Careless Whisper

**Careless Whisper** is the title of the first movie of Mischief Movie Night's second series. It is a 80s musical set in a library. The title is a reference to the George Michael song of the same name.

The movie won numerous awards including one for the shortest training montage and the most Disappointing Rap Battle of the Decade. Notably it starred someone who believes that they are a ghost and that no one can see them

## Summary

A library is in danger of being demolished by the mayor in favour of a computer centre, Marcus a man in love with the librarian Kelly-Anne vows to stop the demolition.

## Plot

In the 1980s in the local city library, librarian Kelly-Anne talks with Marcus, who is attempting to become more well-read in order to impress her. Though he begins to flounder when asked about Simone Beauvoir's "The Second Sex", he is assured that his desire for a greater understanding is more than enough for her.

At the Mayor's office, Kelly Anne's sister, Mayor Penelope, is discussing her plans to have the library bulldozed with her lover Jimmy and two advisors Bob and Marie. She fires Bob, for objecting to the destruction of the library and dispatches Marie to start bulldozing the library with the bulldozer she keeps in her apartment. It becomes apparent that Penelope's hatred of the library stems from her own illiteracy; and she has never given her son Grimes a single book.

Back at the library, Marcus is reading books to the children at Children's hour, where one child believes he is a ghost, and another is accompanied by Graham, her immature father. The children discuss the short story "The Woman Who Couldn't Read", and conclude that the woman is taking out her frustrations on everyone else because she should learn to read for herself. Anne-Marie and Bob arrive to warn of the impending destruction of the library, and the despondent Kelly-Anne decides to visit her sister. There is a short intermission, during which a documentary about popcorn is played.

Whilst Mayor Penelope is undergoing her beauty treatments, she is secretly trying to read Grimes' copy of "Dog Love Bone." Grimes gleefully throws it on the fire whilst he watches television and has his bunions done with a chainsaw. Kelly-Anne arrives in tears to try and convince her sister to save the library, but Penelope is dismissive, taking the milkshakes her sister offers but throwing away her books, declaring that no one ever really wants a book as a present, much preferring a watch or a beauty product. However, she changes her mind after hearing the voice of her mother urging her to learn to read, and in a short montage, Penelope learns to read. She apologises for her behaviour, sending Kelly-Anne and Grimes off to save the library, whilst declaring her love for Jimmy.

Marcus struggles, but after a rap battle, manages to talk a distressed but determined Anne-Marie into not bulldozing the library. The others arrive to see the library saved, though Nathan accidentally bulldozes the bulldozer with his new winnebago. When he claims to have saved the library, he is kicked out of the under 6s reading club in a barrage of hostility. The sisters reconcile and Penelope happy visits the Russian literature section of the library, saying it reminds her of their parents.

## Cast

* Jonathan Sayer as Oscar
* Lauren Shearing as Kelly-Anne
* Harry Kershaw as Marcus
* Nancy Zamit as Mayor Penelope/Sally/Kindergarten Teacher/Fax Machine
* Mike Bodie as Bob/Cornelius/Library Patron
* Bryony Corrigan as Anne-Marie/Felix/Nathan’s Daughter/Library Patron
* Dave Hearn as Jimmy/Graham the Bulldozer Driver/Barry the Ghost/Popcorn Documentary Host 1#/Library Patron
* Henry Lewis as Grimes/Nathan/Popcorn Documentary Host 2#/Library Patron
* The Brennans (Zoom audience) as Kelly-Anne and Penelope's parents

## Songs

* "Sit in the Library (And Read All the Books)" - Full Cast
* "Take a Second Look" - Marcus and Kelly-Anne
* "I'm Bad" - Mayor Penelope
* "The Bulldozer Rap" - Anne-Marie and Marcus
* "Take a Second Look" (reprise) - Full Cast