Edgar & Annabel

Sam Holcroft

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781780015460
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

An Orwellian dystopian fable about a group of freedom fighters attempting to stand up to a repressive regime, while being continuously subjected to surveillance.

A young couple prepare dinner – but something isn't right. In a city not so different from our own capital, a group of freedom fighters attempts to stand up to an Orwellian establishment in increasingly perilous circumstances. The story that unfolds brings into question relationships, identities and the nature of reality itself…

Sam Holcroft's short play Edgar & Annabel was first performed in a double bill with The Swan by D.C. Moore as part of the National Theatre's Double Feature season of paired short plays at the Paintframe, a specially converted space at the National Theatre, London, in July 2011.

EDGAR & ANNABEL

Sam Holcroft

Characters

NICK, male, late twenties

MARIANNE, female, late twenties

MILLER, male, older than Nick and Marianne

TARA, female, late twenties

MARC, male, late twenties

ANTHONY, male, late twenties, similar in appearance to Nick

CLAIRE, female, late twenties, similar in appearance to Marianne

Setting

The action moves between Edgar and Annabel’s kitchen and various meeting places.

Note on Text

Dialogue in [square brackets] is unspoken.

Scene One

EDGAR and ANNABEL’s kitchen.

Someone has gone to great lengths to artfully blend old with new. Clear signs of affluence sit next to bohemia. There is a recycling bin. A kitchen table with chairs stands in the centre of the room.

MARIANNE stands at the countertop mixing fresh herbs into a decanter of salad dressing. She licks her fingers. She hums contentedly to herself.

A key is heard in the lock. MARIANNE smiles and whisks her dressing. The door opens and NICK enters wearing a raincoat. He carries a heavy shoulder bag, an umbrella and a plastic shopping bag.

NICK. Hi, honey, I’m home.

MARIANNE. Hi, darling.

On seeing him she stops short. He meets her gaze. They stare in startled silence. Eventually NICK tries to break the silence.

NICK. Something smells good.

Beat.

Is that fish?

Beat.

Is that fish?

Pause.

Is that…?

MARIANNE. Chicken.

NICK. Fish?

MARIANNE. Chicken.

NICK. Fish.

MARIANNE. Fish.

NICK. I thought so. Smells delicious. No, don’t kiss me, I’m soaking wet. It’s raining cats and dogs out there.

NICK retrieves two bound documents from his bag and offers one to MARIANNE. She stares at it.

(With emphasis.) I’m sorry I’m late. But I had to stand in a doorway for fifteen minutes.

MARIANNE takes the document. It is a script. Unless stated otherwise, from hereon in they both read from the scripts.

My umbrella blew inside out.

MARIANNE doesn’t say her line and so NICK continues with his.

You know how that always makes you feel like a right idiot? (Beat.) I know, it’s so embarrassing. (Beat.) Yeah, I did.

MARIANNE. Did… did you get the salad?

NICK (relieved). Yeah, I did.

MARIANNE. You remembered?

NICK. Yes, of course.

NICK hands her the plastic bag. She takes it.

The checkout is a nightmare during rush hour; the queue stretched all the way down the aisle.

On opening the plastic bag MARIANNE appears confused. She then scans her script and, understanding, she reads on.

MARIANNE. I asked for salad.

NICK. Yeah, I know. I bought a bag of salad.

MARIANNE. These are stir-fry vegetables.

NICK (feigning surprise). What? No…?

MARIANNE. This is a bag of stir-fry vegetables.

NICK. It can’t be, it looks like salad.

MARIANNE. It’s a bag of stir-fry vegetables. Here, it says on the front, ‘Shredded vegetables for stir-frying’. Did you read the front?

NICK. I… I…

MARIANNE. Did you even look at what you were buying or did you just grab the first bag that you saw?

NICK. I… I was in a hurry.

MARIANNE. Edgar, can you look at what you’re buying?

NICK. Yes.

MARIANNE. Can you please look at what you’re buying, Edgar?

NICK. Yes.

MARIANNE. Can you?

NICK. Yes, Annabel.

MARIANNE. Thank you.

MARIANNE opens the oven and removes the roasting dish inside. They both turn the page; NICK fails to do this quietly.

I have a job too.

NICK. Yes, I know.

MARIANNE. I work just as hard.

NICK. You do.

MARIANNE walks the roasting dish to the table. NICK follows, helping her to hold her script and read.

I’m sorry.

MARIANNE. But I still find time to read the labels on your food.

MARIANNE places the roasting dish on the table; in it sits a large roasted chicken.

NICK. Delicious. Is that…?

MARIANNE. Salmon.

NICK. Delicious.

Pause.

So. How was your day?

MARIANNE. I got some more recycling bags.

NICK. Great.

MARIANNE. I hate having to throw all that plastic away. I don’t know how people do it.

NICK. Is there any mayonnaise?

MARIANNE. It’s such a waste.

NICK. Mayonnaise?

MARIANNE. It only takes two minutes. It makes me so angry.

NICK. In the fridge?

MARIANNE. Yes, but it’s not home-made. I’ll get it. (Approaching with an electric carving knife.) Would you please carve… the salmon?

NICK. Sure. The news today must have had you spitting?

MARIANNE slows to a stop.

MARIANNE. What, in the papers?

NICK. No, on the news.

MARIANNE. I didn’t see it.

NICK. They’re saying the level of plastic in the ocean is killing a million seabirds a year.

MARIANNE. A million?

NICK. Every year.

MARIANNE. That’s awful.

NICK. Isn’t it? And just this afternoon the police arrested five more people on charges of anti-government conspiracy. (With emphasis.) That’s right, five of them.

MARIANNE stares in alarm.

But don’t worry, if it’s anti-government charges we won’t be seeing them again. Not a single one. I expect they were conspiring to scare us out of our own city. Well, I’m never leaving this neighbourhood, this is my house now and I’m here to defend it. Against troublemakers.

NICK switches on the carving knife. The sound rings out. NICK motions to urgently make haste. Covered by the sound, he passes her the shoulder bag and a set of documents. He mouths the words ‘Hide them. Hide them now. Where do they go?’ MARIANNE is paralysed.

(Unscrip...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Edgar & Annabel
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information