Shoot 2 Win

Tracy Daley, Jo Martin, Josephine Melville

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781840022803
• eBook ISBN: 9781786823243
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

With more mouth than muscle, the ladies of the V.I.P. Crew aren't gonna let anyone get in their way, not even each other. But in the locker room, team talk turns personal as the straight-talking sistas defend their corner. Vibrant and fun, Shoot 2 Win is a sharp, sassy new play set in the world of ladies' netball.

ACT ONE

Scene 1

Lights up on a dimly-lit shabby-looking locker room. It’s in need of a little paint and a good clean. There are five lockers along the back wall. They are all in various states of disrepair: one locker door is tied shut with a shoelace, one has a poster of an alien smoking a joint and another has ‘Do Not Enter’ scribbled across it. There are four other lockers along side stage left. All the doors on that side are open. In one of the side lockers we see a black bin liner with pink frilly material sticking out. On the floor in front of that locker there is a blue plastic bag. Upstage left between the back and side lockers is the entrance for the toilets and shower room. There is a large ‘Out Of Order’ sign hanging across the entrance. Also upstage left is a small rickety looking table covered in graffiti. On the table is a ghetto blaster and underneath the table there are two tied up bin bags. There is a long low bench running along the five back lockers. Upstage left there is a small dustbin. Beside the bin is a long wall mirror and above the mirror is a small internal speaker. Along the side stage left is another long low bench, underneath which there is a basket with several net-balls in it. Downstage left is the entrance to the locker room. Downstage right there is a high, small, frosted-glass square window with a chair leaning up beneath it.

Sitting on the back bench there is a plump thirty-something WOMAN looking very dishevelled. Her body is wet and wrapped in a pink bath towel. She is wearing a pair of worn out bedroom slippers. Beside her on the bench she has a large blue sports bag. Her hair is a mess, she is crying and staring into space. Playing low in the background is Frank Sinatra’s ‘I’ve Been a Roamer’. The WOMAN gets up and walks over to the ghetto blaster and turns the tape off. She looks around the room solemnly. She walks over to the netball basket and takes one out. She begins bouncing it, dries the tears from her eyes and grips the ball tightly to her chest, standing centre stage. She is interrupted by the TANNOY crackling in and out. We hear a Ragga track, ‘If U Man A Gi U Problem.’

TANNOY: Testing! Testing!

We hear a bad feedback and it cuts out. The WOMAN has an alarmed look on her face. She drops the ball and looks at her watch. She walks towards the blue plastic bag on the floor and looks at it for a while. She then takes a deep breath and scornfully picks the bag up. She begins to spin around frantically looking for somewhere to put it. The more she hears the TANNOY, the more nervously she behaves. She looks around at the open locker with the bag of material sticking out, before throwing the bag into the locker and slamming the door shut. The TANNOY kicks in again. This time there is a boy rapping on it.

SECOND TANNOY: Man a man a massive, falla mee, when I chat pon the mikee.

There is a lot of static and the TANNOY cuts out. The WOMAN picks up her bag and exits via the entrance. The TANNOY comes in again.

(Rapping.) I knew a girl call Lucy, she was oh so juicy, she had a real tight...

TANNOY: Stop that stupidness boy! You think that is a toy? Go and check the speakers in the...

TANNOY cuts out. We hear the beautiful voice of someone singing very loud off stage left. Another WOMAN, also in her thirties enters wearing a walkman. She is carrying a sports bag and wearing a very brightly coloured head wrap, which has been elegantly wrapped; this is MANDY. She dumps the bag on the floor and takes her jacket off. She goes over to the locker with the alien poster on it and puts her coat in, singing along as she does so. She takes her towel out of the locker, her buff puff and shower gel and walks upstage left to the shower entrance. She looks at the ‘Out Of Order’ sign and kisses her teeth. She reaches into her pocket and takes out a key. She takes the sign down and rests it on the table, unlocks the door and exits into the room. We hear the shower and the beautiful voice singing ‘I’m Every WOMAN’.

There is the sound of screeching brakes off and the sudden crash of a car. A very harassed looking WOMAN enters wearing sunglasses. She is carrying a sports bag and a plastic shopping bag which she appears to be struggling with.

JACKIE: Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

She hurries to one of the lockers stage left. She is very out of breath and quickly drops her bags. The TANNOY kicks in again, this time just hissing and crackling. JACKIE looks at the speakers and kisses her teeth. She pulls a vodka bottle from her shopping bag, looks at the label for a few seconds before unscrewing the top and taking a swig. She seems suddenly to become a lot calmer. As she raises the bottle to her mouth to take another swig, we hear a voice. JACKIE quickly puts the bottle back into the plastic bag and then frantically begins to dig in her sports bag. She pulls out her gums and quickly stuffs one into her mouth.

We see SHENEQUA, a very fashion conscious looking woman, enter downstage left. She is wearing a tight pair of snakeskin trousers and high heels. She is carrying a ‘Louis Vuiton’ sports bag. She has one mobile to her ear and another in her other hand. JACKIE is unpacking her bags and putting things into her locker.

SHENEQUA: I’ll definitely take care of that for you Mr Hissman, I’ll bring all the relevant forms with me on Tuesday, just make sure you have your driver’s license and your credit card.

SHENEQUA sounds very sweet and business-like. The phone in her hand begins to ring.

I’m terribly sorry, Mr Hissman, but can I put you on hold for a minute?

She presses button and answers other call.

Yeah, where’s my fucking money man! What!? Look, hold on...

She switches to other phone.

I wonder if I could call you back Mr Hissman, yes, oh yes, of course, bye for now.

Switches to other phone.

Where’s my money?! I want my money, you understand? I want my money, you’re fucking with your life, you better...hello! Hello...muppet!

Sound effect of another phone ringing. SHENEQUA drops to her knees and begins digging into her bag. She retrieves the phone and looks at the number. She looks scared, and hesitates before answering. She suddenly focuses on JACKIE. The phone is still ringing.

Alright Jack? Is that your car out there?

JACKIE gets up; she shows SHENEQUA the palm of her hand and exits. SHENEQUA goes upstage to the door, making sure JACKIE’s gone, gives the locker room a quick look around, finally answers the phone.

I got rid of everything, I ain’t taking no chance, dread, if it all comes on top I’m splurting out, you’re breaking up man, hello...hello...

MANDY comes in from the shower room dressed in tracksuit with a shower cap still on her head. SHENEQUA turns around startled, she jumps.

Mandy man! You nearly give me a cardiac.

MANDY: What’s up with you?

SHENEQUA: Nutten, is all good.

SHENEQUA goes over to the locker with ‘Do Not Enter’ written on it and begins packing her things into it.

MANDY: Did you get my tings?

SHENEQUA: Good morning to you too Mandy, yes I did but hear what, it’s not like the last ting, it’s a little seedy so just give me twenty pounds.

MANDY kisses her teeth and goes to her locker. BEVERLY enters, looking very fit, with a bright coloured tracksuit and matching headband and a towel around her neck. She is sweating and out of breath. She looks at her watch.

BEVERLY: Yes! That’s another five minutes off my time, God is good. (She drops into press-ups.) God is good one, God is good two.

SHENEQUA and MANDY exchange looks and laugh.

God is good three.

SHENEQUA: The devil is six.

MANDY laughs out loud while changing. JACKIE enters still wearing her sunglasses.

BEVERLY: But God is seven.

She glares at SHENEQUA.

JACKIE: I just tapped Darren’s car, he’s gonna do his nut, thank God it’s just a little dent.

SHENEQUA: (Laughing.) Little? You better lose t...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Characters
• Table of contents
• Act One
• Act Two
• Back Matter