Here E-Book

Clive Judd

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

Seitenzahl: 97

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

'There's somethin' about this house. Somethin' here. Somethin' in the walls. Its bones. Like DNA.' A family packs into a small house with a tangled history. Matt is here, yearning to reach someone he's lost. His cousin Jess is here, too; she just wants to feel something. Anything. And Aunt Monica and Jeff are still here, just about. Together, ferocious and funny, they laugh, they scrap, they remember. Tonight these four people, inextricably bound yet so far apart, will finally confront the old decisions that haunt them. How does a family make a future, when everything that holds it together lies in the past? Clive Judd's play Here is a tender, funny and utterly truthful story about family and feeling. It was premiered by Papatango at Southwark Playhouse, London, in November 2022 after winning the Papatango New Writing Prize, whose previous discoveries have gone on to win Olivier, Critics' Circle and OffWestEnd Awards and be performed worldwide.

Leseprobe

Clive Judd

HERE

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production Details

Characters

Notes

Here

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Here was first produced by Papatango Theatre Company at Southwark Playhouse on 11 November 2022. The cast was as follows:

MATT

Sam Baker-Jones

JESS

Hannah Millward

MONICA

Lucy Benjamin

JEFF

Mark Frost

Director

George Turvey

Set & Costume Designer

Jasmine Swan

Lighting Designer

Bethany Gupwell

Composer & Sound Designer

Asaf Zohar

Producer

Chris Foxon

Associate Set & Costume Designer

Victoria Maytom

Costume Supervisor

Natalia Alvarez

Production Manager

Ian Taylor for eStage

Stage Manager

Jo Alexander

Lighting Programmer and Production Electrician

Matthew Carnazza

Cover Stage Manager

Elsie O’Rourke

Characters

MATT, twenty-five years old

JESS, twenty-three years old

MONICA, late forties/early fifties

JEFF, late forties/early fifties

Notes

The play is set in a small kitchen, in a small house, in a small town, on the edge of a small city, in the West Midlands.

/ denotes a jumping in. Whenever you see this, get involved, quickly.

Dialogue in italics denotes a different stress or emphasis.

Dialogue in ‘speech marks’ denotes a character putting on a voice, doing an impression, or recreating a past conversation.

Dialogue in (brackets) denotes something said quietly or under the breath.

… at the end of a line denotes a trailing off or incomplete thought.

… instead of a line denotes a character listening or actively choosing to remain silent.

…? instead of a line denotes a character asking a silent question or displaying some level of incredulity.

(…) instead of a line denotes an internal, personal, or non-active silence.

Dialogue split across the page denotes the daily, domestic hustle and bustle of different actions and movements taking place across different parts of the kitchen. Some lines are called across the space. Some lines overlap. Some lines are barely heard. Just have some fun.

There is a lot of silence in this play. Sometimes it is written. Sometimes it is merely implied. But it is there. Please listen to it.

1.

MATT stands in the kitchen, opposite JESS.

He has a rucksack on his back, headphones on, and he is talking very loudly.

MATT.…Daylight robbery. I mean, it’s not like I don’t have the money, y’ know, but… Three quid? For a cup of tea? Day. Light. Robbery.

JESS goes to speak.

Bought one anyway. Chucked some cash down. Load o’ one p’s. Went all over the place. Ha. Dude had t’ pick them up. One by one. An’ they kept, like, gettin’ stuck to the counter, so he was, like, tryna get his fingernails under them. But he couldn’t. Ha. Took him ages. Probably shouldn’t have done that, really. Wasn’t his fault, but… Bah! Three quid, man! Three. Quid. Daylight robbery, that.

JESS goes to speak, again.

An’ this sign, right? Sign on the counter.

‘We’re passionate about sandwiches!’

Jesus fu–… (Passionate abou–…) What does that even mean? Eh? Passionate about sandwiches? Who’s havin’ any, like, emotional response to a sandwich? I wanna buy one. Eat it. Simple. Don’t wanna take it out for a meal. It is a meal!

JESS takes out her phone.

And then I got a fine. Yep. Bastard fine. On the train. Cos apparently I didn’t have a ticket. Well… I didn’t have one, actually, but… Tried runnin’ off but went the wrong way. Got stuck in the end carriage an’ the inspector caught up wi’ me. Found me hidin’ in the bag rack. Ha. Tucked in behind a suitcase. Little kid pointed me out.

‘There is he is, sir.’

Little grass. Little shit.

JESS puts her phone in her pocket.

Tried to manhandle me out. Got a bit stuck, see. Told him to keep his fuckin’ hands off. I was compliant. Had no choice by this point. Was all a bit ridiculous. Awful, awful man. Stunk of cheese puffs. Should have told him. Ha. Nearly told him, actually, but thought that might be a bit mean. Should have told him, anyway.

‘You smell like cheese puffs, mate. You smell like a maize-based snack!’

Should have told him what I thought, right. Yeh. Given it him straight. Given him a piece of my mind. Knocked his little hat off. Oh yeh! Kicked him in the balls. Put him in a fuckin’ headlock.

‘Come here, prick!’

MATT puts himself in a headlock.

JESS watches as MATT struggles with himself for a bit. Playing both characters. He’s proper into it!

After a bit of wrestling, MATT realises he’s wearing headphones. He stops. Takes them off. Looks at them.

Have I been wearin’ these the whole time?

JESS looks at MATT.

JESS. Yes.

MATT laughs.

MATT. Was I shouting?

JESS. You were a bit.

MATT laughs, again. He thinks he’s hilarious!

MATT. Ahh, no way! Absolutely crackers. Ha. Bet that was annoying?

JESS checks her phone, again.

You’ll realise she does this a lot.

(Shit.) Can’t believe I’m here.

JESS. Can’t you?

MATT. No. Well… Yeh, can, but… Y’ know… It’s amazing!

JESS. Is it?

MATT. Oh yeh. Feels like I’ve stepped into a time-warp or somethin’. Like, literally gone back in time.

MATT goes to the fridge. Opens it. Laughs.

Brilliant.

A small silence.

JESS. Haven’t seen you in ages.

MATT. No.

JESS. Few years.

MATT. Couple o’ years.

JESS. Yeah. Couple.

MATT. Flies dun’ it? Time.

JESS. Yeah. Does.

MATT. Funeral, right. Last time?

JESS. Think so.

MATT. Yeh.

JESS. Just after.

MATT. Left jus’ after, so… Yeh. Would have been, yeh. Jus’ after.

Another small silence.

JESS. You look alright, like.

MATT. Do I?

JESS. Yeah. You do. Y’ look…

MATT. Dead?

JESS. No. No, not at all. Y’ look alright.

MATT. Feel like shit.

JESS. Do ya?

MATT. Nah. I’m alright.

JESS. How long you staying?

MATT. Dunno. Haven’t thought ’bout it.

JESS. Right.

MATT. Not long. Gotta carry on, eh? Carry on regardless.

MATT chuckles to himself. He has a look out the window. Looks back at JESS.

You’re still here, though.

JESS. Well… Yeah… Yeah, I’m… / (I’m here.)

MATT. Thought you might of, y’ know…

JESS. What?

MATT. Moved out.

JESS. Oh. No.

MATT. Still here.

JESS. Hm.

MATT. Still here.

JESS. Sad, isn’t it?

MATT. What is?

JESS. Bit sad. Me. / Here.

MATT. Oh. / No…

JESS. Still.

MATT. No way.

JESS. At my age.

MATT. No way, José.

JESS. Bit sad.

MATT. Nah, I’d love to live here.

JESS. You wouldn’t.

MATT. Would. Love it. This house, I mean. Love this house.

A decent bit of silence.

MATT and JESS look around the kitchen.

JESS. So…

MATT. Hm…?

JESS. What you been, like… Like, doin’ an’ that?

MATT. Not much.

JESS. Oh.

MATT. Not a lot, really.

JESS. Right.

MATT. This an’ that.

JESS. Hm.

MATT. Been, like… Makin’ some stuff. (Guess.)

JESS. Makin’ what?

MATT. Some, um… Well… Some, like, um… Music an’ that.

JESS. Really?

MATT. Bit.

JESS. Sounds good.

MATT. Nah. Sounds proper shit t’ be honest.

Another little silence.

JESS. Should’ve visited you.

MATT. Oh…

JESS. Should have, really.

MATT. / Nah…

JESS. But… Never really know where you are, so… Should’ve done, though.

MATT. Never really in one place.

JESS. Yeah. Guessed that.

MATT. Always on the move.

JESS. From what Mom said.

MATT. Shiftin’ about.

JESS. Nice.

MATT. Can be. Dif’rent towns. Cities. Airports. Spend lot of time in airports f’ some reason.

JESS. Flying?

MATT. Yeah. Flyin’ about. Sometimes, anyway. Ha. Feel like Tom Hanks. Ha. You know, like… Tom Hanks? In that shit film. One where he’s stuck in the terminal?

JESS. The Terminal?

MATT. Yeh, that’s the one. Shit film.

JESS. It is shit, yeah.

JESS smiles. MATT smiles, too. Nods. Looks about.

Then –

MATT. Oh… Almost forgot. Got you a present.

JESS. Have ya?

MATT jumps into action, rooting through his bag.

MATT. Couldn’t turn up empty-handed, could I?

JESS. That’s nice of you.

MATT has found what he’s after. A bright-pink plastic bag. Superdrug, or the like.

MATT. Here you go.

JESS. Ta.

JESS puts her hand in the bag. Takes out a tube of hair-removal cream.

Wow… I…

MATT. Didn’t know what to get you.

JESS. No?

MATT. What d’you get young ladies these days?

JESS. Well…

MATT. (Mystery.)

JESS. Hair-removal cream, (I suppose).

MATT. Thought it might come in handy. Or leggy. Ha. Dunno. Been a while since I saw your legs, / so…

JESS. Okay, thanks, / Matt.

MATT. When we used t’ go swimmin’, I mean. Prob’ly last time.

JESS. Uh-huh.

MATT. As kids.

JESS. Yep.

MATT. Swimmin’ pool.

JESS. Gotcha.

MATT. Sansome Walk.

JESS. Mm.

MATT. Long time ago, now.

Some time.

Then,

JESS looks at MATT.

JESS. Thank you. For the present. It’s very… Very thoughtful.

JESS has a good look at the gift. Reads the label, you know. Instructions for use. Chemical content.

MATT. Got you some chocolate, too.

JESS. Did ya?

MATT. Yeh. Should be in the bag.

JESS looks in the bag.

Was buy-one-get-one-free.

JESS takes out one bar of chocolate.

I ate the other one.

JESS puts the chocolate and the Veet back in the bag.

JESS. Thanks, Matt.

MATT shrugs. No problemo.

A bit more silence here. You can hear the sound of the house, most likely. The sound of its silence.

MATT fiddles with his headphones. Puts them on. Takes them off again.

JESS looks at her phone.

MATT sniffs his armpits. Jesus. Not good. Looks at his headphones again.

What were you listenin’ to, then? When y’ came in?

MATT. / Oh…

JESS. Jus’ now, like. What were y’ listenin’ to?

MATT. Oh, right, yeh. Y’ wanna hear?

JESS. Could do.

MATT takes his phone out of his pocket. Battered old thing. Hands it to JESS.

MATT. Not got a lot of battery, so… Might, like… Run out.

JESS takes the phone. She puts the headphones on. Listens.

JESS. Whoa. Loud.

JESS listens some more. She considers turning the volume down but stops. Settles into the sound.

MATT sort of hovers about. He looks at JESS. Her face is a puzzle.

And then –

Whoa. (…?)

MATT. Mm.

JESS is smiling. Her hands grip the headphones, Pushing them closer to her ears, Her head.

You like it?

JESS. (…)

MATT. It’s a bit…

JESS takes the headphones off.

You like it?

JESS unclips the phone from the headphones. Puts the phone on the table.

/ Oh…

JESS. Wait…

JESS turns the track on.

MATT. It’s…

We hear it.

It’s um…

Turns it up.

It’s better through the headphones.

Sound. Music. Maybe. It’s something.

MATT and JESS listen.

JESS might even move a bit. Move to the sound.

MATT just stands there, fiddling around with something in his pocket.

A while.

JESS. Did you make this?

MATT. Ha. Nah.

JESS. / Oh.

MATT. Some guy made it.

JESS. Right.

MATT. Guy in London. Sound artist. Sick guy.

JESS. Uh-huh.

MATT. He’s into, like… Recordin’ the sounds of the city. Or somethin’. Cities. Towns. Wherever. Everyday stuff, like. Jus’… Sound of it.

JESS. It’s amazing.

MATT. Yeh?

JESS. Yeah!

MATT. S’posed to, like, take you on a journey. Journey through a place. Through a, like… Territory.

JESS closes her eyes. Letting the track take her somewhere.

MATT smiles.

A while.

JESS opens her eyes. Looks at MATT.

JESS. I love it.

MATT. Do ya?

JESS. Yeah, I mean…

MATT. Yeh?

JESS. It makes you feel things.

MATT smiles. More.

Like the voices.

MATT. / Oh…

JESS. Wish y’ could hear ’em better.

MATT. / Hm…

JESS. Almost there, y’ know, but…

MATT. (Yeh.)

JESS. Also, quite far away. Sounds weird.

MATT. (…)