The Bounds (NHB Modern Plays) E-Book

Stewart Pringle

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Seitenzahl: 76

Beschreibung

The year is 1553, the true Golden Age of English football. It's the Allen Valley Whitsun Game, and men will die today. This is the big game, and it's been raging for hours. Percy and Rowan are out in the middle of nowhere, miles from the action, when a stranger joins them. A stranger with tidings that will blow their world apart. Time passes. Night falls. The great chain of being collapses. And they're losing the bloody football… Stewart Pringle's play The Bounds is a darkly comedic tale of national divides, folk horror and the end of the world as we know it. It was first co-produced by Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne, and the Royal Court Theatre, London, and performed at both theatres in 2024, directed by Jack McNamara.

Leseprobe

Stewart Pringle

THE BOUNDS

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production Details

A Word from Writer Stewart Pringle

Director’s Note

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Characters

The Bounds

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

The Bounds was first performed at Live Theatre, Newcastle, on 16 May 2024 and transferred to the Royal Court Theatre, London, 13 June 2024. The cast was as follows:

Soroosh Lavasani

Ryan Nolan

Lauren Waine

Nathaniel Campbell-Goodwin (Live Theatre)

James Green (Live Theatre)

Wilbur Conabeare (Royal Court)

Harry Weston (Royal Court)

Director

Jack McNamara

Designer

Verity Quinn

Lighting Designer

Drummond Orr

Sound Designer

Matthew Tuckey

Songwriter

Jayne Dent

Costume Supervisor

Lou Duffy

Stage Manager

Craig Davidson

Deputy Stage Manager

Chloe Ribbens

Production Manager

Drummond Orr

Producer Technician

Taylor Howie

Producer

JD Stewart

Casting Director (Royal Court for role of Boy)

Verity Naughton CDG

Audition Support (Live Theatre for role of Boy)

Becky Morris

Fight Director/Movement Director

Alicia Meehan

Prosthetic Design/Creation

Patrycja Nowacka

Acknowledgements

Thanks to everyone who’s befriended this play on its long, strange trip. Firstly to Jack, a spectacular director who I have admired for years, and also the man who said ‘let’s do it’ – the finest gift a playwright can be given – and to JD and the whole excellent team at Live Theatre for making this happen. To David, Will, Gill and all at the Royal Court for bringing the Allen Valleys to Sloane Square, it’s such a privilege to be in the first season of artists and humans I love and respect so much. To the outrageously talented team who are bringing this show to life: to Verity, Matthew, Drummond, Jayne, Lou, Craig and Taylor. To our incredible cast: Ryan, Lauren, and Soroosh; to James, Nathaniel, Harry, Wilbur and all their chaperones and families.

To my wonderful agent Jonathan, for his constant support and friendship, who took me to Loftus Road to learn the true meaning of unconditional love. And to his parents Tom and Janie, who put me up in Journey’s End and fed me lobster bisque and G&Ts while the plays got written in the Budleigh sun. To lovely, wise Matt at Nick Hern Books, who has read countless unproduced plays of mine and never told me to sod off, and to Sarah Liisa, Deborah, Maddie, Nick and the whole NHB team – caring publishers who are still finding new village halls for Harry and Denise to put a table up in.

To Tudor football expert Professor Steven Gunn of Merton College, Oxford, for his early help with the research, which was so valuable in sharpening and widening the play’s scope and interests. All historical inaccuracies are, of course, entirely my own. And to the Tudor House, Margate, for kicking this all off.

Apologies to Norwich City FC and Henry VIII for plagiarising your lyrics for the ancient Dales’ chant.

Thanks for the early enthusiasm and support from Clive Judd, Barney Norris and Tim Foley. To Andy Routledge for all his kindness and efforts on the play’s behalf, I hope we can work together soon. To the Peggy Ramsay Foundation, who have bailed me out of penury more than once. To the Papatango boys for giving me the confidence to keep going at such a crucial moment.

To Nina, Rachel, Sasha, Ola, Jessy, Rufus, Clint and everyone else at the National Theatre who have given me the time, space and belief to make this show.

To Samuel, Liam, Tom, Heather, Alice and too many other pals to mention for thousands of pints and decades of friendship and support. To all the Hot Bobs for keeping me sane, and everyone at Big Finish for keeping me writing.

To Mike Fry, always, whose memory and legacy of passion drives me every day.

Endless love and thanks to my family, to my outrageously wonderful sisters Heather and Iona, and to Mum and Dad, who have always kept a light burning on the side of the valley, so I can find my way home. Particular thanks to my beloved Uncle Cecil, who passed away during the writing of this play, who was as gentle and supportive as anyone I’ve ever known, and whose knowledge of Allendale was as deep and mysterious as the drop shafts on Carr Shield fell. I wish you were here.

And finally to my beautiful, brave, and brilliant wife Lauren, who sees the world so clearly, and loves it anyway. For all the love, support, and the little trips. Thank you.

S.P.

To Mum & Dad

Characters

PERCY, twenty-two years old

ROWAN, twenty-six years old

SAMUEL, twenty-one years old

BOY, eight years old

Setting

A muddy patch of Northumbrian earth in the mid-sixteenth century.

It’s Whitsuntide.

Note on Text

A forward slash (/) indicates the next line is to interrupt the current one.

Words in [square brackets] are unspoken or almost spoken.

Line breaks in the text denote a pause or silence.

The presence or absence of punctuation should give some idea of rhythm and the completeness or otherwise of thoughts and speech.

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

The First Day

PERCY stands in the first light of dawn. He’s dressed fora football match. He’s covered in mud, but then he always is.

He checks his tunic and his shoes, finds his footing, coughs,puts his hands behind his back, and he sings.

As he sings, the sun rises weakly in a cold spring sky.

PERCY Pastime with good company

I love and shall until I die;

Complain who will, but none deny

If God be pleased then so shall I.

In days to come, when come and gone

Our boyhood’s game of friends

When our youthful vigour has declined

Into our lonesome ends.

You’ll think on times, those happy times

Their memories fond recall

When in the bloom of youthful prime

We kept upon the ball.

Kick it off, throw it in, have a little scrimmage

Keep it low, splendid rush, bravo, win or die;

On the ball, Allendale, never mind the danger,

Steady on, now’s your chance,

God’s heart! We’ve scored a goal!

ROWAN enters and watches from a distance.

She wears a rough dress and a scarf. She’s coveredin mud too.

Let all tonight then drink with me

To the football game we love,

And wish it may successful be

As other games of old,

And in one grand united toast

Join player, game and song

And fondly pledge your pride and toast

Success to all the ’Dale.

PERCY/ROWAN Kick it off –

PERCY Alright.

PERCY/ROWAN Throw in, have a little scrimmage,

Keep it low, splendid rush, bravo, win or die;

On the ball, Allendale, never mind the danger,

Steady on, now’s your chance,

God’s heart! We’ve scored a goal!

PERCY steps forwards and claps, loud and slow.

PERCY That’s what I’m talking about.

That is what I’m talking about.

ROWAN Don’t.

ROWAN is standing, tensed and frozen, eyesclosed.

PERCY That is / what I’m

ROWAN Percy –

PERCY What’s that?

ROWAN I said don’t so don’t, alright?

Just let me have this.

Pause.

PERCY Let you have what?

ROWAN This.

PERCY This / what?

ROWAN Can you just?

PERCY Course.

Beat.

But what is – ?

ROWAN bursts out of it.

ROWAN Oh forget it.

Forget it!

PERCY Well, I didn’t know what you were doing!

ROWAN I was just trying to appreciate it.

You should try it as well.

PERCY Appreciate what?

ROWAN This bit.

Match-day morning.

First light.

Just before the bells.

PERCY What?

ROWAN Just do it!

ROWAN goes back into her trance. PERCY follows.

Smell the grass.

They do.

That’s it.

All across the valley,

The sun’s coming up.

It’s a brand-new day.

It’s the day.

PERCY It’s the day.

ROWAN And everything’s fine.

PERCY Everything’s fine.

ROWAN Everything’s good.

PERCY Everything’s good.

ROWAN Everything’s just perfect.

Because right now, in this perfect frozen moment

We haven’t fucked it up yet.

PERCY Now, hang on –

PERCY breaks out of it. ROWAN still entranced.

ROWAN It’s all still to play for.

God hasn’t played his hand yet.

We haven’t had our dicks kicked halfway to Carr

Shield fell by Catton yet.

We haven’t had our great white hope arse-fucked, tarred, feathered, drawn, quartered, privies roasted, arse-fucked again and then invalided off the pitch by Catton.

Not yet we haven’t!

Not yet!

We should treasure this, Perce.

We should treasure it.

Because right now, right this minute

WE ARE CHAMPIONS!

ROWAN raises her arms and breathes in deeply.

Pause.

PERCY What

What a bloody

What an

Attitude

What a bloody attitude to have

I’m, fucking

I’m speechless.

ROWAN Kings of the world!

(Singing.) God’s heart! We’ve scored a go–

Ah, no.

It’s passing, it’s passing.

ROWAN exhales, opens her eyes.

It’s passed.

ROWAN claps PERCY on the shoulder, shakesherself down, spits.

Come on, then.

Let’s get reamed by some farmers!

PERCY Why are you like this?

ROWAN Like what?

Like realistic?

PERCY No?

ROWAN Sort of grounded?

Sort of realistic, grounded

Like sort of a rational grounded sort of realist

Sort of like that?

PERCY