Pennyroyal E-Book

Lucy Roslyn

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

Seitenzahl: 71

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

'I think of my body sometimes like it's stubborn. We're not good friends. Like it's a spooky hotel, and I'm a ghost haunting it. 'Cause you don't live in a hotel, you just pass through.' When Daphne is diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency at the age of nineteen, her sister Christine steps in to help in the only way she knows how: by donating her eggs. For a while, the world seems corrected. But as the years go by – and Daphne sets out on the long road of IVF – the sisters' relationship begins to twist. Pennyroyal is a heartrending new play by Lucy Roslyn about sisterhood and motherhood, enduring love, and regrets many years in the making. Inspired by Edith Wharton's 1922 novella The Old Maid, it was premiered at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 2022, directed by Josh Roche.

Leseprobe

Lucy Roslyn

PENNYROYAL

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Author’s Note

Original Production Details

Characters

Note on the Text

Pennyroyal

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Author’s Note

Lucy Roslyn

‘Here they were at last face to face with the problem which, through all the years of silence and evasiveness, had lain as close to the surface as a corpse too hastily buried.’ The Old Maid, Edith Wharton

Just before the Covid pandemic hit, Josh Roche introduced me to the striking 1922 novella The Old Maid. It’s about the close relationship between two women becoming taut and knotted in the face of family values and societal expectations. It showed complicated, loving, fuming, forgiving women and the drawn-out repercussions of a life lived bending to the rules. There’s an image in their minds of the people they thought they would be, and the brittle acceptance of the people they’ve become.

It is ugly, and beautiful, and relatable in many ways.

I have a sister and I’m extremely lucky to be very close to her. She is a writer herself (an extraordinary one). During lockdown I spoke with her a few times about our dreams and aspirations. About not losing hope in the things we had set out to do. After ten years of trying to find a footing for my work, at the closing of the theatres I felt the gig was, perhaps, finally up. Pennyroyal is about sisterhood. Enduring love. The rocky, unplanned way that life works out. The opportunities, if you seek them, to find your way back to people. I hope it will resonate with others, just as Edith Wharton’s story resonated with me.

I am indebted to the people I spoke to and resources I read about Premature Ovarian Insufficiency. There’s a running theme of frustration that women’s health is kept in the shadows. How you are supposed to stagger, quietly, from one stage of life into another. That these stages can be the curveball that shakes the very image of yourself and the things you hope for. It is a many layered topic and I hope I have done it some justice. Overall this is a story of a relationship. A joyous one, I feel. Two magnets, trying to get back to each other. It is with heartfelt thanks to the Pennyroyal team that we have made it this far.

To Hugh, Sophie and Cheng for their incredible artistry. To Kit for making our rehearsals so smooth and positive.

To Jessie, for steering this ship with such elegance and energy. To Madison, ‘my Daphne’. To Nick Hern Books for their support as we fought to get this play on. To Asha for her help on the journey.

To Josh, you’ve been my champion since I wrote my first play in 2012. I already look forward to our next thing.

To David of the NDT. This is the second time you have stepped up for us.

To the Finborough Theatre, for welcoming us in.

To my family, forever in my corner.

To Pip. My cat. You’re gorgeous.

To Gloria Estefan, ‘Anything for You’ is a perfect song.

And to Jamie Firth of BoonDog Theatre, for your creativity and help as we read through draft after draft late into the night. Thank you for holding the umbrella.

Pennyroyal was first performed at the Finborough Theatre, London, on 12 July 2022. The cast was as follows:

CHRISTINE

Lucy Roslyn

DAPHNE

Madison Clare

Director

Josh Roche

Set and Costume Designer

Sophie Thomas

Lighting Designer

Cheng Keng

Composer and Sound Designer

Hugh Sheehan

Associate Set and Costume Designer

Kit Hinchcliffe

Producer

Jessie Anand

Stage Manager

Characters

DAPHNE (DAFF), female, Christine’s sister

CHRISTINE (CHRIS), female, Daphne’s sister

Note on the Text

/ indicates overlapping lines

– indicates interruption

[ ] indicates intended but unspoken dialogue

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

Christmas Eve in a family home. The space is nineties nostalgic.

There is a feeling of dark, blustery wilderness outside.

DAFF, in a world of her own, is applying Christmas decorations on stage.

CHRIS watches from a seat in the audience, she has a bottle and two glasses. She is already drinking.

CHRIS. When I think about Daphne this is what I picture.

She looks round to the audience.

Sorry I should say, I’m part of this. I am a part of this.

I just wanted to see what she looked like from here.

She gestures to DAFF, oblivious on stage.

This is Daphne.

Daphne always does the decorations, like… this is her Christmas ritual. Mum’s Christmas ritual is that she always makes lasagne. And my Christmas ritual is… I dress up the dog. Yep… that’s my thing. The dog used to be an Elvis, but we lost the wig, so now the dog’s Elton John (She chuckles at the memory.)

We watch It’s a Wonderful Life. And every year it’s like… (Hand to heart.) ‘I want to live!’ I just… love it.

She focuses on DAFF decorating the tree.

It was a box office flop when it first came out. People didn’t know quite what they were looking at, so they didn’t like it. (As Jimmy Stewart.) ‘Can you believe that? They didn’t like it, can you believe it! See, if you’d seen the film you’d know – Jimmy Stewart!’

Anyway…

She gazes at DAFF on stage, derailed.

When I think about Daff – this is how I see her.

She used to decorate the tree with Dad.

She takes a drink of wine and watches her sister decorate.

This is her at nineteen. So that would make me… twenty-six? I’ll be twenty-six. I remember I walked in and I offered her a drink.

Without missing a beat, DAFF speaks out to CHRIS in the audience.

DAFF. No you didn’t.

CHRIS. Uh, yes I did I said ‘Hey Daff, are you home? Do you want a drink?’

DAFF. No, you just said ‘Hey Daff’.

CHRIS. No, I said ‘Hey Daff, you home?’, ‘Yeah’, ‘Want a drink?’ and then I asked where Bumble was.

DAFF. That’s not what you said.

CHRIS. It is.

DAFF, onstage, stops decorating and stares directly out at CHRIS. They hesitate.

DAFF. I’m running out of decorations if you want to / think any quicker –

CHRIS immediately interrupts, abruptly starting the play.

CHRIS. / – Hey Daff, you home?!

DAFF (immediately). Yeah?

CHRIS. Want a drink? Where’s Bumble?

A dog barks offstage – Bumble.

DAFF. Bumble’s in / the garden with Mum.

CHRIS. / the garden with Mum.

DAFF. Fuck you.

CHRIS holds out a glass. DAFF reluctantly walks over to take it. The play begins.

Home

The sisters settle under the tree with drinks. Something is wrong with DAFF.

DAFF. I didn’t know you’d be back so soon. Are you back?

CHRIS. I am back.

DAFF. Long journey.

CHRIS. Ah, don’t worry about it.

CHRIS watches DAFF lovingly.

You want to talk about it?

DAFF shakes her head – no.

DAFF. Mum’s making lasagne tonight.

CHRIS. Excellent.

CHRIS smiles kindly at DAFF. DAFF tries to look strong, something is clearly wrong. CHRIS fiddles with some of the crappier homemade decorations.

You’ve done a nice job of this. Good to see some of the classics are out. Look at that, yoghurt pot Santa… never quite made it into the bin did he? And we can’t bin him now!

DAFF (looks lost). No…

CHRIS. Have you moved home properly then? What about the scholarship?

DAFF laughs mirthlessly and shakes her head.

What about Ian?

DAFF (deflecting). I saw Mum walking round the garden last night. She was standing in her nightgown, so I went out in my pyjamas. She says she thinks better outside.

CHRIS. Did you talk?

DAFF. She talked about motherhood… I broke it off with Ian.

Beat. DAFF chooses her words carefully.

I am under a cloud, Chris.

CHRIS. I’ll come under it with you then.

I’ll hold the umbrella.

Beat.

Did you love him?

DAFF doesn’t know.

Did you give him a chance?

DAFF. To what?

CHRIS. He might not want kids.

DAFF. He proposed.

CHRIS. Okay…! Okay?

DAFF. I don’t think he knows what he’s doing. I mean, we’re on the same course but we don’t really know each other that well.

CHRIS. Okay?

DAFF. He’ll lose his hair when he’s older. He’s a bald man, he just doesn’t know it yet.

CHRIS. Right.

DAFF. He’s a romantic.

CHRIS. Well what is he, nineteen? Twenty?

DAFF. Eighteen.

CHRIS. ’kay.

DAFF. He’s not thinking ahead.

CHRIS. Is this the guy I met at Halloween? Dressed like a rubber glove?

DAFF. He was a prawn. We were both prawns. He says he sees me.

CHRIS (unimpressed