eBook - ePub
Travesty
About this book
Ben doesn't even like Anna that much. She doesn't take life seriously enough. And then a couple of years go by and he's in absolute floods and she just wishes things could be different. This is a play about gender, the ethical dimensions of modern love, and a mandatory sillier third theme to make the whole thing seem less serious, in this case lemon tart. Travesty is the debut play by Liam Williams, double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee and the 'voice of a generation' ( Independent ). It was produced by Fight in the Dog and premiered at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
'The Fringe's most articulate and original chronicler of twenty-something angst' Telegraph
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Information
BEN. Can I smoke in here?
ANNA. No! Iāve just moved in. I donāt know why you feel the need to smoke after sex. Itās not 1991.
He laughs dryly. Puts cig back in packet.
Can I wear your jumper?
BEN. Donāt get too attached. Gotta go in a minute.
She picks his jumper off the floor and puts it on. She hops into bed. They snuggle up happily, if a little awkwardly.
Pause.
ANNA. Should we have used a condom?
BEN. I feel like thatās becoming a bit of a catchphrase.
ANNA. Itās so bad. I just get too consumed.
BEN. Ha, āconsumedā. Youāre a little poet. Do I consume you with my manly jaws. (Climbs on top of her.) Andā¦ heft?
ANNA. Itās nice for it to feel consuming. Doesnāt happen with everyone.
He laughs quietly and seems suddenly contemplative.
You alright?
BEN. Yeah fine, why?
ANNA. Whatās up?
BEN. When you say it ādoesnāt happen with everyoneāā¦
ANNA. Huh?
BEN. You get consumed by sex with me and it doesnāt happen with everyone.
ANNA. Yeah.
BEN. Whoās āeveryoneā then?
ANNA. Justā¦ other people.
BEN. So this āeveryoneā is still on the scene, are they?
ANNA. I thought you didnāt care.
BEN. Why do you say that?
ANNA. Last night in the restaurant I started talking about a guy I went on a date with a while back?
He doesnāt seem to remember.
I said: āSorry, is it weird to talk about him?ā and you said āNah I donāt careā¦ā
BEN pretends not to remember for a second and thenā¦
BEN (faux-offhand). Oh theā¦ video fella.
ANNA. Documentary-maker. Seb.
BEN. No I donāt care. Just trying to make pillow talk. Soā¦ erm ā (Ironising a pillow-talk clichĆ©.) whatās your favourite song?
ANNA. Wait, so are you?
BEN. Am I what?
ANNA. Are you sleeping with other girls?
BEN. Ermā¦
ANNA. Ben.
BEN. I, yeah, sometimes.
ANNA (pulling away from him). We should be using a condom.
BEN. No wait. Iām notā¦ Iām clean.
ANNA. How do you know?
BEN. Because, I knowā¦ I only sleep with people who areā¦
ANNA. Go on.
BEN (deliberate, bad-taste humour). Like, middle class.
ANNA. Ah. Thatās fucking snobbish.
BEN. Iām joking.
ANNA. Sure. I know you pride yourself on your humble working-class origins.
BEN. No I pride myself on my humble lower-middle-class origins. But like really low. Like we had a Å koda.
ANNA. How do you know I havenāt got AIDS?
Slight pause.
BEN. I guess I assume.
ANNA. Ridiculous man.
BEN. You must have assumed too. Anyway, you know, you donāt need to worry aboutā¦ babiesā¦ cos you know.
With his head he gives a vague gesture intended to signify pulling out early but it doesnāt really end up signifying anything.
ANNA. I was thinking of getting the coil.
BEN. Oh right.
ANNA. Iām too young to be a mumma.
BEN. How old are you?
ANNA. Twenty-five. What are you, twenty-nine?
BEN (bit offended). Iām twenty-eight!
He nods. They re...
Table of contents
- Cover
- Original Production
- Characters
- One
- About the Author
- Copyright and Performing Rights Information
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Yes, you can access Travesty by Liam Williams in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & British Drama. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.