Sophisticated Enough

I'll wear padded trousers, says Ageless.

That's all very well, says Gaius, but I don't have anything that will fit you.

Call Belle, says Henriette. She might have something.

Of course! says Gaius.

He calls Belle.

Hello Gaius, says Belle. How is Denis?

Recovering, says Gaius, but he's reluctant to fall off the table.

I see, says Belle. So it'll have to be Ageless.

Only in the shipwreck scene, says Gaius. Denis will perform the rest of the excerpt.

Crikey! says Belle. How will the audience take it? 

I see what you mean, says Gaius. Suddenly Candide turns into a lobster, falls overboard and on reaching landfall becomes a young man again.

A tricky one, says Belle.

A naive one, says Gaius.

 I meant the whole situation, says Belle. Not Candide himself.

Oh, right, says Gaius. Well, Ageless has requested padded trousers, to protect his carapace. Do you have such a costume?

Only the Old Lady's buttock padding, says Belle. But she's not in it this year, so I suppose I could use it.

Isn't it a bit large? asks Gaius.

That shouldn't matter, says Belle. Ageless is smaller than Denis. The padded trousers will bulk him up nicely.

I'll leave it to you then, says Gaius.

No worries, says Belle.

She looks into the prop box. 

Finds the Old Lady's padding. 

Now, what about the trousers?

She rummages lower.

Yes! The red knitted sheep shorts that Terence wore a few years ago when he played the red sheep.

With a hole in the back for the tail.

Perfect. They just need a wash before she sews in the padding.

Who are they for? asks Sweezus, who is taking a coffee break.

Ageless, says Belle. He's playing Candide in the shipwreck. 

Cool, says Sweezus. But hey.... won't that look kind of funny?

Yes it will look kind of funny, says Belle. We'll just have to hope the audience is sophisticated enough to accept it.

Remember last year when I did all those AI effects? says Sweezus.

Yes, says Belle. They were awesome.

Maybe I could do one for Ageless, says Sweezus. Make him look more like Denis.

You haven't got long, says Belle.

Just the face, says Sweezus. That should be easy.

Okay see how you go, says Belle.

She imagines how Ageless will look with red padded sheep shorts,

Knitted hat, 

Claws,

And Denis's face.