Steel (NHB Modern Plays) E-Book

Chris Bush

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

The top candidate without question, Vanessa was made to be Mayor. Thirty years prior, Josie just wants things to change and seeks a seat on the local council. Chris Bush's play Steel explores the last three decades of women in politics, asking what's changed and what still must. The play premiered at Sheffield Theatres Studio in September 2018.

Leseprobe

Chris Bush

STEEL

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production

Author’s Note

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Characters

Steel

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Steel was first performed at Studio Theatre, Sheffield on 13 September 2018. The cast was as follows:

IAN/DAI

Nigel Betts

VANESSA/JOSIE

Rebecca Scroggs

Director

Rebecca Frecknall

Designer

Madeleine Girling Lighting

Designer

Jack Knowles

Sound Designer

James Frewer

Casting Director

Anna Cooper CDG

Dialect Coach

Michaela Kennen

Assistant Director

Ebe Bamgboye

Making Room Observer Director

Tommi Bryson

Production Manager

Stephanie Balmforth

Stage Manager

Sarah Gentle

Deputy Stage Manager

Lucy Topham

Assistant Stage Manager

Lizzie Laycock

Author’s Note

Why would anyone be a politician? That’s one question at the heart of Steel. Are they all dedicated public servants or power-mad egomaniacs? Specifically, why would anyone go into local government, which can appear to be an endless cycle of changing nothing yet being blamed for everything? While there are certainly exceptions, we increasingly view those who seek public office with suspicion, and yet we do need someone in charge, don’t we? Is the system rigged, or do we get the elected officials we deserve? If we’re disappointed by our current crop, is it our fault for not taking more of an active interest? Perhaps it’s actually the case that good deeds just go unnoticed – we only become aware of our politicians when they mess up.

Like most of us, I often feel infuriated by those in charge, and powerless as an individual to hold anyone to account, and yet I also feel some sympathy towards those who seem to be doing a mostly thankless, nigh-on-impossible job. This feels especially true of local government, where councillors don’t even receive financial remuneration for their efforts (and perhaps, in some instances, we therefore get what we pay for). I imagine there are many occasions where being a politician can feel like a pretty wretched existence: the idealist in me would dearly like to believe most enter government with good intentions, but perhaps the constant need to compromise and placate will always take its toll.

In Steel, I want to try and show the people behind the rosettes – flawed and fallible, but human nonetheless. I also wanted to dig into what it takes to be a woman in the public eye, who, whatever their role, are held to an entirely different set of standards to their male counterparts. Josie and Vanessa are two very different people in different circumstances, and yet both find themselves struggling against a system that fundamentally wasn’t designed for them. Through their journeys, the play asks why representation matters, how far we’ve come, and what we still have to achieve.

Chris Bush, September 2018

Acknowledgements

I’m hugely grateful to our whole brilliant team on this show, led by the phenomenal Rebecca Frecknall, and to Rebecca and Nigel for bringing these characters to life so beautifully. A big thanks too to Robert Hastie for saying yes, and letting this be one of his first ever commissions, and to everyone at Sheffield Theatres – making a show here always feels like a homecoming.

Additional thanks to Louisa Connolly-Burnham, Simon Rouse, Amanda Wilkin and Patrick Driver for early readings, Julie Dore, Andrew Gates, Sue Atkins and Lord Kerslake for taking the time to talk to me, Sarah Liisa Wilkinson and everyone at Nick Hern Books, and Julia, Alex and Matt at Berlin Associates.

C.B.

For everyone who came before, and everyone who’ll come after

Characters

1988

DAI GRIFFITHS, fifties/sixties. Welsh. Seasoned Labour councillor. Member of cabinet for Business and Economy.

JOSIE KIRKWOOD, thirties. Local. Junior engineer at a local steelworks and Women’s Officer for her union.

2018

VANESSA GALLACHER, thirties. Labour candidate for Metro Mayor. Born here, but has mostly lived in London. A former MP who lost her seat in 2017. Southern accent.

IAN DARWENT, fifties/sixties. Local. Deputy Leader of the Council. Vanessa’s election officer.

Actor playing Dai and Ian is white. Actor playing Josie and Vanessa is black.

Note on Text

A forward slash (/) indicates an overlap in dialogue where the next character starts speaking.

Author’s Note

The piece takes place in a city unquestionably modelled on Sheffield, and references various real-world events, but the story is entirely fictional. No characters are based on any specific individuals.

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

ACT ONE

Scene One

2018. Outside the local Labour Party headquarters.

IAN waits. VANESSA enters. There’s a certain forced joviality on both parts.

IAN. Vanessa!

VANESSA. Ian – hi!

IAN extends a hand, but VANESSA is going for the hug. A shuffling moment of awkwardness.

Hah. Okay.

IAN. Sorry.

VANESSA. How about – ?

She goes for a kiss on the cheek instead. That’s fine. IAN doesn’t anticipate the second.

Well. Um.

IAN. Very continental.

VANESSA. Thank God that’s over.

IAN. You found us alright?

VANESSA (a little surprised by the question). I’ve been here before.

IAN. You have?

VANESSA. Of course I have.

IAN. Right.

VANESSA. Must’ve been, I don’t know, half a dozen times in the last –

IAN. I wasn’t suggesting –

VANESSA. You know it’s actually not far from… I used to do Woodcraft Folk, just round the corner, well, just down the –

IAN. Oh.

VANESSA. Back in the day.

IAN. Woodcraft Folk?

VANESSA. Yes.

IAN. That the one that’s like hippy Scouts?

VANESSA. Something like that.

IAN. Very good.

VANESSA. Never really my… A bit too Kumbaya for my liking, but…

IAN. And you’re well? You look well. Very –

VANESSA. Thanks.

IAN. Nice to see some people still make an effort.

VANESSA. Um. Thank you. I wasn’t really… I just –

IAN. Nervous?

VANESSA (surprised). Nervous?

IAN. Don’t be.