Blackthorn

Charley Miles

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781848427792
• eBook ISBN: 9781788500760
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

'What you think's a completely different plant on surface – it's all from the same roots.'

The only two children born in a North Yorkshire village for a generation cannot imagine ever being apart; but as their lives shift, so too do the ties that bind them.

A contemporary, lyrical love story, Charley Miles's play Blackthorn explores the changes and choices that pull us from the places and people we love.

First seen at Leeds Playhouse (formerly the West Yorkshire Playhouse) in 2016, the play was a finalist for the 2017 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and was revived at the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a production by InSite in association with Leeds Playhouse.

HER	When we get born we’re the first babies born for twenty years.
HIM	They tell us
HER	they love to tell us
HIM	about how it’s not the same.
HER	You can move here at six years old or sixty or even six weeks newborn.
HIM	But it’s not the same.
HER	No. It’s not the same as us.

HER	This time –
HIM	they’re panting
HER	heavily.
HIM	As though they’ve just run a

HER	Let’s play something different than horses now.
HIM	Want to race sticks in beck?
HER	I think we should play a game of mummies and daddies.
HIM	That’s a girl’s game.
HER	No it’s not cos it’s got mummies AND daddies in it stupid. So’s I’ll be the / mummy.
HIM	Could catch for minnows?
HER	And you be the daddy. And you’re like What do you want to be?
HIM	I don’t want to be the daddy.
HER	You have to be the daddy. And you can pick what you want to do for work and I think I’ll I think that I should
HIM	You have to look after the babies.
HER	I haven’t had any babies yet we’re going to make the babies in a bit.
HIM	Can I be a pirate?
HER	You can’t be a pirate in real life.
HIM	There are pirates in real life.
HER	You could just be a sailor if you like?
HIM	I want a parrot.
HER	You could work like you could do what Tom’s dad does and you could go out to the sea for the long time and on the On the Looking for oil. That’s a sort of pirate?
HIM	Is Tom’s dad a pirate?
HER	Yeh. Sort of. He told me. So you be a Going out onto the oils for the long time which means we have to have a really big fight.
HIM	Why?
HER	Cos you didn’t got your other job that you used to have. You lost it.
HIM	How do you lose a job?
HER	I don’t know. Just being really careless, I think. I can’t believe you lost your job! Being really careless! I hate you!
HIM	I hate you too!!
HER	No! You have to You have to be like oh but I love you and I’m sorry and please. And kiss me now.
HIM	Yuck!!!!!! Why?????
HER	You have to make me love you again.
HIM	I never want to kiss a girl in my whole life ever. I made a promise about it. Never. Ever.
HER	You kiss your mum.
HIM	Don’t.
HER	Seen you.
HIM	Yeah well. She’s the only one. Only cos I have to.
HER	You do have to, cos it’s part of the game.
	–
HIM	I don’t have to marry you, do I?
HER	You don’t have to get married if you have a kiss, stupid. My auntie’s always kissing loads of boys and she’s never even been married once.
HIM	Fine. But only if you close your eyes. And I’m be closing mine too.
	–
	YUCK YUCK YUCK YUCK YUCK And you opened your eyes, you cheater!
HER	Okay so I’m probably going to work now. Now you’re out on the oils.
HIM	I hate this game!
HER	Okay well I think that you just needs to calm down. What d’you want to play then? Hey? D’you want to play horses again?
HIM	Yeah and I’ll be the stag.
HER	That’s not a horse.
HIM	It is it’s the boy one that they let they let him keep his you know. Only one does get to and he’s special cos then he gets to have babies with all the mares. I seen it. Seen it when his thing’s out.
HER	His WILLY?
HIM	Shut up!! So’s I’ll be stag cos you know
HER	I don’t think it’s fair that you get to be stag because you got born with Girls should get willies too.
HIM	You get something different though.
HER	Do you get it when you’re older?
HIM	What?
HER	What we get instead of a willy. Do we get it when we’re older?
HIM	Think you get born with it, same.
HER	But I don’t have anything.
HIM	I seen my mum’s.
HER	What’s it look like??
HIM	It’s just a bit hairy.
HER	Do you want to shall we swap looking? Just really quickly.
HIM	Get in trouble.
HER	But we could go behind the hedge.
HIM	–
HER	Shall I take my knickers off?
HIM	No we’ll do it later maybe. At home and behind the sofa.
HER	Okay. So I’m going to be a probably be a horse-racer
HIM	Can’t be the racer if we’re both horses, can you? Otherwise it just it can’t make sense!!
HER	Anyway I don’t want to be a horse any more. I want to be the dadd...

Table of contents

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