The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (NHB Modern Plays) E-Book

John Boyne

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Seitenzahl: 95

Beschreibung

Bruno has a friend called Shmuel. Like Bruno, Shmuel is nine years old. Their birthdays are on the same day. But Shmuel lives on the other side of a fence, and he's always wearing striped pyjamas... Based on the best-selling novel by John Boyne, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a heart-wrenching tale of an unlikely friendship between two innocent boys. Angus Jackson's deeply affecting adaptation was produced by The Children's Touring Partnership and Chichester Festival Theatre on a UK tour in 2015. 'Heart-breaking... A marvelous piece of theatre' - The Public Reviews 'Parents and teachers looking for a good way of introducing children to the horrors of the holocaust will find what they need in this adaptation of John Boyne's multimillion-selling novel' - The Times

Leseprobe

John Boyne

THE BOY IN THESTRIPED PYJAMAS

adapted for the stage by

Angus Jackson

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Introduction

Adapter’s Note

Acknowledgements

Original Production

Characters

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

About the Authors

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Introduction

John Boyne

When I was writing my novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas during 2004 and 2005 I never expected that it would go on to have such a long and varied life. A novelist who writes with one eye on either the screen or the stage is making a terrible mistake, and naturally it didn’t occur to me at that early stage that the story would find its way on to both. The film adaptation in 2008 was a tremendous success and the writer/director, Mark Herman, did a great job in capturing Bruno’s world, his innocence and naivety, and the depth of his friendship with Shmuel.

In some ways, however, the stage is the perfect place for an adaptation. It’s a novel with very few characters and very few locations, and Angus Jackson, who adapted the book, has brought a fresh elegance to the story with his measured and thoughtful script. When I first saw it performed at the Chichester Festival Theatre in February 2015, I was particularly impressed by the use of a back screen that superimposed words throughout the action and a moving choreographed sequence where Bruno escapes the house for the first time, runs through the woods and discovers the fence and a new friend.

At times I feel like just one participant in the story of this novel. I’ve spoken in hundreds of schools around the world, discussed it at numerous literary festivals, and been privileged to meet Holocaust survivors and hear their stories first hand. I did everything I could to respect their feelings and experiences in my novel; now it is an opportunity for the theatre to do the same.

Adapter’s Note

Angus Jackson

The central challenge in adapting John Boyne’s book for the stage is that it depends on having a leading character who doesn’t know what’s going on. Not many stories work like that. For Bruno it’s a mystery story, he needs to find out about a new world, and he never gets to complete the adventure. So he asks questions, explores his environment and he explores his memory in theatrical flashbacks. He sees himself as just that, an explorer. In the first production Bruno’s journey to the fence involved the whole company beautifully choreographed, lifting and obstructing Bruno in turn, building the fence bit by bit until Bruno was left sitting opposite Shmuel. The sections of the fence came back when we needed them but not always all of them, the design was fluid, helpful to the actors but often not naturalistic.

In the first production we were lucky enough to have six extraordinary young actors playing Bruno and Shmuel, three pairs in rotation. They gave huge attention to detail, impressive energy, and were very moving. I can also imagine it played by older actors, and I always wondered if someone might produce it with life-size puppets playing the two boys.

There’s direct address by Maria, at the start and end, and banners on the back wall. If you don’t want to project those banners they could be spoken or handled in a different way. They are a response to John Boyne describing his story as a fable. It’s truthful, it’s based in fact, but it’s not factual. Our aim isn’t to seduce the audience, it’s to say ‘What if…?’ And that’s an exciting theatrical starting point.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Kathy Bourne who guided us all to the book and steered us beautifully. Ed Snape, Marilyn Eardley, Jonathan Church and Alan Finch have been the most creative producers, as have all in The Children’s Touring Partnership. Thanks also to Emily Vaughan-Barratt and Tom Powis. Joe Murphy expertly led a remarkable team of Lizzi Gee, Robert Innes Hopkins, Stephen Warbeck, Greg Clarke, Andrzej Goulding, Jon Pashley, Malcolm Rippeth, Lotte Hines and Joanne Hawes to create a perfect world. Thanks to John Boyne who was collaborative and insightful throughout. And of course to the actors.

A.J.

This adaptation of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was produced by The Children’s Touring Partnership, and first performed on 19 February 2015 at Chichester Festival Theatre, before touring the UK. The cast was as follows:

BRUNO

Jabez Cheeseman,Cameron Duncan,Finlay Wright-Stephens

SHMUEL

Tom Hibberd,Colby Mulgrew,Sam Peterson

GRANDMOTHER

Helen Anderson

ENSEMBLE

Lisa Baird

EVA BRAUN

Eva Bell

HERR LISZT

Andrew Bone

KOTLER/SOLDIER FOUR

Ed Brody

FATHER

Phil Cheadle

SOLDIER THREE

Kit Lessner

MOTHER

Marianne Oldham

PAVEL

Robert Styles

GRETEL

Eleanor Thorn

MARIA

Rosie Wyatt

Director

Joe Murphy

Set & Costume Designer

Robert Innes Hopkins

Lighting Designer

Malcolm Rippeth

Sound Designer

Gregory Clarke

Composition

Stephen Warbeck

Video Design

Andrzej Goulding

Movement Director

Lizzi Gee

Associate Director

Jon Pashley

Casting Directors

Julia Horan & Lotte Hines

Children’s Casting and Administration

Joanne Hawes

Vocal Coach

Kay Welch

Fight Director

Paul Benzing

Characters

BERLINERS, including three small boys

BRUNO, a small nine-year-old

GRETEL, his older sister, fourteen

MOTHER, thirties

GRANDMOTHER, a retired singer

MARIA, the maid, twenties

FATHER

SOLDIERS

PAVEL, a waiter

LIEUTENANT KOTLER, nineteen

EVA BRAUN, a photographer’s model

PARTY GUESTS HERR LISZT, a tutor

CAMP INHABITANTS, all male

SHMUEL, a small, thin nine-year-old

Note on the Text

… indicates a speaker coming to a halt

– indicates an interruption

PART ONE

Projected onto the back wall, we see and hear typing, one letter at a time…

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

The writing fades. A second time we see typing on the back wall, one letter at a time…

A Fable

These words also fade. Then again…

Berlin 1943

GRANDMOTHER, separate, sings ‘Schön ist Die Nacht’. The noise of busy Berlin street traffic. Four CHILDREN run around, creating havoc. The whole COMPANY come on to the stage. The BOYS weave through them. Everything stops for a moment.

MARIA (addressing the audience). This is a story. It’s the story of a boy called Bruno. But it’s also the story of many many other people. It’s a fable, and for Bruno it starts today.

The writing fades. The stage empties. One of the small BOYS runs in and comes to a halt.

On the back wall we see and hear typed out…

Bruno Makes a Discovery

MARIA is packing BRUNO’s things into a large crate. The writing on the screen fades.

BRUNO. What are you doing?

BRUNO tries to grab whatever MARIA is holding.

Where’s Mother?

MARIA indicates BRUNO’s MOTHER as she walks in with GRANDMOTHER.

Mother, what’s going on? Why is Maria going through my things?

MOTHER (twisting her hands). She’s packing them for you.

Beat.

BRUNO. What have I done? Have I done something wrong? (To MARIA.) You take your hands off my things. I haven’t done anything wrong.

GRANDMOTHER. Bruno, Maria is a member of our family, you must not be rude to her.

BRUNO can see his MOTHER looks upset.

BRUNO (brightly). Father is rude to her.

GRANDMOTHER. Bruno.

BRUNO. Sorry, Maria.

MARIA. Do you need to keep this?

BRUNO. Yes.

MARIA. It is a child’s toy.

BRUNO. I am a child.

BRUNO holds the toy, a train, for the rest of the scene.

MOTHER. Bruno, we’re going to move house.

BRUNO. I don’t want to move house.

MOTHER. Well, not everything is within your control, or anyone else’s for that matter.

BRUNO. Where are we going?

MOTHER. To the country.

BRUNO. Why?

MOTHER. For Father’s work.

BRUNO. What work?

MOTHER. Well, you know when the house is full of men in uniform, and women with typewriters?

BRUNO (not sure). Yes.

MOTHER. That’s his work.

BRUNO. But it’s not fair.

MOTHER. Life isn’t fair, Bruno.

MARIA (indicating a suitcase). Can I use this too?

MOTHER. Yes, use whatever you need. (Beat.) Don’t worry, Bruno, it’s going to be a great adventure.

BRUNO. Are you cross with me for something? Am I being sent away?

GRANDMOTHER. No, not just you.

Beat.

MOTHER. We all are. Your father and me, Gretel and you. All four of us.

BRUNO (half-joking). Does Gretel have to come?

MOTHER. Yes, of course.

BRUNO. What about Grandmother?

Beat.

GRANDMOTHER. At my age, Bruno, I can’t just pick up my life and move.

BRUNO. But why not, if we are?

GRANDMOTHER. I’ll be here when you get back, and you can write to me, we’ll be better friends than ever.

BRUNO. Is all this because of The Fury at dinner?

MOTHER. Sometimes, Bruno, when someone is very important, the man who employs him asks him to go somewhere else because there is a very special job that needs doing.

BRUNO. What kind of job?

MOTHER (hesitating). It’s a very important job. (Beat.) You can understand that, can’t you?

GRETEL (entering). What do you think of this ribbon in my hair?

MOTHER. Isn’t it one of mine?

GRETEL. Yes.

MOTHER. You can bring it with us if you like.

GRETEL. Can I?

MOTHER. Yes.

GRETEL. Where’s Father?

MOTHER. He has travelled ahead to get everything ready for us.

GRETEL goes.

GRANDMOTHER (to MOTHER). What will you do with the house?

MOTHER. We’ll close it up for now, but we’ll come back to it when this is all over.

GRANDMOTHER. Are you sure this is wise? Taking your children?

MOTHER. We don’t have any choice, I think that’s perfectly clear.

GRANDMOTHER. I really –

MOTHER. Nathalie, please!

GRANDMOTHER. Well, I’ve said my piece. Goodbye, Bruno.

GRANDMOTHER touches BRUNO’s shoulder and leaves, MOTHER turns to go.

BRUNO. Wait! (Beat.) Is it further than a mile away?

MOTHER (laughs). Yes, Bruno. It’s quite a lot further.

BRUNO. Are we leaving Berlin?

MOTHER. I’m afraid so –

BRUNO. What about Karl and Daniel and Martin? How will they know where I am?

MOTHER. Bruno, please don’t interrupt me.

BRUNO. But they’re my three best friends for life.

MOTHER. I’m sure you’ll make other friends.

BRUNO. But we had plans.

MOTHER. Plans? What sort of plans?

BRUNO. That would be telling.

MOTHER. I’m sorry, Bruno, but your plans are going to have to wait. We don’t have a choice in this.

BRUNO. But, Mother!

MOTHER. Bruno, please. (Stands.) Now, only last week you were complaining about how much things have changed here recently.

BRUNO. Only because I don’t like turning all the lights off at night.

MOTHER. Everyone has to do that, it keeps us safe. Let’s just hope we get to come back here some day when this is all over. Now, come on, we don’t have as much time as I would have liked thanks to some people.

MARIA takes the trunk.

BRUNO. You mean Father.

GRANDMOTHER smiles at BRUNO and leaves. MOTHER and BRUNO are left alone in the empty house.

MOTHER. We should never have let that man come to dinner. Some people and their determination to get ahead.

MARIA is revealed at the back of the stage in a shaft of light as a door opens, clearly she has overheard.

Maria! I thought you were in the car.

MARIA. I was just leaving, ma’am.

MOTHER. I didn’t mean… I wasn’t trying to suggest –

MARIA. I was just leaving, ma’am.

Beat.

BRUNO (pleased). Maria interrupted you.

MOTHER (ruffling BRUNO’s hair). Come on, Bruno.

He takes his MOTHER