Kes

Barry Hines, Lawrence Till

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2015
• eBook ISBN: 9781780015316
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

A tried-and-tested stage adaptation of Barry Hines' novel A Kestrel for a Knave, about a troubled young boy who finds and trains a kestrel.

Billy, a disaffected young boy, has problems at school and at home: he's neglected by his mother, beaten by his brother and bullied on all sides. He adopts a fledgling kestrel and treats it with all the tenderness he has never known. Slowly, he begins to see for the first time what he could achieve – if only he tried.

Lawrence Till's adaptation of Barry Hines' 1968 novel retains its gritty charm and popular staying power. Kes was first performed at West Yorkshire Playhouse in 1999.

ACT ONE

Scene 1

Early Morning Journey to School, 6.00 am

The first scene follows BILLY’s journey to school. It flows without stopping and with BILLY running between the different locations.

We first see BILLY and JUD together in bed asleep in their bedroom. It is cold and dark and uncomforting. The alarm clock rings. JUD rolls over, coughs and fidgets, reaches out of bed, for the alarm clock. It falls from the bedside cabinet. JUD sinks back into his pillow.

JUD. Come here, you bloody thing.

BILLY (pause). Jud?

JUD. What?

BILLY. You’d better get up.

Pause.

The alarm’s gone off you know.

JUD. D’you think I don’t know?

JUD pulls the blankets round him.

BILLY. Jud?

JUD. What?

BILLY. You’ll be late.

JUD. Shut it.

BILLY. Clock’s not fast you know.

JUD. I said ‘Shut it’.

JUD elbows BILLY in the back.

BILLY. Give over, that hurts!

JUD. Well shut it then.

BILLY. I’ll tell me Mum on you.

JUD. Shut your stinking mouth.

JUD hits him again in the back. JUD sits on the edge of the bed, then gets up and puts the bedroom light on.

BILLY. Set clock on for me, Jud. For seven.

JUD. Set it yourself.

BILLY. Go on, you’re up.

JUD pulls the blankets off BILLY, stripping the bed completely. BILLY has his hands between his legs in an attempt to keep warm.

JUD. Hands off cocks, on socks.

BILLY. You rotten sod, just because you’ve to get up.

JUD. A few weeks lad and you’ll be getting up with me.

JUD has his trousers on by now and goes to the kitchen to continue dressing.

BILLY. Switch the light out then!

JUD ignores him. BILLY lies still a moment then retrieves the blankets after switching off the light. JUD in the kitchen, turns on the radio, finds himself some bread and jam, makes his snap and puts it in his tin. He takes his racing paper from his jacket and writes his bet, and begins to make tea.

BILLY scratches his hair gets dressed and then joins JUD, pulling his mother’s jumper on to keep warm. BILLY arranges the dirty cups from the night before throughout the following. Unable to get warm he puts on his windcheater. The zip is broken.

JUD (writing). ‘Tell Him He’s Dead’, 2.30 Doncaster. (Seeing BILLY.) What’s up with you? Shit the bed?

BILLY. Have you seen t’ time? You’re gonna be late.

JUD. Think I don’t know?

BILLY. Is there any tea? (There isn’t. BILLY sighs and yawns.) Smashing morning again.

JUD. You wouldn’t be saying that if you were going where I’m going. (Writing.) ‘Crackpot.’ Three o’clock, Newbury.

BILLY. Just think, when I’m doing papers you’ll be going down pit in t’ cage.

JUD. Another few weeks, lad, and you’ll be coming down wi’ me.

BILLY. I’ll not.

JUD. Won’t you?

BILLY. No.

JUD. Why’s that?

BILLY. ’Cos I’m not going to work down pit.

JUD. Where you gonna work then?

BILLY. I don’t know but I’m not going to work down pit.

JUD. No?

BILLY. No.

JUD. No, and have I to tell you why? For one thing you’ve to be able to read and write before they’ll set you on. And for another, they wouldn’t have a weedy little twat like you. You can put this bet on for me. ‘Crackpot’, ‘Tell Him He’s Dead’. Here’s money.

JUD hits BILLY as he goes out. BILLY looks for something to drink. There is nothing. BILLY sees JUD’s snap tin left on the table, opens it, and begins to eat one of the sandwiches. He is halfway through it when JUD returns.

JUD. I forgot me snap.

He sees BILLY and makes a dive at him.

I’ll bloody murder you when I get home. And don’t bother with your bike – I’ve already got it.

BILLY pulls on his shoes, gets rid of his mum’s jumper and collects his newspaper bag from under the table. He runs from the house.

It is still getting light. He passes people getting ready for their day. Postmen, milkmen, two miners coming off the night shift. From here to BILLY’s arrival at school the stage is populated with people going about the morning rituals which start the day. The action flows continuously.

We hear a car passing. A shop doorbell rings. We’re in MR PORTER’s paper shop.

MR PORTER (arranging newspapers on his counter). I thought you weren’t coming.

BILLY. Why, I’m not late am I?

MR PORTER (taking out his watch and considering it). Very near.

BILLY. I nearly was though.

MR PORTER. What do you mean?

BILLY. Late. Our Jud went to pit on me bike.

MR PORTER (handing BILLY newspapers). What are you going to do then?

BILLY. Walk it.

MR PORTER. Walk it! How long do you think that’s going to take you?

BILLY. It’ll not take me long.

MR PORTER. Some folks like to read their papers the day they come out.

BILLY. It’s not my fault. I didn’t ask him to take my bike, did I?

MR PORTER. No and I didn’t ask for any cheek from you! Do you hear?

BILLY (quietly). Yes.

MR PORTER (sighing). There’s a waiting list a mile long for your job you know. Grand lads and all, some of ’em. Lads from up Firs Hill and round there.

BILLY is warming his backside on a heater while MR PORTER continues arranging papers.

BILLY. What’s up? It’ll not take me that much longer. I’ve done it before. I know some short cuts.

MR PORTER. Well don’t be short cutting over people’s property.

BILLY. No, across some fields. It cuts miles off.

MR PORTER. Well be sure the farmer doesn’t see you, else you might have a barrel of shot spread up your arse.

BILLY. I haven’t let you down yet, have I?

A CUSTOMER comes into the shop and MR PORTER gives him his paper.

MR PORTER. Morning, sir, not very promising again. Looks like rain.

CUSTOMER. And twenty Players tipped please.

MR PORTER. Right, sir. I’ve not got twenty. Will two tens do you?

CUSTOMER. Aye.

While MR PORTER gets the cigarettes and the CUSTOMER is leafing through his paper, Billy lifts two bars of chocolate from a display at the side of the counter. He drops them into his newspaper bag as MR PORTER turns round to hand over the cigarettes and put the money in the till. This stealing ritual is commonplace for BILLY.

MR PORTER. I thank you. Good morning, sir.

The CUSTOMER leaves. MR PORTER climbs a ladder to stack shelves. BILLY steals more chocolate during the following.

Next thing you’ll be wanting me to deliver ’em for you! You know what they said when I took you on, don’t you. They said you’ll have to keep your eyes open now, you know, ’cos they’re all alike off that estate, up there. They’ll steal your breath, if y...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Original Production
• Characters
• Act One
• Act Two
• About the Authors
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information