Abi Morgan: Plays One

Tiny Dynamite; Splendour; Tender; Lovesong; 27

Abi Morgan

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781783191819
• eBook ISBN: 9781783196807
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Film Screenwriting

Tiny Dynamite: An impossible love story is given a second chance and three scorched characters are about to learn that lightning does strike twice. Splendour: Inside a beautiful state residence on the edge of a city, four women wait. They talk: films, Prada, chilli vodka, anything. Outside civil war looms ever nearer. Tender: In a city of fast talk and chance encounters, how much faith can we put in other people? Abi Morgan's acerbic play takes a scalpel to modern love and friendship. Lovesong: The story of one couple, told from two different points in their lives – as young lovers in their twenties and as worldly companions looking back on their relationship. 27: Dr Richard Garfield has given Ursula a difficult choice. She is the Mother Superior in waiting of a convent that has been given the opportunity to take part in his revolutionary scientific study. Ursula must weigh up the value of preserving her faith, versus embracing science.

27

27 was first performed on Tuesday 25 October 2011 at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh in a co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland.

Cast
Maureen Beattie	SISTER URSULA MARY
Emma Hartley-Miller	AUDREY MARIE
Finn den Hertog	DR SAM PARKER
Molly Innes	SISTER RUTH AUGUSTINE
Libby King	DR HELEN JARVIS
Colette O’Neil	SISTER MIRIAM THOMASINA
Nicholas Le Prevost	DR RICHARD GARFIELD
Benny Young	DR JONATHAN LEES
Creative Team
Abi Morgan	Writer
Vicky Featherstone	Director
Merle Hensel	Set Designer
Nick Powell	Composer & Sound Designer
Natasha Chivers	Lighting Designer
Nick Sagar	Sound Associate
Jenna Watt	Assistant Director
Anne Henderson	Casting Director

Characters

DR RICHARD GARFIELD (60s)
American, Epidemiologist, University of Alabama

DR SAM PARKER (early/mid 30s)
British, Epidemiologist, University of Edinburgh

DR HELEN JARVIS (late 30s/early 40s)
American, Neurophysiologist. University of Alabama

DR JONATHAN LEES (early 50s)
British, Neurologist. National Institute of Ageing

SISTER MIRIAM THOMASINA (late 90s)
Mother Superior

SISTER URSULA MARY (late 40s/early 50s)
Sister Procurator / Mother Superior

SISTER RUTH AUGUSTINE (late 40s)
Sister Portress

AUDREY MARIE (early/mid 20s)
Aspirant.

SETTING

The play is set in a modern Catholic Convent somewhere in West Scotland over five years.

/ Denotes when lines intercut

Act one

An office.

A desk. A filing cabinet. Three chairs. There is a vase of roses in full bloom on the desk.

RICHARD stands, a cup of tea in his hand.

HELEN stands looking out of a distant window, distracted.

It is summer.

HELEN: Is that someone swimming?

RICHARD follows HELEN’s gaze out of the window. HELEN takes in the room, leaning forward to look at a painting on the wall.

MIRIAM: ‘Joshua Roll’. The original’s preserved in the Vatican.

MIRIAM enters, ready to greet them.

HELEN: It’s beautiful.

MIRIAM: A picture is to the illiterate what the religious word is to the educated.(Beat.) I don’t remember who it was who said that.

The action freezes –

RICHARD: (To audience.) So this is how it started –

The action springs back into life –

MIRIAM: I’m so/

RICHARD: No/

MIRIAM: …sorry. Ruth should have/

RICHARD: It’s not a problem. /

MIRIAM: …told me you were here. Normally word gets around. /

RICHARD: Really… We only just arrived/

MIRIAM: Dr Garfield.

RICHARD: Please, Richard (Introducing HELEN.) And this is Dr Jarvis.

HELEN smiles in greeting to MIRIAM.

HELEN: Helen’s just fine.

MIRIAM: …There are always whispers. How long have you been – ?

RICHARD: …five, ten minutes that’s all.

MIRIAM: Really someone should have at least got you/

RICHARD: They have. They did.

RICHARD holds up a teacup.

MIRIAM: …tea. (Beat.) Good. (Calling out.) You sure you wouldn’t prefer coffee? (Beat.) RICHARD: Well…/ MIRIAM: I knew it. I knew it.

MIRIAM reaches for her phone, tapping buttons –

… (As phone answers.) Charlotte, I just called Ruth… Is she…? …Never mind. Could we have coffee please? I know but…tea is a poor cousin, Charlotte, that you should know. Thank you. Can someone please tell Ursula to come and find us seeing as she invited these guests here? And root out a digestive if we have one. You’re a dear. (As puts down the phone.) Don’t let us get away with that again. If we can’t give you something decent to drink… Or would you prefer a cold drink?

RICHARD: There was talk of –

MIRIAM: It’s Friday. On Friday, there’s always lemonade.

A distant ripple of laughter.

(Beat.) You came –

RICHARD: Plane, then train.

MIRIAM: From Euston?

RICHARD: I think…

HELEN: Heathrow to Paddington, Paddington to Euston, Euston to –/

MIRIAM: The train must have been a nightmare/

RICHARD: …No.

MIRIAM: …for an American.

RICHARD pauses, mid sip. MIRIAM smiles, a certain mischief to her –

JONATHAN: Miriam –

Lights up on JONATHAN greeting MIRIAM enthusiastically as if he has just entered –

MIRIAM: Where have you been skulking?

JONATHAN: I was just saying to Ursula… The roses smell, wonderful… Ursula’s just coming.

URSULA enters, her hair dripping wet, drying with a towel.

URSULA: I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I couldn’t understand why Ruth was waving and by the time I had swum back/

MIRIAM: You’re dripping.

URSULA: …I found Jonathan wandering in the garden, stealing strawberries.

JONATHAN: That river…

URSULA laughs.

URSULA: It’s very low at this time of year.

URSULA holds out a handful of strawberries to JONATHAN, who takes one and eats.

URSULA: The ducks don’t even try. I beat them at breaststroke.

JONATHAN: Still. You get caught in those reeds and –

URSULA: There’s hardly a tug until you’re down to the weir.

HELEN: I’d love a swim.

URSULA: Have one? Really it’s the only thing that saves me whatever time of the day.

JONATHAN: Now have you all met?

URSULA looks to RICHARD and HELEN shaking hands in greeting.

RICHARD: We saw ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Tiny Dynamite
• Splendour
• Tender
• Lovesong
• 27