soft animals (NHB Modern Plays)

Holly Robinson

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781788501491
• Topic: Literatura
• Subtopic: Arte dramático británico

Sarah gets spat at in the street. Frankie doesn't go to her lectures. In the aftermath of the tragic accident that brought them together, neither expects to find solace in the other's company.

Between hate mail and novelty teddy bears, the two women become something like friends. They want to punish themselves. They might just save each other.

A tender and unflinching story about motherhood, self destruction and the way women help each other heal.

Holly Robinson's debut play soft animals premiered at Soho Theatre in February 2019.

1.

February.

Outside SARAH’s house in Fulham, London. The word ‘cunt’ has been spray-painted across her front door – we probably don’t see this.

FRANKIE is stood outside the front door. Deciding whether to knock. Transfixed by the graffiti.

SARAH comes out.

SARAH. Did you do this?

FRANKIE. Sorry?

SARAH. This, did you do / it?

FRANKIE. No.

SARAH. Right.

FRANKIE. Really. Really. I.

SARAH. My neighbour says you’ve been lingering –

FRANKIE. I was – just –

SARAH. Loitering, actually, she said loitering. Which seems / somewhat [loaded].

FRANKIE. I was – just –

SARAH. She hasn’t spoken to me in four months and sixteen days. But now there’s an obscenity on the front door –

You didn’t do it?

FRANKIE. Spray-paint uh –

SARAH. Cunt?

FRANKIE. On your front door? No, I really did not.

Are you going to get rid of it?

SARAH. I think I might keep it. Adds value to the property. Cheaper than a conservatory.

FRANKIE. It looks like it’s still wet. The sooner you –

SARAH (waves her hands, her nails are drying). Can’t anyway. Big meeting.

FRANKIE. Are you uh going to call the police?

SARAH. Over a little paint?

FRANKIE. It’s – it’s not a little paint.

SARAH. Are you a journalist?

FRANKIE. No?

SARAH. Because I’m not talking to journalists.

FRANKIE. I’m not a journalist?

SARAH. Are you sure? You don’t sound sure.

FRANKIE. I am. Sure. That I’m not. A journalist.

SARAH. If you’re here about the house I will scream.

FRANKIE. I’m not here about the house.

SARAH. Okay.

FRANKIE. Sorry. Actually. I’m. We’ve. Actually. We’ve –

SARAH. We’ve what?

FRANKIE. I’m Frankie?

SARAH (realises). Frankie.

FRANKIE. From –

SARAH. Yes.

Of course.

Your arm?

FRANKIE. Yes. It. It healed.

SARAH. Do you want to come in then, Frankie?

*

They are inside. They don’t really have anything to say to each other.

SARAH. Would you like a cup of tea?

FRANKIE. That’s a lot of post.

I haven’t been opening it, since?

FRANKIE. No, I’m okay, thank you.

SARAH. You’re meant to say yes.

FRANKIE. Oh, okay. Um yes.

SARAH. Okay. Milk? Sugar?

FRANKIE. Are your nails dry?

SARAH. Oh. No. I should let them dry. Big meeting.

FRANKIE. What’s the / meeting?

SARAH. So why are you here?

FRANKIE. Um.

SARAH. Were you not expecting me to ask?

FRANKIE. Do you ever get on the Tube and you don’t know where you’re going and you just end up –

SARAH. In Fulham?

FRANKIE. Sorry. Is this totally inappropriate? This is totally inappropriate. I don’t know why I thought this was –

I just wanted to. I wanted to see you again.

SARAH. When you’ve got a baby, you don’t just end up anywhere. It sounds… nice.

I still haven’t made your tea.

FRANKIE. Your nails.

SARAH. You make it. The tea bags are next to the bread bin, on the left.

FRANKIE. Okay.

I don’t actually like tea.

SARAH. Then why did you say you wanted one?

FRANKIE. You said I was meant to.

SARAH. I was – joking. It was. You don’t have to just because –

FRANKIE. I wasn’t. I really wasn’t.

SARAH. You can go.

She doesn’t.

FRANKIE. You smudged your nails.

SARAH. Shit.

I’m awful at it. I normally go to the salon but my usual girl weeps every time she sees me.

#

FRANKIE. I could do it for you?

Like only if you wanted.

SARAH. That’s [a strange thing to offer].

FRANKIE. I’m good. Not like. I can’t like draw animals on them or anything. But one coat. Easy.

SARAH. No. It’s fine.

FRANKIE. It’s no bother.

SARAH. I can do it myself.

FRANKIE. I’m not doing anything else.

SARAH. I still don’t really know why you’re here.

FRANKIE. Yeah. Nor do I.

But while I am –

#

SARAH. Okay.

FRANKIE paints SARAH’s nails – or she just holds her hand – either way they touch. It is the first time either of them have touched or been touched with care in months. It is unbearably intimate.

Are you going to cry?

FRANKIE. No.

SARAH. You look different.

FRANKIE. I put on some weight, I think. And my hair is [different – this can be more specific to the actor’s hairstyle].

SARAH. I don’t want you to think I didn’t recognise you because you’re black.

FRANKIE. I didn’t think that. It was – you weren’t focused on me.

SARAH. No.

FRANKIE. But white people never recognise me. They always think I’m the other black girl they know. Literally none of my tutors at uni know who I am. To be fair, that might be because I never go lectures but.

SARAH. What do you do instead? Party?

FRANKIE. Sleep.

SARAH. Oh. What do you study?

FRANKIE. Theology.

SARAH. Theology?

FRANKIE. Yeah. What do you do? Are you back at work?

SARAH. No. I don’t know what I do.

#

FRANKIE. Done.

SARAH. Thank you.

#

FRANKIE. I should let you get off to your meeting. I need to –

SARAH. Do you want to come?

FRANKIE. To your meeting?

SARAH. It’s with my divorce lawyer.

FRANKIE. I’ve got to go –

SARAH. Or we could just end up somewhere!

FRANKIE. I really can’t.

SARAH. No. Sorry. Of course.

FRANKIE. It’s not that – I just.

SARAH. What?

FRANKIE. I promised to ring my nan.

SARAH. Oh, fuck your nan.

Sorry.

FRANKIE. I could come back.

SARAH. Yes?

FRANKIE. Yeah?

SARAH. You don’t have to say yes just because my daughter is dead.

FRANKIE. Yeah, I know. Good luck – for your meeting.

SARAH. Yes.

FRANKIE. Sarah, you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t let him take all the stuff just because –

SARAH. I wasn’t planning on, Frankie.

2.

A few days later. SARAH’s house.

FRANKIE has handed over a bottle of graffiti-remover liquid.

FRANKIE. It’s pretty strong, I spilt some in my room and it still reeks. But the guy in the shop said it would strip anything off anything.

SARAH. You didn’t have to.

FRANKIE. Yeah. Well.

SARAH. I wasn’t sure you’d come back.

FRANKIE. You said I could.

SARAH. No, I know. I got something for you too, actually.

FRANKIE. For me?

SARAH. I went to the zoo. After my meeting, well, during. I walked out. Steven thinks he can sell the house, this house. Which. I decided ...