Overspill E-Book

Ali Taylor

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

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

A poetic, explosive thriller about three young men on a night out that ends in violence. In Bromley every Friday night, same time and place, Potts, Baron and Finch get ready for their weekly dose of booze, birds and burgers. But their night out takes a dramatic and terrifying twist when an explosion rocks the town centre, and a suspicious population points the finger at them. 'Overspill is set in Bromley, but it could be set in any town anywhere in the UK. There are hundreds of Bromleys in Britain… These are the towns that millions of us grow up in.' - Ali Taylor Ali Taylor's play Overspill was the winner of Metamorphosis 08, a competition organised by Bromley's theatre, The Churchill. It was first performed at The Churchill in June 2008, transferring to Soho Theatre, London, in October 2008.

Leseprobe

Ali Taylor

OVERSPILL

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Characters

Author’s Note

Overspill

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

For Lynne

Characters

BARON, twenty FINCH, twenty POTTS, twenty

Setting

The action takes place today in Bromley (see Author’s Note).

The dialogue cuts between the internal world of the play and direct address.

/ indicates an interruption, overlapping dialogue.

// indicates that the dialogue is spoken simultaneously.

* * * indicates a change of scene or location.

CAPITAL LETTERS indicate an impersonation.

Dialogue in [square brackets] indicates the part of a word that is not or cannot be said.

Author’s Note

Overspill is set in Bromley, outside London, but it could be set in any town anywhere in the UK. There are hundreds of Bromleys in Britain – suburbs sitting on the edge of bigger towns or cities, all with the same shops, restaurants and chain pubs.

These are the towns that millions of us grow up in.

I encourage theatre companies interested in performing Overspill to make it specific to their town. Change Bromley to Bracknell or Swindon or Harlow, etc.

As the lads reference the shops they pass as they walk up the High Street, change them to the shops in your town. Change the name of the pubs, the clubs, the estates, make it specific.

References to people such as Huw Edwards and Ray Mears can be replaced when they stop being relevant.

Be careful, though, of retaining the rhythm, the assonance and alliteration. For example, ‘Bouncers from Belmarsh’ could be ‘Doormen from Dovegate’.

I have tried to make the script as open as possible to movement, music and lighting.

Massive thank yous to everyone involved in this production and those who helped in the early development of this play: Lisa Spirling, Michael Camp, Lou Ramsden, Charlotte Knight and the Rod Hall Agency, Gaz Jones, George Rainsford, Morgan Val Baker, Leo Richardson, Stefan Davis, Jason Langley, Damon Threadgold, Theatre503, Hampstead Theatre, Linda McLean and the Traverse Theatre.

Ali Taylor

BARON, POTTS and FINCH rush into McDonald’s in the High Street, Bromley. They’re excited – it’s Friday night and the highlight of their week. They are full of laughing and joking.

The lads sit upstairs at a table, next to the window overlooking the town centre.

POTTS

We the boys in Maccie D’s

FINCH

Maccie D’s!

BARON

With a chip

POTTS

A chip!

FINCH

Three chips in our fingers

POTTS

In our pincers

BARON

We the lads

POTTS

Three lads

FINCH

With three chips in our pincers

BARON

We the lads

On three seats

POTTS

With chips

BARON

Three lads

FINCH

On three seats

BARON

With three chips in our pincers

POTTS

This is it man!

They eat the three chips.

BARON

The chips all right!

FINCH

The chips always all right!

BARON

So flip the carton, the burger carton

Open and split and spill in the chips

Into the empty section

POTTS

Another chip

FINCH

Three chips

BARON

We enjoying our chips!

POTTS

(Sings.) ‘Am loving it!’

FINCH

Loving these chips!

BARON

Cos it’s Friday night, see

FINCH

We go to Maccie D’s, we get three seats

BARON

We get three Big Macs, three chips

FINCH

We get three drinks

ALL

Cokes

They drink their Cokes in unison.

FINCH

Same place

BARON

Same time

POTTS

Every Friday night

FINCH

Tell how we mates

POTTS

Since we was five

BARON

Been the same since we was five

FINCH

Do all the same things

BARON

Same school, same teams, same clothes, same / [music]

POTTS

Not quite the same clothes