Sus

Barrie Keeffe

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9781408131374
• eBook ISBN: 9781408132814
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

''You see, what this country needs is a strong government to sort out the laws, bring order" Election night 1979: the sus laws made it legal for police to stop and search anyone - purely on suspicion. Two detectives on the graveyard shift in an East London police station place bets on which party will win. A black man is picked up, accused of his wife's murder. He is incensed, believing that he'll be fodder for an incoming government keen to flex its law-and-order muscles.

A powerful, politicised cry against the still-current threat of institutional racism, Keeffe uncompromisingly depicts a corrupt world which looks all too familiar today. Set on the eve of the Thatcher victory, this new edition of Keeffe's classic, harrowing play coincides with the general election of 2010, and asks what's changed. Sus is a shocking and disturbing drama which protests against the rise of the right-wing, the infringement of civil liberties and the casual humiliation which the police inflict on their prisoners. Exploring the abuse of power and racism, Sus is a resonant, socially charged and powerful play, as relevant today as it was in 1979.

Act Two

Delroy sits at the table in silence.

As music fades, enter Wilby with one paper cup of coffee. He sits, lights a cigarette, sips the coffee, opens his notebook and takes out a biro.

Pause. He looks at Delroy.

Wilby Mister Delroy, there’s no need for all that. I mean, it won’t bring her back.

Pause. Delroy begins to cry.

You can’t bring the dead back. I know about death. I have known people to die. I have even known the grief of a dog dying. Oh, that was terrible. Made worse by my feeling that somehow I shared the responsibility.

Pause.

Eight fifteen. Actually, she screamed a great deal. The Gas Board man fortunately arrived after all. Entered the premises to attend to the broken gas fire. He heard her screaming. Your children were extremely distressed. Well, that stands to reason, I suppose. That feeling of helplessness. I know that feeling. When the dog I was speaking of died, I felt extremely helpless. For children it must be . . . inconceivable. The Gas Board man did the right thing; he called an ambulance. The doctors at the hospital, they said it was too late. Oh, they examined her, they did their . . . business. But they were helpless with regard to arresting the approach of death, unfortunately. She died at eight fifteen.

Delroy Oh God . . .

Wilby Someone said . . . I recall hearing someone say . . . that death is worse for those who survive the death. I think that might well be the case. One can’t confirm it with the dead.

Pause. Wilby lights another cigarette and smoothes out his notebook on the table. Poised biro.

Mister Karn is having his tea in the canteen. His supper, I mean. He’s watching the election programme on TV. He hopes we can deal with all this without disturbing him.

Pause.

Shall we begin at the beginning then?

Delroy My kids . . . my kids . . . ?

Wilby They’re all right.

Delroy They were there and . . .

Wilby They’re in care.

Delroy What?

Wilby Social services, for the night, put them into a hostel. Well, two actually. They’re being looked after. We arranged it all very promptly.

Pause.

Wilby We’re used to dealing with unusual situations.

Delroy I got to see them –

Wilby Oh, that isn’t possible.

Delroy They need me –

Wilby I beg your pardon?

Delroy Time like this, they need their father, not some fucking social workers –

Wilby The time they needed their father he was drinking in a pub. The time your wife and their mother died, you were drinking in the pub. It appears the death was extraordinarily painful. As one might imagine given the unusual circumstances.

Pause.

Delroy I can’t believe she’s dead.

Wilby You must face the truth.

Delroy I can’t . . . believe it. Her . . . dying.

Wilby Would you like to see the nightgown again?

Pause.

Delroy begins to weep again.

Now, that isn’t helping anyone.

Delroy I can’t believe . . . can’t . . . believe . . .

Pause.

Wilby In times of extreme emotional crisis . . . it’s often advisable to occupy the mind. So if we can establish the following facts. Yes? Do try to concentrate. Her full name?

Delroy Whose?

Wilby The deceased’s.

Delroy Georgie. I mean, Georgina. I called her Georgie.

Wilby With a Y or an IE?

Pause. Delroy stares at Wilby.

Y or IE?

Delroy I well, I never wrote it down.

Wilby Never wrote down her name?

Delroy When I wrote her name down I wrote Georgina.

Wilby Georgina, then. (He writes this down.) And her age?

Delroy She was . . . twenty . . . err . . . nine.

Wilby She had two children –

Delroy No, three.

Wilby We can’t include the aborted foetus as a child. Not in the file.

Delroy We had three kids. We were going to have . . . four.

Pause.

Wilby Names, dates of birth.

Delroy Now?

Wilby What do you mean, now?

Delroy Listen, you’ve just told me my wife has died and –

Wilby That is why we require all these details.

Delroy I don’t . . . don’t know where my head is . . .

Wilby It’s in the usual place.

Delroy Mean, my state of mind.

Wilby Do you have a history of mental disorder?

Delroy I never had a wife die before.

Wilby First wife? Only one?

Delroy Yeah, the only one.

Wilby I see. (He writes this down.)

Delroy Have you no . . . pity? My wife . . . all my adult life with this lady and –

Wilby Years of marriage?

Delroy I err . . . I was . . . twenty . . .

Wilby How old was she?

Delroy She was younger.

Wilby Of legal age to marry?

Delroy What do you mean?

Wilby In this country, a bride must be sixteen.

Delroy In this . . . country . . . we got married.

Pause.

Wilby I see. Offspring: Names, dates of birth.

Delroy Oh Christ.

Wilby You can’t have forgotten.

Delroy ‘Course I haven’t forgotten. Just . . . in the middle of . . . this confusion and this –

Wilby The eldest.

Delroy He’s . . . Joey. He’s eight. So he was born . . . June the err . . . on the . . . June the . . . 14th.

Wilby You don’t sound very certain.

Delroy I’m certain. I’m . . . just not certain of the year.

Wilby The year of birth of your eldest son?

Delroy I’m a bit . . . in a bit of a state.

Wilby...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Act One
• Act Two
• Act Three