One For Sorrow E-Book

Cordelia Lynn

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

'You've endangered us. You've endangered your family.' During an attack on London, Imogen joins a social media campaign offering refuge to victims. Before her family have even had a chance at a reasonable discussion, John is at their door. He is different to them. He isn't what they expected. And although they'd never admit it to themselves, he isn't necessarily what they want. Cordelia Lynn's play One For Sorrow was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, in June 2018, in a production directed by James Macdonald.

Leseprobe

Cordelia Lynn

ONE FORSORROW

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production

Epigraph

Characters

One For Sorrow

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

One For Sorrow was the 2017 Pinter Commission. It was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, London, on Wednesday 20 June 2018. The cast was as follows:

EMMA

Sarah Woodward

IMOGEN

Pearl Chanda

BILL

Neil Dudgeon

CHLOE

Kitty Archer

JOHN

Irfan Shamji

Director

James Macdonald

Designer

Laura Hopkins

Lighting Designer

Guy Hoare

Sound Designer

Max Pappenheim

Costume Supervisor

Helen Johnson

Assistant Director

Milli Bhatia

Casting Director

Amy Ball

Production Manager

Marius Rønning

Stage Managers

Heather Cryan, Fran O’Donnell

Scenic Artist

Morwenna Holttum

One for sorrowTwo for mirthThree for a funeralFour for birthFive for heavenSix for hellSeven for the devil,His own self.

Characters

EMMA, mid-fifties

IMOGEN, early twenties

BILL, early fifties

CHLOE, late teens

JOHN, mid-twenties

Scene

A home.

Today, now.

Notes

/ Indicates an external interruption

– Indicates an internal interruption

… Indicates a tailing off

The television is as much a character as anyone else.

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

Prologue – In Darkness

An explosion

house lights out

screams confusion

shouting

gunfire

more screams running gunfire

a second explosion

screams

sirens

debris

JOHN’S VOICE I am outside.

I am outside on the street and the air is hot with fear. The air is buzzing and hissing with fear and the fear is hot on my skin. The fear is desert hot and the fear is cooking my sweat.

There is a lot of sweat.

I am outside on the street and I am running. I am running outside on the street in the sand hot fear and my backpack is heavy. My backpack is heavy and my backpack is weighing me down and pulling me back but I am strong and I am fast and I am running all the same.

Outside on the street. Tonight.

Now.

I am running outside on the street with my backpack and the fear in the air is cooking my sweat and I am running across this part of the city and I am running across the city to you.

Now.

Because you say, it is you that says, Come here.

Come here now. I will keep you safe.

Come right here now to us.

Tonight.

It is you that said it.

Didn’t you?

I am walking in a residential area under the trees. The trees are lovely and cool and drink up the fear so the air is now lovely and cool. And my backpack is heavy and my heart is heavy and the air is cool but my heart is hot.

And I am outside on the street and I am walking to you. I am walking through this residential area and I am making my way to you. Now.

Because it was you that said, One day they will say that this was human nature.

Didn’t you?

I am at your door now. I am at your door now outside tonight on the street in this residential area. I am knocking at your door. I am knocking at your door and I say, Let me in Let me in Let me in.

I need more time.

Let me in.

I am coming across this city to you. I am coming.

I am at your door and your door is open.

Expect me.

ACT ONE

Scene One

Lights up.

A house. Comfortable, modern. Art. Books. That sort of thing. A living/dining space. A dining table, an unfinished meal. Wine. Chairs pushed back.

Back, centre, a hallway to the front door. Off the hallway a bathroom, and a staircase to the upper floor.

Off the main room, a kitchen. Also off, a sitting room with a television. The television is on.

A white family.

EMMA, IMOGEN and BILL.

EMMA Because you cannot just /

IMOGEN Listen to me /

EMMA You cannot just /

IMOGEN Listen to me /

EMMA No you listen to me! For once you listen to /

IMOGEN But you’re not hearing me /

BILL Listen to your mother, Imogen.

EMMA Oh shut up, Bill!

IMOGEN You’re not hearing me /

EMMA I am hearing you. We are hearing you. I’ve heard you loud and clear and you’re completely out of control /

IMOGEN I am not out of /

EMMA You’re completely out of control. This is completely out of /

IMOGEN It’s not out of /

EMMA You’ve taken it too far this time /

BILL You have taken it too far.

EMMA I am patient with you, I am patient with the things you believe, I believe

I believe in the things you believe /

IMOGEN No you don’t you don’t /

EMMA I’m talking now.

I am patient with you. I’m encouraging of you. But this is too much. This is this is –

You’ve endangered us.

IMOGEN I haven’t endangered us /

EMMA You’ve endangered your family /

IMOGEN I haven’t endangered our family /

EMMA Your sister, your little sister /

IMOGEN She wanted me to do it. She agrees with /

EMMA Of course she does! She’s a teenager. They’re all mad. You have no understanding of /

IMOGEN I don’t claim to have any understanding of /

EMMA No understanding of the dangers. At a time like this, to do such a thing at a time like a time like /

IMOGEN The danger is in your head, you need to hear me, it’s all in your head /

EMMA It is not in my head! (To BILL.) Tell her it is not in my head.

BILL You only had to ask us and then we could have discussed it / reasonably.

IMOGEN Reasonably.

BILL We have to discuss these things reasonably. Why didn’t you just ask?

IMOGEN Because you’re afraid. You’re afraid of everything. You’re afraid.

EMMA Well perhaps when you’re my age you’ll know there are some things in life worth being afraid of.

IMOGEN No. Not like that. I’m not afraid of anything like that. Because fear is –

Your fear, the fear you have is just an excuse to do terrible things, and to do nothing. Which is also a terrible thing.

Pause.

EMMA Right. I’m confiscating your phone /

IMOGEN What?

EMMA I’m confiscating your phone. I’m confiscating your laptop /

IMOGEN You can’t!

EMMA Oh yes I can!

IMOGEN It’s a breach of my human rights /

EMMA You want to talk to me about human rights? You want to talk to me about human rights?

IMOGEN Not your kind of rights /

EMMA Alright let’s talk about human rights /

IMOGEN Not your definition of /

EMMA Let’s talk about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Let’s talk about the European Convention on Human Rights /

IMOGEN Not those rights /

EMMA Have you read the European Convention on Human Rights? Have you read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?

IMOGEN Not those /

EMMA Well I have! And I interpret and advise on the European Convention on Human Rights every day, every day I /

IMOGEN Western declarations on human rights are Neocolonial, Imperialist projects.

EMMA I’m going to kill her. I’m going to kill my daughter. Bill, I’m going to have to kill our daughter /

BILL Right. Well that’s /

EMMA A Neocolonial Project! A Neocolonial Project!

IMOGEN You think you know everything. You think you understand everything. But you don’t know anything. You’re old, and you’re afraid of everything.

It’s not your fault. They made you afraid. You’re not bigger than the culture you were born in to, and it made you afraid.

Pause.

EMMA My life. My entire life, my legal career has been dedicated to –

I think I’m going to cry. I’m either going to cry or I’m going to murder our daughter.

BILL Right. Well. Let’s all just /

EMMA What Bill? What should we all just?

Enter CHLOE, from television room.

CHLOE 45.

If you’re interested.

I mean I’m just saying. I’m literally just keeping you guys updated with what’s going on outside while you all just shout in here. That’s just literally what I’m doing.