Hole

Ellie Kendrick

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN: 9781786825377
• eBook ISBN: 9781786825384
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Gender Studies
• Index: Social Sciences

A hole in the ground. Three women are forcing their way out. They're singing. They're moving. They're taking up space. And they refuse to apologise. Using word, music and movement in equal parts, Royal Court Young Writers' Programme alumna Ellie Kendrick's debut play Hole asks how power is created. It has a cast of six women, who perform as individuals, but also move together and speak in chorus. "They sing, chant, sprout black wings, retell the stories of Pandora and Medusa and, in one particularly effective passage questioning the male gaze, remind us that elementary particles don't like being watched." (The Guardian)

Darkness.

A voice:

VOICE:

I need you to listen. I need to tell you or I am going to implode.

A spotlight snaps on.
WOMAN 1 is lowered into the spotlight.

She smiles. She speaks into the microphone – her mouth moves – “hello” – but we don’t hear it.
She leans forward into the microphone.

WOMAN 1:

No no I can –

A timer starts: Tick. Tock.
She points to the microphone enquiringly. The timer carries on ticking. Pause.

I was swimming. I’m a swimmer!

Beat.

That was inaccurate. Sorry.

Beat.

I’m a professor. Astrophysics. I can tell you about singularities.

Beat.

No – alright – what about stars?

Beat.

Or – or – no what about a supernova – that’s this massive explosion before the star collapses into a supermassive black h–

Beat.

I’m so sorry, is this releva-(nt)?

Beat.

I’m sorry. I’m not understanding.

Silence. She looks around.

I’m happy – I’m happy to not. Whatever’s –

Beat. She takes a deep breath.

I am trying to be helpful but I don’t remember as much as I would like –

The microphone cuts out. She tries again.

I am trying to be helpful but I don’t remember –

The microphone cuts out. She stops. Tries again.

I am trying to be helpful –

Cuts out.

I am trying to be –

Cuts out.

I am trying –

Cuts.

I am –

A ‘WRONG’ buzzer.
A hole opens up beneath her. She disappears into it. The spotlight snaps off.

* * *

Spotlight snaps on.

WOMAN 2 is lowered into the spotlight.

The timer starts. Tick, tock.

WOMAN 2:

I’m walking down the street at night and it’s dark and there’s a man –

The spotlight moves away. She runs back into it. It narrows.

I am walking down the street at night and it’s dark –

The spotlight moves away again. She runs back into it. It narrows again.

I am walking down the street at night –

The spotlight moves away again. She runs back into it. It narrows again. Now she has to kneel.

I am walking down the street –

Again. Now she has to crouch.

I am walking –

Again. Now just her head, pressed to the floor.

I am –

The spotlight narrows to a tiny pool of light –

I –

‘WRONG’ buzzer.
The hole opens up. She disappears.
Spotlight snaps off.

* * *

Spotlight snaps on.

WOMAN 3 is lowered down.

Tick, tock.

WOMAN 3:

Okay so there’s this woman that is so ugly that just looking at her will turn you to stone. Because she got raped by the guy who a goddess fancied. No – wait –

A big squelchy tomato falls on WOMAN...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Notes
• Thanks
• Hole