dirty butterfly (NHB Modern Plays)

debbie tucker green

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781780014715
• Topic: Literatura
• Subtopic: Arte dramático

A mesmerising and startling play about voyeurism, power and guilt.

'You ever woken up of a morning wondering if this one was gonna be your last - you ever got that feelin in your stomach as you lay there wonderin that? Like butterflies gone ballistic. Like butterflies gone bad.'

Listening through their thin walls, Amelia and Jason are drawn into the dark and compelling world of their mutual neighbour Jo.

'There is a sly, controlled power in this writing and it is given full rein in Rufus Norris' exquisitely acted production. And now I cannot get it out of my head'- Guardian

'A play about real people with real issues'- Time Out

'The writing is startlingly assured... The understated horror is devastating'- Independent on Sunday

JO, JASON and AMELIA onstage.

JO. Sorry . . . I’m sorry . . . sorry . . . sorry I’m sorry. . .

AMELIA starts to sing, increasing her volume to try to drown out the repetitive sound of JO.

JASON. Sssh.

They both stop.

Beat.

JO picks up AMELIA’s melody.

JO. Hmmm, you ever?

JASON (to AMELIA). You ever –

AMELIA (to JASON). you ever got that feelin –

JO. you ever –

AMELIA. got that restless kinda feelin?

JASON. You ever –

AMELIA. got that can’t find somethin to match your mood kinda feelin – you ever got that, Jase?

JO. You ever –

JASON. found yourself doin somethin you can’t help.

AMELIA. You ever –

JASON. gotcha self doin somethin you can’t stop.

Beat.

’Meilia?

AMELIA. No.

JO. You ever woken up of a mornin wonderin this was gonna be your last? You ever got that feelin in your stomach as you lay there wonderin?

JASON. found yourself feelin that?

AMELIA. No.

JO. Like butterflies

Like butterflies gone ballistic.

Butterflies gone wrong.

JASON. You ever –

AMELIA. no once. Take it twice. Nah. I haven’t.

JO. Woke up this morning like that I did, and lay there lookin across at him.

JASON. In my room I sit there listenin out for him n’ all.

Me by myself – listening out. Hard for him – hard for her –

AMELIA. you’re getting worse you are

JO. me looking up above us, layin there in our duvet over us – looking across at husband and wondering if this morning was gonna be my last.

AMELIA. You’re getting worse you are.

JASON. And you’re not?

Like you’re normal.

AMELIA. Like you’re a role model for it is it? You the logo for normality is it?

JO. Have a touch a mine.

AMELIA. You the name brand – I’m just the Primark, is it?

JO. Take a touch a mine.

AMELIA. Don’t think so somehow.

See – how bout she lettin me get back to the normal that I know.

The mornins that I knew.

JO. –

AMELIA. How bout that then?

How bout her mornins not infringin on mine?

JO. It gets worse.

JASON. How bout her mornins not infringin on mine?

AMELIA. Xactly.

JO. It got worse.

AMELIA. Jase –

JO.ssshh.

AMELIA. You are getting worse.

You really are.

JASON. How bout you not sleepin on your sofa?

AMELIA. How bout you makin it to your bed?

JASON. How bout you makin it up your stairs –

AMELIA. how bout that then Jay?

JASON. You ever / tried doin what I –

AMELIA. My sofa ent no sofa bed. And my downstairs ent no bedroom. But I can sleep on it –

JO. is it?

AMELIA. sleep in it –

JO (amused). is it?

AMELIA. got used to it good.

JO. Ent you got a perfectly good bed up your stairs though?

Now, I’m sure you got a perfectly good bedroom up your stairs . . .

AMELIA. And I wash in my downstairs sink –

JASON. you don’t have to

AMELIA. do my teeth in there an all.

JASON. You don’t have to.

AMELIA. And you don’t have to sit up there, be up there, Jason.

It’s not compulsory.

JASON. Unlike the art a sleepin in your front room.

AMELIA.

JASON.

JO. Knew today had potential.

Knew that today was gonna kick.

Knew from the reluctant wakin, eye glue poppin, dead leg stretchin of the meeting of the morning, that today – was gonna kick.

Me it. Or it me. And I was up for it.

I was, was just . . . really / up for it.

AMELIA. Up that mornin – up that early – and before I’m out Jase – before I deliberately leave to go out – I’m just in my yard – in my front room – on my sofa – lookin me somethin. DJ to do me a favour and play me somethin nice on the f.m, on the downstairs radio – a ‘don’t-mind-what’, y’know. A ‘don’t mind me’, y’know – somethin hollow from the radio –

JO. you can singalong to. Great.

AMELIA. . . . Even before I’...