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TEACHERS´ MATERIALS.

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BERTIE

BERTIE is a hilarious comedy about an Englishman – a younger version of Mr. Bean - who comes to live in Spain to look for a lost love. Bertie is a strange young man who likes to daydream, which not only gets him into trouble, it is also the source of much of the play’s humour. A lot of the comedy also arises from its eccentric characters, the cultural and linguistic misunderstandings between the English and the Spanish and the increasingly desperate attempts of its crazy protagonist to find the love of his life. The play, which also includes elements of interaction with the audience, is about 75% is in English.

Sinopsis en castellano …

Bertie es un inglés tímido cuya costumbre de soñar despierto a menudo le mete en líos. Ahora Bertie reside en España, donde se ha instalado con la única idea de buscar a Rosa, una bailaora de flamenco de la que se enamoró desesperadamente en Londres cuando ella estuvo de vacaciones. Empiezan a surgir los problemas con la repentina visita de su madre, una mujer terriblemente dominante, que, por haberle hecho creer su hijo que está a punto de casarse, viene a ayudarle con los preparativos de “la boda”. Desgraciadamente, Bertie no logra encontrar a Rosa, y teme que su madre le hará papilla cuando descubra que su futura nuera no existe. Para sacarle del apuro, consigue el apoyo de José, su portero. Sin embargo, los ingenuos planes de ambos fracasan estrepitosamente.

El objetivo principal de Bertie es motivar a los estudiantes con un guión divertido cuyo contenido en inglés ha sido cuidadosamente adaptado para sus necesidades lingüísticas. Gran parte de la comedia se basa en los malentendidos lingüísticos y culturales entre los excéntricos personajes y en los fallidos intentos de Bertie por resolver lo irresoluble.

Bertie is an extremely funny play based on the character of Bertie Britt, a shy(1), forgetful(2) Englishman whose constant daydreaming(3) often gets him into trouble(4). Bertie is also a hopeless romantic, and to the frustration of his mother, a bit of a liar(5).

A few months earlier, Bertie met a young Spanish woman, Rosa, who was on holiday in London. Rosa was studying English but her real passion is flamenco dancing. Bertie fell madly in love(6) with Rosa, but she returned to Spain with no idea about Bertie’s feelings(7) for her. Bertie then decides to move to Spain to look for(8) Rosa. But the problem is he can’t find(9) her because he forgot(10) to ask Rosa for her address and telephone number.

Bertie finds a job in an academy teaching English to business people, but he is not a very good teacher. We see Bertie in different situations in Spain trying to learn about Spanish customs and culture. For example, we see him at the bank, at work and at the doctor’s, but he has a difficult time adapting. Unfortunately, although Bertie has been living(11) in Spain for about six months, he still can’t speak Spanish very well.

But Bertie’s real problems begin with the arrival(12) in Spain of his mother, Mrs. Britt, a bossy(13) woman who has come to help her son to prepare for his wedding(14). “What wedding?”, you ask. Well, in one of Bertie’s daydreams, he stupidly tells his mother on the telephone that he and Rosa are going to get married(15). Not only is Bertie not going to marry Rosa, he still doesn’t know where she lives. What is he going to do? Bertie has an idea. He asks his “portero”, José to help him. But the portero doesn’t like the idea because Bertie’s plan is absolutely crazy(16) and, according to José, it will only get him into more trouble with his mother.

What is Bertie’s crazy plan? Well, you have to see the play to find out….

VOCABULARY

01. shy = tímido
02. forgetful = despistado
03. to daydream = soñar despierto ; a daydream = un ensueño o fantasía
04. to get into trouble = meterse en líos
05. liar = mentiroso; to lie = mentir
06 .to fall madly in love = enamorarse locamente
07. feelings = sentimientos
08. to look for = buscar
09. to find = encontrar
10. to forget = olvidarse
11. he has been living in Spain = lleva viviendo en España
12. arrival = llegada ; to arrive = llegar
13. bossy = mandona
14. wedding = boda
15. to get married / to marry = casarse
16. crazy = loco, chiflado

Download (.doc)

	Bertie is a young British man who teaches English to business people in an academy in a big city in Spain. He is shy and is a dreamer. He also has a habit of telling lies. He cannot speak Spanish very well. He dreams about finding Rosa and of marrying her, but he doesn’t know where she lives.
	Mrs Britt is Bertie’s mother. She is about 65 years old. Mrs Britt is very bossy and she likes drinking tea. She also loves her son very much. She can’t speak any Spanish but she wants to learn.
	José is Bertie’s “portero”. He is about the same age as Bertie’s mother. He speaks some English and likes to practice his English with Bertie. He is very nosy but he is a very kind man.
	Rosa is a young Spanish woman. She speaks very good English because she has lived in London and is an English teacher in a Spanish school. She likes flamenco music and has studied flamenco dancing. Rosa would like to be a professional dancer, but she knows that is very difficult. Rosa also works in a flamenco club as a waitress.

√ NOTES FOR TEACHERS

√ AN EXTRACT

Your students will be highly entertained by our play based on a series of eccentric British and Spanish characters brought together to create a loveable bilingual farce. The main character, BERTIE is a younger version of Mr. Bean: a shy, absent-minded, very clumsy daydreamer who is also bit of a liar, but at heart, a real romantic. Then we have his formidable mother MRS. BRITT, a bossy and demanding woman whose only aim in life is to see her son get married to a “lovely girl”. Her attempts to learn Spanish and fit into life in Spain are very funny indeed. ROSA is a teacher of English with a passion for flamenco dancing. And lastly, we have JOSÉ, Bertie’s nosy “portero” who likes to know everyone’s business but who really has a heart of gold. These four characters make an explosive mixture of hilarity, ridiculousness and sheer entertainment.

BILINGUALISM: Due to the mixture of British and Spanish characters, the bilingualism comes naturally. Apart from the native English speakers (Bertie, Mrs. Britt), Rosa speaks excellent English and humour is provided by José’s limited English. Then we have Bertie and his mother’s attempts to speak Spanish which provide many laughs. The majority of the play is in ENGLISH (about 75%). Whenever possible, the Spanish content is aimed at highlighting the meaning of the English.

LANGUAGE AREAS and THEMES: These are the main areas of language and topics:

• Describing people – For example, Bertie has got brown hair and brown eyes. He’s 28 years old and is quite tall.
• Comparing : You’re just like your father! José is very nosy, just like my mother.
• Dreams: Bertie dreams about marrying Rosa. Rosa dreams about dancing professionally.
• Romance: Bertie is desperately looking for romance, for his “dream” girl. His mother is not looking for romance, but she finds it anyway!
• Shopping: We see Bertie’s mother shopping in the market, using phrases such as HOW MUCH IS THAT? HOW MUCH ARE THE EGGS?
• Cultural differences: We try to compare the different customs between the two countries. For example, Mrs Britt does not understand flamenco music. José hates drinking tea.

TEACHERS’ MATERIALS.

Please look out the extensive teachers materials for use in the classroom. They are a great tool to help prepare your students before seeing the play (and for use AFTER seeing it). Read More

Una escena de Bertie...

Bertie’s flat. Bertie is studying a map of Madrid and thinking about Rosa…

Bertie: Oh, Rosa where can you be? Mostoles… Majadahonda… Getafe (Suena la puerta) Who’s that? Oh, it must be José, my "portero". He is a funny person. A bit nosy like my mother, but he’s OK, really. Come in Jose, the door is open… Hello José.

José: Hola Bertie

Bertie: (estudiando el plano) Mostoles, Lava-pies…(pronuncia mal)

José: ¿Lava-qué?

Bertie: Lava-pies.

José: Lavapiés, hombre, Lavapiés. A ver cuándo aprendes a hablar en cristiano… Que llevas aquí un tiempito, macho.

Bertie: Sorry?

José: Que Good morneen! How is you this morning?

Bertie: No, no, José. It’s “How ARE you. How ARE you?

José: I am fine, thank you. And how is you?

Bertie: No, it’s .. How ARE... Well, never mind. I’m great José, thanks

José: Oye, what are you doing?

Bertie: I'm looking for Rosa.

José: ¿Rosa? A Spanish girl? Is she your girlfriend? No sabía yo que el soso este tuviera novia. Anda ya. Where is she now?

Bertie: I don't know, José.

José: What do you mean, you don’t know. A ver, have you got a photograph?...) Let me see. Bertie, is this your girlfriend? She is too OLD for you, hombre! Debe de estar forrada si sales con esta. ¿Es rica o qué?

Bertie: Rich? José, stop being so nosy! This is my mother, stupid! And stop asking so many stupid questions.

José: I am sorry, hombre... Ah Bertie! I have got a "factura" for you. From the telephone company. Debes 350 euros, chaval.

Bertie: How much? Three hundred and fifty euros! But I don’t have that much money!

José: ¿Qué? … Bueno, entonces I will have to take this telephone away if you cannot pay...

Bertie: No way, José. I need that to telephone my mother... Give it back, you old…!

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