Arctic Oil

Clare Duffy

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781786826794
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Littérature
• Subtopic: Théâtre britannique

We're dirty. We're messy. We die. That's life. On a remote Scottish island, an estranged mother and daughter are at loggerheads over how best to save their children. While Ella fights for her son's future, her mother Karen is terrified that Ella's environmental activism will her get killed. Trapped together until one of them gives in or lashes out, it quickly becomes clear that not all mothers knowbest. Around them, at the mercy of the brutal North Sea and Mother Nature, their close-knit community is being pushed to the brink in a world which is changing too fast for them to survive. Written by the award-winning 2015 IASH / Traverse Theatre Creative Fellow Clare Duffy and directed by Traverse Associate Director Gareth Nicholls, ( Ulster American), Arctic Oil grapples with how trying to save the world could end up destroying those closest to us – and even ourselves.

MOTHER and DAUGHTER are each in their own spotlight, darkness all around.

DAUGHTER is wearing converse, jogging bottoms and a light knitted jumper, everything bought from a charity shop. MOTHER is wearing expensive ‘casual’ clothes: skinny jeans and a T-shirt, three diamond rings, a wedding ring, a necklace, diamond earrings, fluffy slippers.

DAUGHTER has a small, long strapped canvas bag and a large rucksack hanging from a shoulder. She puts the rucksack down and takes out a packet of nappies.

MOTHER: (Raised eyebrow.) Disposable?

DAUGHTER smiles.

DAUGHTER: Extra absorbent. (She points to the plus on the packet.)

That’s what the plus means.

Lights open up to show that they are standing by a solid looking wooden door made in panels. MOTHER opens the door onto a pretty grand bathroom. There is a sink, cupboard, toilet and bath with shower. Late evening light spills in from a closed skylight. It is sunset. It won’t get darker than Nautical Twilight at this time of the year here.

DAUGHTER: But why would you ever want ‘fairly-absorbent’? I mean, for ages I thought the ‘plus’ meant for plus-sized bums …you know. Like a size and a half. But no.

MOTHER: Seems like a lot for just two nights.

(She looks and then puts her hands in the rucksack.) And all this as well! How long are you going for?

DAUGHTER: (Taking a foam changing mat out of the bag.) I’ll be back Sunday evening. You’re picking me up. Remember.

MOTHER goes in. Her back is turned for long enough to hide something somewhere. The audience shouldn’t particularly notice her do it.

MOTHER: Where is all this going to go?

DAUGHTER checks the time on her phone. She doesn’t want to go in.

DAUGHTER: If I hadn’t brought extra you’d have moaned there wasn’t enough.

MOTHER: Help me will you?

DAUGHTER: I’ve really got to go.

MOTHER: Only take a moment.

Come on.

DAUGHTER goes in. She puts the changing mat on top of the cupboard and starts putting the nappies, wipes, nappy bags and creams inside it.

MOTHER: Does it always take that long to get him to sleep?

DAUGHTER: That wasn’t long!

MOTHER: You were in there for ages.

DAUGHTER: Half an hour.

That’s nothing. That’s amazing! He’s really turned a corner, with the sleeping and

He’s such a good little boy really.

MOTHER: He’s got you twisted round his little

DAUGHTER: (Interrupting.) Jesus. What does that mean!

MOTHER: (Finishing deliberately.) Finger.

DAUGHTER: He’s a baby mum! Jesus!

MOTHER: But I suppose he is a cheerful wee soul. Most of the time.

DAUGHTER: There. All done. Now.

Got to go.

MOTHER: That’s not very convenient is it. Put them on top, where I can get at them.

DAUGHTER: And if I had put them on top they would have been an eye sore right?

DAUGHTER puts them on top of the cupboard.

MOTHER: Are you alright?

DAUGHTER: Fine.

MOTHER: You were such a happy baby.

DAUGHTER: I’m still happy.

MOTHER: You’re all at sixes and sevens. Are you sleeping?

DAUGHTER: Oh. You know what I’m like in the summer.

MOTHER: (Pah!) It’s not the sun. It’s not the light!

DAUGHTER: It is. It’s a scientifically proven

MOTHER: (Interrupting.) Not for islanders.

DAUGHTER: But I’m not.

MOTHER: Yes you are.

DAUGHTER: Wasn’t born here was I?

MOTHER: Are you sleeping at all?

DAUGHTER: Not really. But I feel good. Actually. Maybe a bit too good. A bit wired. A bit. Laa! (She sings a high note.)

But who cares. Good is good right. It’s the winter that’s really hard.

She gathers herself back in. New face.

Thank you. For doing this. It means a lot.

MOTHER: Not a problem.

DAUGHTER: You’re the best.

MOTHER: Ella?

DAUGHTER: Why don’t you take him up to the fort tomorrow if the weather’s good? We walked up along the coast road from the bus stop. It was so beautiful. After the rain, and the sun so low and so…generous. We looked back towards town and I counted four rainbows. Did you see them? And then the sheep!

MOTHER: Sheep?

DAUGHTER: Up o...