Layla the gypsy girl

4- Rhythem of the Tambourine

Once Esmeralda had been introduced, she appeared on stage in a puff of smoke, earning a large applause from the audience.
While she danced with her tambourine, Layla climbed up onto a different part of the stage, and began to sing.

"Hey, soldier boy, I see how you stare. Hey, what's your name, I see you admire her. Come see her dance, to the rhythem of the tambourine.

Flash of an ankle, flip of a skirt. Come watch her dance, hey what can it hurt. Come see her dance, to the rhythem of the tambourine.

Men of Paris, before we get old. Come feel the heat, come taste the desire. Let it excite you, all crimson and gold. Gold like the coins, you can toss into her tambourine.

It's just a dance, she dances with her tambourine".

As the dance got faster the audience began to clap in time to the music. And when Esmeralda had finished dancing, everyone began to applaud loudly, and throw their money towards the stage.
Esmeralda and Layla bowed as Clopin entered the stage. Once he began to thank the crowd, Layla began to make her way off the stage, as this was her cue to leave.
She began collecting the money that had been thrown, as Clopin began to sing again. Men, wearing ugly masks began to make their way onto the stage. As Layla's least favourite part of the day began to start, she tried to make her way through the crowd, getting as far away as possible.
She saw the man who had fallen into the tent earlier, take his place at the end of the line. The crowd began to boo as Esmeralda took off each mans mask, until she reached the last man.

Esmeralda tried to remove the mask, before stepping back in horror, realising that it wasn't a mask. Layla gasped, her suspicions earlier had been right.
The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves, as Clopin stepped forward to save the stituation.
"Ladies and gentlemen. We're in luck. We asked for the ugliest face in Paris. And here it is. Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame" he informed the crowd.
After a few moments of awkward silence, the crowd began to sing again, and carry on with the festival. Esmeralda left the crowd to it, and made her way back to the tent to change. Leaving Layla alone in the crowd, to collect money, and enjoy the festival.

Layla watched jealously, as Quasimodo was treated like royalty, for being ugly. She kept her face hidden all the time, for fear of rejection. But today the public were showering Quasimodo with love and affection.
She was about to pull her hair back, and reveal her scars to the world, when a tomato hit Quasimodo in the face. Layla looked at the soldier who had thrown in and glared. It was one of the men who had tried to arrest her and Esmeralda the day before.
The soldier next to him laughed and threw an orange, that hit Quaimodo's hunched back.
As more and more soldiers threw food and Quasimodo, the crowd began to catch on, and started to laugh.

Quasimodo tried to exit the stage, but he slipped on a squished tomato, causing the crowd to erupt with laughter. Layla watched in horror as several members of the audience threw ropes at him, trying to keep him on the floor.
Using his immense strength, he was able to throw off the ropes, causing a group of men to climb onto the stage, and physically tie him to the wheel.
They then began to spin him round, continuing to throw food at his face, and laugh. Layla turned, and ran off, back to the tent to fetch Esmeralda. If anyone could stop what was happening, it was her.

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The song is an extract from The Hunchback of Notre Dame musical, the song is called, Rhythem of the Tambourine.