The Glow

Alistair McDowall

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781350329867
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Theatre Playwriting

People find me. When it's dark. 1863. An asylum. A woman locked in a windowless cell, with no memory as to who she is, or how she arrived there. When spiritualist medium Mrs Lyall requires a new assistant, this nameless woman seems the perfect candidate. But as the woman's past begins to reveal itself, so do new powers neither are prepared for. Alistair McDowall's haunting new play The Glow was the 2018 Pinter Commission, an award given annually by Lady Antonia Fraser to support a new commission at the Royal Court Theatre. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at London's Royal Court Theatre in January 2022.

II:

Fisher King.

1.

1348.

A dungeon.

Haster (The Knight) stands holding a torch, the sole source of light.

He stares into the dark, waiting.

We hear a shifting of chains.

The Woman steps forward into the light.

She wears a huge iron collar, strung with chains leading off in all directions.

She and Haster consider each other.

2.

By a small fire, Haster chews on a hunk of salted meat.

The Woman watches.

Pause.

The Woman Where are we going?

Pause.

The Woman You won’t say?

Pause.

The Woman You’ll take me from a place and not say where…

Pause.

The Woman Is it far?

Pause.

The Woman How many days will it take to get there?

Pause.

Haster Many.

Pause.

The Woman But how many, though?

Haster There is no number.

Pause.

The Woman …but if you were to guess a number.

Pause.

The Woman If you were to pack enough meat for the journey, how many days meat would-

Haster Do you feel pain.

The Woman …Yes.

Haster Then stop your tongue lest I cause you to feel some.

Pause.

Haster I am taking you south.

...

To the King.

Pause.

The Woman Why?

Haster You are his property.

The Woman I’m no one’s property-

Haster You are of this land. You are his to own.

The Woman Are you his property, too?

Pause.

The Woman What does he want with me?

Haster It is not your concern.

The Woman It is my concern- It’s me. I am my concern.

Pause.

The Woman I know who you are.

Pause.

The Woman I heard your stories.

They use them to scare children.

…

‘If you don’t get to sleep, Lord Haster’ll come and take your heads off!’

She grins.

Pause.

The Woman They tell stories of me, too.

Haster I hold no belief in them.

The Woman …Well I don’t believe yours.

Haster fixes her with a stare, then drinks from a bladder of water.

The Woman You’re hard to talk to.

Haster I have no desire to speak to you.

The Woman Do you ever desire to speak to anyone?

...

Would you ever give greetings to person?

Or say ‘Goodbye!’

…

…No one spoke to me there, either.

Where you found me.

...

They were afraid of me.

They kept me in more chains than a- A beast would need.

...

They wouldn’t even look at me when they brought my meals.

…

And they brought me meals on every day, though I never took

one bite.

Nor one sip of water.

Or wine.

…

Nor goats milk.

…

Nor mead.

…

Nor broth.

…

Nor the juice of-

Haster Stop naming fluids.

…

Did I not tell you to shut your hole?

…

I am taking you south.

No words will change your course.

Until we reach-

The Woman jumps up and flees into the woods.

Haster Wh- Hold- Woman!

Haster struggles to his feet and after her-

Haster Woman!

He blunders wildly through the trees, changing directions repeatedly, soon lost.

He’s moved too far from the fire, and the moonlight has deserted him.

We listen to his breathing, his faltering steps.

Haster Woman!

Haster walks on in total darkness.

Eventually we hear someone approac...