B

William Gregory, Guillermo Calderon, William Gregory

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781786823007
• eBook ISBN: 9781786823014
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Society is fuelled by anger; dissatisfaction shapes Twitter feeds, online petitions and protest marches. But is that enough to bring about change? Alejandra and Marcela are female anarchists, nervously planning to plant bombs in the middle of the night. They don't want violence. They just want to be heard. Prison's not much of a threat when most of your friends are inside. Then they meet José Miguel. He is from a different generation, a time when revolution was ripe and activism alive, and he's committed to change by any means possible. B explores what revolution and violence mean to two different generations. As they talk. the women's naivety is exposed, and "Calderón manages successfully to convey the self-aggrandising absurdity that often lies behind terrorist acts." ( The Guardian ). B is written by Chilean playwright Guillermo Calderon and was developed as part of the Royal Court Theatre's international programme.

Four chairs in a circle. In the centre, CARMEN and MARCELA hug. They appear to be crying. ALEJANDRA sits watching them beside a table. Finally they separate. CARMEN takes hold of MARCELA’s face and talks to her.

CARMEN: Look. Breathe. You have to keep calm because, this is just how life is. Yes. One day we’re here; the next, we’re not. And you’re pretty. Look at me. So pretty. You’ll find another Tiger of Malaysia. Yes. I know. And one of these days you’ll be singing in the shower. Naked. But right now you have to cry. And scream. Kick something. Burn something. Get drunk. Sleep under a car. Throw up. Throw up naked. And swear. Yes. Swear. And look ugly. Red cheeks, black tears. Get your face all purple. It doesn’t matter. You know why? Because you have to let out all that hate. Don’t let that hate inside your chest turn into poison. What was your boyfriend’s name?

MARCELA: No.

CARMEN: What?

MARCELA: My love.

CARMEN: It’s okay. Come here.

CARMEN hugs her.

CARMEN: And he was killed by a bomb, you said?

MARCELA: No.

CARMEN: You told me they blew him up with a bomb.

MARCELA: Yes.

CARMEN: And who did it?

MARCELA: Terrorists.

CARMEN: Oh. Shit. Terrorists. Terrorists are terrible.

MARCELA: Yes.

CARMEN: Well. You’d better stay here with your friends and cry. As much as you can. I should go. (To ALEJANDRA.) They’ll take care of you.

ALEJANDRA: Yes.

CARMEN: Thank you. Bye, Claudia.

MARCELA: Thank you…

CARMEN: Don’t you know my name?

MARCELA: Yes.

CARMEN: What is it?

MARCELA looks at her, pauses and then cries. CARMEN consoles her.

CARMEN: All right. All right. Never mind. It’s Carmen.

CARMEN hugs her again. Behind MARCELA’s back, she signals to ALEJANDRA to come over. ALEJANDRA joins them in a three-way hug. CARMEN separates from ALEJANDRA and silently says goodbye. She leaves. ALEJANDRA and MARCELA continue hugging for a few seconds.

ALEJANDRA: Has she gone?

MARCELA: I think so.

They let go. They look at each other. Pause. Then ALEJANDRA goes out towards the door and returns.

ALEJANDRA: Yes.

MARCELA: Right. Why did you let her come in?

ALEJANDRA: She wanted to come in.

MARCELA: Right.

ALEJANDRA: What?

MARCELA: Nothing.

ALEJANDRA: Who is she?

MARCELA: A neighbour.

ALEJANDRA: Oh.

MARCELA: Yeah.

ALEJANDRA: Right. And is she coming back?

MARCELA: No.

ALEJANDRA: Right. And what did you tell her?

MARCELA: I said my boyfriend had died.

ALEJANDRA: Yes, I heard.

MARCELA: Yeah.

ALEJANDRA: And you told her he’d been blown up by a bomb.

MARCELA: Yes.

ALEJANDRA: Yes.

MARCELA: What?

ALEJANDRA: Nothing.

MARCELA: Tell me. What?

ALEJANDRA: Nothing. We’re supposed to say it’s your birthday.

MARCELA: Yeah. Yeah, I know. I know that.

ALEJANDRA: Yes.

MARCELA: But I did tell her it’s my birthday.

ALEJANDRA: Right.

MARCELA: Yeah.

ALEJANDRA: I didn’t hear you.

MARCELA: Not now. I told her before she came in. When I bumped into her. Outside.

ALEJANDRA: And did you tell her we were having a party?

ALEJANDRA puts on hood that covers her whole face.

MARCELA: Yes. That too. And that was why people would be coming and going all night.

ALEJANDRA: And?

MARCELA: It’s just that she looked at me like this and asked if she could come to the party. And I looked at her and went blank. Completely blank. And out of nowhere I said, ‘It’s just that my boyfriend died.’ And she asked me how. And I said, ‘He was killed.’

ALEJANDRA: How?

MARCELA: By a bomb.

ALEJANDRA: Right.

MARCELA: Yeah.

ALEJANDRA: Right.

MARCELA: Did I screw up?

ALEJANDRA: A bit.

MARCELA: Yeah, I know.

MARCELA puts on a hood.

ALEJANDRA: Because more neighbours might want to come.

MARCELA: To share in my loss?

ALEJANDRA: Yes.

MARCELA: But who’s she going to tell?

ALEJANDRA: I don’t know. Other neighbours.

MARCELA: No.

ALEJANDRA: No?

MARCELA: I don’t think so. Anyway, it’s already too late.

ALEJANDRA: Not that late.

MARCELA: Shit.

ALEJANDRA: Yes.

MARCELA: We’d best not tell him.

ALEJANDRA: No.

MARCELA: Don’t tell him.

ALEJANDRA: But we’re not supposed to lie to him.

MARCELA: Yeah.

ALEJANDRA: And he’ll read our minds.

MARCELA: That’s true.

ALEJANDRA: Should we tell him?

MARCELA: Yeah. No.

ALEJANDRA: No.

ALEJANDRA hears a sound outside.

ALEJANDRA: Hold on.

ALEJANDRA looks at her watch.

ALEJANDRA: Hold on...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-tilte Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Chapters