Table E-Book

Tanya Ronder

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

Seitenzahl: 97

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Six generations, twenty-three characters one very special piece of furniture. Tanya Ronder's thrilling play is an epic tale of belonging, identity and the things we pass on. Table was the first play to be staged in The Shed, a temporary venue at the National Theatre, London, to celebrate original, ambitious and unexpected theatre. It premiered in April 2013 in a production directed by Rufus Norris.

Leseprobe

Tanya Ronder

TABLE

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Author’s Note

Original Production

A Family Tree

Characters and Settings

Table

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Author’s Note

This play was developed with the support of the National Theatre Studio, evolving through workshops with director Rufus Norris. The following actors took part in the workshops: Naana Agyei-Ampadu, Jamie Ballard, Clare Burt, Daniel Cerqueira, Chipo Chung, Rosalie Craig, Jonathan Cullen, Joseph Drake, Katie Fleetwood, Ian Gelder, Harry Hadden-Paton, Paul Hilton, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Jenny Jules, Rory Kinnear, Martina Laird, Penny Layden, Lyndsey Marshal, Andrew Maud, Itxaso Moreno, Sarah Niles, Lauren O’Neil, Matthew Pidgeon, Jessica Raine, Maggie Service, Michael Shaeffer, Sharon Small, Rebecca Sutherland and Sophie Wu. Table is full of moments inspired by the above.

The following script was created for the first production of Table, which opened The Shed at the National Theatre in April 2013. Some of the stage directions reflect the set created for that space, where the table was mounted on a large, low platform, surrounded by audience on three sides. At the back there was another long, thin platform, with chairs. This enabled us to use different playing areas at the same time, allowing ‘ghosting’ of different time-frames, or the resonance of an ancestor passing through, or simply providing an off-stage space. Another production can, of course, find different solutions. Likewise, the hymns and music noted are the choices used for this production, they’re not imperatives.

Tanya Ronder

Table was first performed in The Shed at the National Theatre, London, on 12 April 2013 (previews from 9 April), with the following cast:

ALBERT/ORION

Daniel Cerqueira

ELIZABETH/SARAH

Rosalie Craig

FINLEY/ANTHONY/CHRIS

Jonathan Cullen

JACK/GIDEON

Paul Hilton

MOTHER SUPERIOR/MICHELLE/BARBARA

Penny Layden

SISTER HOPE/STACEY/VERONIQUE

Sarah Niles

MARGARET/SISTER BABETTE/AISHA

Maggie Service

DAVID/JULIAN

Michael Shaeffer

SISTER RUTH/SU-LIN/JESS

Sophie Wu

Director

Rufus Norris

Designer

Katrina Lindsay

Lighting Designer

Paule Constable

Movement Director

Javier De Frutos

Music

David Shrubsole

Sound Designer

Rich Walsh

A Family Tree

Characters and Settings

LICHFIELD, STAFFORDSHIRE, 1898–1946

DAVID BEST

ELIZABETH, David’s wife

FINLEY, David and Elizabeth’s son

MARGARET FOWLER, Finley’s neighbour / wife

ALBERT (II), Finley and Margaret’s son (twin)

SARAH, Finley and Margaret’s daughter (twin)

VERONIQUE

TANGANYIKA, AFRICA, 1950–1957

SARAH, already listed above

HOPE, a nun

BABETTE, a nun

RUTH, a nun

MOTHER SUPERIOR

JACK HOLMAN, big-cat hunter

GIDEON, Sarah’s son

HEREFORDSHIRE, 1964–1981

SARAH, already listed above

GIDEON, already listed above

JACK, already listed above

JULIAN, founder member of commune

ORION, founder member of commune

STACEY, founder member of commune

AISHA, daughter of commune

BARBARA, daughter of commune

CHRIS, commune member

JESS, commune member

MICHELLE WISEMAN, Gideon’s wife

ANTHONY, Gideon and Michelle’s son

SOUTH LONDON, 2013

MICHELLE, already listed

ANTHONY, already listed

GIDEON, already listed

SU-LIN, Anthony’s daughter

Note on Text

A forward slash (/) in the text indicates where the next character starts speaking, overlapping current speech.

The story takes place in four time frames: Lichfield 1898–1946, Tanganyika 1950–1957, Herefordshire 1964–1981 and South London 2013.

At the National Theatre, we used a cast of nine, but the cast size could be different in another production.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Lucian Msamati for his Swahili translations and song, and to Tom Bompa Harding for ‘Oh Jemima, where’s your Uncle Jim...’

T.R.

This text went to press before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

FIRST HALF

Part One

A room with a substantial wooden table in it. London, 2013. SU-LIN (nine) and GIDEON (sixty-one) stand and look at it from afar.

SU-LIN. I hate this table, or should I not say that?

GIDEON. It’s yours, you can say what you like.

SU-LIN. It’s not mine.

GIDEON. It will be.

SU-LIN. I don’t want it. I’m going to buy a big glass one from Ikea.

GIDEON. What’ll you do with this?

SU-LIN. Freecycle? It’s mank.

GIDEON. Why?

SU-LIN. Look at it, it’s all cacked-up.

GIDEON. What’s cacked it up, though?

SU-LIN. What do you mean?

GIDEON. Pick a cack-up, any cack-up.

SU-LIN. What?

GIDEON. Want to see a coffin scratch?

SU-LIN. Is that the big one?

GIDEON. It’s not, no, nobody knows how that one happened.

SU-LIN. That one, then?

She points. He shakes his head.

GIDEON. Leopard claws.

SU-LIN. Not true.

GIDEON. True.

SU-LIN. What’s that from?

GIDEON. Mad nun’s nails.

SU-LIN. That pale bit?

GIDEON. Bleach. Or possibly urine.

SU-LIN. Urgh.

She indicates a new patch.

That?

GIDEON. Heartburn.

SU-LIN. Those?

GIDEON. That’s a thump, and that’s a joke gone wrong.

SU-LIN. That?

DAVID (twenty-six) appears in a woodworker’s apron.

GIDEON. Bits of flour from five thousand loaves of bread.

SU-LIN. That?

GIDEON. What, the sparkly bits?

SU-LIN. Which sparkly bits?

GIDEON. Tiny shards from twenty-seven million boring conversations.

SU-LIN. This?

GIDEON. Prayers.

SU-LIN. Prayers?

SU-LIN moves off. Lichfield, 1898. DAVID, a perfectionist, inspects the table with his thumb and fingers, ensuring every inch is entirely smooth. He is mirrored by GIDEON.

GIDEON slides underneath the table, touching it from beneath. He sings to himself.

GIDEON (singing).

Dear Lord and Father of Mankind

Forgive our foolish ways

Re-clothe us in our rightful mind

In purer lives thy service find

In deeper reverence praise

In deeper reverence praise.

DAVID takes off his apron, puts it away. He attaches a buttonhole to his dark jacket. A door opens. There is a spill of light.

ELIZABETH. Hello, husband.

DAVID turns to see his bride. He goes to pick her up.

DAVID. Hello, missus. Welcome home.

He carries her in.

ELIZABETH (seeing the table). What’s that doing out the workshop?

DAVID. It’s for us.

ELIZABETH. Oh, David!

She exhales.

DAVID (with some pride). Well, it’s solid.

ELIZABETH. For whoever ends up sitting at it. Eating, spilling gravy, doing schoolwork at it, God bless us all.

They admire it together. DAVID adores her, but is less comfortable with romance than work.

What now?

DAVID. An early night, perhaps...?

ELIZABETH (shy). Do you think?

She smiles, heads for the stairs. He lays her veil on the table. A tiny rough spot catches DAVID’s attention.

Hey.

DAVID (caught out). Mm?

ELIZABETH. Are you spending your wedding night down here with your table?

DAVID. No, Mrs Best, I’m not.

They leave. London, 2013. SU-LIN (nine) sits on the table wearing ELIZABETH’s veil and some headphones, singing a Chinese pop song (music by David Shrubsole, lyrics by Huan Wang).

SU-LIN (singing). U go mo yam zan tzoy foo gno sang... (Etc.)

MICHELLE (sixty), comes in with a mop. ANTHONY (forty-one), distracted, from off.

ANTHONY (off). Right.

MICHELLE. Are you off?

ANTHONY (off). Yep.

MICHELLE. Right.

ANTHONY (off). Su-Lin, make sure you help Granny-’Chelle, won’t you?

SU-LIN (singing). Mo soh why men ya gno hay tzoy wa... (Etc.)

ANTHONY (off). Right, see you later, Mum.

MICHELLE. Got everything?

ANTHONY (off). Mmm.

MICHELLE. Car keys?

He’s so tense he could burst. He checks pockets, rushes in.

ANTHONY. No, my keys, what did I do with my stupid keys?

MICHELLE. Anthony, calm down.

ANTHONY (to SU-LIN). Sorry, love, you haven’t seen the car keys, have you?

SU-LIN (singing). Ho bi tzoi mun soy hey gno... (Etc.)

ANTHONY. I put them somewhere. Why am I so rubbish?

MICHELLE. When did you last have them?

ANTHONY. Coming back from shopping.

SU-LIN finds them. She speaks in made-up Chinese.

SU-LIN. Tsing cha. (Etc.)

ANTHONY. Perfect, thank you, love, all set.

SU-LIN responds in her Chinese persona. MICHELLE and ANTHONY have a moment.

MICHELLE. Alright?

ANTHONY. Mmn. Hot.

She helps him take off his coat.

MICHELLE. He’s not Superman.

ANTHONY breathes out.

Better?

ANTHONY. Sorry. Sorry, Mum.

MICHELLE. And you’re not rubbish, you just have high expectations.

He goes.

Look at the state of this floor, Su-Lin.

SU-LIN takes off her headphones.

SU-LIN. Yo-sa-me.

MICHELLE. Translate.

SU-LIN (Chinese accent). Hello, I am your Chinese maid.

MICHELLE. I expect a top job, then, if you’re a trained maid and all.

SU-LIN (Chinese accent). Very professional, ten years old –

MICHELLE. Nine. Where d’you get the veil from?

SU-LIN (her natural London accent). Dressing up. It smells of dust.

She watches MICHELLE mop.

Are you angry?

MICHELLE. No.

SU-LIN. Sad?

MICHELLE. No.

SU-LIN. Can I have another Easter egg?

MICHELLE. After dinner.

SU-LIN. I don’t think I’m going to have dinner today.

MICHELLE. You are gonna have dinner, we’ve got guests.

SU-LIN. Guest. Is that why you’re angry?

MICHELLE. I’m not angry! I’m not, sweetheart, honest, I’m just concentrating, there’s lots to do.

SU-LIN. What’s so scary about Grandpa?

Beat.

MICHELLE. Who told you you should call him Grandpa?

SU-LIN. He is my grandpa.

MICHELLE. But you’ve never met him.

SU-LIN. Doesn’t make him not my grandpa. I like your top, you look pretty.

MICHELLE. Thank you, so do you.

SU-LIN. Dada-Ben said I should wear it.

MICHELLE. Pop the veil upstairs, now, and come and help.

SU-LIN. I like it.

MICHELLE. It’s not ideal to clean in, though, is it?

SU-LIN. When did you last see him?

MICHELLE. A lifetime ago.

SU-LIN. Umm! Why?

MICHELLE. He’s been busy.

SU-LIN. Busy how?

MICHELLE. Making cement.

SU-LIN. Cement? That sounds heavy.

MICHELLE laughs.

MICHELLE. He doesn’t carry it with him. He travels, helps communities make mortar, which is basically cement or like strong glue.

SU-LIN. To build their houses with?

MICHELLE. Yep.

SU-LIN. That’s a weird career.

MICHELLE. Yep. We used to have a lime-kiln out the back of the house. He did want to be an architect.

SU-LIN. Like you?

MICHELLE. Mmm, but ended up careering slightly off his career.

SU-LIN. What’s careering?

MICHELLE. Like a car crash.

SU-LIN. Will you recognise him?

MICHELLE. Oh, God, I expect so.

Under the table, GIDEON turns.

SU-LIN. He won’t recognise me cos he’s never seen me.

MICHELLE. No.

SU-LIN follows MICHELLE off. GIDEON starts humming. Encouraged by ELIZABETH (pregnant) and DAVID (thirty-four), young FINLEY (six) comes on singing the song GIDEON hums. Music by Gounod – the ‘Soldiers’Chorus’ from Faust, words traditional.

FINLEY (singing).

Oh Jemima, where’s your Uncle Jim?

He’s under the water, teaching the ducks to swim.

They all do the hand gestures, paddling like swimming ducks, etc.

First he does the breaststroke, then he does the side,

And now he’s under the water, swimming against the tide.

They’re easy and familial.

Oh don’t be unkind to a duck (quack quack),

For a duck may be somebody’s mother,

They always live in the swamp,

Where the weather is always domp.

Now you may think that this is the end,

Well it is.

ELIZABETH leaves. FINLEY watches her go. DAVID gets a pot.

DAVID. Mrs Fowler brought this round. Lamb stew.

FINLEY. Why didn’t the baby have a coffin?

DAVID. It was too small. She wouldn’t have wanted it to be on its own.

FINLEY. She’s left me on my own.

DAVID. No she’s not, Fin. Run and fetch a mat, will you, we’ll have a spot of stew.

FINLEY. Was it a girl, in the end?

DAVID. A boy.

FINLEY. We can’t call him Florence then.

DAVID. No.

FINLEY. Would she still be alive if she’d had a girl?

DAVID. No.

FINLEY. We’d know what the baby was called, though.

DAVID. I need a mat, Fin, the pan’s scalding.

FINLEY. His name’s Albert, baby Albert.

DAVID. Where do you get that from?

FINLEY. He told me, that’s his name. Show me what you were making. When she shouted for you and you didn’t come, what were you working on, a table?

DAVID. A cupboard.

FINLEY. For us?

DAVID. For Mrs Brook.

FINLEY. Who’s Mrs Brook?

DAVID. A lady, she lives at the Lodge. Take this.

Beat.