Snowflake E-Book

Mike Bartlett

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

Seitenzahl: 93

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

'Because Christmas. Well… That's when they say people come home.' Andy loves nostalgic television, pints down the pub, and listening to the whole album from beginning to end. His daughter, Maya, wears good shoes, likes good arguments, and has a secret plan to bring down the government. The trouble is, three years ago Maya left home, and they haven't spoken since. But this Christmas, she might be coming back. Andy knows she's going to stay. Maya knows she's not. Mike Bartlett's play Snowflake is an epic story about generational conflict, fathers and daughters, and whether we're living in the best or worst of times. It premiered at the Old Fire Station, Oxford, in 2018, and was revived at Kiln Theatre, London, in 2019, directed by Clare Lizzimore.

Leseprobe

Mike Bartlett

SNOWFLAKE

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Characters

Snowflake

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Snowflake was first performed at the Old Fire Station, Oxford, on 5 December 2018, with the following cast (in order of appearance):

ANDY

Elliot Levey

NATALIE

Racheal Ofori

MAYA

Ellen Robertson

Director

Clare Lizzimore

Assistant Director

Emily Collins

Designer

Jeremy Herbert

Lighting Designer

Jessica Hung Han Yun

Sound Designer

Steve Coe

Theatre Technician

Rachel Luff

Stage Manager

Jude Thorp

Assistant Stage Manager

Sophie Worters

Producer

Will Young

Producer for AOFS

Alexandra Coke

The play was revived at Kiln Theatre, London, on 10 December 2019, with the following cast (in order of appearance):

ANDY

Elliot Levey

NATALIE

Amber James

MAYA

Ellen Robertson

Director

Clare Lizzimore

Assistant Director

Kaleya Baxe

Designer

Jeremy Herbert

Lighting Designer

Jessica Hung Han Yun

Sound Designer

Elena Peña

Additional Casting

Amy Ball CDG

Company Stage Manager

Laura Flowers

Deputy Stage Manager

Lorna Earl

Assistant Stage Manager (Rehearsals)

Louise Quartermain

Assistant Stage Manager (Performances)

Maddie Sidi

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the following, without whom this play would not exist:

Jonny Donahoe, Clare Lizzimore, Jeremy Herbert, Jeremy Spafford, Will Young.

M.B.

To Audrey

Characters

ANDY, forty-eight years old

NATALIE, twenty-five years old

MAYA, twenty-one years old

( / ) 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.

Dialogue in brackets indicates the point being made is parenthetical to the main argument.

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

ACT ONE

A church hall in an Oxfordshire village on 24 December 2019. The usual things are there: a stage, curtains, wooden floor, possibly wooden walls, fold-away chairs and an air of being trapped in time since the 1940s.

A doorway to a small kitchen to one side.

The lights are dim. On the stage of the village hall, the curtains are drawn. Leading up behind the curtains are wires – a power lead. Also a piece of tinsel.

In front of the curtain is arranged a banner that says ‘Welcome Home’.

In the hall itself are empty boxes for the decorations, the hall Christmas tree and a few decorations left over…

As clearance is given, ANDY emerges from behind the curtains. He’s about to descend, when he forgets something and goes back. Fiddles with it. Then he comes into the hall, tidies up a few of the boxes, and stands with his phone.

ANDY

So when you arrive, I’ll be here

well I won’t be here I won’t be just standing up waiting staring at the door that would be a bad first impression I’ll be sat on a chair or on that, or through there in the kitchen with a coffee, but not on my phone that wouldn’t look right too casual you should know that this is my focus, that this matters and I’ve made an effort which I have by the way.

That should be obvious.

So no phone but I can’t just be doing nothing so I’ll… have my book, reading my book and then when you knock on the door you won’t knock on the door I’ll have the door open you can just walk in so okay, when you do I’ll put the book down, stand up, you’ll survey the scene and notice that I’ve been reading and that’ll make it seem like I’m fresh and healthy and cultured and normal and not watching TV on my phone all the time like you probably imagine I am.

So you come in, book down, stand up, go over and greet you but at a distance.

The distance is important so it’s clear I’m not expecting a kiss or hug ‘don’t worry’ it needs to say ‘I get it. Been a while’, actually I’ll say hi before I welcome you in so

Start again. You come in, book down, then as I stand up, ‘Hi’, a few steps towards, a deliberate stop and I say something maybe like ‘come in’.

Casual. ‘come in’

I thought this place rather than the house because it’s neutral ground.

And you know, it’ll be more of a thing…

After I say ‘come in’ you’ll probably walk a bit further into the room and I’ll say like ‘it’s so good you’ve come’ and then something to break the ice like ‘god this is strange’ no that’s bad I’m not going to say that ‘god this is strange’ I’m such a moron I can see why you left if your dad’s going to say banal things like that ‘god this is strange!’

better off without me.

Maybe you’ll want a hug or kiss so I need to be ready, cos if you are definitely going for those things then fine but the key is not to get carried away you left for a reason I expect no you definitely left for a reason you didn’t just get lost one day so yes there’s a reason and who knows if that reason has changed.

And then I’ll say ‘but I’ve got a surprise’.

‘Do you want to see what I’ve done.’

No that sounds bad.

Well…

Whatever happens, I can’t believe in a matter of minutes you’ll walk through that door.

Probably.

Maybe.

From a bag he produces a Christmas jumper, with a pudding on the front.

Christmas jumper

take the edge off

Even you can’t get angry if I’m wearing a pudding.

He puts it on.

Terry Scott wore a good one in the 1982 Terry and June Christmas special when his boss is accidentally invited round with his sex-obsessed secretary Miss Fennel and Terry’s colleague Malcolm. It feels dated of course but it’s a tight script and the point is all the way through Terry’s in his Christmas jumper which mitigates any potential cruelty. It was on BBC Store for a while, but they’ve shut BBC Store now because bloody Netflix won, I loved BBC Store. Anyway it’s gone so you’ll have to order the DVD.

Except there’s no way you own a DVD player. Actually, you probably have no idea what half the words I just used are. You won’t know who Terry Scott is. Well, you’re missing out, that’s all I can say.

‘ “DVD’s”?! Jesus!’ you’ll think with a scornful tone of thought ‘come on Dad we’re streaming now?’ and I know I can stream I stream but equally I like browsing selecting the DVD from its elaborate case kneeling down to insert it then sitting back and working through the various menus before getting to the thing you wanted to watch in the first place and yes I expect from your point of view this might be ancient and unappealing (much like myself) but for me it’s exactly the joy. A slow and precise ritual, which I’m wilfully sticking with.

It’s not all about being efficient, Maya.

I went to an HMV the other day, in Reading. The staff weren’t as friendly as they used to be in the nineties. In the nineties I used to go there every Saturday, spent hours there like it was a club. Only bought something occasionally but it was the place you’d go. People talked to each other.

I’m not massively keen to say sorry. I mean I don’t know what I’d be apologising for. I don’t know what happened, you’re the one who left, but I’m a little worried that’s why you’ve come back.

You know what makes me think you’re coming back? How I know? Maybe it’s not obvious? Because from my side it’s been quite a sequence of events and they’ve left me certain we’re on the brink right on the brink of your reappearance. Like some Neighbours shock plot development – the actor playing you, their post-Ramsay Street career didn’t work out so after one hit single and a couple of mediocre films they’re back to Australia and they return to Erinsborough for a limited storyline but then it’s so popular they stay for years it’s like that.

About a week ago my friend Julie you remember Julie, with the neck, she’s not a close friend but I’ve known her for ages since school kissed her once at a party in some village we got off in the utility room of this big house knocked the mops over I fancied her a lot then but now we’re both old well not so much, which isn’t rude because I’m sure that goes both ways anyway I bump into her outside WHSmiths and she says you must be happy I say no – yes – what? Do I look – no – what – Sorry?

She says because of Maya. What? Maya’s back.

What? Maya’s back. What?

Is she? What? Yeah don’t you know? What?

She saw you in Turl Street Kitchen having coffee with someone last week and I’m I was I’m

I have two questions

Firstly what’s Turl Street Kitchen? Apparently it’s a café in central Oxford, I don’t go into central Oxford much so fine that makes sense but secondly my second question and this is more important

Is she sure?

Because I’ve spent a long time trying not to hope.

Because to be disappointed every day when you don’t come back is –

So if she’s really saying she saw you back here back where you grew up then I need her to be absolutely one-hundred-per-cent-no-room-for-error certain.

She says without question

You looked different. But it was you.

She watched you talking to a friend she would have gone up to you but she didn’t want to make you feel like you were being observed claustrophobic whatever, which I find well, really irritating actually, I wish she had gone up to you and found out more information any information but she didn’t, she says she heard you speak but wasn’t sure what about, she couldn’t remember any of the words you used not a single word – as she’s talking I’m remembering that Julie was always known for being good looking but on another planet one of those girls drifting around carried through life by the intoxicating fumes of being very physically attractive I’ve always wondered what happens to girls like that when they get older and they’re not so attractive any more, sorry women not girls, actually if your misogyny alarm has gone off which it probably has then yes I’m sure this happens to good-looking men too, the same thing.

This isn’t me talking about women – it’s about what happens to physical attractiveness over time. Okay?

Got to be so careful when talking to you… I remember that.

Julie said sorry I assumed you knew she was back, but at least this means she’s alright?! Yeah? That she’s doing okay?