Big Big Sky (NHB Modern Plays) E-Book

Tom Wells

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

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Kilnsea, East Yorkshire. Angie and Lauren are closing up the café for another winter; the birds have gone south and taken the tourists with them. The last visitor is Dennis, stopping by for his pasty and beans. But there's another arrival – one that's unforeseen and life-changing for them all. Big Big Sky is a beautifully tender play by Tom Wells, who was originally from Kilnsea. The play explores nature's influence on love, friendship and family – the belief that anyone who's lost can be found, even in the remotest of places. It was premiered at Hampstead Theatre in July 2021, directed by Tessa Walker.

Leseprobe

Tom Wells

BIG BIG SKY

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production Details

Dedication

Big Big Sky

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Big Big Sky was first performed at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, London, on 30 July 2021. The cast was as follows:

ANGIE

Jennifer Daley

LAUREN

Jessica Jolleys

ED

Sam Newton

DENNIS

Matt Sutton

Director

Tessa Walker

Designer

Bob Bailey

Design Associate

Roisin Martindale

Lighting Designer

Jai Morjaria

Sound Designer

Laura Howard

For Jean Spencer and Matthew Wells, with love

Characters

ANGIE, forties DENNIS, forties LAUREN, nineteen ED, twenty-one

Setting

Angie’s café in Kilnsea, on the corner of Kilnsea beach and the road to Spurn.

Clean and warm with sturdy wooden benches and tables, a glass cabinet on the counter full of cakes and scones and sandwiches, cans of pop, Mars bars at the side, soup and pasties and beans keeping warm at the back.

A board on the wall is covered in notices. They’re quite old.

Some wooden gulls hang from the ceiling.

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

Autumn

1.

Saturday. Dusk.

LAUREN drags the sign in from outside, a big sandwich board saying ‘Café Open’, and shuts the door. She leans the sign against the wall.

ANGIE comes out of the kitchen.

ANGIE. Are we done?

LAUREN. Fingers crossed.

LAUREN looks through the window.

Quite a big family in the car park – people carrier, two dogs – thought if we look closed when they get here, might let us off the hook a bit.

ANGIE. Did they look hungry?

LAUREN. Hard to tell, isn’t it, under all the fleeces. Need something we can just pass them Mars bars through the door.

ANGIE. Plan.

LAUREN. Reckon they got the hint anyway.

ANGIE. Did you glare?

LAUREN. Not much. A bit. It’s sort of just my face. Best crack on.

ANGIE. Have a rest for a minute.

LAUREN. It’s fine.

ANGIE. Hardly stopped since we opened.

LAUREN. Neither have you.

ANGIE. There’s oat slice left. If you fancied a bit of oat slice.

LAUREN. I’m honestly fine, Angie.

ANGIE. Got a long night still to –

LAUREN. Exactly. And to be honest, I’m shitting myself a bit, so I feel like the best thing to do is just get all cleared up here, grab my stuff, maybe we can set off a bit early if that’s okay? So I can run through a couple of the songs once we get to the actual, once we’re there.

ANGIE. We’ll get cleared up, get Neil picked up, get there soon as. Apparently he’s wearing a cowboy hat.

LAUREN. Course he is.

ANGIE spots something out the window.

ANGIE. And here’s your dad.

LAUREN. Oh for –

DENNIS enters.

DENNIS. Evening.

LAUREN. Every time.

ANGIE. Hello, Dennis.

LAUREN. Every. Flipping –

DENNIS. What you on about: ‘every time’?

LAUREN. Every time we shut up, Dad.

DENNIS. Don’t be daft.

LAUREN. It’s been literally two minutes since I dragged that bloody sign in, you’re here to hoover up the leftovers, for free.

DENNIS. Not true, but.

LAUREN. Right.

DENNIS. I’m actually here for two very particular reasons, neither of which involves hoovering up the leftovers.

ANGIE. You sure, Dennis? There’s still a pasty left, beans, if you fancy?

DENNIS. Well.

DENNIS thinks.

If there’s beans.

LAUREN and ANGIE share a look.

But just to be clear: that’s not why I’m here.

ANGIE. Here you are then.

ANGIE passes DENNIS a pasty and beans.

DENNIS. Cheers, Angie. Lovely.

He digs in.

You can take that face off you and all.

LAUREN. Can I?

DENNIS. Lot on my plate today.

LAUREN. Lot of beans.

They smile.

I’m sorry, Dad, but, bit of a rush, I’ll have to clear up round you.

LAUREN gets on.

DENNIS. What are you in a rush for?

LAUREN. Nowt. Life.