Sex with Robots and Other Devices

Nessah Muthy

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN:
  9781848427846
• eBook ISBN:
  9781788500555
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

'It would still be me… they make it like me, look like me, smell like me, talks like me, feels like me… me.
And you… most importantly…
you get me...'

Welcome to a world where your partner can arrive by special delivery, you can replace your ex with a replica, or supplement your waning love life with regular updates. It could be the answer to all our problems… but what might we lose along the way?

Nessah Muthy's fearless examination of the future of sex offers a fascinating vision of where humanity could be heading next.

Sex with Robots and Other Devices won the King's Head Theatre's Adrian Pagan Award and the Live Theatre Newcastle Elevator Lab Bursary, and premiered at the King's Head Theatre, London, in May 2018 in a co-production between the King's Head Theatre and Cloakroom Theatre.

Nessah Muthy is a writer for television and theatre. Her other plays include Heroine (HighTide) and The Host (National Youth Theatre).

'A playwright willing to put big, ambitious ideas on stage' The Times

ME AND YOU AND YOU

Scene One

ERIN You were ages.

CASSIDY Was I?

ERIN Yes.

CASSIDY Sorry.

ERIN I can’t sleep unless you’re here.

CASSIDY Sorry. Night.

Beat.

ERIN Night.

Beat.

Love you.

Beat.

CASSIDY Love you.

Pause.

ERIN Thank you for a lovely birthday.

CASSIDY You’re welcome.

ERIN The cake, the cake was gorgeous –

CASSIDY Iced it all myself you know –

ERIN Did you? Really?

CASSIDY Yeah, obvs. I didn’t know it but I got skills –

ERIN It was lovely, everything was lovely.

CASSIDY Do you wanna cuddle?

Beat.

ERIN Not tonight.

CASSIDY No, no okay. That’s fine.

ERIN Sorry.

CASSIDY Right well. Goodnight.

ERIN Goodnight.

Silence.

Constipated?

CASSIDY What?

ERIN Still constipated? That’s what took you so long in the bathroom?

CASSIDY Oh yeah, yeah…

ERIN There’s Anusol –

CASSIDY I know –

ERIN Suppositories and ointment. In the cupboard.

CASSIDY Yes –

ERIN Been using them?

CASSIDY No –

ERIN I didn’t think so –

CASSIDY If you must know, prune juice.

ERIN I didn’t see any in the fridge –

CASSIDY That’s because I drank it –

ERIN I didn’t see the carton, in the recycling?

CASSIDY You don’t do the recycling.

ERIN I see it build up on the side before you take it out –

CASSIDY Yeah, well…

CASSIDY sighs.

Beat.

Anyway… Goodnight…

Beat.

ERIN Night.

Beat.

CASSIDY Look I took all the recycling out.

ERIN Mmmhmm.

CASSIDY Straight after I’d drank it.

ERIN Mmmhmm.

Beat.

CASSIDY It was all building up.

ERIN Yeah.

Beat.

CASSIDY I love you. Goodnight.

Silence.

ERIN Still had to strain though?

CASSIDY What?

ERIN Had to strain to go to the toilet, even though you had all that prune juice.

CASSIDY Yes…

ERIN I heard you…

CASSIDY You heard me straining…

ERIN Yes. No, not exactly –

CASSIDY It’s very painful. I think I might have a fissure –

ERIN Oh stop it –

CASSIDY Stop what?

ERIN I know what you were doing –

CASSIDY I honestly don’t know what you’re on about –

ERIN I found the used condoms. / Old dildo and lube.

CASSIDY What?! What condoms?! / What?! What old dildo?

ERIN Do you think you’re posh or something? / The one you said you’d throw away when we moved in together.

CASSIDY What?

ERIN A posh wank, that’s what they call that –

CASSIDY Call what? You’re nuts –

ERIN Stop it!

CASSIDY What are you on about?!

ERIN You know!

Beat.

CASSIDY sighs...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication
• Characters
• Sex with Robots and Other Devices
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information