Harper Regan follows a woman's road trip through the heart of England in a violent and comic exploration of the moralities of sex and death. Quietly harrowing, this play is a barometer for our times exploring dark secrets and familial estrangement.
Marine Parade is a musical about sex, betrayal and hope, set in a run-down B&B on Brighton's waterfront. A moving and poignant play, it 'captures the peculiar aroma of Brighton, with its mix of the bracing and the melancholy' (Guardian).
Olivier award-winning play On the Shore of the Wide World is an epic piece about love, family, Roy Keane and the size of the galaxy.
Punk Rock is based on Simon Stephens's experience as a teacher and he describes this play as 'The History Boys on crack'. It explores the underlying tensions and potential violence in a group of affluent, articulate seventeen year old students.
eBook - ePub
Stephens Plays: 3
Harper Regan, Punk Rock, Marine Parade and On the Shore of the Wide World
- 464 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Stephens Plays: 3
Harper Regan, Punk Rock, Marine Parade and On the Shore of the Wide World
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Information
On the Shore of the Wide World
For my wife
On the Shore of the Wide World was first presented at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, supported by the Bulldog Prinsep Theatrical Foundation, on 13 April 2005. The cast was as follows:
| Peter Holmes | Nicholas Gleaves |
| Alice Holmes | Siobhan Finneran |
| Charlie Holmes | David Hargreaves |
| Ellen Holmes | Eileen OâBrien |
| Alex Holmes | Thomas Morrison |
| Christopher Holmes | Steven Webb |
| Sarah Black | Carla Henry |
| Paul Danziger | Matt Smith |
| John Robinson | Roger Morlidge |
| Susan Reynolds | Susannah Harker |
| Director | Sarah Frankcom |
| Designer | Liz Ascroft |
| Lighting | Mick Hughes |
| Sound | Peter Rice |
| Assistant Director | Tom Daley |
Characters
Peter Holmes, thirty-nine
Alice Holmes, thirty-seven
Charlie Holmes, sixty-six
Ellen Holmes, sixty-two
Alex Holmes, eighteen
Christopher Holmes, fifteen
Sarah Black, seventeen
Paul Danziger, nineteen
John Robinson, thirty-six
Susan Reynolds, thirty-five
The play is set in Stockport. It takes place over a nine-month period in 2004.
The set should be as open, as uncluttered, as free from specific detail as we can get away with.
The actors should enter the stage for their first entrance in each part and remain on stage until their final line of that part. Scenes can play across any actor that remains on stage regardless of whether or not they are present within that scene.
Lights should only fall completely between each part, not between each scene.
Massive thanks are due to Sarah Frankcom, Lucy Davies and all at the NT Studio, the staff and writers of the Royal Court Young Writers Programme (especially Nina), Ian Rickson for the note on the drinking, Nicholas Hytner and Braham Murray for the lunch, Mum, Mark, Jane, all the folks, both the boys, and the frankly gorgeous Mel Kenyon, without whom etc., etc., etc.
Part One
Christopher
One
Alex Holmes and Sarah Black on the top deck of a bus bound from Manchester to Stockport. Friday morning, 1.30 a.m., February 2004. Alex is drinking from a can of Red Stripe.
Alex Have a guess.
Sarah I canât
Alex Go on.
Sarah A million miles.
Alex Ninety-three million.
Sarah God.
Slight pause.
Sarah thinks. Alex looks at her. Drinks from his can of beer.
Sarah takes out a vial of pills and pops one. He watches her.
She grins.
Sarah You wanna go somewhere else?
Alex Where?
Sarah What time is it?
Alex Half-one.
Sarah I reckon we could find somewhere. Bound to be somewhere open.
Alex At this time?
Sarah Must be. Should just go and ask someone. Go up to them. Bet theyâd tell us.
Alex You would and all.
Slight pause.
Sarah We should go and get some fags. I could kill a fag right now.
Alex Shouldnât smoke on a bus. Itâs rude.
Sarah Nobody minds.
Alex Yeah they do. Itâs dangerous, secondary smoking. Gives yer cancer.
Sarah Coward.
Alex Itâs not about being a coward, Sarah. Itâs just about being polite.
Sarah Whatâs it like being you, eh?
Beat.
We could go to yours tonight.
Alex laughs.
Sarah We could, though.
Alex I donât think theyâd be too happy.
Sarah They wouldnât mind.
Alex You donât know âem.
Sarah I bet theyâre not as bad as you make out.
Alex Theyâll be asleep.
Sarah Iâd be dead quiet.
Alex You say that now.
Sarah I would be.
Alex I donât think itâs a very good idea.
Sarah rubs her eye gently with her thumb.
She clears some dust.
A slight pause.
I donât want to go home.
A slight pause.
You can see the moon.
A slight pause.
How far awayâs that?
Alex 238,000 miles. Practically next door.
A slight pause.
Sarah Did you check about tomorrow, Alex?
Alex Yeah.
Sarah What did they say?
Alex Said it was all right. Said you could. Said as long as you were quiet and didnât ask fucking questions about the fucking moon all night then they didnât mind.
A slight pause.
Sarah I canât wait.
A slight pause.
What are they like?
Alex Youâll see. Theyâre all right. Bit âŚ
Sarah What?
Alex grins, doesnât answer.
A slight pause.
Alex Our Christopher wants to meet you.
Sarah Right.
Alex Thereâs a place he goes to. This derelict hotel. The Bluebell. He breaks in. Smokes fags. He said he wanted me to take you there to meet him.
Sarah Right.
Slight pause.
She smiles at him. Leans against him but looks out of the bus window.
(Looking away.) I can always go out on my own. If you wanna go home. Go and wander about a bit.
Alex Donât.
Sarah (grinning) Have an explore.
Alex Sarah, donât be stupid.
Sarah Well. Come with us then.
Alex looks away from her. Cros...
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Contents
- Chronology
- Introduction
- On the Shore of the Wide World
- Marine Parade
- Harper Regan
- Punk Rock
- Marine Parade: musical score and lyrics by Mark Eitzel
- Imprint
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