Parliament Square

James Fritz

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781848427082
• eBook ISBN: 9781780019789
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

How far would you go for what you believe in?

Kat gets up one morning, leaves her family behind and travels to London to carry out an act that will change her life and, she hopes, everyone else's.

Raw, disturbing and compassionate, James Fritz's searingly powerful play forces a confrontation with some of the most urgent questions we face. What can one individual do to effect change? And where do we draw the line between absolute commitment and dangerous obsession?

Parliament Square won the Judges' Award in the 2015 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting. It premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, in October 2017, before transferring to the Bush Theatre, London.

ONE

FIFTEEN SECONDS

Kat.

…

Get up.

Kat.

…

GET UP.

What?

The alarm.

What time?

Turn off the alarm.

Dreaming.

Before he wakes.

Why – ?

Oh.

Today.

Today is –

Today is THE day.

You slept so well.

Didn’t think I

Didn’t think you would but

Need to get up.

Don’t wake him.

Nothing wakes him.

He’s a log.

A lump.

Fifteen seconds.

Fifteen seconds.

That’s all I have to get through and then –

Get out of bed.

This is the –

Don’t think like that get out of bed.

Love these pillows.

They’re very soft get out of bed.

This bed.

It’s very nice get out of bed.

One more minute.

Now.

Just one more.

I am not fucking about.

One –

Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up! Get up!

GEEEEEET UUUUUUP!

I’m up. I’m up.

Great job.

God.

We’re on the way.

On the way.

Can you feel it?

I can feel it. My stomach.

You can feel it and it feels

He’s fast asleep.

Good.

Look at him.

That face.

Want to wake him.

Come on.

Say hello.

Don’t be thick.

I’m not thick.

The drawer.

You’re thick.

Softly.

Top. Jeans.

Those ones.

They’ll do.

They’re fine.

Except. Maybe?

No.

I mean they’re not very –

No.

I know what you’re doing.

What?

Delaying.

I’m not.

Delaying the moment you have to –

I just think this top isn’t very –

Just take the fucking clothes.

Okay.

Well done.

Now. Out the room.

Okay.

But.

Maybe I should just wake him.

No.

Say something.

Can’t just leave him without –

You have to.

He looks so lovely.

Tommy.

My lovely husband.

He’s drooling.

He is! He’s drooling in his sleep!

On his chin.

Done that since he was a teenager oh bless him.

Look at him.

He’s so

disgusting.

Beautiful.

Such a beautifully disgusting man.

I love him so much.

Do you?

Yeah I do yeah I really do.

Okay.

God. I’m gonna miss him. I’m gonna
miss you Tommy.

Oh.

You won’t.

I will.

You won’t.

Our own little world.

That’s what we’re like. That’s what
Mum always says.

She says a lot of things.

She does yeah.

Come on.

You think hanging around is gonna
make it easier to go through with this?

Should say goodbye.

Don’t be thick.

Stop saying that.

He’ll know something’s wrong.

How will he –

He can sense these things on you.

I’m a good liar.

You’re a shit liar.

I’m a shit liar.

Stick to the plan.

I want to speak to him.

Stick to the fucking
plan you idiot.

If he gets even a sniff of what
you’re planning he’ll lock you up
before he lets you ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Acknowledgements
• Epigraph
• Dedication
• Characters
• Note on Text
• One
• Two
• Three
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information