Landmines

Phil Davies

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9781788501026
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

A stark, fast-paced and fraught play about political upheaval and the media's relationship with civil violence and terrorism in modern Britain.

A peaceful politician is slain on the streets of Vida's hometown. Reeling from the tragedy, Vida embarks on an increasingly dangerous mission to confront the rise in bigotry and fascism.

But just as she feels most alone, she discovers there are others who feel the same as her – and now the deadly potential of their combined power is about to be unleashed.

Phil Davies's play Landmines was first performed at Ovalhouse, London, produced through the BRIT School's training initiative, The Bridge Company.

The Nick Hern Books Multiplay Drama series features large-cast plays specifically written to be performed by and appeal to young people.

1.

VIDA (into phone). Ambulance ambulance

What do you –

What do you –

What do you mean none?

None?

How can there be none?

Police, then.

Police!

You’d better get the police.

I think I’ve done something pretty bad.

2.

A chair is brought for VIDA and she is aided to sit down.

She shifts around on the chair as she speaks.

VIDA. I kept getting this

Like

This lump – (Points to her throat.)

And I couldn’t swallow –

Well, I could, but I couldn’t if you know what I mean.

Had to talk myself into swallowing every time which is incredibly draining.

It isn’t normal

And it got worse as everything else did – as the world started to burn

As their tentacles spread further…

MURRAY, SCARLETT, TAYLOR, FREIBURG and SAMUELS, the staff of the media start-up ‘The Altar’, surround the action and get straight to work. Unless otherwise stated, they remain on the edges of the action throughout the play.

…As everyone happily swallowed their poison, the lump felt bigger.

Why am I telling you this?

Do you even want to know about this?

You asked about physical symptoms and that’s what came to –

I’m not saying the lump in my throat made me do it by the way!

That would be…

No

I didn’t do it because of that

I did it because we were heading for civil war and no one was doing anything to stop it.

3.

VIDA tries to grab at young secondary-school children as they run around but they constantly evade her. Their eyes are transfixed on mobile-phone screens. Whatever it is they’re watching fills them with delight and excitement and they try to recreate its content.

She eventually manages to grab hold of a KID, snatches their phone.

She stares into the phone. She doesn’t want to watch what she is about to watch but she can’t stop herself.

She presses play on the video.

An out-of-focus smartphone video plays. It’s a street on an early summer’s evening and some people are screaming. On the other side of the road, a man is crouched over a woman and the movement of his arm makes it look like he’s repeatedly punching her motionless body. A couple tentatively try to stop him but he doesn’t seem to notice. The video zooms in. That’s when we see he’s not punching her. That’s when we see the blood-soaked kitchen knife. He’s stabbing her repeatedly. He turns, looks directly at the camera.

She drops the phone.

4.

SCARLETT, TAYLOR, FREIBURG and SAMUELS take over the stage and set up their office. An emergency meeting has been called and they’re sat around a large table, waiting for the editor. There’s a visible nervous excitement about them.

MURRAY marches in.

MURRAY. Who did it?

Silence.

One of you did. I know it wasn’t me.

Wish it was.

Silence.

If there’s one personality trait I can’t fucking stand, it’s modesty.

Silence.

Well, whichever one of you it was

You’re a fucking genius

Four million views in less than five hours.

We’ve had more subscribers than the servers could handle.

MURRAY goes to each one of them and plants a huge kiss on their open mouths.

You beautiful

Beautiful

Beautiful

Beautiful

Fuckers.

5.

VIDA. It shouldn’t matter that it was my hometown

But it was

And I can’t escape that.

The details ‘emerge’ don’t they, as the press say

And they make me feel as though I was there

Because I know those shops

And that pavement and those streetlamps

I know the streets that cut off

The first-rights and second-lefts

I know all about that exact location

So when the details emerged

They made me feel like I was there

Like I was her

I could sense a seven-inch blade being plunged below my breast

And out the other side

I could sense it being pulled out of my torso and thrust back in again

And again

And again

Fifty-six times

I know she felt every single one of them

Because I do too

I lay in bed that night

Imagining what happened

And when I saw how he rammed the knife in and ripped it back out

It struck me

His hands

His arms

His whole body

Moving decisively

Being decisive in every movement

There’s not a lot more decisive than a seven-inch blade

Being plunged and pulled over and over and over again

It was then I realised

To prevent the hate

And delete the lies

Be decisive

In everything you do

Be decisive

But when I awoke the next day, I couldn’t work out the difference between being decisive and doing everything that came in to my head.

6.

A meeting room of a secondary school. The same large table and chairs, with newspapers left over from Scene Four.

WILLIAMS, ESTHER, KAZ and BARKER with VIDA sat with her head on the table. She looks ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Contents
• Introducing Multiplay Drama
• Original Production
• Characters
• Landmines
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information