Treasure Island

Act One
Our shows begins in The Admiral Benbow, a dingy pub, owned by young Jim Hawkins and his mother. The old sea dog, Billy Bones is telling a tale of the vicious pirate Captain Flint who buried his vast treasure on an island and then murdered his crew (Fifteen Men). The terrifying Blind Pew bursts in and demands to see Bones, to whom he hands the Black Spot, a sign which terrifies Bones so much he dies of fright. Jim and his friends, the reliable Doctor Livesey and the cheerful but foolhardy Squire find a treasure map in Billy Bones’ old sea chest and decide to take a journey to find the buried treasure. Little do they know they are already being watched!

The crew of the Hispaniola are preparing to leave the for the journey (We’re On Our Way), led by the trustworthy first mate, Mr Arrow. Jim meets the one-legged Long John Silver, the ship's cook, who appears very friendly and promises to look after him on the journey. Later, Long John Silver, eavesdropping on a conversation between the Doctor and Jim, finds out that Jim has the key to the locker where the treasure map is kept.

On the deck of the Hispaniola Jim falls inside the apple barrel from where he overhears the nasty Black Dog and the wimpish Big Jesse discussing a planned mutiny. Long John Silver appears and tells them not to be so hasty. Jim resolves to tell the Squire and the Doctor of the horrifying news he has just heard (Facing Up to the Danger). On arrival at Skull Island our heroes decide the best course of action is to allow the crew to go ashore, while they plan their next move.

Long John Silver instructs Black Dog and Big Jesse to stay behind on the ship, kidnap Jim and steal the treasure map. The rest of the pirates make their way to the island, thrilled about the riches they are about to find there (We’re Gonna be Rich!). With Jim now missing, the Squire the Doctor and Mr Arrow realise he is in great danger, so they make their way to the island to look for him. Still on board, Jim tricks his captors, retrieves the map and escapes on his own to the island. During a furious argument, Big Jesse, finding strength in a story Jim has just told him, stands up to Black Dog, forcing Black Dog finally to admit that he all he wants to do is to go home (I Wanna Go Home!). Despite the fact that no one else is on board, the newly confident Big Jesse announces that the mutiny is complete as he raises the Skull and Crossbones (Up the Jolly Roger) above the Hispaniola!

Act Two
The pirates are enjoying themselves singing and dancing round a fire on the beach (A Pirating Life) waiting for the map to arrive, when Jim comes ashore. Silver, seeing that Jim has map, and, impressed by Jim’s resourcefulness, tries to persuade him to join them, and that pirating is a noble and rewarding profession. Whilst the pirates are busy singing the praises of their lifestyle (A Pirating Life, reprise) Jim slips away. After the song, the pirates notice their captive has disappeared and they scatter to find him.

The fleeing Jim stumbles across the urbane and well-spoken maroonee Ben Gunn reclining on a deck chair. The first thing on Ben’s mind is not rescue but cheese (I’d Rather have a Lump of Cheese) during which number Jim is introduced to Ben’s faithful Bevy of grass-skirted ladies. Ben was marooned three years previously during a failed pirate mission searching for Flint’s treasure. Silver and the rest of the crew had abandoned him as punishment for instigating the wild goose chase. Jim tells Ben that Silver and his men are indeed back on the island and hunting him down. Ben offers his and his girls’ services to defeat the pirates.

The Squire, the Doctor and Mr Arrow are relaxing at an abandoned Beach Club (one of Ben’s failed ventures!) (Island Paradise). Jim, Ben and the girls join forces with them just in time for a visit by Silver who threatens them with annihilation unless they hand over the map. They rebuke him and there follows a large fight involving the only weapons currently on the island: fruit and coconuts! Silver and the pirates retreat to the ship to collect some real weapons. Jim and the girls are sent ahead of them to hide the ship in a small creek. An interesting discovery is made in the numerous chests littering Ben’s old Beach Club! 

Back aboard the Hispaniola, Black Dog and Big Jesse are still arguing. Jim and the girls overpower the inept duo and hide the ship from the pirates. Black Dog is now more miserable than ever with his current situation! (I Wanna go Home, reprise). Leaving the girls in command, Jim returns to the island where he is shocked to find that the pirates have taken over the Beach Club and that now they have the map too! Silver asks Jim to read the map where they discover that Captain Flint has coded the directions in a dance! (The Treasure Dance). The pirates reluctantly follow the instructions which eventually lead them into the spooky jungle where they meet the phantoms of Flint’s doomed crew who warn them they are in great danger if they go on (Six Poor Souls). Silver dismisses the warning but the other pirates are terrified. They proceed, but to their horror they find that where the treasure should be is just an empty hole! The pirates turn on Silver and also on Jim. Silver pulls his gun on the mutinous buccaneers and allows Jim to escape. Silver is about to despatch the angry crew when the Squire, the Doctor, Arrow, Ben and the girls appear. They arrest Silver and his accomplices and take them back to the ship. Ben reveals that he found the treasure years ago and hid it out of harms way at his failed Beach Club!

That night on the ship, aided by Silver’s parrot, Polly, Silver and the pirates escape from the ship’s prison and are loading the treasure aboard the landing boats. Jim sees them and threatens to raise the alarm but decides to let them go. Overloaded with booty, the landing boats along with the greedy pirates sink to the bottom of the ocean pursued by the phantoms of Flint’s murdered crew (Six Poor Souls, reprise).

The next morning the Hispaniola is preparing to leave the island when it is discovered that both the pirates and the treasure have gone. Jim tells his friends that he knew Silver and the pirates were doomed so that is why he let them seal their own fate. He has now realised that the adventure itself and the friendships made are far more important than any treasure. With Ben and the girls helping as crew, they set sail for England and the company echo Jim’s convivial sentiment (Find the Treasure There).