ear for eye

debbie tucker green

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN:
  9781848427624
• eBook ISBN:
  9781788501217
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

'Marchin' days is over man.'

Patience is running out, times have changed.
And progress isn't enough.
Black British. African American.
Here. There.
Now.

Snapshots of lives, snapshots of experiences of protest; violence vs non-violence, direct action vs demonstrations, ear for eye follows characters navigating their way through society today.

debbie tucker green's play ear for eye premiered in October 2018 at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, in a production directed by the playwright.

ear for eye was a finalist for the 2019 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

A filmed version of ear for eye, written and directed by debbie tucker green, was broadcast on BBC Two in October 2021.

PART ONE

Scene One

US.
African Americans.

SON So if I put my hands up –

MOM a threat, threatening.

SON Slowly?

MOM Provocative.

SON Showed my palms

MOM inflammatory. Could be.

SON …(If I) raised my hands just to –

MOM no

SON to just –

MOM no

SON but

MOM aggression

SON but just to show that they’re –

MOM an act of / aggression

SON that I’m –

MOM that won’t work, that doesn’t work Son.

SON thinks.

SON If I left them down?

MOM Belligerent.

SON By my side – ?

MOM Attitude.

SON (Hands) in pockets?

MOM Concealing.

SON Jacket pockets –

MOM obscuring

SON pants pockets –

MOM cocky

SON hands together – ?

MOM Masking

SON what but / what?

MOM I know / Son.

SON My hands together – ?

MOM Sarcastic –

SON but

MOM challenging

SON but –

MOM provocative. Which is… can be,

is…

Incendiary.

To them.

SON …Holding hands-holding hands – c’mon –

MOM collusion complicity

SON behind my back –

MOM attitude – arrogance

insolence

ignorance

defiance

SON gesturing that I –

MOM aggressive

SON that I –

MOM aggressive

SON that I

MOM aggressive

SON but I –

MOM I know

SON but that I –

MOM I know Son.

SON …So

gesturing…?

MOM Antagonistic.

SON

SON Shrugging?

MOM Ignorant.

SON Just –

MOM just

SON just?

MOM …Just.

Hostile.

SON But –

MOM hostile

SON but – ?

MOM But. Son.

SON thinks hard.

SON …Right.

MOM Not right.

SON Right.

Beat.

MOM shakes her head a little.

If I look…

She watches him.

If I look at them –

MOM bold

SON confidently look at / them.

MOM confrontational

SON as a –

MOM audacious

SON as a man – which you said was good

MOM it is good

SON as a man / then –

MOM forward, forthright –

SON which you said was good

MOM it is good Son

SON ‘confident’ which you said –

MOM I did – do

SON said was –

MOM I did

SON how you raised me –

MOM I did

SON so, confident…

MOM

SON Confidence.

MOM

SON Confidently…

MOM

SON Mom?

MOM

SON Right.

MOM …It’s good but not good.

SON But –

MOM it is but it’s not.

SON But – .

MOM

SON

SON If I look away –

MOM evasive

elusive

ambiguous

SON but if / I –

MOM cagey and –

SON but what if I-I – but – ?

SON

SON If I turn away – .

MOM shakes her head.

If I turn – Mom, turn away to –

MOM that –

SON Mom, turn away to go to make like – if I –

MOM no

SON turn away to walk away

MOM Son – .

SON Turn so that I –

MOM no

SON so then I –

MOM no

SON but I would be –

MOM no

SON Mom

MOM impudence

SON Mom?

MOM Disobedience

SON Mom

MOM impertinence

SON but I’d be –

MOM no. Don’t turn your back, don’t turn your back.

MOM

Beat.

SON …Mom.

Beat.

If I look away to avoid looking at –

MOM guilty

SON but-but if I look like I’m looking but just look past y’know –

MOM no

SON if I look like / that – ?

MOM no no no. Doesn’t work, that –

SON if I –

MOM doesn’t work

SON but if I –

MOM won’t work

SON if I look at the floor –

MOM hell no, we didn’t raise you to look at no floor Son.

SON If I – but if I…

...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Characters
• Ear for Eye
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information