The Long Song

Andrea Levy, Suhayla El-Bushra

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781839040191
• eBook ISBN: 9781788504003
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

'You do not know me yet but I am the heroine of this drama. I am told that here I must give a taste of what is to unfold. I am to convey that this tale is set in Jamaica during the last turbulent days of slavery and the early years of freedom.

'I am to say that it is a true and thrilling journey through that unsettled time.

'Cha, I say, what fuss-fuss. Come, let them just see it for themselves.'

The Long Song is adapted from Andrea Levy's award-winning novel by Suhayla El-Bushra. It premiered at Chichester Festival Theatre in October 2021, directed by Charlotte Gwinner.

Prologue

THOMAS KINSMAN and OLD JULY are in his drawing room.

THOMAS. Please, sit, I’ll call for Sarah, see to it that you are refreshed. It is frightfully hot. Perhaps you’re used to it. I moved some years ago from England / but still I find it –

OLD JULY. England you say?

She sneaks an ornament into the folds of her clothes while THOMAS speaks.

THOMAS. Yes, my wife and daughters are natives / but –

OLD JULY. Me never know them have Negroes inna England.

THOMAS. Some. Some. I was born on this island so I suppose I should be constitutionally attuned to the climate, but I do find myself wilting somewhat.

OLD JULY. Black as Sambo but him talk like a white lady.

THOMAS. Ha. Yes, I…

OLD JULY. This is a fine-fine house. Is a lovely view.

She sneaks another object as THOMAS looks out of the window.

THOMAS. Yes. Yes, we’re –

OLD JULY. You the butler?

THOMAS. No, I –

OLD JULY. Where the massa?

THOMAS. I’m the massa. This is my house.

OLD JULY. Cho! Who you teef from to get a big-big house like this?

THOMAS. I didn’t teef anything. I’m a printer. Of books. Books that you read –

OLD JULY. Me know what a book is, me not a fool.

THOMAS. Of course you’re not –

OLD JULY. Me can read.

THOMAS. Really?

OLD JULY. What yuh take me for?

THOMAS. It’s not always that common for –

OLD JULY. Me missus did teach me. Way back.

THOMAS. Your missus. That would have been Caroline Goodwin, is that right?

OLD JULY. Me caan’ remember.

THOMAS. I think it was, Caroline Goodwin of the Amity Plantation, that’s what they said in court. And you were a house slave there?

OLD JULY. Not a slave. A lady’s maid. And then housekeeper. If you tink you can bring me here to put broom inna me hand –

THOMAS. Oh, I wasn’t –

OLD JULY. Miss July don’ serve no more.

THOMAS. I can assure you I have no intention of placing you in servitude.

OLD JULY. Then wha’ you wan’ from me?

THOMAS. Shall we have some food? I believe there is a little meat left over. You must be hungry.

OLD JULY. How yuh know what I mus’ be?

THOMAS. Having heard of your circumstances in court, I can only assume you haven’t had much by way of nourishment for quite some time, how you managed to survive on that desolate shrubland for all these years is quite beyond me, it’s no wonder you saw fit to steal a chicken –

OLD JULY. Me never steal no chicken.

THOMAS. No.

OLD JULY. Like I tell judge-man –

THOMAS. A ludicrous case –

OLD JULY. It was my chicken –

THOMAS. A hungry old woman caught with a bird that no one has reported stolen, he was right to throw it out of court –

OLD JULY. It was my chicken. Me did raise it.

THOMAS. Yes. Yes of course.

A maid, SARAH, comes in with a tray of food.

Thank you, Sarah.

(As SARAH leaves.) Tell me, what did you do after you worked as a lady’s maid? Did you ever marry?

OLD JULY. Miss July did not have need of nuh husband.

THOMAS. Children?

OLD JULY. This pork is too hot.

THOMAS. Miss July? Did you have any children?

OLD JULY. The meat old. Is why yuh maid put so much spice –

THOMAS. Miss July –

OLD JULY. To keep the meat likkle longer –

THOMAS. I had a reason for inviting you back here today –

OLD JULY. But me can taste.

THOMAS. When they said your name in court –

OLD JULY. It bad.

THOMAS. When I heard your name in court today –

OLD JULY. Bad meat.

THOMAS. When I heard your name in court I –

OLD JULY. Me need milk –

THOMAS. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, / you see I –

OLD JULY. Me mouth burning.

THOMAS. Of course, forgive me, I do apologise.

He pours her some milk. She drinks it down.

Miss July I. I was born on this island, but my mother, my birth mother abandoned me, it is my belief, Miss July, given the information I have pieced together this morning, that the woman who gave me up was in fact / you –

OLD JULY. You have any cake?

Beat.

A fine house like this should always have cake.

THOMAS. Yes. Yes. That might be nice. I’ll send for some cake and, and…

Beat.

Perhaps you can tell me more about your life, I’m. I’m thinking of compiling a volume of slave histories, / you see –

OLD JULY. Me not a slave.

THOMAS. Stories, plantation stories. I should very much like to hear yours and who knows? Perhaps one day you shall see it in print.

The sound of singing can be heard offstage. The FIELD CHORUS – DUBLIN HILTON, CORNET JUMP, MISS BESSIE and EZRA – will come on, gradually.

OLD JULY. In a book?

THOMAS. Yes.

OLD JULY. A tale of my making?

THOMAS. The truth, I would hope.

OLD JULY. You nuh trust me word?

THOMAS. Of course, of course.

OLD JULY. Yuh better send for that cake.

The FIELD CHORUS are all on stage now.

THOMAS. Where shall we begin, Miss July? Why don’t you tell me where were you born?

OLD JULY. Me born inna the cane piece. That day the members of the first gang was Dublin Hilton, Cornet Jump, him wife Bessie, and Ezra.

Me mama, Kitty, was in the field, cutting cane. So big and strong was she, she never even notice me come slithering out she belly.

The rain did lash down as me drop upon the trash. Me can remember looking up and seeing me mother, a giant above me, as she slice and fell, slice and fell. Me open me mouth and let out a cry so loud the birds did fly from the trees –

CORNET. Why, Miss July. It did not rain on the day you were born, but the sun did beat down on you so hot, all of the birth blood dry ’pon your skin like a crust –

DUBLIN. It was niddah rain or shine. Yuh nuh remember how a big-big hurricane did come blow the pickney high-high?

CORNET. Wha’ yuh say?

DUBLIN. Miss Kitty had to reach up and ketch the pickney foot before she fly away –

CORNET. Old man. Yuh drunk? Everybody know say a tiger did come prowl ’pon him six foot and sniff at the pickney as she lie down ’pon the trash –

BESSIE. Husband.

CORNET. Wife.

BESSIE. Yuh carry on like this, how the good man gon’ believe Miss July when she speak of all the true ting that happen on the plantation named Amity? Miss July, tell him honest about the night you was born.

OLD JULY turns to THOMAS, continuing with her story.

OLD JULY. Me mama did birth me in her dwelling hut.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Contents
• Original Production Details
• The Long Song
• About the Authors
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information