Canary

Jonathan Harvey

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9781408131046
• eBook ISBN: 9781408133378
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

Canary is multi-award winning playwright Jonathan Harvey's long-awaited return to the stage: a deeply moving, funny, unflinching, and often magical story about love, honesty and being brave enough to sing out at the top of your voice - with style. In 1960s Liverpool two lovers hide their homosexuality in the closet, then go their separate ways. While pits close and dole queues grow, a couple of runaways find Heaven in 1980s London. And today the paparazzi chase a love story that could tear a family apart. Then a grieving mother gets lost up a mountain, with a vicar for some dubious consolation. With a unique richness of texture and range, Canary combines pathos and humour with a wildly ambitious scope crossing decades through cyclical family histories. The diverse character list includes a primetime TV host, Queen Isabella, Eleanor Rigby, an 'aversion therary' doctor, Mary Whitehouse and striking miners. Skilfully pulling these wide-ranging threads together, Canary provides a social overview of Britain during the last 50 years, with a focus on the struggle against homophobia. Jonathan Harvey's trademark style of warmth, poignancy, humour and imagination is obvious in this epic, Liverpudlian Angels in America for the 21st century.

Act One

Scene One – Mickey’s house, Billericay, 1979

Sixteen year old Mickey doing some interpretive dance in his Mum’s front garden in time to Because The Night by Patti Smith, dressed in her wedding dress, for all the world to see. Presently sixteen year old Russell cycles past on his bike. He stops at Mickey’s gate and watches him. Mickey stops, stares him out, and then starts to spin round and round. It’s a dizzying sight which unnerves Russell. Mickey’s Mum calls from indoors.

Mickey’s Mum Michael? Are you wearing my wedding dress again?!!

Mickey stops spinning.

Mickey No!

Mickey’s Mum Wait til your father gets home!!

Russell is tickled by this. Mickey smirks at him, then starts spinning again. Russell gets back on his bike and cycles off.

Blackout.

Scene Two – Tom’s house, Islington, 2010

The music stops abruptly. Forty-six year old Russell’s bike is propped up against the sofa. Tom, sixty-five, hands out some drinks. Behind them, tall sash windows look onto other town houses and a black night sky. A drinks cabinet and a buttoned up leather sofa. Tom’s wife Ellie sits on the settee.

Russell I don’t want a drink.

Tom Then why are you shaking?

Ellie Can someone please tell me what is going on?

Russell I don’t take any pleasure in this.

Tom This young man has come with . . .

Russell It’s a while since I’ve been called that.

Tom Rumours, lies.

Ellie About what? What?

Tom I’d rather wait ’til Melanie gets here.

Ellie Well why are we still entertaining him, if he’s . . .

Russell Oh, you’re being entertaining are you? I had no idea.

Tom Can you not be so rude to my wife?

Ellie Can’t we just kick him out on the street?

Russell Not many family photos in evidence here are there?

Tom She’s here.

Ellie There’s no show without Punch.

Tom (To Russell.) You keep your mouth shut.

There is something of a commotion outside. Tom swiftly exits. The front door goes, revealing the flash of a hundred paparazzi bulbs, then he returns with his daughter Melanie. She is about thirty and has a slightly manic air. During the scene, Tom takes out a navy blue handkerchief and turns it over and over in his hands, nervously.

Melanie What’s going on? They nearly tore me to shreds coming in. I couldn’t see a thing, all those lights flashing, hands grabbing. They’ve ripped my dress. Look at my dress. Mother have you got a needle and thread? People like that. Beasts. I don’t think they’ll be happy ’til they’ve drawn blood. (Sees Russell and shrieks.) Oh my God it’s you!!

Tom Sit down Melanie.

Melanie What’s he doing here? What’s going on? Do you have any cotton Mother?

Tom Melanie please.

Melanie Lilac if possible. I can’t believe you’ve got a celebrity in your . . .

Russell I’ve . . . known your parents for quite some time.

Ellie We’re hardly bosom pals.

Tom (To Russell.) Will you please wipe that smirk off your face!

Melanie How long will they be there? I’m not going out there again. I can’t. (Dialling a number on her mobile.) I’ll have to stay.

Tom They might be bugging your phone.

Melanie What?!! Can they do that? What have you done? (On phone.) Simon, something dreadful’s happened, I don’t know what but basically I’m gonna have to stay here the night.

Ellie How serious is this?

Melanie (pause) Well give her some tinned peaches for fuck’s sake! (Hangs up.) Arabella’s at a very troublesome age.

Tom I’ve . . . obviously . . . got something to tell you.

Melanie Is the guest room made up? Or is it taken? (She motions towards Russell.)

Ellie He’s not staying.

Russell Look, they’re awaiting a response from your Father. To a story.

Melanie gets a sewing kit out of a drawer, slips her skirt off and sits. She starts mending her skirt.

Melanie A story? How exciting! Will it be like primary school? Shall we all have a glass of milk and sit cross legged on the floor? I might pick a scab as I listen, just for effect.

Tom I’m so sorry Ellie. I don’t have the foggiest idea how this has come about.

Ellie (To Melanie.) I can’t believe you just did that.

Melanie looks up and realises she was addressing her.

Melanie Why? He’s hardly going to be bothered. (Indicates Russell, then addresses him.) That’s so typical of her.

Russell Tomorrow The News Of The World are running a story about your Father having . . . a kind of affair.

Melanie Ooh! There’s life in the old dog yet.

Russell A love affair, I think.

Melanie Love? Nice to know you’r...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Characters
• Prologue – Lecture Hall, 1970
• Act One
• Act Two
• Act Three