Our New Girl (NHB Modern Plays)

Nancy Harris

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9781848422230
• eBook ISBN: 9781788505093
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

A startling psychological drama about the darker side of modern parenthood.

Behind the shiny door of Hazel Robinson's immaculate London home, things aren't as good as they look. Her plastic surgeon husband, Richard, has embarked on his latest charitable mission to Haiti, leaving the heavily pregnant Hazel to cope with a failing business and a problem son. When a professional nanny arrives unannounced on her doorstep, Hazel finds her home under the shadow of a seemingly perfect stranger, and one who has an agenda of her own.

Nancy Harris's play Our New Girl was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2012.

This volume also includes her short play Little Dolls, first performed as part of the Bush Theatre's Broken Space season in 2008.

'Mercilessly accurate... this fiendish little play is spot-on' - Daily Mail

'Both gripping and deeply unsettling'- Daily Telegraph

'A wonderful sly, sharp humour and thematic subtlety' - Independent

ACT ONE

One

A darkened kitchen. A sense of night.

DANIEL is standing in the doorway in his school uniform. Watching.

A sliver of light from the hallway lights the room.

In one hand, DANIEL holds a mirror.

He walks into the kitchen and places the mirror on the table.

He studies his reflection for a beat.

He takes off his school blazer and rolls up the sleeves of his shirt in an ‘all business’ sort of way that appears far beyond his years.

He goes to the cupboard and takes out a small first-aid kit.

He puts it on the table, opens it and takes out a bottle of Dettol and some tissue.

He pours the Dettol onto the tissue.

He brings his ear up close to the mirror – it is magnified in the reflection – and he begins to clean it very carefully. He finishes.

He drags a chair over to the sideboard where several pristine silver Sabatier kitchen knives of different shapes and sizes are displayed on a magnetic knife-holder on the sideboard. They glint in the light.

He climbs onto the chair and reaches for one.

He climbs down and goes back to the mirror.

He looks at the reflection of his ear once more.

He takes the knife and slowly begins to lift it towards his ear.

Suddenly he glances back toward the door as though worried he is being watched in the darkness.

Nothing.

He turns back to the mirror again and brings the knife to the top of his ear.

The blade hovers beside the flesh.

He grips his earlobe, closes his eyes and lifts the knife –

Blackout.

Two

Several weeks earlier.

The kitchen table is covered with unopened bottles of olive oil. There are a number of boxes on the floor.

ANNIE stands in her anorak, a suitcase at her feet.

HAZEL stands with a phone in her hand, frustrated.

HAZEL. I’m not blaming you, obviously I’m not blaming you.

ANNIE. No.

HAZEL. None of this is your fault in any way, shape or /

ANNIE. No /

HAZEL. But the fact is – there’s been a mistake. I mean, even with the jet lag and the time-zone differences and all of the other things that might distract a person – it still doesn’t make sense.

Beat.

I know my husband.

ANNIE. Of course.

HAZEL. And I can’t see how he could’ve just – not remembered to tell me. About this. You know? It’s not like it’s a small deal.

ANNIE. No.

HAZEL. You’re a whole new person standing in front of me and if there was going to be a whole new person standing in front of me, I think he would’ve let me know about it, don’t you?

ANNIE. Yes.

HAZEL. Yes.

Beat.

ANNIE. It’s just – this is the address on the email.

ANNIE holds out a piece of paper.

HAZEL. I know that. I know this is the address on the – I see that this is the – and that is our address but I think – I really think there must have been a – huge… And I’m sorry, you know because you’ve come all the way.

ANNIE. Yes.

HAZEL. And that’s awful for you and if I were you I’d be very angry with… whoever has caused this mess.

ANNIE. I had to pay for the taxi.

HAZEL. I know. Yes. You said about – that.

ANNIE. They told me someone’d pick me up from the airport. So I waited for an hour but when no one came, I just got in a taxi.

HAZEL. Well, that’s terrible. That’s really – awful.

ANNIE. I thought I should show some initiative because I had the address and, you know, parents can be busy.

HAZEL. Yes. Well. Tell me about it. My son’s finishing school at two and I’ve a mountain of work to get through and a to-do list as long as my –

ANNIE. It’s just – I didn’t expect to have to pay for it. The taxi. Out of my own pocket like?

HAZEL. No. No, of course. You shouldn’t have to – and I can give you the money. Really, if it’s money – that’s the least I could… How much was it?

ANNIE. I don’t know anyone in London.

HAZEL. Oh.

HAZEL looks at the phone.

I see. Well, that’s… hmmn. That is a bit of a [problem] –

ANNIE. It was forty. The taxi.

HAZEL. Right.

HAZEL rustles around and looks for the money. ANNIE continues.

ANNIE. Which I thought was alright – in a way – cos people at home never stop telling me taxis over here cost a fortune. I was worried he might turn around and say two hundred or something.

HAZEL. Well, we’re not far from the – airport really.

She gives ANNIE forty pounds.

ANNIE. Thanks.

They look at one another.

HAZEL. It’s just I’m just not sure how we [proceed] – you know. Now. I’m not sure where we – go… from here. Is there someone we can ring or – or a head office?

ANNIE. It’s in Birmingham.

HAZEL. Birmingham?

ANNIE. The agency is based in Birmingham.

HAZEL. God. Really? Well, that’s, no – you might as well go back to Sligo at that rate. It is Sligo, isn’t it? That’s where you said you’re from?

ANNIE. Yes.

HAZEL. Sorry – I don’t know Ireland all that [well] – We were supposed to go on our honeymoon.

ANNIE. To Sligo?

HAZEL. No. Ireland – but Richard had an exam so we didn’t. Sorry. I’m rambling. I could call him again but that’s the fifth time and I’m pretty sure he’s probably on a plane. Or a bus. Or asleep. I don’t even know what time it is there.

ANNIE. On the phone he said he’d be delayed.

HAZEL. On the… You – spoke to him on the phone?

ANNIE. Yes.

HAZEL. Richard?

ANNIE. Didn’t I say that at the start?

HAZEL. No.

ANNIE. Oh. Yes. We spoke a couple of times. To finalise the arrangements.

HAZEL. Finalise the /

ANNIE. He said he was due back today from… Haiti, is it?

HAZEL. Yes.

ANNIE. Where the big earthquake was?

HAZEL. Yes.

ANNIE. Yeah. But there’s been an emergency or something so he has to stay on now.

HAZEL. Yes, he’s been asked to… So you – spoke to my husband on the phone when he was i...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Contents
• Original Production Details
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication
• Characters
• Our New Girl
• Little Dolls
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information