Burnt

Tom Lycos, Stefo Nantsou

• Publisher: Currency Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9780868199061
• eBook ISBN: 9781760620622
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

Burnt is a bush yarn, born and bred out of the true stories of people from regional Australia struggling with prolonged dryness. It looks at the stresses and strains of continued drought on families and young people.

PROLOGUE

Music starts. As music fades, the actor playing CASEY steps forward.

CASEY: My name’s Casey Petro. We live on a farm near a small town called Gilpendry about six hundred and fifty kilometres [pointing] that way. Our property’s called ‘Eureka’ and we got heaps of sheep and grow fruit. I live there with my dad … [imitating him] everyone calls him Lee Kernaghan ’cause of his cowboy hat; my mum … [imitating her] she always keeps heaps busy and scurries around like a chook; and my twin brother Kyle … [imitating him] he doesn’t say much and plays Call of Duty 5 all day. I’m twenty-three minutes older than him and it really shows. We’re in Year Ten. We go to school in town ’bout fifteen ks outta Gilpendry.

When I was little we used to play hide and seek in amongst the orange trees, now they’re barely over our knees. In our backyard we always put up a pool, it was sweet as, so since the drought’s gone worse, it started getting smaller, and now we don’t have it.

Our lawn’s dead.

Everyone’s garden’s dead.

It happens really fast, you don’t really notice it.

This is our story.

ACT ONE: UNHINGED

SCENE ONE: THE FARM (SUNRISE)

Eureka. Early morning. GEORGE and SUZIE are herding livestock through a gate. There are constant sound effects of sheep, dogs, whistling, flies—a hot and humid morning at the start of a long hard day.

SUZIE goes into the barn and gets some saddlery and tools, which she then hands over to GEORGE.

GEORGE: Don’t forget to go to Capelands’ for that wire. And see if he’s got any brass hinges for that lower gate. We need about four sets. Or at least two. Whatever he’s got.

SUZIE: I’ll see how much they are.

The dog barks.

GEORGE: Benny’s still limping.

SUZIE: Yeah … I’ll see if I can get some bandages … or something. Any-thing else you want while I’m in town?

GEORGE shakes his head.

GEORGE: Come on, kids, Kyle, Casey!

SUZIE: Get in the car … hurry up! [To GEORGE] See ya tonight, then.

GEORGE: See ya.

GEORGE leaves, herding the animals. SUZIE looks up at the sky, shading her eyes from the beautiful sunrise. Music starts.

SCENE TWO: SCHOOL DROP-OFF

SUZIE is driving the twins to school, CASEY beside her and KYLE in the back seat.

SUZIE: Just stop your whining, Kyle, will ya, mate, and put your seatbelt on, we’re comin’ into town … the last thing we need is some two-hundred-dollar fine, and Senior Constable Houston or what’s-her-name won’t take your flimsy excuse that it was your turn to sit in the front. And you, Miss, can stop blowing ya hair out of your face, it’s so annoying. We all know if you ‘had a GHD you wouldn’t be blowing your horrible hair so much’, I’ve heard that one before too, and it don’t wash.

She drives past a friend and waves a ‘hello’.

I got my meetings today, so I can do the pick-up after school. I’ll see Miles about your suit for the formal, Kyle … he said he’d see if he could get that really nice dark blue one with the buttons, the one we saw in the catalogue … ? No, no, you are not wearing a light orange retro number, I won’t have you sticking out like dogs’ balls.

She puts the blinker on, turns a corner, and parks outside the school.

Right, now I gave you the money for the excursion, didn’t I? Good. And that envelope with the cheque in it for your school photos … you got both yours and Kyle’s … don’t forget to hand them in please. Okay, see you later, have a nice day.

KYLE and CASEY have gotten out of...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Playwrights’ Biographies
• Foreword
• A Ripping Yarn
• First Production
• Characters
• Burnt
• Copyright Page