The Outrun E-Book

Stef Smith

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

Seitenzahl: 49

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

A young woman finds herself washed up back home on the Scottish archipelago of Orkney, trying to rebuild her life after a decade of addiction. The life she has left behind in London, with all its intoxicating temptations, has pushed her to the point of destruction. Now there is wildness of a different form – an alluring wilderness that she must learn to navigate. Speaking to the impact of isolation and loneliness and – ultimately – the resilience of people, Amy Liptrot's bestselling memoir The Outrun has been adapted for the stage by Stef Smith. Directed by Vicky Featherstone, and co-produced by The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh and Edinburgh International Festival, it premiered at the 2024 Festival. Amy Liptrot's The Outrun was a Sunday Times bestseller, BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week, won the Wainwright Prize and the PEN Ackerley Prize, and was shortlisted for the Wellcome and Ondaatje Prizes. 'One of Scotland's boldest chroniclers of contemporary women's lives' The Stage on Stef Smith 'A lyrical, brave memoir… compelling' Guardian on The Outrun

Leseprobe

Stef Smith

THE OUTRUN

Based on the book by

Amy Liptrot

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production Details

Acknowledgments

Characters

Notes

The Outrun

About the Authors

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Let me pull myself out of these waters. But they heap themselveson me; they sweep me between their great shoulders; I amturned; I am tumbled; I am stretched, among these long lights,these long waves, these endless paths, with people pursuing,pursuing.

Virginia WoolfThe Waves

I go through all this

Before you wake up

So I can feel happier

To be safe up here with you

Björk ‘Hyperballad’

The Outrun was co-produced by The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh and Edinburgh International Festival, and was first performed at the Church Hill Theatre as part of the Edinburgh International Festival on 31 July 2024. The cast and creative team were as follows:

WOMAN

Isis Hainsworth

DAD

Paul Brennen

BOY

Seamus Dillane

PERSON

Alison Fitzjohn

SCIENTIST

Reuben Joseph

FRIEND

Ros Watt

CHORUS

Tatiana Chater Davies Sally Georgina Pitts Lawrence Smith Rose Stachniewska Petre Dobre (D/deaf Artist for BSL performances)

Director

Vicky Featherstone

Composer

Luke Sutherland

Designer

Milla Clarke

Musical Directorand Choral Arranger

Michael Henry

Movement DirectorandIntimacy Coordinator

Vicki Manderson

Lighting Designer

Lizzie Powell

Sound Designer

Kev Murray

Video Designer

Lewis den Hertog

Casting Director

Stuart Burt CDG

Costume Supervisor

Sophie Ferguson

Costume Assistant

Argyro Sapsouzidi

Associate Director

Vaila Anderson

Producer

David Dey

Production Manager

Grahame Coyle

Company Stage Manager

Dan Dixon

Deputy Stage Manager

Katy Steele

Assistant Stage Manager

Scott Ringan

LX Programmer

Neil Foulis

LX Supervisor

Roy Fairhead

AV Supervisor

Ellie Thompson

Sound No 1

Richard Bell

Sound No 2

Lana Kirk

Co-produced by

Edinburgh International Festival

Acknowledgments

My sincere appreciation and gratitude to the cast, crew and creatives who were involved in the premiere production of The Outrun. It’s been a privilege. And, also to the teams at the Lyceum and Edinburgh International Festival who made it possible. Especially David Greig whose idea sparked this project.

Special thanks to Luke Sutherland and Vicky Featherstone – I can’t imagine going on this journey with anyone else. I’ve much to say but I’ll keep it simple – I’m so grateful for your kindnesses, collaboration and sheer creativity. You’re both so brilliant.

I’d also like to thank the following creatives for their generosity and talent in the development of this project: Moriah Austin-Brantly, Olatunji Ayofe, Tam Dean Burn, Jackie Crichton, Ewan Donald, Murray Fraser, Karen Fishwick, Ebenezer Gyau, Maia Journeau, John Kielty, Louise Ludgate, Cal Macaninch, Eve Nicol, Ben Presley, Cat Reilly, Dawn Sievewright and Frances Thorburn.

As ever, thank you to my agent Davina Shah and all those at TEAM. And my friends and family for their endless support and spare rooms. I’m glad I get to commit to print how much I love you all.

Finally, I’d like to thank Amy Liptrot. Without you and your beautiful book, this text wouldn’t be here. Thank you for being up for the adventure.

S.S.

Characters

WOMAN

DAD

FRIEND

BOY

PERSON

SCIENTIST

Notes

A dash ( – ) as the character prefix denotes words spoken by a chorus or a single chorus member. These words can be divided however the production sees fit.

A forward slash ( / ) denotes an interruption.

This play is best understood as a piece of music which swells and bursts, like waves crashing on a shore.

There are few stage directions, imagine it as you wish.

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

– From the north-east coast of Scotland.

It’s seven miles away as the crow flies.

Across the Pentland Firth

To an ensemble of seventy islands.

Collectively called – Orkney.

Ancient and animal.

Cliffs and corncrakes.

Wave power and progress.

We cross –

With seals.

And waves.

And killer whales.

We cross –

With heartache.

And hope.

And killer whales.

We cross –

With myths.

And truths.

And killer whales.

We cross the Pentland Firth

To an ensemble of seventy islands.

Collectively called – Orkney.

Where a helicopter lands in a storm.

And a baby girl is placed on her father’s lap.

He sits sedated and straightjacketed, soon to be sectioned.

Bipolar and hospital-bound.

Bright pink, premature and hours old, the baby girl just curls into her blanket.

The baby girl just…

And her father’s mouth moves but what is said is lost to the wind, to the noise of an engine.

Is slipped into the inconsistency of memory.

As Mother and Daughter are taken in a different direction to Father, it’s tough to tell the difference between sea spray and tears.

Years pass.

Seasons cycle.

The coastline erodes.

A body stretches out.

A premature baby to a toddler to a pre-teen to a young woman.

Who stands with exam results in her hands.

It’s been eighteen years of tough and tumble. A bi-polar dad, a born-again Christian mum.

Ups and downs like a gull riding the gusts.

Like a gull riding the gusts.

WOMAN Eighteen years on this farm. And increasingly it feels like a collection of fields on the edge of the earth.

The Outrun is the largest field on the farm. It stretches along the coastline where the grass is always short from wind and sea spray. There are no walls here and in the early years sheep used to fall off the cliff. But now – due to breeding – they’ve learnt not to fall but to dodge the edges. Their genetics ensuring their survival.

It’s my favourite place to sit. Amongst the wind and wool. On the edge of the earth.

And it’s where your mobile phone gets the best signal.

The ding of a text message arriving. Shelooks at her phone.