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katzenmusik
(German, n.)
caterwaul; a shrill howling or wailing noise (of a cat)
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three
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Scene One: Burnside Town Square
MAYOR and ASSISTANT.
MAYOR. Read them to me.
ASSISTANT. Now?
MAYOR. Yes. Quickly.
ASSISTANT. ‘We will not be divided.’
MAYOR. No.
ASSISTANT. ‘We will not be conquered by cowards.’
MAYOR. No.
ASSISTANT. ‘We will not cower in the face of barbarism.’
MAYOR. God no.
ASSISTANT. ‘We will not be broken.’
MAYOR. No.
ASSISTANT. ‘We will not be weakened.’
MAYOR. No. Did you write these?
ASSISTANT. Uh – no. Well, some of them. I mean we all did.
MAYOR. Right. Go on.
ASSISTANT. Uh – ‘We will not be threatened.’
MAYOR. No.
ASSISTANT. ‘We will not be defeated by hate.’
MAYOR. No.
ASSISTANT. ‘We are stronger united.’
MAYOR. Again?
ASSISTANT. What?
MAYOR. Again. Say it again.
ASSISTANT. ‘We are stronger united.’
MAYOR. Yes. Yes it’s…
Beat.
I mean it’s not that.
ASSISTANT. Right.
MAYOR. No, but it’s something like that. Something more positive.
ASSISTANT. Sure.
MAYOR. And it’s going here, is it? The plaque.
ASSISTANT. Yes. Here. Under the cat.
MAYOR. Great. Anything else?
ASSISTANT. Your speech.
MAYOR. What about it?
ASSISTANT. Well I’m writing it at the moment and I – um – I just wondered if I should mention Jackie?
MAYOR. Jackie?
ASSISTANT. Jackie Williams.
MAYOR. What? No. No, obviously not. No.
ASSISTANT. Right sorry.
MAYOR. No. Just write about remembering – remembering the tragedy and not forgetting the tragedy but also how we’ve moved on from the tragedy. How we’re stronger – as a community. As a town.
ASSISTANT. Of course.
MAYOR. What about press?
ASSISTANT. What about them?
MAYOR. Have they been notified?
ASSISTANT. Oh. Yes. All the Burnside papers are coming. And a few nationals.
MAYOR. Great.
ASSISTANT. The Herald actually asked about getting an interview.
MAYOR. Tell them no. Is that everything?
ASSISTANT. Uh – no there is actually one more thing. It’s about graffiti.
MAYOR. Graffiti?
ASSISTANT. There’s been more overnight. A lot more. Across the town hall.
MAYOR. Saying what?
ASSISTANT. Saying we killed her. Jackie.
MAYOR. Well, make sure it’s cleaned. Today.
ASSISTANT. Of course.
Scene Two: Veterinary Practice
VET and OWNER.
VET. Are you still giving him the pills?
OWNER. Yes.
VET. Twice a day?
OWNER. Yes. With every meal.
VET. And?
OWNER. And he’s definitely calmer.
VET. Good.
OWNER. He’s generally much calmer.
VET. That’s good.
OWNER. Yes it’s just – when we have guests.
VET. Right.
OWNER. Even when we keep him upstairs.
VET. Does he still –
OWNER. Shit everywhere, yes.
VET. Right.
OWNER. And yesterday – yesterday I was running late for work. So I’m putting my belt on in the kitchen to save time – whilst the kettle boils – when he sees me. He sees me holding the belt. And he jumps up – about this high – and starts making this wailing sound. This awful wailing sound.
VET. God.
OWNER. Yes.
VET. Well I can prescribe him more pills but otherwise – I mean with this sort of trauma – it’s just about time. About giving Roger that time.
OWNER. So there’s nothing else you can do?
VET. I’m afraid not. No.
OWNER nods.
Beat.
Do you need more cat food?
OWNER. No.
Scene Three: Phone calls
VOICEMAIL, MAUREEN and CALLER 1.
VOICEMAIL. This is the Vodafone voicemail service for – oh – seven – nine – seven – six. Seven – eight – seven. Seven – nine – three. Please leave a message after the tone.
*
VOICEMAIL. This is the Vodafone voicemail service for – oh – seven – nine – seven – six. Seven – eight – seven. Seven – nine – three. Please leave a message after the tone.
*
MAUREEN. Hello?
CALLER 1. Hi there.
MAUREEN. Who is this?
CALLER 1. Is that Maureen?
MAUREEN. Yeah.
CALLER 1. Maureen Lammond?
MAUREEN. Yeah.
CALLER 1. Hi, Maureen. I’m calling from British Gas.
MAUREEN. Right.
CALLER 1. Yeah, and I just wondered how you live with yourself?
MAUREEN. What?
CALLER 1. I said I just wondered how you fucking live with yourself? You and your fucking scrounging sons. I just wondered how you justified living. You worthless, evil fucking –
Scene Four: The Twickenham Arms
STUART, JEAN, PARENT 2 and three NEIGHBOURS.
PARENT 2. Right. What can I get you?
STUART. Oh. Umm.
JEAN. Just a lager please.
STUART. A glass of pinot. Please.
JEAN. Thanks.
NEIGHBOUR 1. So.
JEAN. So…
NEIGHBOUR 1. How are you settling in?
JEAN. Uh – yeah.
STUART. Yeah. Good thank you.
JEAN. Yeah. Yeah.
NEIGHBOUR 1. Good.
NEIGHBOUR 2. Good.
NEIGH...
