The Tyler Sisters

Alexandra Wood

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN:
  9781848429277
• eBook ISBN:
  9781788503013
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Three women, forty years, one ever-evolving bond.

Fake sick days, Stonehenge, roller skates, champagne and glow-in-the-dark stars.

The Tyler Sisters is a funny, heartening exploration of time, and the unassuming moments that make up our lives. Alexandra Wood's innovative play explores the deep and unruly waters of sisterhood. It premiered at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs, London, in December 2019.

1990

GAIL. You didn’t even ask.

KATRINA. It’s not your house.

GAIL. My room, / not yours

KATRINA. Not now.

GAIL. Not your house either, much mine as it is yours so you need to know your place.

KATRINA. Oh do I?

GAIL. Why d’you think you can just take what you want?

KATRINA. Because I can, I did.

And you weren’t using it.

GAIL. I was though, my stuff was in there, I was using it to store my stuff.

KATRINA. Well I’m using it to sleep in, which trumps storing stuff, sorry.

GAIL. Where am I supposed to sleep all summer?

KATRINA. Wherever you want, you can sleep in my old room if you want, I don’t mind.

GAIL. Don’t mind? That’s good of you, that’s really / generous.

KATRINA. Does it really matter?

GAIL. It’s my room, my place in the world.

KATRINA. Your place in the

A boxroom in your parents’ house. Have a little ambition Gail.

GAIL. It isn’t the boxroom, yours is the boxroom.

And I do have ambition, thank you. But for now, for now, that room is my place and you / can’t just

KATRINA. You’ve got a room in Leeds.

GAIL. No I don’t.

KATRINA. Where d’you stay then?

GAIL. Over the summer I don’t, not till September.

KATRINA. Have mine till then, like I said.

GAIL. What about Maddy’s? Why didn’t you take that?

KATRINA. She’s in it.

MADDY. I am in it, to be fair, I am actually in it.

KATRINA. Would’ve been a bit much to be all, vacate your room now Maddy, I’m taking over.

GAIL. But it’s okay to do it to me?

KATRINA. Not the same, you weren’t even here.

GAIL. We’ve established / that.

MADDY. I don’t think it’s the same, Gail, you weren’t here.

And we didn’t even know you were coming home this summer.

GAIL. Yeah, well, sorry, I am, I have, sorry to screw up your plans.

MADDY. What happened?

GAIL. I just love you all so much I couldn’t stand to be away a moment longer.

MADDY. That’s / nice.

KATRINA. Right.

GAIL. Just as well I did or you’d have Mum and Dad even more round your little finger. Didn’t they say you should ask me at least?

KATRINA. Maybe, I don’t know, I just did it, I didn’t think it’d be such a big deal, but I should’ve remembered you like to overreact at the / slightest

GAIL. I’m not / overreacting

KATRINA. We thought you were in Leeds all summer, I was planning to come visit, but that’s gone out the window / now I guess.

GAIL. Sorry to ruin your plans.

KATRINA. S’alright, going to Newquay instead.

GAIL. Who with?

KATRINA. Friends.

GAIL. Who?

KATRINA. You don’t know them.

GAIL. Do Mum and Dad know them?

KATRINA. In what way?

GAIL. Do they know who they are?

KATRINA. Do any of us really know who we are Gail?

GAIL. Alright, alright, so how will you feel when I take my room back when you’re in Newquay, how’d you think you’re going to like that?

KATRINA. I won’t like it at all.

GAIL. Yeah, that’s gonna suck for you, isn’t it.

KATRINA. I’d suggest you don’t do that.

GAIL. Really?

KATRINA. Yeah, I’d suggest you leave my room well alone.

GAIL. Oh really? That’s interesting that is, isn’t that interesting Maddy?

MADDY. Um, I don’t know if I’d say it was interesting.

GAIL. Yeah, no, I think that is. She can dish it out / but she

MADDY. People say lots of things are interesting but they say it in a way that I don’t think they think it’s interesting, so it’s quite confusing.

KATRINA. Interesting, Maddy.

MADDY. Is it?

KATRINA. No.

MADDY. Oh. You see.

KATRINA. I had sixteen years in that poky little box, it’s not fair, we should’ve swapped years ago.

GAIL. You got here last, not our fault.

KATRINA. Got here last? This isn’t camp, I didn’t get here late, I wasn’t born.

GAIL. Camp? Don’t say camp.

KATRINA. Back one minute and she’s already telling me what to say.

GAIL. Don’t say camp like that’s a thing we do, a thing anyone we know does. I hate when people use American references they’ve blatantly just seen on TV.

KATRINA. I have been to camp, we both have, Brownie camp, so screw you.

GAIL. Are you going to apologise?

KATRINA. For what? Reminding you you were a Brownie?

GAIL. For stealing my room.

KATRINA. Are you still going on about that?

1991

GAIL. They left me in charge.

KATRINA. Maddy’s in charge and she doesn’t have a problem with it, do you?

MADDY. I

GAIL. They left both of us in charge.

KATRINA. Maddy doesn’t have a problem with him.

GAIL. Well I do.

KATRINA. Is there anyone you don’t have a problem with?

GAIL. Plenty of people.

KATRINA. Who?

GAIL. Maddy.

KATRINA. Yeah coz Maddy doesn’t do anything / to upset you.

GAIL. I don’t have a problem with you, it’s him.

KATRINA. He’s my boyfriend, are you going to tell me who I can go out with now?

GAIL. He’s not your boyfriend.

KATRINA. Er, yes, he is.

GAIL. You might think he’s your boyfriend / but he’s

KATRINA. Fucking hell Gail, could you be more patronising?

GAIL. I just see it / like it is.

KATRINA. Coming from you. Coming from someone who can’t even get a boyfriend at university, where there are literally thousands of horny guys left right and centre and you can’t get one of them to / fuck you.

GAIL. It’s not like that.

KATRINA. So you ca...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Dedication
• Characters
• The Tyler Sisters
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information