Juniper Blood E-Book

Mike Bartlett

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

Seitenzahl: 100

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

'Dreams. You don't compromise on those.' Lip and Ruth have left the city behind for a new life on a farm; trying to live differently, live better. But when Ruth's stepdaughter and her incendiary best friend arrive, this quiet rural project is thrown into chaos, as conflicting visions of the future come crashing into the present. Poignant and powerful, Mike Bartlett's play Juniper Blood explores the true cost of pursuing our ideals in an imperfect world. It premiered at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2025, directed by James Macdonald.

Leseprobe

Mike Bartlett

JUNIPER BLOOD

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

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Contents

Original Production Details

Characters

Juniper Blood

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Juniper Blood was first performed at the Donmar Warehouse, London, on 16 August 2025, with the following cast:

FEMI

Terique Jarrett

RUTH

Hattie Morahan

MILLY

Nadia Parkes

TONY

Jonathan Slinger

LIP

Sam Troughton

CONNIE

Zoe Pereira Hetty Robyn Rowland Dolcie-Lou Scotts Magnolia Shaw-Powell

Director

James Macdonald

Designer

ULTZ

Lighting Designer

Jo Joelson

Sound Designer

Helen Skiera

Casting Director

Lotte Hines CDG

Voice and Dialect Coach

Hazel Holder

ssistant Director

Annie Kershaw

Associate Set Designer

Mark Simmonds

Production Manager

Igor

Props Supervisor

Zoë Wilson

Costume Supervisor

Zeb Lalljee

Company Stage Manager

Constance Oak

Deputy Stage Manager

Fran O’Donnell

Assistant Stage Manager

Odette Robertson

Stage Management Intern

Lauren Vickers

Rehearsal Photographer

Helen Murray

Production Photographer

Marc Brenner

Characters

FEMI

RUTH

MILLY

TONY

LIP

( / ) means the next speech begins at that point.

( – ) means the next line interrupts.

(…) at the end of a speech means it trails off. On its own it indicates a pressure, expectation or desire to speak.

A line with no full stop at the end indicates that the next speech follows on immediately.

A speech with no written dialogue indicates a character deliberately remaining silent.

We should feel transported to the countryside.

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

ACT ONE

Juniper Rise, a field on a farm in North-West Oxfordshire.

Early summer. Evening.

Around it appears to be a standard arable crop. At the top of thefield is an old wooden platform. There’s a table in the centre,and a few old chairs. Some wooden, some not.

From off we hear the sound of people mucking about ina swimming pool.

PHILIP (LIP) THOMPSON enters. He’s forty-five, strong,a little unkempt. In old clothes. Tousled hair. He’s sweating –been working hard.

He’s quietly humming ‘On One April Morning’.

He carries some part of a tractor. He puts it on the table. Thensits on the table, looks at the view and rolls a spliff. He listens,looks around.

The sound of the mucking about has stopped. In its place wehear a few birds – mostly red kites, but when they shut up, someothers.

A moment.

Then he gets a text on his phone. Gets it out. Stares at it fora moment.

Then puts it away.

He finishes rolling and lights up. Smokes.

Silence. Except for the birds. And the growing sound of chatter…

MILLY and FEMI enter. Early twenties. They don’t see him atfirst… They’ve come straight from the pool, in swimmingcostumes, wet, with towels. MILLY’s also carrying a beach bagwith some stuff in it.

MILLY Oh my God you’re such a fucking freak –

FEMI Just giving you the detail.

MILLY Yeah well

FEMI You love it.

MILLY Actually I genuinely really fucking don’t? So can you just go and fucking find some other – Oh.

She’s seen LIP . They approach him on the platform.

Alright?

No response.

Thought we’d sun ourselves. Dry out. That okay?

No response.

Is that…?

Didn’t know you…

LIP doesn’t respond. A little flicker of a look between MILLY and FEMI . Over the next she takes a wrapout of her bag and puts it on.

We love it by the way. What Ruth said. She said it was this total idyll?

Completely away from stuff, run-down but in a good way you know just run-down enough?

And like, your family have lived here for ever?

No reply.

Can I have some?

Of that?

We didn’t bring any.

LIP looks at her.

FEMI Sorry about her. She doesn’t hide her singular focus very well to put it mildly, that’s partly because she’s a bitch and a low-level drug addict?

MILLY Er / excuse me?

FEMI And also to do with her ongoing trauma from her childhood? Which is both pretty harrowing and strangely dull at the same time.

The unrelenting targeting, if we can call it that, comes from her father. Probably subconscious. She’s constantly and ferociously after what she wants. David Mamet.

MILLY Fem –

FEMI Always Be Closing. If that means anything?

MILLY I think he lost interest like a hundred years ago –

FEMI Either way this whole spliff thing is completely up to you – it’s yours and we respect that. I mean if you’d rather, and if you’ve got a stash, we’d be totally happy to buy some off you so it’s all… okay.

Or nothing at all!

FEMI smiles. Charming.

LIP looks at them both…

… then offers the spliff to FEMI .

What a generous farmer you are.

FEMI takes a toke.

And what a benevolent man I am Millicent.

He gives it to MILLY .

She tokes.

I’faith my love! Be measured in your indulgence, our farmer may be banging your ex-stepmother within an inch, but he’s essentially a stranger, I mean we’ve barely exchanged a word –

He smiles at LIP .

– not for want of trying I grant you, but either way, this is a liberty is it not?

(To LIP.) We’re grateful for the hospitality. But two hours since arrival and already we adore it.

MILLY smokes. Then to LIP –

MILLY You busy then?

No reply. Then, re: the tractor part.

What’s that?

No reply. She rolls her eyes. No patience.

Okay…

FEMI Well he’s been working, hasn’t he? The farm hardly runs itself, and like your mum said –

MILLY She’s not my mum

FEMI I think of her as your mum, anyway she’s doing all the new bits and pieces whatever they are, whilst our farmer here –

MILLY You should call him by his name.

FEMI While Lip here keeps the rest of the show going single-handed. Of course not single-handed, he has two of them, which I have noticed are not like yours or mine Millicent, smooth from caressing our delicate screens, but volcanic pumice skin on rocky mitts. And these are merely the tips, of untapped subterranean reserves, I’m sure. He’s a rural edifice, up and down.

She gives him the spliff. LIP is already rollinganother. MILLY lays out the towel on the ground.

MILLY Are there bugs?

FEMI What?

MILLY On the ground are there fucking little things that’ll crawl on me if I lie down?

FEMI Oh probably but –

LIP No.

He lights the second spliff. A moment to take in thefact that LIP has finally spoken. FEMI particularlystruck by it.

MILLY Right. Good. Thanks.

FEMI continues looking at LIP . More interested.

FEMI I honestly hope you don’t mind us visiting. I realise our connection is tenuous. I’m off in September to do an MSc in contemporary rural ecology but –

MILLY Which university?

FEMI It’s a passion, you know –

MILLY What university is it?

FEMI What?

MILLY – you’re itching to / tell him –

FEMI Oh fine well it’s Oxford, but I don’t like to say obviously –

MILLY ‘Don’t like to / say’??!

FEMI – point is, people make the assumption, my friends thought I was totally – we grew up in the city, you know, hardly any fauna but that’s – I mean that’s a caricature there’s more than you think. And it’s not like I didn’t have a TV or London Zoo, or a train to get out to the country. But yeah I’ve always been interested in nature. Animals.

He offers the spliff back.

Plants.

LIP just carries on smoking his own. FEMI gets themessage, takes it back.

Ruth said we’re eating out here. Anything I can…

LIP

FEMI We’ll check with her. But before I do, can I make an enquiry?

LIP doesn’t reply.

As we’re not particularly overlooked, I’m tempted to strip off and dry, as God intended. Milly won’t bat an eyelid. I’m sure it’s nothing Ruth hasn’t seen before.

But I don’t know if it would bother you at all? I mean it’s like a changing room really, you know one of those male changing rooms where everyone’s just… hanging out.

Would that be a…

He doesn’t reply.

Would you be bothered?

A look between them. LIP finishes the spliff. Puts itout.

Then grabs the tractor part and goes.

Oh.

MILLY lies down to dry, with her sunglasses on.

MILLY (Quietly.) Rude.

FEMI lays out his towel next to MILLY .

Then smiles, squints up at the sun, stretches, he’sabout to take his swimming costume off when –

Please don’t.

FEMI No?

MILLY Weird.

FEMI What are you scared of?

MILLY Penis. Mostly.

FEMI Doesn’t give a shit about you.

He looks at her. She’s serious.

He lies down on the towel, to dry out.

A moment.

Why do you hate your ex-stepmum?

MILLY I wish you had more interesting things to say.

FEMI I know I’m such a dullard, but given that you do hate her why / are you here?

MILLY Free food. Pool. Animals. She says we can help out if we want.

FEMI With the animals? We – Do we want?

MILLYI don’t because I hate creatures – that’s why I invited you. Thought you’d be in your element. Pig in shit.

FEMI I am.

Pause.

Feeling better?

Yuuusss. Spot of vit-D.

Dollop of peace.

Love you Millipede.

MILLY Love you Femi Sphere.

RUTH comes in holding a tray of drinks, food, andcrockery.

RUTH Afternoon young people hope you had a good dip.

FEMI stands and goes to her –

FEMI You want a hand?

RUTH No I’m fine you just kick back and –

RUTH turns and sees FEMI , now very close to her.

Oh. Um. Hello.

FEMI You want me to –

RUTH No no you’re alright.

MILLY Cover up you slut, she’ll probably dribble on the food.

He gets his towel and wraps it around himself.

RUTH No! Honestly – like some Renaissance depiction of humans in Eden, before the Fall, Greek and glorious, please, this is the point, recline, please, as you were, I want you completely free. How was the pool?

MILLY Cold.

RUTH Really? Normally it’s alright by now, when it’s had the day’s heat.

But the rooms are – are they alright?

MILLY Yes.

RUTH First job was to do up the guest accommodation, worried I’d come out here, no one would visit, I’d be all lonely, just me and Lip and he’s hardly a conversationalist.

MILLY I don’t know – Femi was having a right natter.

RUTH Were you?

FEMI Not in any way. I got three words,

RUTH He warms up in the evening. Like the pool actually. There’s some rosé here if you want it, nibbles, I baked some biscuits, we use the flour from the mill in Wantage, not super-close but it’s not processed which is the main thing, you find out what they do to the flour you buy in a supermarket and it’s –

She shudders.

Anyway.

FEMI That’s great.

RUTH I think so. Back in a moment, getting the food. Oh, to warn you, Tony will turn up at some point, if you see a slightly overweight middle-aged man ambling round like he owns the place –

MILLY – I’ll just know I’m anywhere in England.

RUTH Very clever Milly. Tell him to settle here and I’ll be out shortly.

She goes.

FEMI Tony?

MILLY Neighbour.

Beat.

FEMI Budge then.

She does. He sits with the towel round him. Close toher. Then lies down.

A moment. Then she sits up.

Puts on a cover-up. Looks around. A little anxious.

MILLY I mean it’s fucking rude though isn’t it? If we’re honest.

FEMI Wait – whatarewetalkingabout?

MILLY Fucking… Lip.

FEMI Oh. No! He’s… I think he’s good.

MILLY I mean is that even his name?

FEMI It’s ironic. Because he doesn’t talk.

MILLY Yeah well – he can talk, we’ve heard him, he’s not mute, it’s like either it’s shyness or something which is okay, sort of, except he’s like forty-something you’d have thought he’d have dealt with it by now? Or it’s not that, and it’s just that he can’t be bothered

FEMI I like him. He’s earthy. Authentic.

MILLY He’s been here literally three months.

FEMI He grew up here.

MILLY Yeah then moved away –

FEMI Sure but… I think / maybe he –

MILLY He’s weird-looking.

FEMI Uh hey-ho the witchy bitch –

MILLY Fine but he is though. Not being –

LIP