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- Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
- Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
- Serie: NHB Modern Plays
- Sprache: Englisch
'I know it's difficult. You've obviously been a good friend to her but it's time to let us take over now.' Es and Flo fell fiercely in love in the eighties. They've been living as secret lovers ever since. As Es becomes more forgetful around their home, an unexpected carer arrives. Who sent this woman? Why? And can they trust her? As the outside world comes crashing in, Flo fights to protect the life they've built together over forty years behind closed doors. And faces the hardest battle of her life – to hold on to the woman she loves. Jennifer Lunn's play Es & Flo is a sharply observed, deeply compassionate drama, coloured with memories of the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp. It celebrates an older lesbian relationship, women coming together to fight for what's right, and the healing power of chosen family. The play was produced by Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, and opened there in 2023 before moving to Kiln Theatre, London, directed by Susie McKenna. It won the Popcorn Group Writing Award and the Nancy Dean Lesbian Playwriting Award.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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Jennifer Lunn
ES & FLO
NICK HERN BOOKS
London
www.nickhernbooks.co.uk
Contents
Original Production Details
Characters
Setting and Time
Note on the Dialogue
Es & Flo
Teddy Bears’ Picnic
About the Author
Copyright and Performing Rights Information
For my grandmothers
Esmeé Lunn 1916–1976 Florence Maureen Small 1927–2012
Es & Flo was first performed at Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on 28 April 2023 before moving to Kiln Theatre, London. The cast and creative team was a follows:
FLO
Doreene Blackstock
ES
Liz Crowther
CATHERINE
Michelle McTernan
BEATA
Adrianna Pavlovska
KASIA
Reesie Dupe (Cardiff)
Renée Hart (London)
Chioma Nduka (London)
Mirella Siciliano (Cardiff)
Production Manager
Sarah Hemsley-Cole for SC Productions Ltd
Company Stage Manager
Antonia Collins
Deputy Stage Manager
Amy Hales
Assistant Stage Manager
Zoe Wale
Projection Designer
Phil Bearman
Costumer Supervisor
Amy Barrett
Lighting Programmer
Grace Priest
Sound Engineer
Josh Bowles
Production Staff for WMC
Ed Wilson
Eugene Capper
Wardrobe Maintenance
Deryn Tudor
Characters
ES, early seventies, white
FLO, sixty to sixty-five, Black
BEATA, thirty, white, Polish
KASIA, eight, mixed heritage
CATHERINE, fifty, white
Setting
Cardiff, Wales
Time
2023
Note on the Dialogue
Where text is in [square brackets] these words are not necessarily spoken. They are there to show the intention of the line.
Where a line starts or ends with / it is an interruption.
This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.
Scene One
Lights up on an open-plan kitchen/living room. There is a kitchen table and a sofa. There is a an entrance via the front door, and a back door in the kitchen. There is a bottle of milk on the kitchen table.
The radio is playing. ES enters. She appears to be the perfect representation of a retired schoolteacher. She is seventy-one years old today.
There is something on the radio related to the Conservative party.
ES. Fucking Tories.
ES turns the radio off. She looks around. She is wandering slightly.
She eventually makes her way to a sweet tin which she takes to the sofa and sits with. She opens the tin and takes out a bag of Jelly Babies and a birthday card.
She looks at the card briefly, smiles and puts it on the coffee table. She opens the Jelly Babies and eats one, biting the head off it first.
FLO enters through the front door and calls. She is a Black woman in her early sixties.
FLO. Hello.
ES. Flo.
FLO. Close your eyes!
ES. Why?
FLO. I’ve got a surprise. I just need a minute.
ES. –
FLO. Are they closed?
ES. Yes.
ES sits with eyes closed as FLO gets out a birthday cake in a box. She takes it out of its box, quickly opens a packet of birthday candles that she has in her pocket, puts them into the cake and tries to light them. This is harder than she’d like.
Can I look yet?
FLO. No! Wait.
ES hears the lighter.
ES. Are you smoking?
FLO (laughing). No. Keep them closed.
ES. What are you doing?
FLO. Wait. Nearly ready… Okay… Open them. (Singing.) Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Esmee, Happy Birthday to you!
ES moves to the kitchen and looks at the cake with delight.
ES. Flo /
FLO. Make a wish.
ES. I wish…
FLO. Don’t say it. Just wish and blow. Before the wax drips on the cake.
ES shuts her eyes for a moment then opens them, blows out the candles. She looks at FLO with a smile.
ES. I always wish the same thing. Thank you.
FLO. Happy birthday. Seventy-one!
ES. Well, I don’t feel it. A bit of life in me yet I hope.
FLO. Plenty! Hang on…
FLO plays a song on a CD player.
ES and FLO. Tune!
ES. Oh, I love this song.
FLO. Come on, birthday girl!
FLO starts to sing to and dance with ES. They end up with a flamboyant dip, laughing.
Still got it!
ES. Not bad for an old girl!
FLO. You’re as young as the woman you feel.
ES. Lucky me then.
She grabs FLO. They laugh. A kiss.
FLO. Right. Cake?
ES. Why not.
FLO. You do the tea. I’ll cut the cake.
ES. Alright then.
FLO gets plates and a knife and takes them to the table. ES stands for a moment in the kitchen. She has forgotten why she is there. She turns off the music. FLO looks up.
FLO. What’s wrong?
ES. Oh, nothing. Couldn’t hear myself think.
Beat. ES is still.
FLO. Do you want me to do the tea?
ES. I’m doing it.
ES puts the kettle on and gets the pot ready. FLO takes the candles out of the cake and cuts two slices.
FLO. Did the post come? Were there any birthday cards?
ES. No.
The kettle boils. FLO looks at ES expectantly.
What?
FLO. The tea.
ES. Yes, yes. I’m doing it.
ES fills the teapot and brings it to the table and sits. There are no cups.
FLO. I’ll get some cups, shall I?
ES. Oh sorry, what was I thinking?
FLO. I’ll get them.
FLO goes to get cups.
ES. This cake is lovely. Is it from the place by your work?
FLO. I don’t work at the library any more.
ES. Oh no. Sorry, love.
FLO. It’s okay.
FLO returns with cups and pours the tea.
There we go.
ES. Well, cheers! Happy Birthday!
FLO does not correct her.
FLO. Yes. Happy Birthday.
They both sip tea and eat cake.
ES. Lovely.
FLO looks around and notices the card on the coffee table.
FLO. Who’s that card from?
ES gets up and goes and gets the card. She looks at it as she comes back to the table.
ES. It’s from Peter.
ES puts it on the table. FLO picks it up.
FLO. Did it come today? You said no post came. ‘Dear Mum, Happy Birthday, love from Peter and Catherine’. Is that it?
FLO shakes her head, disappointed but not surprised.
Es?
ES. Yes?
FLO. Why didn’t you say this came?
ES. I don’t know.
FLO. Did you think I would /
ES. Your tea is getting cold.
They sit quietly drinking tea and eating cake. They are both thinking. FLO has something she wants to say but can’t find the words.
They catch each other’s eyes and smile.
Thank you. This is lovely.
Pause.
FLO has an air of fake casualness. They have had this conversation many times before.
FLO. Did you have a chance to look at the papers?
ES. What?
FLO. It doesn’t matter if not. We just said we might look at them today. Not getting any younger!
ES. Thanks!
FLO. Do you know what? It’s your birthday. I’m sorry. We’ll look at them another day.
FLO reaches out and holds ES’s hand.
ES. It’s okay.
FLO. You sure?
ES. Of course.
FLO smiles and goes to get some forms from the side. She comes back to the table with them.
FLO. So, this one’s for you and this one’s for me.
ES reads the forms.
ES. Power of attorney?
FLO. Yes.
ES. I didn’t know that was what you meant.
She puts the forms down.
FLO. Es. We can’t keep putting this off.
ES. But this is for married couples.
This hurts.
FLO. Or children or /
ES. Peter?
FLO. Well…
ES. He’s my next of kin.
FLO. And when did he last come to see you?
ES. He was here on my birthday.
FLO. Three years ago.
Something flashes across ES’s face but she doesn’t say anything. She is still reading the forms. FLO is watching her.
If I got ill, wouldn’t you want to be able to /
ES. You’re not ill, are you?
FLO. No.
ES. Good.
FLO. But…
ES. I don’t see how we can do this. We’re not…
FLO. We just need someone to sign and say that we… We’ve talked about this, Es.
ES looks up.
ES. And how do I explain it to Peter?
A stand-off.
FLO. Well. Maybe it’s time to /
ES. No.
FLO. But…
ES. You promised.
FLO. But that was /
ES. He’s my son.
FLO. Fine.
FLO gathers up the papers, gets up and puts them back in the drawer. ES watches her.
ES. I love you.
FLO goes upstairs.
ES stands for a moment and then starts to clear away the stuff on the table. She puts the cake back into its box, puts the cups and plates and the teapot by the sink. The milk stays on the table.
The doorbell rings. She goes to answer it.
BEATA. Hello, Mrs Turner?
ES. Yes. Hello.
BEATA. I’m sorry I am a bit late.
ES. Come in. What a nice surprise.
ES re-enters with BEATA and KASIA. BEATA is a striking-looking young Polish woman. KASIA is her mixed-heritage, eight-year-old daughter.
Flo! We have guests.
BEATA. Flo is your friend, yes? Is she here?
ES. Flo!
FLO comes downstairs and enters. She has been crying.
FLO. Oh! Es?
BEATA. I’m Beata. The agency sent me. Hello.
FLO. Sorry?
BEATA. You were not expecting me today? The agency definitely said Monday.
FLO. The agency?
BEATA. Yes! You are Flo, yes?
FLO. Yes.
BEATA. Okay.
FLO. Sorry, who are you?
BEATA. I’m sorry. This is my daughter Kasia. It’s school holidays and her friend is sick so she couldn’t go to his house. Normally I wouldn’t. She won’t /
ES (to KASIA). What’s your name?
BEATA. Kasia.
ES. I’m Esmee. How old are you?
BEATA. She’s eight.
KASIA. I’m nearly nine.
ES. Would you like a Jelly Baby?
ES looks at BEATA to check.
BEATA. Just one, Kasia.
ES offers the Jelly Babies to KASIA who takes one.
KASIA. Thank you.
ES. Orange. Good choice. I like to bite their heads off!
ES takes a Jelly Baby from the tin, bites its head off and shows it to KASIA.
FLO. Es, why didn’t you tell me about this?
ES. Oh, I don’t know. You know me, brain like a sieve these days. Sorry. Would you make us some tea?
FLO is a bit baffled but heads to the kitchen.
BEATA. Kasia, some reading, okay?
KASIA takes a book out of her backpack.
ES. Pippi Longstocking? How wonderful? Come on then.
ES gestures for KASIA to sit with her on the sofa. KASIA sits.
BEATA. Mrs Turner? You don’t need to /
