DNA

Dennis Kelly, Clare Finburgh Delijani

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781350188044
• eBook ISBN: 9781350188068
• Edition: 1

This new Student Edition of Dennis Kelly's popular play DNA contains introductory commentary and notes by Clare Finburgh Delijani, which gives an in-depth analysis of the play's context and themes. As well as the complete text of the play, this new Methuen Drama Student Edition includes: · An introduction to the playwright and social context of the play
· Discussion of the context, themes, characters and dramatic form
· Overview of staging and performance history of the play
· Bibliography of suggested primary and secondary materials for further study. Dennis Kelly's play DNA centres on friendship, morality and responsibility in odd circumstances. When a group of young friends are faced with a terrible accident, they deliberately make the wrong choices to cover it up and find themselves in an unusually binding friendship where no one will own up to what they've done.

DNA

DNA was first performed in the Cottesloe Theatre of the National Theatre, on 16 February 2008, with the following Company:

Jan	Claire Foy
Mark	Gregg Chillin
Leah	Ruby Bentall
Phil	Sam Cran
John Tate	Jack Gordon
Danny	Benjamin Smith
Richard	Troy Glasgow
Cathy	Claire Lams
Brian	Ian Bonar
Boy	Ryan Sampson

All other parts played by members of the Company.

Director	Paul Miller
Designer	Simon Daw
Lighting Designer	Paule Constable
Sound Designer	Rich Walsh
Associate Video Designer	Paul Kenah

This play was commissioned by National Theatre Education as part of its Connections project.

Characters

Mark and Jan,

Leah and Phil,

Lou, John Tate and Danny,

Richard,

Cathy and Brian and

a Boy

Names and genders of characters are suggestions only, and can be changed to suit performers.

Takes place in a street, a field and a wood.

One

A street. Jan and Mark.

Jan Dead?

Mark Yeah.

Jan What, dead?

Mark Yeah

Jan Like dead, dead

Mark Yes

Jan proper dead, not living dead?

Mark Not living dead, yes.

Jan Are you sure?

Mark Yes.

Jan I mean there’s no

Mark No.

Jan mistake or

Mark No mistake.

Jan It’s not a joke

Mark It’s not a joke.

Jan coz it’s not funny.

Mark it’s not funny because it’s not a joke, if it was a joke it would be funny.

Jan Not hiding?

Mark Not hiding, dead.

Jan not

Mark Dead.

Jan Oh.

Mark Yes.

Jan God.

Mark Yes.

Jan God.

Mark Exactly.

Pause.

Jan What are we going to do?

* * *

A field. Leah and Phil, Phil eating an ice cream.

Leah What are you thinking?

No answer.

No, don’t tell me, sorry, that’s a stupid, that’s such a stupid –

You can tell me, you know. You can talk to me. I won’t judge you, whatever it is. Whatever you’re, you know, I won’t, I won’t…

Is it me?

Not that I’m –

I mean it wouldn’t matter if you weren’t or were, actually, so –

Are you thinking about me?

No answer.

What good things? Phil? Or…

I mean is it a negative, are you thinking a negative thing about –

Not that I’m bothered. I’m not bothered, Phil, I’m not, it doesn’t, I don’t care. You know. I don’t…

What, like I talk too much? Is that it? That I talk too much, you, sitting there in absolute silence thinking ‘Leah talks too much, I wish she’d shut up once in a while’ is that it, is that what you’re, because don’t, you know, judge, you know, because alright, I do. There, I’m admitting, I am admitting, I talk too much, so shoot me. So kill me, Phil, call the police, lock me up, rip out my teeth with a pair of rusty pliers, I talk too much, what a crime, what a sin, what an absolute catastrophe, stupid, evil, ridiculous, because you’re not perfect actually, Phil. Okay? There. I’ve said it, you’re not…

You’re a bit…

You’re…

Pause. She sits.

Do I disgust you? I do. No, I do. No don’t because, it’s alright, it’s fine, I’m not gonna, you know, or whatever, you know it’s not the collapse of my, because I do have, I could walk out of here, there are friends, I’ve got, I’ve got friends, I mean alright, I haven’t got friends, not exactly, I haven’t, but I could, if I wanted, if I wanted, given the right, given the perfect, you know, circumstances. So don’t, because you haven’t either, I mean it’s not like you’re, you know, Mr, you know, popular, you know, you haven’t, you know, you haven’t, you know, you haven’t, but that’s, that’s different, isn’t it, I mean it is, it is, don’t say it isn’t, really, don’t, you’ll just embarrass us both because it is different, it’s different because it doesn’t matter to you. Does it. Sitting there. Sitting there, all…

All…

You’re not scared. Nothing scares, there, I’ve said it; scared. Scared, Phil. I’m scared, they scare me, this place, everyone, ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• Introduction
• Biography
• Contexts
• Themes
• Characters
• Dramatic Devices
• Production History
• Conclusion
• Resources
• References
• DNA
• Notes
• Copyright