Firebird

Phil Davies

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2015
• Print ISBN: 9781848425309
• eBook ISBN: 9781780016610
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

A searing thriller about the naivety of youth and how easily it can be exploited.

Tia's mouthy attitude and confident swagger mask the vulnerability in a fourteen-year-old girl whose tough start in life draws her to AJ. Older, good-looking and charismatic, he shows her a kindness that she's never known. Kindness that comes with a price…

Phil Davies' debut play Firebird premiered at Hampstead Downstairs, London, in 2015, in a production directed by Edward Hall, before transferring to the Trafalgar Studios in the West End in 2016.

1.

October, 2014.

A bridge over a small river on the edge of town. Bright sunshine.

KATIE pushes and spins TIA around in a wheelchair. One of TIA’s legs is almost entirely covered in plaster. TIA is clutching an open bottle of champagne.

KATIE. I love it here!

TIA. Told yer.

KATIE. So pretty.

TIA hands the bottle to KATIE.

TIA. See?

KATIE. You can see for miles and miles and miles.

TIA. Beats havin to look at flaky Bennett.

KATIE. I didn’t even know you had countryside.

TIA. Bet London’s nicer.

KATIE. Don’t get this in London. Look at all the hills and the fields and all those tiny houses dotted about on their own. Imagine living in one of them. I’d love that. Just me and Mum and a big log fire and –

TIA. Fuck knows how yer gunna get me back up there.

KATIE. Oh Tia, I love it here!

TIA. Calm down, it’s only a few fields.

KATIE. I’m so glad you came Centre!

TIA. Think someone’s gettin a bit tipsy.

KATIE. I think they are!

KATIE passes TIA the bottle.

Let’s play a game.

Can we?

A game I used to really like

And I mean really like –

Oh my god you’re gonna love it –

It’s that game where you pretend you’re on like another planet and –

TIA. Don’t know it.

KATIE. Yeah anyway I’ll explain. It’s like you’re on another planet that’s actually really similar to this planet but it’s different in like different ways and –

Do you know which game I mean?

TIA. No.

KATIE. Tryna think of the name.

Anyway it’s easy. You’ll get it. I’m just

I’ll explain it better.

TIA. Have some.

KATIE. Hold on. Let me explain the rules.

TIA. Have some first.

KATIE. Did you even have any? You didn’t even have any.

TIA. I had a massive swig, what yer on about?

KATIE. I didn’t notice.

KATIE takes the bottle and drinks.

TIA. More than that.

KATIE. Wait.

TIA. Don’t be a pussy.

KATIE. I’m not.

KATIE drinks some more. She burps and they both laugh.

Champagne’s proper mingin.

TIA. Innit.

KATIE. Posh people bare love it though.

TIA. Shoulda got White Star.

KATIE. Posh people got no taste.

TIA. Probably woulda got two two-litre bottles of White Star. Easy.

KATIE. Four litres of White Star?

TIA (indicating wheelchair). Yer can hide shitloads in here and no one suspects yer.

KATIE. So the rules right…

TIA. Don’t wanna play a game.

KATIE. Oh come on it’s fun you’ll love it –

TIA. Do a look like a can play a game?

KATIE. Ah but you don’t have to move so even people in wheelchairs can play so –

Feelin proper pissed!

TIA. And we still got the vodka. I’m gunna drink so much that I don’t know which way up the sky is. An the best thing is I can’t fall over.

KATIE. Okay. The rules. You gotta imagine there’s this other planet that’s just like this one –

TIA. Don’t wanna imagine that I’m on another planet or owt else to do with yer crap game. Actin like some kind of kid, Katie.

KATIE. No I’m not –

Anyway, I am one –

And so are you –

So what’s wrong with acting like a kid if I am one?

TIA. Yeah but not a six-year-old

You’re acting like a six-year-old.

KATIE. No I’m not. Six-year-olds wouldn’t be able to play this. They wouldn’t understand it. This game’s for teenagers. Bet ya there’s millions of teenagers round the world playing this game right now.

TIA. Bet yer there’s not.

KATIE. Come on. Just try it and if you don’t like it we’ll stop and then we can do whatever you want.

TIA. Whatever I want?

KATIE. Yeah.

TIA. And you’ll do it?

KATIE. Yeah.

TIA. Bring it on. Let’s go.

KATIE. Right, so imagine you’re on a planet just like this one Except

Except

I’m not explaining this very well.

TIA. Yer damn right.

KATIE. Basically you get the chance to imagine that you’re whoever you want to be and your life is like however you want it to be and the world is still kind of the same except the difference is, is that you’re somebody else. Well not exactly somebody else because you’re still you but different because you’re able to have your life exactly how you want it You get me?

TIA.…

KATIE. So one person imagines their life being exactly how it would be in a perfect world –

That’s what it’s called. My Perfect World.

Honestly, you never played it?

TIA. Admit it, you’ve just made it up.

KATIE. I ain’t I swear!

Right, watch. I’m gonna be me but on a different planet

On a different planet but similar

And I’m gonna be me but not. Right?

TIA.…

KATIE. And I’m gonna act like I would if I was on that planet and you’ve gotta work out what I’ve changed.

Okay?

TIA. If I say yes will that get it over and done with quicker?

KATIE. Tia, come on. Give it a –

TIA. Okay yes! I’ll do it. I’ve gotta guess… –

KATIE. What I’ve changed about my life.

Ready?

KATIE takes out her mobile phone and pretends she’s making a call. She struts up and down.

(Attempting an American acc...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication
• Characters
• Firebird
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information