Flights

John O'Donovan

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9781788503143
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

On the outskirts of Ennis, on a dark and stormy night, three men gather for the anniversary of a childhood friend, killed in a road accident when they were seventeen. Expecting a crowd and tearing into the cans, the three slowly realise they're the only ones coming. As they drink to their uncertain futures – and their receding youth – they're forced to face up to the ghost that has held them together.

John O'Donovan's play Flights is a haunting and funny drama about bereavement, brotherhood and breaking away from your past. It premiered in 2020 at glór in Ennis before transferring to Dublin and London, directed by Thomas Martin.

ACT ONE

A dark and stormy night. Rattling branches, rain. Some white streetlight from outside barely lights the space.

CUSACK enters, hurrying out of the weather. Can’t believe no one’s here. Sees PA passed out across the oche. Doesn’t try to wake him. Looks further in to see if anyone is around, sees no one and so turns to leave.

BARRY enters from the bathroom, holding unlit candles, scaring the shit out of CUSACK, who in turn scares the shit out of BARRY.

BARRY. Jesus Christ.

CUSACK. Who’s there?

BARRY. Cusack? Is that you?

CUSACK. Sake, man, you scared the shit outta me.

What’re you doing in the dark?

BARRY. Sure the lights [don’t work].

You alright?

CUSACK. Oh I’m grand, ya, thanks Barry. I need to change my jocks like but I’m fine.

Is this everyone?

BARRY. Ya.

CUSACK. Just you?

BARRY. Well [and Pa].

CUSACK. Fuck sake, what happened?

BARRY. I dunno. He seemed grand when he came in. Bit wired.

You hardly have a light have you?

CUSACK. I hardly do. Is it drink just?

BARRY rifles through PA’s pockets for a lighter. He finds one and starts placing candles around the place. The space grows more atmospheric. The dialogue continues throughout.

BARRY. Dunno. He was delighted to see me, which was nice.

CUSACK. You shoulda known something was wrong so.

BARRY. Then he sat down. Next thing [he was like this].

CUSACK. At least he’s here. Any word from the lads?

BARRY. No, I couldn’t get signal.

CUSACK. Fucking Pointers, man. State a’ the place.

BARRY. I thought I got through there from the sweet spot in the jacks but I haven’t a clue could they hear me.

CUSACK. Show’s your phone.

BARRY shows his phone.

Ya, surprised you don’t need dial-up with that. Hang on.

CUSACK takes out his (better) phone. Finds signal.

Sake.

They’re all in town. (Shows BARRY the screen.) Brodericks by the look of it. About… ten minutes ago.

BARRY. Pricks. They know what day it is.

CUSACK. Ya.

Sure…

BARRY. What?

CUSACK. We could head in there and meet’m.

BARRY. Ah we can’t like.

CUSACK. Why not? Point of staying here when everyone’s there.

BARRY. What if he wakes up?

CUSACK. He wakes up most days, I’m sure he’ll cope.

Hmon – it in’t his anniversary.

BARRY. Ah no. Leave it a while anyway.

CUSACK. Man, please…

BARRY. It’s one evening. We can give him that.

CUSACK. One evening? I haven’t been out since the birth.

BARRY. Anyway, they could be just having pints in town before they come out here.

CUSACK. D’you think?

BARRY. They said they’d come like. They know what day it is.

CUSACK. – .

They’d want to.

BARRY. D’you want a drink?

CUSACK. God ya. What do you have?

BARRY. Lots. Well, lots of cans.

CUSACK. I’ll have a can so.

BARRY gives him a beer. He opens it.

To your holy soul and your swollen hole.

CUSACK skulls the can.

BARRY. You’ll be fucked if you drink like that.

CUSACK. Promise? Gimme another one there. I’ve six months to make up for.

BARRY. No one made you stay at home.

CUSACK. No one made me? Aoife made me. D’you think if she’s staying in I’m allowed out?

BARRY. You’re out tonight.

CUSACK. Cos it’s tonight. Game?

BARRY. Go on.

They start throwing darts, casually, though very well, without really keeping score.

She didn’t want to come out with you?

CUSACK. Why would she?

BARRY. She knew him.

CUSACK throws a dart a bit more emphatically.

Same as all of us like.

She came with you before.

CUSACK. When?

BARRY. Last year?

CUSACK. No. She was five months pregnant last year.

BARRY. Year before then.

CUSACK. Sure someone had to watch the kid. We flipped for it – she won a’ course – then realised she hadn’t expressed enough milk to get through the evening.

Baby’d get some land if he latched, looked up and saw me. (Grabs his breast.) Big and all as they are.

No Róisín either I see?

BARRY. Ya but Róisín never met him.

CUSACK. Ha? (Tots it up in his head.) Oh fuck ya.

It all blurs into one doesn’t it? How long are ye now?

BARRY. Eleven years, give or take.

CUSACK. All just fucken blurs.

Suits you anyway.

BARRY. Are you messing?

CUSACK. No, seriously. What else would you be doing?

We’re… seventeen. Fuck.

BARRY. Ya.

CUSACK. Believe that? Just over actually, off and on. Half our lives. The kid not yet a year.

If we’d a’ had our act together we coulda been finished raising him by now. I’ll be fifty before I sleep again.

BARRY. Is it bad?

CUSACK. He’s a bollocks.

I’n waking up earlier too. Earlier than him even. Can’t sleep expecting him to waken. I’d’be up I’d say half an hour before he stirs. He opens his eyes and I’n there standing over him.

BARRY. He loves that does he?

CUSACK. I know sure. Madness.

Will ye have any?

BARRY. I dunno. We’re young a while.

CUSACK. Not that young.

BARRY. I don’t get on with most people I know. Not sure I should be adding to the problem.

CUSACK. Be grand. Telling you. Best thing about kids ya? Before I’s always thinking about things. Worrying about work. Wondering should I upgrade the car or go to the gym more. If my arms were big enough or if we’d built the house the right way for the sun. And fighting with Aoife. You remember the way I was.

BARRY. Ya.

CUSACK. Well I tell you what. That stupid little prick of a kid means I haven’t a fucken minute. He’s always up in my face, crying or shitting or puking or laughing.

(Smug.) I haven’t thought about one thing since he was born. Not one.

I’m busy, man. He needs me.

Ye should try.

BARRY. Ya.

Some stage, maybe. We’re a bit busy like. Or she’s busy. Work and stuff.

CUSACK. The new job?

BARRY. What?

CUSACK. Sorry. Like, Aoife told me. Ye must be delighted.

BARRY. Aoife told you? I only ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Author’s Note
• Acknowledgements
• Epigraph
• Characters
• ACT ONE
• ACT TWO
• ACT THREE
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information