Princess & The Hustler

Chinonyerem Odimba

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781848428270
• eBook ISBN: 9781788501514
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

'My name is Phyllis Princess James.
I will wear this crown every day.
I will never take it off even when I am asleep.'

Meet Princess. A cheeky ten-year-old, with a plan to win the Weston-super-Mare Beauty Contest. Trouble is, her mum is busy working several jobs, her brother, a budding photographer, won't even take her picture and then – The Hustler returns.

In 1963 Bristol, as Black British Civil Rights campaigners walk onto the streets, Princess finds out what it really means to be black and beautiful.

Chinonyerem Odimba's play Princess & The Hustler was first seen at the Bristol Old Vic in February 2019, followed by a UK tour, in a co-production between Eclipse Theatre Company, Bristol Old Vic and Hull Truck Theatre, directed by Dawn Walton. The play was shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Best New Play Award 2018.

ACT ONE

Scene One

Christmas Day. St Agnes, Bristol. 1962.

The stage opens like a big box – as though opening the front of a doll’s house.

PRINCESS, eyes closed, stands in the cupboard room. She is wearing a swimming costume and a sash around her. She raises her hands in the air and places a crown made of cardboard and tinsel on her head.

VOICE-OVER. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the winner of the year’s Weston-super-Mare Beauties of the West Contest – (Voice booming.) Princess James.

PRINCESS’s eyes open wide.

The cupboard room explodes into a world of pageantry – scenes of people jumping into a swimming pool, Union Jacks, music and fireworks – fill the stage.

PRINCESS approaches a microphone.

PRINCESS. My name is Phyllis Princess James. I will wear this crown every day. I will never take it off even when I am asleep.

I want to thank my mummy, my friends, Margot and Junior…

Even though he is so annoying!

I will use all this money to help the poor…

After I have bought my mummy a new coat and…

I might buy a new bicycle for me and…

MAVIS’s voice can be heard shouting above the noise –

MAVIS. Princess James did you hear what I said?

Princess!

If I have to carry on with this hollering at you then the next thing you hear will be my hand against your backside.

You hear me chile?

Phyllis!

PRINCESS steps into the front room –

PRINCESS stands, crown on, sash falling off, dejected –

PRINCESS. Mummy!

MAVIS. Don’t you ‘Mummy’ me! Been calling you for the last ten minutes. Sometimes I do wonder where your head is at /

PRINCESS. Beauties of the West /

MAVIS. What you say?

PRINCESS. Nothing mummy /

MAVIS. Good. Now go wash your hands and come help me with the beans. Not going to be eating until five o’clock if you children don’t fix up.

Where’s your brother?

Junior. Come here now.

Wendell Junior!

PRINCESS. I heard the door go this morning.

Or maybe I only think I hear it.

MAVIS. What you think you’re saying? You two thick as thieves in the night /

PRINCESS. I think I hear something…

The sound of footsteps heavy, climbing stairs –

WENDELL JUNIOR enters.

A camera swings around his neck –

He casually walks across his mother and sister towards another door –

He places his hand on the door handle –

MAVIS. You turn the handle of that door and it will be the last thing you do on this God-given earth.

WENDELL JUNIOR releases his grip on the door handle –

Beat.

I am done waiting for an explanation as to what reason you might have for leaving this house this early today of all days. You better having a conversation with the leather of the belt instead.

MAVIS moves to a cupboard. She opens it and pulls out a man’s leather belt –

WENDELL JUNIOR. No! Mummy! Hold on a minute /

MAVIS. Oh you find the power of speech now?

WENDELL JUNIOR. It was some of the guys…

They were meeting up you know…

Gotta be there or be square!

MAVIS flexes the belt –

I should have told you but didn’t want to wake you. I was thinking better let you /

MAVIS. So you were doing it for me? Looking after your mummy by sneaking out the house to Lord-knows-where at Lord-knows-what-time for me. That right son?

PRINCESS. God doesn’t go where he’s been /

WENDELL JUNIOR. Shut your face!

PRINCESS. Mummy is going to beat you and you gone cry like a baby.

Cry baby.

WENDELL JUNIOR moves to grab at PRINCESS –

WENDELL JUNIOR. If I beat you first then you gon’ cry louder than me.

MAVIS raises the belt high above her head –

WENDELL JUNIOR backs off –

MAVIS. You done explaining yourself?

And now you have the nerve to be all sorts of cruel to your sister?

WENDELL JUNIOR. Mummy. I am really sorry. We’re doing nothing bad. We just hang by Queen Square with our cameras…

MAVIS. So let me get this right. You sneak out of my house at whatever time on this particular day to choose to go posing in the street /

WENDELL JUNIOR. Not posing mummy.

Leon and some other guys wanted to take photographs by the docks. And you know I’m trying to learn everything I can…

I’ll be an apprentice one day in one of them photography studios /

MAVIS. You’re not an apprentice yet. Right now you are about to get another kind of education /

WENDELL JUNIOR. I split from those guys so I could come back and do portraits of you…

Mummy…

Gon’ use some of my savings to get them developed in that place Leon goes. Over by Fishponds…

Going to take real pretty pictures of you.

MAVIS puts down the belt –

You gon’ shine like a queen!

MAVIS pats her hair –

MAVIS. Pictures you say?

WENDELL JUNIOR. Yes mummy. Right there in front of the…

WENDELL JUNIOR looks at the sad withering Christmas tree in the corner of the room –

MAVIS shakes her head –

By the wireless.

You just listening to the radio all casual like…

A movie star!

You going to wear your pearls?

They always make you look so ladylike.

WENDELL JUNIOR lifts the camera to his face, and circles his mother, pretending to be taking photos –

MAVIS. You think so Junior?

Maybe…

You know when I iron out this wig and add a little colour on my face, you wouldn’t even recognise your own mother.

MAVIS preens herself –

PRINCESS. What about me? You going to take a photograph of me Junior?

WENDELL JUNIOR. No! Wasn’t planning to break the glass of my new camera with your face.

PRINCESS bursts into heartbreaking sobs –

MAVIS remembering the hundred and one things she still has to do, turns on her heels and heads for the small kitchenette –

MAVIS. You stop that way of talking to your sister.

Princess you stop your noise and get started on those beans.

Junior you make sure you ti...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Foreword
• Thanks,
• People, Places, Things
• Princess and The Hustler
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information