The Arrival

Bijan Sheibani

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781848429079
• eBook ISBN: 9781788502856
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

'I've spent so much of my life wondering… passing people on the street… and now, yeah… you're here'

When Tom and Samad meet for the first time, they are stunned by the similarities they share. In spite of Tom's adoption and all the years spent apart, the two brothers are joined by an undeniable biological bond.

But as they become closer and their lives entangle, they realise that finding each other comes at a price.

Bijan Sheibani's play The Arrival is a taut family drama about obsession, betrayal and the human need to belong. It premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in November 2019, written and directed by award-winning director Bijan Sheibani.

1.

TOM and SAMAD are mesmerised.

TOM. Where are you in your photo?

SAMAD. Which photo?

TOM. On your profile page?

SAMAD. Oh that. That’s erm… yeah, that’s actually in erm… the Bayou, near New Orleans?

TOM. Oh right… I could see you’re on a boat so…

SAMAD. Yeah, it was erm, this er, day trip I did when I was over there?

TOM. Oh right.

SAMAD. I was there about a year ago?

TOM. On holiday?

SAMAD. No for work?

Beat.

There were like crocodiles and stuff.

TOM. Really?

SAMAD. Yeah, it was er… amazing.

Beat.

You’re in computers?

TOM. Yeah. I run my own business so…

SAMAD. I saw that. Wow. How long have you been doing that?

TOM. Four years, coming up for four years?

SAMAD. Uh-huh.

Beat.

TOM. You’re in publishing…

SAMAD. Yeah the company I worked for recently folded, but erm, normally, yeah…

TOM. Uh-huh.

Beat.

What was that other photo? There was another one on there of some enormous fly that had landed on your shoe?

SAMAD. Oh yeah… there was this er… bug… so I took a picture.

TOM. What was it?

SAMAD. Erm… a kind of dragonfly I think? I’m not sure really.

Beat.

And is it a gig you’re at in your one?

TOM. Yeah it’s a festival I was at last summer. I went with some friends from school.

SAMAD. Oh I think I saw them in the photo.

TOM. Yeah, that’s Mark and Jonny, they were just down for the weekend…

SAMAD. Right.

Beat.

Where was the gig?

TOM. O2.

SAMAD. Right.

Beat.

I’ve not been there.

TOM. It’s alright.

Beat.

So what happened?

SAMAD. When?

TOM. With your leg?

SAMAD. Oh. Twisted it. Pulled a ligament.

TOM. How?

SAMAD. Surfing?

TOM. Ouch.

SAMAD. I mean I don’t normally surf. It was a friend’s stag do. And then I was walking around on it that evening, thinking it was okay…

TOM. Yeah.

SAMAD. And then it blew up.

TOM. Ooo.

SAMAD. I mean it’s alright now.

TOM. Is it?

SAMAD. But at the time…

TOM. Yeah.

SAMAD. It was agony.

Beat.

It sort of came out of nowhere. One minute I was up on the board, you know, high as a kite…

TOM. Yeah.

SAMAD. And the next…

SAMAD makes a quick weird sound and gesture.

TOM. Mmm.

Pause.

SAMAD. And they say ligaments don’t really heal properly so…

Beat.

TOM. You didn’t tear it did you?

SAMAD. No no they said I pulled it.

TOM. Well, I think if you’d torn it, that would be pretty bad but / since…

SAMAD. No, it was a pull, I pulled it.

TOM. You’ll probably be okay then… I pulled a ligament and it took about two months to heal so it’ll probably be the same for you.

Beat.

Genetically I mean.

SAMAD. Oh right yeah course… yeah.

Pause.

TOM. Have they given you some exercises to do?

SAMAD. Exercises?

TOM. Physio?

SAMAD. No.

TOM. You need to get onto your GP. Get some physio. Otherwise it won’t heal properly.

SAMAD. Oh right.

TOM. You don’t want it to heal stretched.

SAMAD. Stretched?

TOM. Your ligament’s like a cable? There’s lots of little strands, and when you pull it, you’re basically tearing lots of those little strands?

SAMAD. Uh-huh.

TOM. And if the ligament heals in a stretched way, it will mean that the joint can move in ways it’s not meant to, because the ligament is too loose? And that will be painful, and cause you all sorts of problems.

SAMAD. Oh shit.

TOM. So you just need to get some physio.

SAMAD. Okay.

TOM. I know someone. If you need it. But you should be able to get it through your GP for free.

SAMAD. I’ll call them yeah thanks.

Beat.

What happened with you?

TOM. Huh?

SAMAD. You said your ligament had also…

TOM. Oh. A crash.

SAMAD. Oh right.

TOM. It was a race, so. And I crashed.

SAMAD. Oh no.

TOM. Strictly speaking I got crashed into.

SAMAD. Oh God. What sort of race?

TOM. Ironman?

SAMAD. Ironman?

TOM. Two-and-a-half-mile swim, hundred-and-twelve-mile bike ride, and then a marathon?

SAMAD. All in one day?

TOM. Yeah.

SAMAD. That’s amazing.

TOM. It was fucking soul-destroying. I came off on the last...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Acknowledgements
• Characters
• The Arrival
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information