The Children E-Book

Lucy Kirkwood

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

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

'Retired people are like nuclear power stations. They like to live by the sea.' Two ageing nuclear scientists in an isolated cottage on the coast, as the world around them crumbles. Then an old friend arrives with a frightening request. Lucy Kirkwood's play The Children premiered at the Royal Court, London, in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs on 17 November 2016, in a production directed by James Macdonald. The Children was named Best Play at the 2018 Writers' Guild Awards.

Leseprobe

Lucy Kirkwood

THE CHILDREN

NICK HERN BOOKSLondonwww.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Characters

Key and A Note on the Dance

The Children

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

The Children was first performed at the Royal Court Theatre Downstairs, London, on Thursday 17 November 2016. The cast was as follows:

ROSE

Francesca Annis

HAZEL

Deborah Findlay

ROBIN

Ron Cook

Director

James Macdonald

Designer

Miriam Buether

Lighting Designer

Peter Mumford

Sound Designer

Max Pappenheim

Fight Director

Bret Yount

Assistant Director

Ed Madden

Assistant Lighting Designer

Charlotte Burton

Casting Director

Amy Ball

Production Manager

Marius Rønning

Costume Supervisor

Lucy Walshaw

Stage Manager

Laura Draper

Deputy Stage Manager

Sophie Rubenstein

Assistant Stage Manager

Erin McCulloch

Characters

ROSEHAZELROBIN

All in their sixties.

Key

A forward slash (/) indicates an overlap in speech.

Words in brackets are spoken aloud but are incidental.

A comma on its own line (, ) indicates a beat. A beat is shorter than a pause. It can also denote a shift in thought or energy.

The text has been punctuated to serve the music of the play, not grammatical convention. Dashes are used sparingly and generally indicate a hard interruption.

A Note on the Dance

In the Royal Court production we used ‘Ain’t It Funky Now’ by James Brown, chosen by the actors from a shortlist, but I haven’t specified this in the text as you could use anything. These are the thingswe liked about our track in case they help you in choosing yours:

1. It is of a period but not defined by that period. The play is not addressing a single generation, and it would be a shame if this moment made it feel like it was.

2. It is credible a group of friends might have choreographed a routine to it.

3. It is quite spare, so doesn’t compete with the dialogue that is spoken over it.

4. It is cool. But not too cool.

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

The light moves slowly from dark to light.The effect of a painting being cleaned.Revealed is:

A small cottage on the east coast.A summer’s evening.The sound of the sea through the open door.It is not usually lived in full time.Camp has been made here by someone with a domestic hand.Wild flowers in milk bottles.Candles in wine bottles.Tupperware fruit bowl.The room is at a slight tilt.The land beneath it is being eroded.But this should not be obvious to the naked eye, and only becomes apparent when, for example, something spherical is placed on the kitchen table.

AndROSE.Her nose is bleeding.Blood has spilled down her top.She looks around the room and does nothing to tend to her nose.She looks for a long time at a basket of washing on the floor.Finally she raises her voice.

ROSE. How are the children?

HAZEL (off).What? Oh, the – they’re fine, they’re – just keep holding it Rose! At the bridge. Are you doing it?

ROSE. Yes.

HAZELenters with a towel.

HAZEL. And put your head down!

ROSEputs her head down.

Here.

HAZELclamps the towel overROSE’s nose.ROSEholds it there.

I’m so sorry, Rose, it isn’t broken is it? It’s not swollen anyway.

ROSE. It’s fine.

HAZEL. No I’m mortified. I don’t know what – can I, sorry, let me just, I won’t hurt you.

HAZELliftsROSE’s chin.She gently wipes the blood from her nose and chin.ROSEwatches her.

Look at your lovely top. Would you like me to put it in to soak?

ROSE. No, / that’s

HAZEL. Please let me, you can borrow / something

ROSE. No, I don’t care, I hate it. It doesn’t suit me any more. Honestly, I’ll throw it away.

HAZEL. Oh you can’t! Because of this? But I can get that out, no problem, I have a special, it’s a stick, for oil-based products.

ROSE. Oil-based?

HAZEL. You know, blood, butter. All dairy really. Suncream. Semen.

ROSE. That’s a big problem you have is it?

HAZEL. Well, when the boys were younger.

ROSE. You have boys?

HAZEL. Very young / I mean, not

ROSE. How many do you have?

HAZEL. What?

ROSE. How many / children?

HAZEL. Please let me wash it. It wouldn’t take me ten minutes.

ROSE. It’s fine, it doesn’t

HAZEL. No but, I feel terrible, I don’t know why I got so frightened, just / I thought I wasalone

ROSE. I should have knocked.

HAZEL. I wasn’t expecting anyone, we’re so isolated here / so I just

ROSE. I did call out. The door was on the latch.

HAZEL. It isn’t your fault. I’ve been on pins all day. And normally you hear the tyres, on the gravel so

ROSE. The taxi dropped me at the top / of the drive.

HAZEL. It isn’t your fault it was just feeling you come up behind me, I sort of, I panicked.

ROSE. Fight or flight.

HAZEL. And also, (yes I spose) no but and also Rose, when I saw you standing there, Rose don’t take this the wrong / way but

ROSE. It’s fine, Hazel.

HAZEL. But we heard you’d died!

ROSE. Ah.

HAZEL. Yes so it was a bit of a shock.

,