Under the Whaleback

Richard Bean

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781840022865
• eBook ISBN: 9781849431576
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

It's the worst job in the world and only those what is born to it, what has gorrit in the blood, can do it. Three generations of Hull men struggle with the legacies left to them by their fathers. A powerful and moving story of fate, choices and men at work, Under the Whaleback opened at the Royal Court Theatre in August 2002.

The Arctic Kestrel

2002. The forecastle of the museum ship, the Arctic Kestrel. The bunk area and table is roped off from the public. The big girlie pin-up is now replaced by a poster of different kinds of fish. On the bulwark just inside the door is attached a cassette player wired to a speaker above. The tape is playing. It is the sound of a ship head to wind and dodging in a strong gale. A reprise of the James Joyce but the sound is much tinnier. It is obviously a loop tape.

Enter DARREL. DARREL is played by the actor who played CASSIDY in The Kingston Jet. He is carrying a museum dummy of a trawlerman. He comes down the companionway correctly, holding the dummy with one hand, feet into the rungs, and one hand on the rail. He does this slowly and carefully, because he has a smashed and rebuilt hip. He is now 54. He is dressed in a V-neck jumper and Terylene slacks, grey shoes, and a bland anorak. On his anorak is a badge declaring ARCTIC KESTREL – CURATOR. The dummy has been created especially to look like a young, 1960s deckie, ie: DA haircut, tattoos, dressed in a vest and Y-fronts. DARREL sits the dummy on the bench on the stage right side of the table. He studies him to see how authentic he looks. He takes out a packet of Silk Cut and puts a cigarette in the dummy’s mouth.

DARREL: Champion.

(He puts one cig in his own mouth, thinks, and puts it back in the packet, and sighs. He opens a small, brown, buff envelope and takes out a cassette. He stops the loop tape cassette playing and replaces it with the new cassette. He presses play. The new cassette has the same head to wind and dodging sound as before, but has audio narration over. It is not DARREL’s voice, but it is a strong Hull accent, and obviously an ex-trawlerman.)

NARRATOR: ‘You’re now standing in the forecastle of the Arctic Kestrel and it’s in ’ere under the whaleback –

(DARREL leaves up the companionway.)

– where the crew’s quarters was situated in the steam powered sidewinder trawlers which worked the distant water grounds of the arctic circle. Theirs were simple pleasures, cigarettes, cowboy novels, and o’ course, story telling –

(DARREL enters carrying a second dummy, which he positions on the bench.)

Everybody had a tale to tell about Arthur Duggleby, Cassidy as he was known, you’lla seen his statue on dockside in front of the museum. Cassidy epitomised the spirit, bravery, and sense of humour of these hard worki–

(DARREL switches off the tape. He arranges the second dummy and puts a cig in the dummy’s mouth. Enter PAT, carrying a third dummy. PAT is played by the actor who played NORMAN in the James Joyce. He comes down with heels into the rungs facing forward. He is 29 years old, and small, about 5’ 6”. He has a hyperactive, fidgety manner. He wears casual clothes, cheap market stall copies of named brands. He has a pierced ear. He carries a bag, like a newspaper boy’s bag, slung across his chest. DARREL stands.)

DARREL: Hello?

PAT: Hiya. This is yours innit?

DARREL: Yeah.

PAT: There’s some lads hanging about up there.

(DARREL takes it off him and puts it into one of the bunks stage left. PAT gives himself a shot from an asthma inhaler.)

DARREL: We’re closed. How d’yer gerr on board? The gate’s shut.

PAT: There’s one more up on dockside. I’ll gerrit in for yer while I’m at it, yeah?

DARREL: No, I’ll go. Are you one of the lads what helped with the painting?

PAT: Yeah. D’yer wanna hand?

DARREL: No, that’s last one.

(DARREL exits up the companionway. Quickly, PAT goes beyond the rope, and feels the table, discovering that it is fixed, as he expected. Quickly, he takes out a battery operated nail gun from his bag. He places it carefully on a mattress in one of the bunks behind him. He goes into his bag again and takes out a second nail gun. He puts it carefully on the bunk next to the other one. He then gets back behind the public’s side of the museum rope. He is edgy, and looks around. He puts his bag down against the bulwark. He presses the tape and listens.)

NARRATOR: – men. My favourite Cassidy story is the time he was in Wilson’s butchers shop when this old dear comes in and buys a rabbit for her Christmas dinner and Cass wan’t having that so he bought her two turkeys, and then the word goes up –

(DARREL enters with the last dummy.)

‘Cass is buying turkeys’ –

PAT: (Simultaneously.) Cass is buying turkeys!

NARRATOR: – and he spends all day in there buying turkeys for anyone who pleads poverty. Ha, ha, ha, a funny story, and –

(DARREL turns the tape off. DARREL places the dummy in one of the bunks downstage left.)

DARREL: Couldn’t see no-one.

PAT: Do you mind if I smoke?

DARREL: No smoking in here.

PAT: (Pointing to a dummy.) He’s smoking.

DARREL: Huh. I’m locking up now.

(PAT goes into his bag and hauls out a huge duty free box of cigarettes. He takes a box of twenty out of the bigger box, takes a cig for himself, but does not light it. He offers one to DARREL.)

(Assertively.) I said, it’s no smoking in here son.

PAT: What school was that? The girls?

DARREL: Fifth form. Newlands High.

PAT: Me Uncle Ted ses that Hull is a divided city. East Hull’s Christian and West Hull’s pagan. Do you think any of them lasses were pagans?

DARREL: Why don’t you go and ask them?

PAT: I’m already in a love triangle.

DARREL: We’re closed.

PAT: I’ve bin round a mine museum near Donny wi school. Your missus took us round.

DARREL: You’re one of hers are yer? Mally Lambert eh?

PAT: Was, aye. ‘Two dogs’ we used to call her.

DARREL: I won’t ask. Come on. I’m off now.

PAT: Darrel Ascough.

DARREL: That’s me name yeah.

PAT: Darrel. That’s a lass’s name in’t it?

DARREL: Yes.

(PAT holds out his hand to shake.)

PAT: Pat. Or Ciggies Pat.

(DARREL declines to shake hands, instead he bends down, with some difficulty because of his hip, and picks up PAT’s bag.)

DARREL: Here’s yer bag, Pat. Offski.

PAT: Do you know how Adolf Hitler used to bend down?

DARREL: Do I know how Adolf Hitler used to bend down?

PAT: Yeah. He invented kinetic bending.

(PAT drops his lighter on the floor. Then bends down kinetically and picks up the lighter.)

Like that. Keep your back straight, bend yer legs. Meks you think dunnit. There was no need for the Third Reich he would’ve found immortality on the basis of kinetic bending alone.

DARREL: Is that what our lass taught you at school?

PAT: I liked her but she taught me nowt. This museum’s crap an’ all.

Everybody knows about Cassidy already, and all that fucking fishing stuff –

DARREL: – and what did you learn about coal mining?

PAT: You’re not allowed to smoke.

DARREL: What do you want Pat?

PAT: Yer knew me dad.

DARREL: Oh aye. Shipmate?

PAT: Yeah. He’s dead.

DARREL: He’s one of them that died is he?

PAT: Yeah. Frank Rocco.

DARREL: You’re Roc’s lad then?

PAT: Yeah.

(PAT lights his cigarette.)

Why’d yer call him Roc?

DARREL: Rocco. Roc.

PAT: Right!

DARREL: I dint know he even had a son.

PAT: I’m a bastard – knoworrimean. My name’s Sewell.

DARREL: I’m sorry son. A lot of them did die.

PAT: I don’t know owt...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Copyright page
• Set
• Characters
• Contents
• The Kingston Jet
• The James Joyce
• The Arctic Kestrel
• Distant Water Trawling Glossary