FLASH GORDON
— The New Planet —
Principal Cast
Narrator
Flash Gordon
Dale Arden
Professor Hans Zarkov
The Slave
Emperor Ming the
Merciless
Princess Aura, Daughter
of Ming
Thun, Prince of the
Lionmen
Zogi, High Priest
of Mongo
SCENE 1 – To the New Planet
000 Countdown – 3-2-1 — We’re On The Air
[01] MUSIC UP and UNDER
001 ANNC: And now from the Golden Gate of California and that beautiful City by the Bay, San Francisco, The One Act Players present The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon.
002 NARR: Racing high above the earth, seated in a giant airliner, Flash Gordon, world famous athlete, glances across the aisle at Dale Arden, a lovely young woman sharing this air voyage. The minds of both are intent on the danger which for many months has been approaching the Earth with terrific speed. This terrible peril is a new and unknown planet, hurtling through space directly into the path of the Earth. Suddenly there’s a violent jar.
[02] SFX: Plane stalls, dives
003 NARR: The plane lurches into a spinning nose dive. Flash Gordon’s trained muscles carry him across the aisle to the frightened girl, to gather her in his arms and then leap free of the falling plane. And pulling the ripcord of his parachute, they glide to Earth.
[03] SFX: Parachute opens, plane fades to crash.
004 Flash: Don’t be frightened, Miss Arden. The plane has crashed, but we’re safe.
005 Dale: Yes, thanks to you.
006 Flash: Hold fast, we’re landing now…careful…easy…
007 BOTH: GRUNT AS THEY LAND
[04] SFX: Jungles ambience/lab door opens
008 Flash: Are you all right, Miss Arden?
009 Dale: Yes, yes I am. Please, call me Dale.
010 Flash: All right – Dale. Please call me Flash.
011 Dale: It would be my pleasure. Oh, Flash … look through there! A large steel door has opened!
012 Flash: Why, that can only be the laboratory of the great scientist, Dr. Hans Zarkov. Follow me Dale, we can get him to help us! (CALLS OUT) Dr. Zarkov! Look, Dale, he’s coming out of the lab. Dr. Zarkov!
013 Zarkov: Stop where you are!
014 Flash: Do not be alarmed, doctor, and pardon us for dropping in on you uninvited, but as you can see, we had to bail out.
015 Zarkov: Yes, I heard the plane overhead searching for my laboratory. I see you for what you are – spies! Come to steal my secrets! But I have the answer for that. You will come with me!
016 Flash: Put that gun away, Professor Zarkov. (TO DALE) The man is mad, Dale. We’ll have to humor him. (TO ZARKOV), All right, Professor, all right. We will come with you.
017 Zarkov: Get down this ladder, into the chamber below.
018 Dale: Flash?
019 Zarkov: Down I tell you!
020 Flash: All right, all right. We’re going.
[05] SFX: Metal door closes
021 Zarkov: There now. We are in my rocket ship, and in ten seconds we will be on our way to the new planet. We may all die – but we will die for science! (LAUGHS MANIACALLY)
[06] SFX: ROCKET TAKES OFF
022 Dale: Oh, Flash! The doctor IS mad! (Pause) This rocketship is breaking away from the Earth. And look, we are headed right into the path of the new planet!
023 Flash: Hold tight, Dale. We’ll escape somewhere.
024 Zarkov: To the new planet! The new planet! We three will save the Earth!
025 Flash: Dr. Zarkov, there’s still time to swing your rocketship out of danger.
026 Zarkov: No! No! (LAUGHS)
027 Flash: What will you gain for science if we are all killed in the crash?
028 Zarkov: I know who you are, Flash Gordon! The world’s greatest athlete! But your trained strength will not save you. Only my mind -- the mind of Zarkov The Scientist can save you, or any of the poor souls upon the Earth!
029 Flash: Your desire to save the Earth is commendable, Professor. But even with this amazing rocketship, you cannot succeed.
030 Zarkov: Balderdash. I am the only one who CAN succeed. And you will help me.
031 Dale: He’s reaching for the controls!
032 Flash: The turbo drive! Stand aside, Dr. Zarkov.
033 Zarkov: (LAUGHS) No, Flash Gordon, it is too late!
[07] SFX: Turbo drive acceleration
034 Zarkov: Do you feel it! The gravitation pull of the new planet! We arrive in five seconds! (laughs)
035 Dale: Flash! The planet!
036 Flash: Brace yourself!
037 Zarkov: Ahhh, look … it … is …beautiful.
[08] SFX: CRASH
[09] MUSIC: SUSPENSE STINGER
SCENE 2 – At the Mercy of Ming
038 NARR: The rocketship hits the planet! Dr. Zarkov and Dale are thrown from the rocketship to the ground. Flash is thrown clear of the wreckage and lands on his feet, uninjured.
He rushes to the side of the unconscious girl, picks her up, and carries her toward the distant towers of a city on this strange, new planet.
[10] MUSIC: THE NEW PLANET
039 [GENERAL]: Halt! Stand where you are! Halt.
040 NARR: Suddenly, strange soldiers armed with ray guns appear, and capturing Dale and Flash, march them to the throne room of Ming the Merciless, Emperor of Mongo and supreme ruler of the universe.
[11] MUSIC: Mings Court
041 Slave: Oh, thou indulgent Ming, most merciless majesty of Mongo, supreme ruler of all the peoples of the universe, thy slaves salute thee.
042 Ming: Good. (Pause) Ming shall want the Earth people.
043 Slave: Thy slaves obey, oh Ming the Merciless.
044 Flash: Get your hands off me! I’m no slave. I will meet your emperor as a free man and an equal.
045 Ming: So, Earthman, you are a free man, and MY equal.
046 Flash: All men of Earth are equal, and one day they will all be free.
047 Ming: Is that so?
048 Flash: Yes, if a catastrophe can be averted.
049 Ming: A castastrophe?
050 Flash: Your planet is about to collide with the Earth, Emperor Ming. The mad scientist who perished bringing us here was seeking a way to avoid our destruction. I ask you to help us.
051 Ming: (Laughs) Earthman, there will be no collision. I control the path of Mongo and I have directed my world at yours to create panic and despair. Oh, I will spare your puny planet from destruction, Flash Gordon, but only to serve me. You and all Earthmen will become my slaves.
052 Flash: You fiend!
053 Ming: Throw him to the red monkey-men in the arena.
054 Slave: THERE is thy freedom, Earth man. Now you go into the arena to meet the red monkey-men of Mongo.
055 Dale: No!
056 MONKEY-MEN SQUEAL
057 Flash: Don’t worry, Dale. (TO MING) Emperor Ming, I will show you that I, a free man from the Earth, are more than a match for your brainless red monkey-men.
058 Ming: Brave words, Earthman. None before you have proven a match for the red monkey-men. Go now to the arena …and meet thy doom.
059 NARR: As Flash reaches the bottom step leading to the arena, he leaps and swings at the nearest red monkey-man. Then grasping the fallen man-beast by the arm, Flash whirls him around in a flail, knocking the others in all directions. [060 Ming: “Guards Guards”] Emperor Ming, fearing that his monkey-men will all be destroyed, orders his guards to kills Flash with their ray guns.
061 Ming: Destroy the Earthman!
SCENE 3 – Aura Rescues Flash
[12] SFX: Ray guns
062 NARR: In the midst of the confusion, Princess Aura, the beautiful young daughter of Emperor Ming, calls to Flash.
063 Aura: Quick brave Earthman, this way! Here to my balcony!
064 NARR: Flash leaps to the royal balcony and joins the gorgeously jeweled princess, who commands the guards to keep back. She takes Flash though a secret door and into a passage leading to a private elevator. The two get in, then Aura closes the door and presses the switch.
[13] MUSIC: AURA’S THEME
065 Flash: Who are you, beautiful maiden?
066 Aura: I am the Princess Aura, only daughter of Ming the Merciless.
067 Flash: Princess, I owe you my life.
068 Aura: You are brave and handsome, and strong. I have never seen anyone like you, Earthman. You must not end so young.
069 Flash: Where I come from, Princess, there are many stronger men and better looking. But tell me, Princess, where are you taking me?
070 Aura: I am taking you to my private rocketship. There you will be safe.
071 Flash: My safety is not an issue --
072 Aura: We have arrived, Earthman! No one can harm you here.
073 Flash: But Princess, I don’t –
074 [GENERAL] GUARDS IN BACKGROUND. GETTING NEARER.
075 Aura: Hurry, hurry!
076 Flash: But Princess Aura, how am I to rescue the Earthgirl, Dale Arden?
077 Aura: That is no longer a concern. You will be safe in my private rocketship, Earthman.
078 Flash: No longer a concern? What do you mean?
079 Aura: Dale Arden can never be rescued by you.
080 Flash: But princess, I --
[14a] SFX: Door closes
081 Aura: NEVER! And as for you, Earthman, you shall love me or die!
[14] STINGER MUSIC
SCENE 4 – Ming’s Proposal
082 NARR: Meanwhile, back in the palace, Emperor Ming speaks with Dale Arden.
[15] MING COURT MUSIC
083 Ming: Your companion Flash Gordon has escaped. But not for long. My men will soon capture him.
084 Dale: What are you going to do with me, Emperor Ming?
085 Ming: You are pleasing to me, Earthwoman. You will become my wife.
086 Dale: Never! I don’t love you!
087 Ming: We men of Mongo have no human traits. No love, no mercy, no kindness. Whether you love me or not makes no difference. You shall become my wife as soon as the ceremony can be arranged.
[16] SFX: Explosion
088 Ming: What was that?!
089 Slave: Your majesty, look into the space-o-graph. Our city is being bombarded by the space gyros of the Lionmen!
090 Ming: The Lionmen. The Lionmen! Order the entire space fleet to the attack!
SCENE 5 – Flash Befriends Thun
[17] SFX: Battle sounds
091 NARR: In the terrific battle which takes place between Emperor Ming’s space fleet and the gyroships of the Lionmen, Princess Aura’s rocketship is disabled and crashes. The cabin fills with smoke, choking Flash, who stumbles to the door and falls to the ground, unconscious. He opens his eyes to find himself staring into the great bearded face of Thun, Prince of the Lionmen. Thun lets his great sword fall as he sees Flash Gordon’s golden hair.
092 Thun: Who art thou, yellow-headed youth? Art thou a new kind of soldier of Ming the Merciless? Speak! Answer me before I cleave thy pale body in pieces!
093 Flash: Wait! I am the sworn enemy of that fiend Emperor Ming of Mongo. He holds captive a girl who is from the Earth, like myself. I live only to rescue her.
094 Thun: An Earthman, thou sayest?
095 Flash: Yes.
096 Thun: And an enemy of Ming the Merciless?
097 Flash: That’s right. Tell me, are you friend, or enemy?
098 Thun: I am Thun, Prince of the Lionmen [099 Thun Roar]. We are hereditary enemies of the men of Mongo. If thou would accept me as thy friend, Earthman, I will gladly join thee against Ming the Merciless.
100 Flash: Here’s my hand on it, Prince Thun.
101 Thun: Good. What is thy name, Earthman?
102 Flash: I am called Flash Gordon, your highness.
103 Thun: Call me Thun, friend. And I will call thee, Flash. As to the Earthgirl, Emperor Ming is away pursuing my gyro fleet, so we may be able to rescue the Earthgirl before his return.
104 Flash: Thun, do you know how we can gain admittance to the palace?
105 Thun: Come to my gyroship. The thought projector may show thee a secret way into the palace. And once inside I will know the way.
106 Flash: Lead on!
SCENE 6 – Dale’s Rescue
[18] MUSIC: FLASH BRIDGE
107 NARR: Flash Gordon and his powerful new-found friend go first to the space gyro of Prince Thun, and there they gaze intently into the “thought projector”, in which they not only see Dale Arden captive, but also have revealed to them a secret way leading into the throne room. The secret passage is known as the Tunnel of Terror because of the deadly beasts which lie within its gloomy walls.
[19] SFX: Tunnel of Terror Beast
108 NARR: Fighting each step of the way, Flash and Prince Thun finally find themselves within the palace.
[20] SFX: Water dripping in cavern
109 NARR: A door with great steel bolts stands before them.
110 Flash: Thun, this door must lead directly to the center of the palace.
111 Thun: From my memory of the palace, I should say that beyond this door is the great throne room of the Emperor Ming.
112 Flash: All right, then. Here we go!
[21] SFX: Great door opens
[22] MUSIC: Ming’s Wedding Procession
113 Flash: Ah. There. (WHISPERS) You are right, Thun! It IS the throne room!
114 Thun: Yes. This great stone idol before us is Mord-ak, the god of death, which stands at the top of the altar steps, directly behind the throne of the Emperor.
115 [Slaves droning] Long live Ming the Merciless!
116 Flash: Listen. Thun, what’s that?
117 Thun: By the great god Pau-oo. It is the royal wedding procession. Ming the Merciless has returned and is taking another bride.
118 Zogi: Long Live Ming! Oh mighty Ming, ruler of Mongo and the universe, does your Supreme Intelligence take this Earthwoman to be your wife and Empress of Mongo?
119 Ming: I most certainly do.
120 Zogi: And you, Dale Arden, do you take this just and brilliant man to be your Lord and Master?
121 Dale: (Gagged Protests)
122 Ming: Of course she does, Priest.
123 Zogi: You will now ascend the altar steps and bow down before the idol. When the gong has struck for the 9th time representing the 9 Kingdoms of Mongo you will be wed.
[23] SFX: Gong begins to strike
124 Flash: Someone’s coming up the altar steps, Thun. I’m going to look around the idol.
125 Thun: To look around the idol means death! Thou must not — Come back! (OFF MIKE) Come back, Flash!
126 Dale: No! Let me go! (Breaks gag) Take your hands off me!
127 Flash: (Under Breath) Dale? (TO THUN) Thun! Save yourself! I’m going to rescue my Earth friend, Dale Arden! She’s being forced into a marriage with Ming the Merciless!
128 Thun: Prince Thun of the Lionmen does not save himself at the expense of his friends. If thou must die – then I will die fighting with thee.
129 Flash: Dale! Up here!
130 Dale: (Under Breath) Flash! (TO GUARDS) I said LET ME GO! (sounds of her breaking free)
SFX: MUSIC STOPS.
131 [GENERAL] SHOUTS FROM CROWD. HALT, ETC.
132 Ming: Stop Earthwoman! Stop! I command you!
133 Flash: This way, Dale!
134 Thun: Down this passage, Earthlings, as fast as thou canst run!
135 Ming: After them!
[24] SFX: Guards rushing up steps
136 Flash: Quick, Thun, they’re swarming up the altar steps. Help me topple the idol over on them. Now! One...two...THREE!
SCENE 7 – Escape From the Palace
[25] SFX: CRASH of IDOL!
137 [General] SOUND OF STARTLED AND INJURED SOLDIERS
138 NARR: With a grinding crash, the giant statue topples over on the on-rushing soldiers of Ming the Merciless, killing those in front and throwing into confusion the whole company. Flash Gordon and Prince Thun, with Dale between them, dash into a secret passage beneath the idol. The way becomes steeper.
[26] SFX RUSHING RIVER/SPLASHES
139 NARR: They slip — and fall. Down! Down! A hundred feet or more into a whirling underground river. They’re swept along down a raging current and over a falls into a lake. With the powerful strokes of a champion swimmer, Flash sets out for the shore, towing Dale by the hair. They arrive at the shore, and as Flash reaches down to drag Dale to safety, she screams [140 Dale Screams] [141 Flash: Dale!] before disappearing beneath the calm surface of the lake, clutched in two powerful, scaly arms.
[27] SFX: Dive into water
142 NARR: With no thought for his own safety, Flash Gordon dives to Dale’s rescue and finds an adventure stranger than any which has gone before.
[28] MUSIC: UP THEN UNDER
143 ANNC: What terrible creature has captured Dale Arden? And Can Flash save her from the watery depths of Mongo? Join The One Act Players next time for the continuing Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon.
One Act Audio Theater
www.oneact.org