The Fall

James Fritz

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781848425989
• eBook ISBN: 9781780018058
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

'Imagine being him. Every day you wake up. You're tired. Your body doesn't work properly… You said it – you'd kill yourself.'

Two teenagers sneak into an old man's home for a secret meeting. A young couple try to build their future whilst looking after an ailing parent. A care home offers its residents the opportunity to unburden their children.

James Fritz's play The Fall takes a funny, moving and candid look at young people's relationships to older people, confronting the frightening prospect of ageing in a country undergoing crises of housing and care.

It was commissioned and premiered by the National Youth Theatre at the Finborough Theatre, London, in 2016, and revived at Southwark Playhouse in 2018.

FIRST

GIRL You fell.

BOY I never.

GIRL You fell.

BOY He tripped me.

GIRL You fell.

BOY The next lane he cheated.

GIRL You got tangled up in your own stupid feet.

BOY I still finished third.

GIRL Congratulations.

Third no that’s really impressive.

BOY I tripped but bounced right back up and finished third. Have you any idea how fast that makes me?

GIRL Slightly less fast than two other guys?

BOY I just ran out of time. If I hadn’t been tripped I’d have dominated that race.

GIRL Like I did with mine you mean?

BOY No one cares about 1500m. It’s a granny’s race.

GIRL I’d like to see a granny do what I just did. I left those girls in the dust.

Sprinting’s so boring. There’s no point. Just as you’re getting into it boom it’s all over and you’re like what happened? Middle distance we got to be smart. Tactical.

BOY And what was your tactic?

GIRL Running faster than everyone else.

BOY Right.

GIRL You ought to try it some time.

BOY If I hadn’t been tripped

GIRL Fell.

BOY If I hadn’t been tripped he’d never have beaten me.

GIRL But he did beat you.

BOY But what I’m saying is

GIRL But he did.

BOY But what I’m saying is

GIRL But he did.

BOY You’re enjoying this.

GIRL Little bit yeah.

They kiss.

BOY Right. Where we gonna go?

GIRL I don’t know what you mean?

BOY Can we go back to yours?

GIRL My mum’s in.

BOY So we’ll be quiet.

GIRL So you said that last time. Your house?

BOY My little brother’s in my bedroom.

GIRL Get him nicely to leave the room. Worked before.

BOY Yeah I don’t know about that.

GIRL What d’you mean?

BOY Well. Last time we did it in my bed he left the room. But. He didn’t go much further. If you know what I mean.

GIRL Oh god. He was listening at the door?

BOY He’s twelve. He’s just started wanking. It’s a very exciting time for him.

GIRL Okay your house is out.

BOY The park?

GIRL No.

BOY The library?

GIRL No.

BOY What about round the back of the –

GIRL Don’t even finish that sentence.

Nothing romantic ever started with the words ‘round the back of’.

What about booking a nice hotel?

BOY Oh yeah that’s a great idea. Let me just pull the money out my arse.

I’m just gonna say this.

McDonald’s got a clean toilet.

GIRL I am not having sex with you in a McDonald’s.

Again.

BOY You know what?

Chris said I could come by his work anytime.

GIRL Okay.

BOY Might be perfect.

GIRL Well where does he work?

BOY The kennels.

GIRL Oh my

BOY They’ve got this vet’s room at the back.

GIRL What is wrong with you?

BOY It’s got a bed in it.

GIRL If you think I’m having sex in a kennel

BOY Not in a kennel, at the kennels.

Yeah. You’re right.

Shit.

There must be somewhere.

Oi. Wait a sec.

What about that butler?

GIRL What are you on about?

BOY That butler.

The old guy whose house you clean?

GIRL Mr Butler?

BOY Yeah!

GIRL He’s not a butler that’s just his...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Acknowledgements
• Characters
• Note on Text
• The Fall
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information