Barkadoodle Or Can Lillian Finsterwald, Age 8, Save the Galaxy by Michael Wayne & Joey Slinger

Lillian Finsterwald, a shy 8 year old, is captured by two space aliens from the planet Phymf, Zibnop and Bibilo by name, who mistake her for the Prime Minister of Canada. They believe only the Prime Minister can save them and, indeed, save all beings from the warlike creatures that occupy the border of their land. It takes some time before Lillian can convince them that she is not a smart old man with white hair, but by then the spacecraft is nearing Phymf and they are desperate to convince her that she must pretend to be the Prime Minister. After a series of adventures—at times comical, at times musical—she agrees to go along.

Meanwhile, on the way the spacecraft crashes into a planet inhabited by a creature, the QMBLNK, who has been there, marooned, for many years. Luckily, he has the necessary piece of equipment Bibilo needs to repair their spacecraft, return to their journey. The QMBLNK joins them and they very much need his help to avoid a certain danger, invisible to the rest of them, in space. One problem: When he is wearing his glasses he can not tell the truth; when he takes them off he can not tell a lie. That characteristic plays a significant role in the storyline. So does the secret language of the aliens, Barkadoodle. It only has two words, bark and doodle. The meaning is determined by how you string them together, the tone you use, and the circumstances in which you are speaking.

When they all arrive at Phymf, the ruler of their land, the Grand Poobah, who is more than ready to believe that Lillian is the Prime Minister, shows deep relief. Enemy forces, it turns out, have begun an invasion. Even worse, they have a secret weapon that can destroy them all. In the end Lillian saves them, saves the galaxy by 1) throwing water on the “secret weapon”, which turns out to be nothing more than a tiny mechanical monster that can shoot little flames from its mouth; and 2) demonstrating that their supposed enemies, the Phrabbadabs, are just beloved members of their own tribe who by chance got separated in the distant past. She is declared a hero by all, the Grand Poobah declares a national holiday in her honour, and the play ends with Zibnop and Bibilo returning her to earth.

Keywords: young girl, space aliens, identity mistaken and real