Four Play E-Book

Jake Brunger

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Serie: NHB Modern Plays
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 75

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

'There must be a part of you that's curious, right? About what it would be like?' Rafe and Pete have the kind of relationship people envy. Seven years strong, perfectly in sync… except for one little thing. Neither of them has ever been with anyone else. So, when they hatch a plan to scratch their proverbial itch, who better than mutual friend Michael? After all, Michael does this… right? And his partner Andy knows… right? What begins as an intellectual experiment in sexual exploration quickly escalates into a chaotic web of emotional vulnerability, betrayal and unanticipated desire. Jake Brunger's Four Play is a provocative stage comedy which interrogates the unspoken rules of modern relationships and the fragile balance between intimacy and freedom. It was first presented at The Old Vic, London in 2015, and was subsequently produced at Theatre503 the following year. This revised version of the play was published alongside the play's 2025 revival at King's Head Theatre, London, directed by Jack Sain and starring Daniel Bravo, Lewis Cornay, Jo Foster and Zheng Xi Yong.

Leseprobe

Jake Brunger

FOUR PLAY

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Production History

A Note on Pronouns

Four Play

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Four Play was first presented at the Old Vic Theatre, London, as part of the Old Vic New Voices Festival in June 2015, with the following cast:

RAFE

Tom Rhys Harries

PETE

Jeremy Irvine

MICHAEL

Richard Madden

ANDREW

Joshua McCord

Director

Jack Sain

Producer

Jessica Campbell

The play was subsequently produced at Theatre503, London, on 16 February 2016, with the following cast:

RAFE

Cai Brigden

PETE

Michael Gilbert

MICHAEL

Peter Hannah

ANDREW

Michael James

Director

Jonathan O’Boyle

Designer

Cecilia Carey

Sound and Music Designer

Max Perryment

Lighting Designer

Jack Weir

Producers

Ramin Sabi, Jessica Campbell and Jack Sain

The play was revived at Above the Stag Theatre, Vauxhall, on 15 January 2020, with the following cast:

RAFE

Ashley Byam

PETE

Keeran Blessie

MICHAEL

Declan Spaine

ANDREW

Marc MacKinnon

Director

Matthew Iliffe

Designer

Carrie-Ann Stein

The play had its US premiere at Theatre Rhinoceros, San Francisco, on 13 July 2024, with the following cast:

RAFE

Aaron Orpilla

PETE

Louel Señores

MICHAEL

Michael Conner

ANDREW

Kaz Valtchev

Director

Alejandro Torres

Producer

Joe Tally

A revised version of the play was first performed at King’s Head Theatre, London, on 11 July 2025, with the following cast.

MICHAEL

Daniel Bravo

RAFE

Lewis Cornay

ANDY

Jo Foster

PETE

Zheng Xi Yong

Understudy

Jack Gibson

Director

Jack Sain

Original Music

Benedict Cork

Set & Costume Designer

Peiyao Wang

Movement Director

Charlie Martin

Lighting Designer

Daniel Carter-Brennan

Sound Designer

Julian Starr

Casting Director

Nicholas Hockaday

Casting Associate

Paris Hoxton

Intimacy Coordinator

Robbie Taylor-Hunt

A Note on Pronouns

In the 2025 revival, the character Andrew – which had originally been written as he/him – became Andy and they/them pronouns were adopted, as the actor playing the role personally used they/them pronouns.

This playtext retains the they/them pronouns of this new production, but you are welcome to change the pronouns back to he/him if desired for your production’s casting, as the actor playing this role should feel as comfortable as possible when performing this play. You may also adjust references to Andy as a ‘partner’ to that of ‘boyfriend’ if preferred. It’s important that the confrontation in Scene Eleven is as much about how Andrew/Andy perceives themselves against Michael, rather than just how Rafe and Pete perceive him/them.

Characters

RAFE

PETE

MICHAEL

ANDY

All characters are in their mid-twenties, except Michael, who isa little older.

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

Punctuation

This is a pretty open text.

I didn’t want to use the words pause or beat, which I usually use.

So instead I’ve made up a thing like this: [—]

It means a beat, or a pause, or a breath, or a change.

It’s up to you.

But just observe that it’s there… don’t run over it.

[—]

On the whole, this play is meant to be performed quite quickly.

Words are on different lines but

it

shouldn’t

slow

things

down.

If anything it should speed it up.

‘Get to the next line quickly’ sort of thing.

[—]

Oh.

One more thing.

I also use (circle brackets) which are asides, or afterthoughts.

But [square brackets] are not meant to be said out loud; they’re just to clarify the meaning.

(Does that make… [sense]…?)

Good.

That’s everything you need to know.

One

RAFE, PETE and MICHAEL.

RAFE So the thing is.

Okay.

What the thing is.

Is that.

We’ve been together a long time.

Right?

Like, seven years?

(well, seven-and-a-half if we’re actually being specific…)

We met at university.

(End of our first year.)

And we sort of got together in secret at first.

(Neither of us were actually out at the time.) But our relationship blossomed and now…

Here we are.

Seven years later.

(Well, seven-and-a-half if we’re being…

specific…)

And we have good jobs…

Yes.

Quite a nice flat.

(rented, sure, but… one thing at a time…)

And Pete’s earning money now.

(I am as well…)

(not quite as much but…)

We’re doing alright.

Is what I’m trying to say.

[—]

But the thing is.

You see.

What the thing is.

Is that.

[—]

Pete is.

(And I…)

We are the only… person.

(man/boy (whatever))

That the other one has… been with.

[—]

And

(As I’m sure you know…)

That’s unusual in our world.

I mean, in any world that’s unusual; to be so blissfully happy in such a long-term relationship.

But particularly in our world, you know.

It’s strange.

[—]

So what it is…

Michael.

We have a sort of conundrum:

We love each other. (Very much.)

And we have… good sex.

(We think)

But it’s the only sex we’ve ever had.

I mean, we’ve never even kissed another guy.

Never even brushed

(Well maybe brushed…)

against someone.

Like, even in a club.

Cos we don’t go to clubs.

Why would we?

It’s not like we’re looking to pick someone up and isn’t that what clubs are, a pick-up place?

[—]

I mean we’ve talked about our options:

– A break. (we don’t want that)

– An escort. (no way)

(… paying someone for their body?

I mean no shade to them, if that’s what they want to do –

‘Sex work is work’ etcetera etcetera –

But ethically, for us? Hmm…)

– Picking up a guy in a club (an option, yes, but you just don’t where that person’s been – )

(disease-wise, right?)

– Or someone off Grindr.

It’s always a risk –

(I mean did you see what happened to that guy in Birmingham recently)

(entrapment, you know)

(and no one wants to get knived, do they?)

(is it knived or knifed…?)

(knifed, yes.)

[—]

So instead we arrived at something slightly…

Different.

We went through our mutuals –

People that we like.

And we came across…

You.

We clicked on.

You.

[—]

Because what we’re looking for is someone

who…

We’re not particularly close to.

(Not like, enemies or anything.)

But someone that… neither of us knows better.

Someone we both like physically obviously…

– Facially.

– Personality.

But who isn’t going to cause problems.

Bump into us in Sainsbury’s or…

Give us gonorrhoea.

Pete and I arrived on you as the solution to our problem.

Someone we can…

‘Enjoy the company of.’

But one time only.

Literally only once.

Simply to solve our ‘conundrum’.

[—]

So…

What do you think?

[—]

What

Do

You

Think?

MICHAEL [—]

I.

[—]

Well…

[—]

RAFE You can…

Take your time.

MICHAEL [—]

I have.

[—]

A partner.

RAFE Yes.

MICHAEL Andy.

RAFE Right.

MICHAEL And.

RAFE We know that.

Obviously.

(we probably should have said)

That’s why we chose you.

MICHAEL For Andy?

RAFE Yes.

Because what Andy does to this scenario is make it safe.

I mean you’re already happy…

Yay!

You’ll go back to Andy; we to each other and what we’ll have achieved in all this…

Touch wood…

(well sorry, not… ‘touch wood’… I mean…)

Is satisfying that question.

[—]

What it would be like.

MICHAEL Okay…

RAFE Okay as in you’ll…

Do it?

MICHAEL No just, okay as in… I register what you’re saying.

RAFE Oh.

Sure.

MICHAEL So what you’re looking for…

Practically speaking?

Is like…

RAFE A liaison.

MICHAEL Right.

RAFE A one-time thing.

MICHAEL Forgetting about Andy and just…

RAFE Helping.

MICHAEL You.

RAFE Helping us.

MICHAEL With your.

RAFE Problem.

MICHAEL Conundrum.

RAFE That neither of us have ever even…

MICHAEL Brushed.

RAFE Another guy. Yeah.

MICHAEL O. Kay.

RAFE Okay as in… [you’ll do it]?

MICHAEL So it would just be us three?

And we’d just like… have some fun?

RAFE Erm.

Well.

We were thinking…

MICHAEL Right.

RAFE What we were actually thinking.

MICHAEL Mm-hmm…

RAFE We’re looking for someone who can satisfy.

Both of our urges.

[—]

Individually.

[—]

So there’s no.

I don’t know.

‘Messy issues.’

Who looked at who.

Who got more attention.

All the things you read about, right?

‘Pros and cons’…

[—]

This proposal.

(We feel.)

Is a way round that.

MICHAEL Okay.

RAFE O. Kay.

So.

Michael.

Just as a [ballpark]…

What are you [thinking]?

Your initial… [thoughts]?

MICHAEL Well.

I’m honoured.

Obviously.

That you feel we have a level of friendship that it wouldn’t cause any awkward scenes in Asda.

RAFE [—]

Sainsbury’s.

MICHAEL Yeah.

And even though this is quite a… big thing…

That you’re suggesting.

This… scenario?

RAFE Scenario… yes…

MICHAEL I mean…

In theory…

I’m… [up for it]

Would I have to do it one after the other?