Blue Sky E-Book

Clare Bayley

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

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Beschreibung

An exhilarating, challenging new play by Amnesty Award-winning playwright Clare Bayley. Isolated airports, midnight landings, secret assignations... how much do we know about what our governments are involved in? And do we want to know - or is it easier to turn a blind eye? Clare Bayley's play Blue Sky is a gripping political thriller about justice, journalism and what might be happening in the English countryside in the dead of night. Blue Sky was first staged at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, London, in October 2012, in a production by Pentabus Theatre.

Leseprobe

Clare Bayley

Blue Sky

NICK HERN BOOKSLondonwww.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Characters

Blue Sky

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Blue Sky was produced by Pentabus Theatre and first performed at the Hampstead Theatre Downstairs on 24 October 2012. The cast was as follows:

JANE

Sarah Malin

RAY

Jacob Krichefski

ANA

Dominique Bull

MINA

Manjeet Mann

Director

Elizabeth Freestone

Designer

Naomi Dawson

Lighting Designer

Johanna Town

Sound Designer

Adrienne Quartly

Costume Supervisor

Chris Cahill

Characters

Jane, a woman in her forties

Ray, a man in his forties

Ana, Ray’s daughter, late teens

Mina, a woman, thirties

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Sebastian Born. Purni Morell. Helena Lymbery, and all the actors who took part in workshops at the National Studio. Stephen Grey, and his fascinating bookGhost Plane. Ben Jaffey at Blackstone Chambers. Stephen Lovell-Davis. Mick Sanders, and all the people we talked to at airports and about planes. As always, to Giles Smart at United Agents. To Chris, Felix and Laurie, with love. And above all to Elizabeth Freestone for her inspiration and faith.

C.B.

JANEis working at her laptop. She looks up. The sound of planes.

Scene One

January 2003. The perimeter fence.RAYis standing watching planes, stamping his feet against the cold. When a plane comes in, he photographs it with a large lens. He has a bag with more equipment in, and other plane-spotters’ kit.JANEenters. She watchesRAYfor a while, then waits until a plane has just landed, before moving in.

JANE. Ray!

RAY. What are you doing here?

JANE. I phoned the house. Ana said I’d find you here.

RAY. Has something happened? Your mum…?

JANE. No, no. I just wanted to look you up.

RAY. It’s great to see you. Hey.

What a surprise!

He tries to give her a kiss – his large lens gets in the way.

JANE. That’s a very large lens you’ve got there, Ray.

RAY (embarrassed). Yeah, well – ah, it’s a good one, yes.

JANE. And what’s all this kit you’ve got here?

RAY. Oh, that’s just some…

JANE. This one’s even bigger!

RAY. Yes, that’s for long-distance shots.

JANE. What’s with the little ladder?

RAY. It’s quite useful, to get up above the perimeter fence.

JANE. Ray, has this plane-spotting thing of yours got a bit out of hand?

RAY. No, it’s just a…

If you think this is bad, you should see what some of the blokes have!

JANE. Really?

RAY. Oh yes. This is nothing compared to –

JANE. There’s one coming in now, Ray. Don’t miss it!

RAY. Never mind that. How are you?

JANE. But look, Ray. What is it?

RAY. Yes, that’s a nice little Cessna. I think it’s a Citation Mustang.

JANE. Something special?

RAY. They’re about the only one of the very light jets to have an onboard toilet.

JANE. I’m glad I know that.

This is some serious equipment you’ve got here, Ray. Even your thermos is massive –

RAY. You must think I’ve turned into a bit of a –

JANE. That’s a hell of a thermos, Ray. For an amateur.

RAY. I do sell some of my pictures, to specialist magazines.

JANE. Don’t you still work at the garage?

RAY. I do roadside rescue nowadays. It gives me flexibility.

JANE. You’re one of those blokes who you call when you break down?

RAY. Yes. This plane thing is just a hobby, really.

JANE. This is a funny little place, isn’t it? I never knew it was here.

RAY. It’s lovely – not like a big international airport. I know all the blokes who work here, it’s very informal. You can get up really close. And if it’s raining I can have a cup of tea with Pete in the control tower.

JANE. Look – there’s one!

RAY. Never mind about that. It’s good to see you!

You look just the same.

JANE. You’re looking pretty fine yourself, Ray.

RAY. If I’d known you were coming, I’d have put on my best anorak.

JANE (watching the plane). What is that then?

RAY (lining up his shot in spite of himself). That’s actually an aerobatic plane.

JANE. How do you know?

RAY. You see the wings? They go out from the fuselage at ninety degrees. Most small planes have wings at an angle, to give them greater stability.

JANE. Okay…

RAY. And this one hasn’t got a nose wheel, just a small tail wheel.

JANE. Let’s see. You pleased with that picture?

RAY. Not bad. Nice light.

JANE. And the tail number is clearly visible.

RAY. You’ve been doing your homework.

JANE. The tail number tells you where a plane is registered, right?

RAY. So suddenly you’re interested in planes?

JANE. Yes. I am.

RAY. Get off it.

JANE. It’s for a story I’m working on.

RAY. Oh. I see.

JANE. I’ve got a hunch that planes are going to be part of the puzzle.

RAY. Right.

A beat.

That’s why you came to see me?

JANE. Kind of.

RAY. And I thought it was because of my pretty face.

JANE. That’s always an added bonus with you, Ray.

RAY. You’re a heartless bitch, Jane Simonds. So you’re still at the newspaper?

JANE. No. No, I’m freelance now.

RAY. I thought that was a plum job.

JANE. I quit.

RAY. Jane…?

JANE. My editor didn’t want to send me on the stories I wanted to do. Investigative journalism is falling apart, Ray. Nobody has the budget any more.

So I thought, sod it.

I’ll go freelance.

RAY. How’s that working out then?

JANE. I’m going to break this story on my own.

Then they’ll beg me to come back. And I’ll be able to dictate my terms.

RAY. Yeah? What’s the story?

JANE. I’m still working on that bit.

RAY (laughing). I see.

JANE. The tail number – is it an international thing? Does it tell you where a plane comes from anywhere in the world?

RAY. I’m fine. Ana’s fine. Thanks for asking.

JANE. Sorry, Ray.

How about I come round for dinner? We can catch up.

RAY. What – tonight? Now?

JANE. Why not? I’d love to see Ana. She sounds like a grown-up.

RAY. She is. She’s doing a degree in Media Studies – she’s just home for the Christmas holidays.

JANE. God! That counts as a degree now, does it? Why doesn’t she just get a job on theWestern Daily Press, like I did?

RAY. It’d be good for her to talk to you. The voice of experience.

JANE. And you can give me a crash course in plane-spotting.

RAY. I’m not a plane-spotter.