Princess & The Hustler E-Book

Chinonyerem Odimba

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

Seitenzahl: 113

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

'My name is Phyllis Princess James. I will wear this crown every day. I will never take it off even when I am asleep.' Meet Princess. A cheeky ten-year-old, with a plan to win the Weston-super-Mare Beauty Contest. Trouble is, her mum is busy working several jobs, her brother, a budding photographer, won't even take her picture and then – The Hustler returns. In 1963 Bristol, as Black British Civil Rights campaigners walk onto the streets, Princess finds out what it really means to be black and beautiful. Chinonyerem Odimba's play Princess & The Hustler was first seen at the Bristol Old Vic in February 2019, followed by a UK tour, in a co-production between Eclipse Theatre Company, Bristol Old Vic and Hull Truck Theatre, directed by Dawn Walton. The play was shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Best New Play Award 2018.

Leseprobe

Chinonyerem Odimba

PRINCESS & THE HUSTLER

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

Contents

Original Production

Foreword

Thanks,

People, Places, Things

Characters

Princess & The Hustler

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Princess & The Hustler was first produced as a co-production between Eclipse Theatre Company, Bristol Old Vic and Hull Truck Theatre. It premiered at Bristol Old Vic on 9 February 2019, followed by a UK tour visiting seven cities. The cast was as follows:

PHYLLIS ‘PRINCESS’ JAMES

Kudzai Sitima

MAVIS JAMES

Donna Berlin

WENDELL ‘JUNIOR’

Fode Simbo

WENDELL ‘THE HUSTLER’ JAMES

Seun Shote

LORNA JAMES

Emily Burnett

MARGOT

Jade Yourell

LEON

Romayne Andrews

Director

Dawn Walton

Designer

Simon Kenny

Lighting Designer

Aideen Malone

Composer and Sound Designer

Richard Hammarton

Movement Director

Victoria Igbokwe

Fight Director

Stephen Medlin

Voice and Dialect Coach

Joel Trill

Assistant Director

Emilie Lahouel

Dramaturg

Ola Animashawun

Casting Director

Briony Barnett

Producer

Ros Terry

Production Manager

Mark Carey

Company Stage Manager

Helen Drew

Deputy Stage Manager

Jane Williamson

Assistant Stage Manager

Sophie Keers

Wardrobe Supervisor

Emma Cains

Wig Supervisor

Sid Kennedy

Tour Technician

Jake Channon

Foreword

I started Revolution Mix, an Eclipse movement, to challenge the fact that most Black stories in British theatre, film and radio were either imported or were the stories of new arrivals. I wanted to empower Black British artists to tell our stories. In 2015, conscious of a pervading erasure of Black British stories, I worked with a group of writers researching five centuries of this untapped vein of British history. This was the jumping off point for the development of Revolution Mix – our aim to produce the largest body of new Black British work in theatre, film and radio.

The first production – Black Men Walking – is an epic walk across the Peaks that uncovers two thousand years of hidden Black Yorkshire histories. Inspired by a real walking group, it had a sold-out UK tour. The Last Flag (BBC Radio 4, Afternoon Play) is set in an imagined near-future world where identity and empathy are electronically controlled.

Princess & The Hustler is a more recent but equally forgotten story from Bristol. This 1963 story is a domestic drama set in the home of a black family that cleverly combines the politics of colourism with The Bristol Bus Boycott – a seminal Black British civil rights action that led to the Race Relations Act of 1965. Princess & The Hustler is a story of Black agency that is funny, powerful and uplifting.

This production will be the first time that Eclipse has worked with a community chorus – made up of local audiences who will appear onstage alongside our incredible cast. It is exciting that Revolution Mix audiences are not only the inspiration for our work but now can participate. Onwards.

Dawn Walton

Artistic Director – Eclipse

With respect to:

Princess Campbell

Paul Stephenson

Roy Hackett

Guy Bailey

Raghbir Singh

Owen Henry

Joyce Stephenson

Carmen Beckford

Barbara Dettering

Audley Evans

Prince Brown

Mary Seacole

George Odlum

Mrs Mavis Bowen

Alfred Fagon

Clifford Drummond

Delores Campbell

Tony Benn

Tony Bullimore & Family

And many many more…

C.O.

People

PHYLLIS ‘PRINCESS’ JAMES, ten years old

MAVIS JAMES, thirty-eight years old

WENDELL ‘JUNIOR’ JAMES, seventeen years old

WENDELL ‘THE HUSTLER’ JAMES, forty years old

LORNA JAMES, nine years old

MARGOT, forty-two years old

LEON, nineteen years old

Places

1. Mavis’s front room. A small front room with an even smaller kitchenette in the corner of the room. Decorated sparsely with pictures of the Caribbean and family members on the walls. There is one small sofa and a dining table where a sewing machine sits occasionally. A wireless radio sits on a small mantelpiece.

2. Cupboard room. A large cupboard big enough to stand and walk in – not big enough for a bed. This room is only lit when Princess is in it.

3. The other room. The room Wendell Junior and Princess share. Also becomes the room Wendell Junior shares with Wendell.

4. The Docks, Bristol.

Things

…indicates a trailing off at the end of a sentence or a pause.

/ indicates an overlap in speech between two characters or within a character’s dialogue.

A new paragraph indicates a natural pause/change of thought in dialogue.

VOICE-OVER – indicates pre-recorded news pieces.

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

ACT ONE

Scene One

Christmas Day. St Agnes, Bristol. 1962.

The stage opens like a big box – as though opening the front of a doll’s house.

PRINCESS, eyes closed, stands in the cupboard room. She is wearing a swimming costume and a sash around her. She raises her hands in the air and places a crown made of cardboard and tinsel on her head.

VOICE-OVER. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the winner of the year’s Weston-super-Mare Beauties of the West Contest – (Voice booming.) Princess James.

PRINCESS’s eyes open wide.

The cupboard room explodes into a world of pageantry – scenes of people jumping into a swimming pool, Union Jacks, music and fireworks – fill the stage.

PRINCESS approaches a microphone.

PRINCESS. My name is Phyllis Princess James. I will wear this crown every day. I will never take it off even when I am asleep.

I want to thank my mummy, my friends, Margot and Junior…

Even though he is so annoying!

I will use all this money to help the poor…

After I have bought my mummy a new coat and…

I might buy a new bicycle for me and…

MAVIS’s voice can be heard shouting above the noise –

MAVIS. Princess James did you hear what I said?

Princess!

If I have to carry on with this hollering at you then the next thing you hear will be my hand against your backside.

You hear me chile?

Phyllis!

PRINCESS steps into the front room –

PRINCESS stands, crown on, sash falling off, dejected –

PRINCESS. Mummy!

MAVIS. Don’t you ‘Mummy’ me! Been calling you for the last ten minutes. Sometimes I do wonder where your head is at /

PRINCESS. Beauties of the West /

MAVIS. What you say?

PRINCESS. Nothing mummy /

MAVIS. Good. Now go wash your hands and come help me with the beans. Not going to be eating until five o’clock if you children don’t fix up.

Where’s your brother?

Junior. Come here now.

Wendell Junior!

PRINCESS. I heard the door go this morning.

Or maybe I only think I hear it.

MAVIS. What you think you’re saying? You two thick as thieves in the night /

PRINCESS. I think I hear something…

The sound of footsteps heavy, climbing stairs –

WENDELL JUNIOR enters.

A camera swings around his neck –

He casually walks across his mother and sister towards another door –

He places his hand on the door handle –

MAVIS. You turn the handle of that door and it will be the last thing you do on this God-given earth.

WENDELL JUNIOR releases his grip on the door handle –

Beat.

I am done waiting for an explanation as to what reason you might have for leaving this house this early today of all days. You better having a conversation with the leather of the belt instead.

MAVIS moves to a cupboard. She opens it and pulls out a man’s leather belt –

WENDELL JUNIOR. No! Mummy! Hold on a minute /

MAVIS. Oh you find the power of speech now?

WENDELL JUNIOR. It was some of the guys…

They were meeting up you know…

Gotta be there or be square!

MAVIS flexes the belt –

I should have told you but didn’t want to wake you. I was thinking better let you /

MAVIS. So you were doing it for me? Looking after your mummy by sneaking out the house to Lord-knows-where at Lord-knows-what-time for me. That right son?

PRINCESS. God doesn’t go where he’s been /

WENDELL JUNIOR. Shut your face!

PRINCESS. Mummy is going to beat you and you gone cry like a baby.

Cry baby.

WENDELL JUNIOR moves to grab at PRINCESS –

WENDELL JUNIOR. If I beat you first then you gon’ cry louder than me.

MAVIS raises the belt high above her head –

WENDELL JUNIOR backs off –

MAVIS. You done explaining yourself?

And now you have the nerve to be all sorts of cruel to your sister?

WENDELL JUNIOR. Mummy. I am really sorry. We’re doing nothing bad. We just hang by Queen Square with our cameras…

MAVIS. So let me get this right. You sneak out of my house at whatever time on this particular day to choose to go posing in the street /

WENDELL JUNIOR. Not posing mummy.

Leon and some other guys wanted to take photographs by the docks. And you know I’m trying to learn everything I can…

I’ll be an apprentice one day in one of them photography studios /

MAVIS. You’re not an apprentice yet. Right now you are about to get another kind of education /

WENDELL JUNIOR. I split from those guys so I could come back and do portraits of you…

Mummy…

Gon’ use some of my savings to get them developed in that place Leon goes. Over by Fishponds…

Going to take real pretty pictures of you.

MAVIS puts down the belt –

You gon’ shine like a queen!

MAVIS pats her hair –

MAVIS. Pictures you say?

WENDELL JUNIOR. Yes mummy. Right there in front of the…

WENDELL JUNIOR looks at the sad withering Christmas tree in the corner of the room –

MAVIS shakes her head –

By the wireless.

You just listening to the radio all casual like…

A movie star!

You going to wear your pearls?

They always make you look so ladylike.

WENDELL JUNIOR lifts the camera to his face, and circles his mother, pretending to be taking photos –

MAVIS. You think so Junior?

Maybe…

You know when I iron out this wig and add a little colour on my face, you wouldn’t even recognise your own mother.

MAVIS preens herself –

PRINCESS. What about me? You going to take a photograph of me Junior?

WENDELL JUNIOR. No! Wasn’t planning to break the glass of my new camera with your face.

PRINCESS bursts into heartbreaking sobs –

MAVIS remembering the hundred and one things she still has to do, turns on her heels and heads for the small kitchenette –

MAVIS. You stop that way of talking to your sister.

Princess you stop your noise and get started on those beans.

Junior you make sure you tidy up the bedroom, this room, and the washroom.

WENDELL JUNIOR stomps his foot in frustration –

WENDELL JUNIOR. That is so uncool.

MAVIS. You got something else to say Junior?

WENDELL JUNIOR. No Mummy.

WENDELL JUNIOR exits –

PRINCESS. Mummy?

MAVIS is busy at sink washing up –

Mummy.

MAVIS. I hope when I turn round you’re busy on those beans Princess. I just as easily pick that belt up again /

PRINCESS busies herself with the pile of beans –

PRINCESS. Doing it Mummy.

Doing it quicker even…

I need to ask you one question. Just one…

MAVIS. Go on then Princess.

PRINCESS. Why don’t we have any presents under the tree?

MAVIS turns to face PRINCESS –

MAVIS. Nothing you really want beyond your family and this roast chicken I have in the oven.

PRINCESS. But they made me do the list at school. I was writing it in my best handwriting…

Even Miss Turner give me a gold star for how good my Gs and my Ys were /

MAVIS. Gave me /

PRINCESS. She said it was best in the class and ‘considering my ability’ /

MAVIS. And what exactly is wrong with your ability?

MAVIS kisses her teeth –

I did read your list baby. I did. Every single word of it…

It’s just…

Nobody ordering curtains at this time of year.

MAVIS packs away the sewing machine –

PRINCESS. Who needs presents all wrapped up in the sparkly paper and a pink ribbon? Who needs any of it?

When we have beans and pumpkin!

PRINCESS bursts into a dance routine with the vegetables she is meant to be cutting up –

MAVIS starts to dance and laugh as she exits with the sewing machine.

PRINCESS is still doing her dance routine –

WENDELL JUNIOR enters.

WENDELL JUNIOR. What you doing peahead?

PRINCESS. Mummy!

WENDELL JUNIOR runs to put his hand over her mouth –

PRINCESS wriggles away from him –

WENDELL JUNIOR. Why you always got to tell tales?

Princess you just need to grow up some time soon. Most girls your age not so…

One day when you want to sneak out of the house /

PRINCESS. I am never going to be sneaking off to no place. I am a good girl /

WENDELL JUNIOR. Course you are!

PRINCESS. And I’m big and grown enough /

WENDELL JUNIOR. Too big to still be dreaming of beauty pageants and crowns /

PRINCESS. Beauty pageants are for big girls.

Women. Grown girls and women.

Not little girls.

You know nothing Junior.

WENDELL JUNIOR. I know that if you tell tales on me again I’m going to make sure you never get to Weston-super-Mare. I’m going to tell Mummy about some of the ungodly things that go on there. They say at night boys and girls go on the pier there to do sin. If I tell Mummy that then she will never let you go. Ever!

PRINCESS. You can’t!

WENDELL JUNIOR. Then you better keep that shut /