
Alec thumped
Pre-reading Activities
1. Charles Henderson
One of the main characters in the story is Charlie Henderson. He is going to see a pantomime – a form of theatre traditionally seen at Christmas time – with his family. From the following extracts you will get an idea of what the relationship between him, his son Alec and his wife are.
Mrs Henderson’s son, Alec, said Peter Pan wasn’t a pantomime. At least not what his mother understood by the word. Of course, there was a fairy-tale element to the story, dealing as it did with Never-Never land and lost boys, but there was more to it than that, ‘It’s written on several levels,’ he informed her.
‘I’ve been a lost boy all my life,’ muttered Charles Henderson, but nobody heard him. ‘And I doubt,’ said Alec, ‘if our Moira’s kiddies will make head nor tail of it.* It’s full of nannies and coal fires burning in the nursery.’
‘Don’t talk rot,’ fumed Charles Henderson. ‘They’ve seen coal fires on television.’
‘Shut up, Charlie,’ said Alec. His father hated being called Charlie.
*won’t understand anything
When Alec had gone out to attend a union meeting, Mrs Henderson told her husband he needn’t bother to come to the theatre. She wasn’t putting up with him and Alec having a pantomime of their own* during the course of the evening and spoiling it for everyone else. She’d ask Mrs Rafferty from the floor above to go in his place.
‘By heck,’ shouted Charles Henderson, striking his forehead with the back of his hand, ‘why didn’t I think of that? Perish the thought that our Alec should be the one to be excluded. I’m only the blasted bread-winner.’ He knew his wife was just mouthing words.
*'having a pantomime of their own' implies they will be arguing ridiculously
On the night of the outing to the theatre, a bit of a rumpus* took place in the lift. It was occasioned by Moira’s lad, Wayne, jabbing at all the control buttons and giving his grandmother a turn*.
Alec thumped