Inter Alia E-Book

Suzie Miller

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

Seitenzahl: 89

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

'We're all failing a generation of boys, and therefore we're failing a whole generation of girls.' Jessica Parks is smart, compassionate, and a true maverick at the peak of her career as a London Crown Court Judge. The system needs to change, and she's challenging it one case at a time. Behind the robe, Jessica is a loving wife, a supportive parent and a karaoke fiend. But when an incident involving her son threatens to blow the family apart, she finds herself having to fight for everything she holds dear. A scalding examination of modern masculinity and motherhood, Inter Alia premiered at the National Theatre, London, in 2025, with Rosamund Pike as Jessica. Written by Suzie Miller and directed by Justin Martin, the production reunited the team behind the global phenomenon Prima Facie, which won Best New Play at the 2023 Olivier and WhatsOnStage Awards.

Leseprobe

Suzie Miller

INTER ALIA

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production Information

Acknowledgements

Inter Alia

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Inter Alia was first performed at the Lyttelton auditorium of the National Theatre, London, on 23 July 2025 (previews from 10 July), with the following cast:

MICHAEL WHEATLEY

Jamie Glover

JESSICA PARKS

Rosamund Pike

HARRY WHEATLEY

Jasper Talbot

ALTERNATE JESSICA PARKS / ENSEMBLE

Louisa Clein

ENSEMBLE

Esma Akar

Liliana Argenio-Winch

Ella Critchell

Charles Dark

Ayrton English

Luke Garner-Greene

Thomas Michaelson

All other roles played by members of the company

UNDERSTUDIES

MICHAEL WHEATLEY

Thomas Michaelson

JESSICA PARKS

Louisa Clein

HARRY WHEATLEY

Luke Garner-Greene

Director

Justin Martin

Dramaturg

Nina Steiger

Set and Costume Designer

Miriam Buether

Lighting Designer

Natasha Chivers

Movement and Intimacy Director

Lucy Hind

Composers

Erin LeCount and James Jacob

Music Director

Nick Pinchbeck

Sound Designers

Ben and Max Ringham

Video Designer

Willie Williams for Treatment Studio

Casting

Alastair Coomer CDG and Naomi Downham

Voice Coach

William Conacher

Legal Consultant

Danielle Manson

Staff Director

Grace Duggan

Acknowledgements

The playwright would like to specifically thank the following people who have been fundamental to the writing of this play:

The many female judges interviewed as part of my research; director, Justin Martin; dramaturg, Nina Steiger; legal consultant, Danielle Manson; professor of law Karen O’Connell; playwright, Caleb Lewis; the artistic director of the National Theatre, Indhu Rubasingham and the previous artistic director, Sir Rufus Norris.

As always everything is made possible by the loving support of my family: Robert, Gabriel and Sasha.

S.M.

Characters

JESSICA PARKS – forties, Crown Court Judge, and plays all other characters, except for:

MICHAEL WHEATLEY – Kings Counsel, forties/fifties, husband of Jessica

HARRY WHEATLEY – at eighteen

HARRY – young (appearing occasionally)

AMY – young (only appearing in the final scene)

The small children on stage are not completely necessary to stage the play.

Set

London home, park and inner-city Crown Courts.

Jessica Parks is a Crown Court Judge in London.

She speaks into three spaces, each with its own language, its own tone and its own ways of seeing and hearing.

1. Judge

2. Mother

3. With her friends (including at karaoke where she can really let loose).

The life of a woman managing each of these spaces is complicated and involves complex juggling. Jessica jokes that she is living her life ‘inter alia’ because, as a woman, one’s life is lived amongst all the other things.

All of Jessica’s three spaces are invaded, converge upon each other, and become messy, as her son finds himself in a situation she cannot understand or fathom.

Note

When Jessica is in a scene with Michael and Harry, she can’t control the narrative, and so she also has a parallel internal narrative that she speaks but that they cannot hear.

This form is deliberate, a feminist reflection of how women operate in life; they are always translating/juggling the dominant narrative alongside their differing internal narrative.

This is a formal illustration of how the patriarchy defines the outward narrative and how women live in a world where their experience is othered.

These inner thoughts/alternative narratives are spoken out loud, mostly spoken fast and furiously following straight on from what she might have just said.

When Jessica is in dialogue with characters other than Harry, Michael and Amy, she plays all of the characters, and her internal and external narrative.

Nomenclature

JESSICA. Jessica speaking in dialogue out loud.

JESSICA. Jessica speaking out loud, but it is her internal voice and can’t be heard by others. When Jessica describes an action it is not necessarily enacted as well.

INDENTED. Represents them speaking out loud, but outside where Jessica is situated, i.e. talking to her over the phone, and often invading the current environment she is occupying. The way women’s lives are never compartmentalised despite the divide of work and home.

With (bracketed lines) there is a choice in production, to be either enacted or spoken.

Any line breaks are not required to impose pauses. Lines can run quickly, even run into each other, when appropriate.

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

Scene One

NOW

In court. Full court gear. JESSICA is a rock star, the boss lady, the one in charge.

JESSICA’s judge voice is low pitch, assertive, controlled.

Her inner voice is more emotionally charged.

JESSICA. Ugh! The fucking patriarchy!

JESSICA. Mr Buckley.

JESSICA. The reprimand is in my tone.

I sit up taller.

Pause for effect.

The King’s Counsel hesitates

He doesn’t like it.

He was flying.

His cross-examination was

speeding through uncut waters,

making a line for the port.

It’s hard to stop.

It’s right there.

Within his reach.

I wait.

The King’s Counsel intuits the message.

And reluctantly takes his seat.

‘I’m sorry I will have to cut across you there Mr Buckley.’

As if I haven’t done that so completely already.

Mr Buckley, defence counsel, holds himself,

reins his testosterone in

restrains his burning, bursting energy,

(the spring in him tearing at his synapses.)

He was primed for the kill.

But this is my court.

I look at the cluster of barristers – counsel’s row,

the public gallery, a few family members today.

The dock,

where the defendant, Mr Buckley’s private client sits.

The silence unnerves everyone.

Which is the aim.

‘You know better than to talk to the witness like that,

when you are in front of me Mr Buckley.’

I pause.

Wait for the acknowledgement.

Mr Buckley is trying to find the face that offers:

contrition?

Respect?

But he can’t,

he’s all adrenaline.

The cross-examination finale is right there,

a gaping hole that he can close in the flick of a sentence.

Even the prosecutor wants it done.

Everyone in the court holds their breath.

Feels the electricity all about us.

And it’s like I’m stopping a lightning strike.

I wait.

The power.

‘You may continue Mr Buckley.’

He rises to resume his ‘brilliant’ cross-examination,

but I turn to the witness.

She puts a hand up to stall the barrister.

Her evidence is about to be destroyed.

We all know it.

She probably expects it.

‘Ms Jones’

She looks at me, hopeful.

Melinda Jones

Twenty-one

Tiny

Sad

Nervous

‘Take your time Ms Jones.’

Soft skills.

That’s what we call them:

vulnerable witnesses.

Children

and

female victims.

Soft skills

required to protect them from

counsel’s manipulation.

‘Ms Jones, please don’t feel inclined to hurry.

To have to rush

at counsel’s speed.

Beat.

And Mr Buckley

in my court the witness will be treated with respect.

I expect someone of your seniority to know better.’

Oh. Note the slight grimace from counsel.

I make him wait another minute

because I can,

and, because my job is not to appease him,

my job is to protect the witness.

Protect them from more trauma.

Soft skills.

Women judges are given these cases:

these trembling witnesses;

bruised women,

weeping children.

It’s here that I can effect change.

I signal to the jury that these are real people

doing the best they can to give evidence for the court.

I do not signal,

as some judges, older, male, do,

impatience

frustration

or annoyance

at hazy memory

or lack of clarity.

Because the truth is not always easy to explain.

It’s my way of bringing some morality into the court.

Of course it is not a court of morals,

it is a court of law,

but I like that I can make it more human.

More compassionate.

It’s different here on the bench.

My role is to listen.

I have learnt to listen.

I practise listening everywhere,

in the café,

in the queue at Pret,

on the bus.

Hear word-use, nuance, tone, breath.

I really learnt how to actively listen, when I became a judge.

And right now

I’m listening,

reading the room,

in my court.

Juries pick up on nuance,

They read into everything.

I subtly offer a nod to counsel to continue.

Mr Buckley slays with his final cross-examination,

‘I’m just trying to establish exactly what did happen Ms Jones,’

done with flair but a tone…

It’s his tone I don’t like.

Not the words

But the subtext:

‘You might be the judge, and I will play this how you want,

but I will use whatever tone I like.’

I feel the sharpness of the unspoken

battle between us.

He’s a barrister I once worked alongside.

And now,

he must obey me.

So, this tone of his –

This speaking more – slowly – than – necessary –

it’s a message to me:

‘Fuck you!’

HARRY comes into view, he is looking through the washing at home.

HARRY. Mum

I sit tight until I hear: ‘No further questions Your Honour.’ Prosecutor passes on re-exam.

HARRY. Mum

‘Ms Jones’ Smile.

HARRY. Mum?

Voice soften. Talk only to her.

‘You may leave the witness box now Ms Jones’ She looks at me gratefully, not yet aware that there is so little hope for her case to win.

HARRY. Mum?

I catch the smallest flicker of light from my iPhone. Surreptitiously turn it over beneath the bench Eight missed calls from Harry.

Something’s up!

(Falters.) ‘I’m going to rise for a moment;

I’m sure the members of the jury would appreciate a break’

Whisper to my clerk, Meena, ‘Call the case back on in fifteen.’

Meena calls out: ‘All rise.’

Race back to my room, my judge’s chambers,

take off my wig

gown still on,

Meena puts my wig on its stand. Alright, alright.

She gestures ‘Do you want coffee?’

‘Uh-uh.’ I don’t.

She leaves.

Shake out my

wig-flattened

hair.

Bring myself back to me

Jessica, Jessie, Jess

back to being…

HARRY. Mum.

JESSICA. Harry! What’s happened?

HARRY (upset). I can’t find my shirt. The one with the flowers.

JESSICA. Oh, what, the blue one?

HARRY. Noo. Mum, that was one I had as a kid. I was ten.

JESSICA. I don’t remember another one.

HARRY. Yes you do. The pinkish one

JESSICA. I still have no idea,

HARRY. Pink and white.

JESSICA.…but I dare not say.

HARRY. You bought it! Christmas. Tropical.

JESSICA. Have you looked in your cupboard?

HARRY. Yeah! Of course I have!

He checks the cupboard.

JESSICA. a boy look or a girl look?

HARRY. It’s not there!

JESSICA. When did you wear it last?

HARRY. I don’t know.

JESSICA. Is this urgent love because – ?

HARRY. Yes it’s urgent. I’m wearing it to a party on Friday night. It’s the theme. Hawaiian.

JESSICA. Oh, whose party Harry?

HARRY. You don’t know them.

JESSICA. I can look for it when I get home darling.