Original subtitles

This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting from the start

GARBLED RADIO

BURSTS OF VOICES AND MUSIC ON RADIO

WHITE NOISE

BIRDS AND INSECTS CHIRP

WILD PIG SNORTS BOY GASPS

FLIES BUZZ

Hello?

HE GROANS

HE WHEEZES

INSECTS BUZZ

Hello?

Hello?

WATER TRICKLES

Oh!

# Hello

# I must be going

# I cannot stay

# I came to say I must be going

# I'm glad I came but just the same

# I must be going...#

Hello!

BIRD WHISTLES

Hello?

HE WHEEZES

INSECT BUZZES

Oh!

PIG SQUEALS

INSECTS BUZZ

HE WHEEZES

CRACKLY RADIO: # Hello, I must be going

# I cannot say I came to say...#

INSECTS BUZZ

BIRDS AND INSECTS CHIRP

RUSTLING

TWIG SNAPS

ALARMED BIRD CALLS

Hello?

Wait a minute.

Hi.

Hi.

What's your name? Ralph.

You seen anything else?

Places or people, Ralph?

I heard someone, I think.

But it could have been a pig.

I've seen the pigs too. Big apes, aren't they?

Well, they're not apes. Pigs.

I'm looking for water.

You're thirsty?

I'm thirsty.

Those coconuts are good.

I'd like to bathe.

It's a glorious place, this island, but it is hot.

Ah, I remember. What?

Come on.

HE WHEEZES

Are you all right?

Just been...

HE WHEEZES

..going too fast.

Asthma.

What do I call you?

I don't care what you call me...

..as long as you don't call me what they used to call me.

What was that?

Promise you won't laugh?

Yes.

Piggy.

HE LAUGHS

Like, Piggy? Piggy?

Ralph, you said... It is a funny name, though.

Not that funny.

WATER TRICKLES

Here.

Well, that was clever.

Follow the feeder streams.

I've read about it.

BIRDS CAW

It's ripping!

You didn't know how deep it was.

You could have hit your head.

Woohoo!

Aren't you coming in?

I don't swim.

I can't because of my asthma.

Sucks to your asthma!

I could swim when I was five.

My father taught me.

He's a Petty Officer, first class, in the Navy.

My mum and dad are dead.

I'll just paddle. For now.

And maybe before we leave, I can teach you.

You'd teach me?

Of course. It would be an honour.

Hurrah! Hurrah for you!

It's nice.

You rotter!

THEY GIGGLE

Take that!

What's that?

This is a start.

Auntie Joan's friend Samuel had one on his wall.

Conch, is it?

He'd blow it and we'd all laugh.

My auntie wouldn't let me because of my asthma. Your asthma.

PIGGY LAUGHS

He kind of spat.

Said you blew from down here.

You try it, Ralph. Then the others will come.

The others? Anyone else with us.

That's a good idea. Or we could shout.

HE BLOWS

It doesn't work!

It will. It doesn't.

Try again.

For me.

RALPH SIGHS

Please.

RALPH BLOWS

Wow.

Amazing.

Whoa!

WAVES LAP

Ralph.

Ralph! Blow!

HE BLOWS CONCH SPUTTERS

PIGGY LAUGHS

You think that will summon them?

Come to the man who breaks wind loudly!

Again!

HE BLOWS CONCH BELLOWS SOFTLY

Gosh!

CONCH BELLOWS STRONGLY

CONCH ECHOES

Hello!

Blow it again. Make sure everyone hears.

CONCH BELLOWS CLEARLY

Again!

CONCH BELLOWS STRONGLY

THEY CHATTER

CHATTERING CONTINUES

Sam, Eric. Eric, Sam.

You're identical!

We noticed that, too.

BOTH: Have you tried the fruit?

Perhaps we should get everyone water.

There's more little 'uns than I remember on the plane.

Perhaps we'd better tell people why we gathered them.

Oh, yes.

Ralph.

THEY CHATTER

Attention!

Over here!

Attention! Listen!

CHATTERING CONTINUES

Blow the conch again.

Please. I'll blow it!

CONCH BELLOWS

Attention!

Over here!

Attention, everyone!

Ralph's made this meeting to find out what we all know

and decide what to do.

Where are the grown-ups? That's a good question.

Has anybody seen any grown-ups from the plane?

I don't know anything!

Who'll tell my mummy where we are?

They'll be looking.

What we need to do is get a sense of exactly what we know.

Now, if everyone can raise their hands

and talk us through anything they've seen...

CHOIR SINGS

# Eleison

RADIO CRACKLES

# Kyrie, kyrie, eleison

# Kyrie, eleison

# Christe, Christe, eleison

# Christe, Christe, eleison

# Christe, Christe

# Christe, Christe, eleison

# Christe, eleison

# Kyrie, eleison

# Kyrie, eleison

# Kyrie, kyrie, eleison. #

Where's the man with the trumpet?

There is no man with a trumpet. Only me.

Isn't there a ship, then?

Isn't there a man here?

No. We're having a meeting.

Come and join in.

Choir, stand still.

BOY LAUGHS

We need to be careful in this sun.

Over hot and you can boil on the inside.

HE LAUGHS

What nonsense.

Simon's always throwing a faint.

He did it in Gib, and Addis,

and at Matins over the precentor.

HE SCOFFS

Let him alone.

Were you all on the plane?

There's more than I remember. Yes, we were.

And now we're trying to find some order so we can work out

exactly what we know. You're talking too much.

Shut up, Fatty!

THEY LAUGH

He's not Fatty.

His real name is Piggy.

THEY LAUGH

Oh, I like that.

He's right, though.

We do need to make some key decisions.

It seems to me we ought to have a chief.

More important is to find out exactly where we are.

A chief will decide that.

I can be chief.

I'm chapter chorister and head boy.

I can sing high C sharp.

All those in favour of me... I think we should have

more than one in consideration if a chief is to be decided.

I can't sing C sharp, but, yes, I'd like to be chief.

Of course you would.

A vote, then. What's your name?

Jack.

All those who want Jack raise your hands.

All those who want Ralph...

That's not fair. They knew you already.

They hardly knew me at all. The vote's happened.

We can hardly have another.

Ralph is chief.

The choir belongs to you, of course.

We could be the army!

Or the hunters!

Yeah! Yes!

The leader of the hunters?

Yes, that'll do well.

All right, choir. Take off your togs.

Yes! Finally!

First thing we need to do is find out exactly where we are.

Everybody must stay round here and wait and listen

for the conch.

A small group. Jack, of course. You...

Simon. If you're fit enough.

He's the least fit.

THEY LAUGH

You and me will climb and...

Ad we'll se what this place is.

BIRDS CAW

You don't think there's anybody here, do you?

You think we're all alone.

Well, in that case, the important thing

is to think about the little 'uns.

Why should we care for the little 'uns, Piggy?

Because they can't care for themselves, Jack.

We need to think about food and shelter,

and toilets, of course.

Toilets? We're on an island. We don't know it's an island.

We're on a wizard island.

Huh? Tropical, delightful.

And Piggy wants to talk about how the little people use the privy.

We need to pick the best spot for a signal fire.

If there are grown-ups coming, then they must be able to see us.

Of course there are grown-ups coming. My father's coming.

He's a Petty Officer, first class, in the Navy.

My father's a Wing Commander in the RAF.

I can't tell you what my father does,

but he's very important to the country.

Well, that's quite a set.

Don't you see? However brilliant your fathers are,

unless they have an extraordinary sense of smell

500 times that of a Bullmastiff,

they won't be able to find us.

I'd read that strip.

"Mastiff Man. He smells out any crime."

THEY LAUGH

# Mastiff Man He's a massive man

Oh! # Mastive man! #

He'll smell out any crime.

I like that.

Mastive Man! Mastive Man! Mastive Man!

# Mastive Man He's a massive man

# Mastive Man...#

And his partner Pup.

THEY CHATTER

BOYS CHATTER

Mine is winning! The green one.

INSECTS BUZZ

HE WHEEZES

You need to keep up!

Can't keep up.

HE GULPS

Asthma.

If you don't want to be here... I can hardly go back alone.

Look, it's not so hard. It actually gets easier.

You told them.

Ralph!

After I said I didn't want to be called Piggy.

Better Piggy than Fatty.

Ralph! You need to see this!

We're coming!

I picked you, didn't I?

I picked you for the mission. You're lucky. And you're lucky.

Because without me, he would be chief.

FLIES BUZZ

We'll find them all over the mountain.

They weren't in the passenger tube like we were.

We need to go tell the others.

They need to know it's just us.

Do we bury him first? No.

Why not? Because he made a mistake.

He must take responsibility.

Christian burial would be the wrong thing.

We could put him in the sea.

That's what they do in the Navy, no matter how Christian someone is.

Yes.

Let's put him in the sea.

I think we should bury him. Let's vote.

All those in favour of a Navy burial?

Yes.

He'll like the sea.

Decided. A simple quad carry will do it.

FLIES BUZZ

A quad needs four.

FLIES BUZZ

Oh! Wretched things.

THEY STRAIN

And again. We're not strong enough.

Says you.

I say that we bury him.

There's a faster way down.

That's certainly not Navy.

Help me! Or Christian.

Stop that!

THEY STRAIN

No, no!

No!

STONES CLATTER

HEAVY CRASH

It matters what one does and how one does it.

A better pilot, a better man

would not have made such a mistake.

In company with Christ

Who died and now lives

May they rejoice in your kingdom

Where all our tears are wiped away

Unite us together again in one family

To sing your praise

For ever and ever.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

CRACKLY RADIO

Look.

Look. They're all around.

You're so close!

Oh, you got it.

Oh, look at it! You got a mudskipper.

I know!

Hello!

He's all slimy.

WATER SPLASHES

HE GASPS

What is it? I don't know.

WIND HOWLS

WATER SPLASHES

It's coming from the trees.

What is it?

INDISTINCT BOYS' VOICES

WIND HOWLS

WATER SPLASHES

BOY CRIES

THEY CHATTER

Attention! Attention!

We've been on the mountain. That mountain.

We saw water all around.

No houses, no boats,

no smoke, no footprints.

We're on an island and there's no people here.

Not quite no people.

No. Um, we saw the pilot.

He was dead. Dead?

We think the others from that part of the plane

might be up there too.

We found bits of the plane and we can't be sure,

but we think all those that weren't in the passenger tube,

and that's all the grown-ups...

Well, they're all dead.

WORRIED CHATTER

Listen, listen!

CHATTERING CONTINUES

Listen. Listen!

The time for talking is when you're out of a meeting.

When the meeting's going on, no talking.

How boring. Like class or prep.

It's time for me to gather my army now, Ralph.

If we want to catch a pig, we've got to go now.

Bet you two marbles we catch a pig before the sun goes down.

Wait just a minute!

Jack! Wait just a minute, please.

I do like it when you say "please".

Perhaps no-one speaks unless they're holding the conch.

What's a conch?

What I'm holding is the conch.

So I'll start.

The important things are food... We're going to catch food!

..and shelters... Sleep under the trees!

..and toilets. He's a talking duck.

THEY LAUGH

He's got a point!

Shush! Listen to Piggy!

So I think we should choose three spots almost immediately.

One, the toilet, that everyone uses.

Even the little 'uns.

Two, where the signal fire might be.

And three, where we'll build the huts.

Do you want the conch?

Why is he giving it to him?

Do we have time for this? Let's allocate jobs.

If they want to speak, we should let them.

Whisper it to me if you'd like.

HE WHISPERS

He wants to know what you're going to do about the snake thing.

THEY LAUGH

THEY HISS

Ralph!

Sorry. Sorry.

Tell us about the snake thing.

The beastie.

Now he says it was a beastie.

Beastie?

A big snake thing! He saw it. Tell them.

Where?

In the woods.

No, there is no beast. This is an island.

You only get beasts in big countries like Australia.

You have no need to worry.

I saw it.

And it'll come back tonight.

Why would anyone say this?

There's no way. There's no way there's an actual beast.

BOYS CHATTER

Ralph's right, of course. There's no beast.

But if there is, you have my word,

the hunters will find it and kill it.

Yeah!

Now we're going to hunt pigs and get meat for everybody,

and we're going to keep you all safe.

My father's in the Navy,

and he said there aren't any unknown islands left.

He says that the Queen has a big room full of maps,

and all the islands in the world are drawn there.

So the Queen's got a picture of this island,

and sooner or later, exploring these islands,

a ship will put in here.

It might even be my father's ship. So we will be rescued.

Well, I hope they're at least a week so we can have a little fun first.

Fun is necessary, but let's divide ourselves.

We'll need a team to build a signal fire,

for which I propose at the top of the mountain.

The hunters will make the best signal fire.

Come on! Follow me.

THEY CHEER

No, no, look, we also need other teams

to build shelters and lavatories and...

Hunt the pig!

Kids.

BOYS WHOOP

"The Queen has a picture of this island."

HE LAUGHS

On the wall above her toilet.

She stares at it night and day.

# Hooray for Captain Spaulding

# The African explorer

# Did someone call me Snorer?

# He brought his name undying fame

# And that is why we say

# Hooray, hooray

# Hooray. #

RUSTLING

RUSTLING CONTINUES

PIGLET SQUEALS

# Let all the world in every corner sing

# Let all the world...

HE GROWLS AND LAUGHS

# In every corner sing

PIGLET SQUEALS

# My God and King... #

PIGLET SQUEALS

Go on.

PIGLET SQUEAKS

Go on.

PIGLET SQUEALS

Why did you do that?

What? You let it go.

You should have closed in.

The pig was trapped in the creepers.

You lost your nerve is all.

But not to worry. There'll be others.

Take that back.

Take what back? I did not lose my nerve.

I was choosing a place.

I was waiting for a moment to decide where to stab him.

Is THAT what you were doing?

I was trying to get sight of the throat.

You cut a pig's throat to let the blood out.

I'm not sure that's right. Otherwise, you can't eat the meat.

That's why I needed you to close in.

But you didn't. So this is my fault?

Of course it is.

Liar!

Take that back too. I thought you were a hunter.

The little 'uns need that meat. I am a hunter.

You think that was hunting? I was hunting,

and you messed it up.

Is your father even a spy?

That's what you were implying, weren't you?

With your grand talk.

"I'm a hunter.

"My father's a spy."

Grand, grand chat.

He won't like you.

Not after a while.

Your precious Ralph.

Crawlers like you are always appreciated for a few days.

Then they become irritating.

I won't tell anyone...

..about the pig.

You have my word.

I shouldn't have said that about your father.

You won't tell anyone because it was your fault.

The Piggy that was scared of piggies.

Pathetic.

Now, we'd best get collecting firewood.

Don't you think?

The sky is darkening, and the beast is close at hand.

# The captain is a moral man

# Sometimes he finds it trying

# This fact I'll emphasise with stress

# I never take a drink Unless somebody's buying. #

SAM AND ERIC: One, two, one, two. One, two. Hello.

That's quite a... Isn't it good?

It's rotten through, but it'll burn to high heaven.

Wacko. There's plenty of bad wood down there.

Easier this side.

Sorry?

Easier climbing this side than the...

..other, where we found the pilot.

Help me out!

What were you singing?

Sorry? Before the twins arrived. I was listening.

Why didn't you just say hello?

Oh, well, I thought you wouldn't sing if I did.

It's Groucho Marx.

Mr Henderson, who caretakes for my auntie in her shop,

he taught me it.

Do you miss it? Home?

Of course I do.

You?

Not home.

I only went home for the long vacs.

I'm pretty good on my own.

Jack's the same.

We used to Christmas together, us and the housemaster.

Cold ham, carrots,

sprouts, boiled potatoes.

Auntie Joan laid on a good spread at Christmas.

Will you teach me?

The song?

It's a silly song. I know.

I heard. I liked it.

# Hooray for Captain Spaulding

# The African explorer

# Hooray for Captain Spaulding

# The African explorer

# He brought his name undying fame

# And that is why we say

# Hooray, hooray, hooray!

# He brought his name undying fame

# And that is why we say Hooray, hooray, hooray!

# He went into the jungle

# Where all the monkeys throw nuts

# He went into the jungle

# Where all the monkeys throw nuts

# If I stay here I'll go nuts

# Hooray, hooray, hooray!

# Hooray, hooray, hooray!

BOTH: # Hooray, hooray, hooray!

# Hooray, hooray, hooray!

# Hooray, hooray, hooray!

# Hooray, hooray, hooray!

# Hooray, hooray, hooray!

# Hooray, hooray, hooray! #

Can you see the coral reef?

Oh!

Yes.

It looks like a giant that's bent down

to make a chalk line around the island.

"Oh, no. I'll stop now.

"Lie down in the sea."

PIGGY GIGGLES

I can't see any other land.

You can't off England unless the light is right,

and France isn't so far away.

Help me!

Do it quickly!

Shelters and toilets. That's what you said, right?

And a source for water,

that no-one is allowed to use for the toilet.

Because those little 'uns will go anywhere,

and we mustn't soil what we drink.

Drop it!

I intend to be a good chief.

What's your real name?

It's Nicholas.

My Auntie Joan calls me Nicky.

It suits you.

St Nicholas - gift-giver.

Also patron saint of sailors and repentant thieves.

RALPH CHUCKLES

Auntie Joan doesn't know that, but I've read about it.

Right, left, right, left, right!

Left, right, left, right.

I'm not sure we need all that wood.

Let them have a big fire tonight.

It'll make everyone feel better.

Heave! Heave! Heave!

Ho!

ALL: Heave, heave, ho!

WOOD THUDS

And...kindling!

THEY CHEER

Chief, come,

light the fire!

That's too much wood.

It's all rotten.

Has anyone any matches?

Who has matches?

If we rub the sticks together...

You make a bow and then you spin the arrow.

How does that work? I'm not sure. I saw it in a comic paper.

Flint. Has anyone any flint?

No, I don't.

Piggy's specs.

What?

Yes, that's it. Piggy's glasses.

Like how we used to kill ants at elevenses.

"Burning ants is very pants

"for they do not scream as they should do."

No, no, I can't see without them!

HE STRAINS

No...

Piggy. No! Your glasses.

Be careful! I need them.

Come on, now, be a chap.

THEY LAUGH

No!

Ralph!

BREATHES RAGGEDLY

Yes! You did it!

Yes! Yes, Ralph.

THEY APPLAUD

Who'd have thought that burning ants after elevenses

would prove such useful training?

FIRE CRACKLES

Whoa!

It's catching fast.

It's spreading quickly.

It's really giving off some heat.

Because all the wood is dried out and rotten.

It's spiffing stuff.

FIRE CRACKLES

Ralph. If it pleases you, Chief,

the hunters will also be the fire-givers.

We will have charge of the signal fire.

You think you can handle both hunting and the fire?

We won't let you down, Chief.

BOYS APPLAUD

We did it!

It's getting big.

Must be the air.

It's the wood! It's the rotten wood.

Whoa!

Get back!

You've messed this up good and proper.

The signal's getting bigger, that's all.

The trees are too close. It'll spread.

It won't spread too far.

It's in the trees!

Eric, watch out! Oh!

Sam!

What do we do?

Where are you going?

Step back!

Run! It's spreading! Can we stop it?

Firebreak.

In the Great Fire of London they made a firebreak.

We must chop these trees down to stop it.

Chop them with what?

THEY SHOUT

Go! Go!

Get down the mountain! Quick!

THEY SHOUT

Where are the little 'uns? They were pretty hot and bothered.

Most of them were lying down.

In the shade of the trees.

Hurry up!

CHORAL MUSIC

HE GASPS

HE WHEEZES

CHORAL MUSIC BUILDS

HEAVY THUD

MUSIC STOPS

LOW RUMBLING

HE GASPS

FIRE ROARS

HE COUGHS

Stay there.

Do what you're told and stay bloody there!

They're all asleep.

I don't know why it's not waking them up. They're all asleep!

BOYS SHOUT

Help!

SHOUTING

COUGHING

Come on!

SHOUTING

CONCH BELLOWS CLEARLY

Come on!

Wake up!

Wake up!

Bring everyone here.

CONCH BELLOWS

HE PANTS

SHOUTING

Jasper!

BOYS COUGH

Look - you have your firebreak.

Sorry?

That half of the island. That side - it hasn't caught.

Yet. It won't. I'm sure of it.

The rocks are in the way.

I didn't...

You told me to make a register, but I didn't.

You're not sure they're all here?

Most. I think.

I'm remembering by sight. Who don't we have?

HE SOBS

Who don't we have?!

The little one with the birthmark who talked about the beast.

HE BREATHES RAGGEDLY

Has anyone seen the little 'un with the birthmark on his face?

No sign of him.

SHOUTING: Has anyone seen the little 'un with the birthmark on his face?

HE BREATHES RAGGEDLY

WHOOSHING

RADIO CRACKLES

HE BREATHES RAPIDLY, CONCH WHOOSHES

INDISTINCT RADIO VOICE