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 ...