17

Dameon Garnett

• Éditeur: Oberon Books
• Année: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781783196579
• Édition: 1
• Sujet: Medien & darstellende Kunst
• Sous-sujet: Theater

At seventeen years old, Scott is facing a future that is as uncertain as his past. The death of his adopted mother throws his life into chaos, and now he finds himself having to fit in with a new middle-class family, and the birth-mother he never knew. Class differences soon reach fever pitch, and guilt has the winning hand. Whoever thought change would be this difficult, and what is Scott hiding under the bed?

Act One

SCENE 1

Friday evening. A Liverpool couple, LISA and DANIEL, are in their kitchen, preparing a meal. There is a table and chairs. LISA is breathless and nervous; DANIEL gives her a reassuring squeeze, or embrace. She drops a fork.

LISA: Damn.

DANIEL picks it up. Pause as they look at each other.

DANIEL: Take it easy.

LISA: Yeh.

Pause. They carry on.

DANIEL: It’s fine.

Silence as they continue to prepare.

LISA: Shall I do the table?

DANIEL: Go ’ead then.

LISA does so but cannot make up her mind how to set it out.

LISA: (Trying different arrangements.) Maybe... I dunno.

She re-arranges it.

Do ya think... which side should we sit him on?

DANIEL: I don’t think he cares.

LISA: Maybe I should sit next to...

Pause.

I hope it’s gonna be all right. I hope...

DANIEL: Take it easy. Getting worked up over nothing.

LISA: Nothing?

DANIEL: You know what I mean.

LISA: Not really.

DANIEL: Lisa...

He goes over to her. They hold hands and look at each other.

LISA: And what about the...you know...the ashes; where the hell could they have got to? It’s driving me crazy.

DANIEL: They’ll turn up. Anyway, it’s nearly ready. Do you wanna give him a shout?

LISA: Yeh. I’ll just finish...

She finishes setting the table as DANIEL lays out the food. LISA goes off stage right and shouts up.

Scott! Scotty – ya tea’s ready! Come on down lad.

DANIEL: (Making fun of her.) ‘Come on down’...

LISA: What?

Eventually a 17-year-old boy, SCOTT, enters. He wears a hooded top and is carrying a small tank with a towel over it. There is a book on top of the tank.

LISA: All right lad?

DANIEL: Sit down mate.

He puts the tank down in the corner.

LISA: What’s that?

SCOTT: Dr Who.

LISA: What – in that thing?

SCOTT: No – I mean me book.

LISA: Gonna say...

DANIEL: She’s pulling ya leg Scott. She meant the box. What’s in it?

Pause.

LISA: Have you gotta nice big cake in there for us?

SCOTT: Wha’?

LISA: Never mind.

Silence as DANIEL puts the dinner out. SCOTT does not look impressed. DANIEL sits down and both he and LISA look on at him, relishing and expecting a challenge.

DANIEL: Well?

LISA: Try it.

They start eating, SCOTT tentatively.

SCOTT: (After a pause.) What is it?

LISA: Mushroom risotto.

SCOTT: (Playing with it.) Wha’ – like, rice an’ stuff?

LISA: Yeh. It’s rice. Nice rice. Try it.

Pause. SCOTT takes a mouthful.

SCOTT: Can I ’ave chips?

DANIEL looks at LISA.

LISA: No...remember what we said...you’re gonna...just give it a go. It’s nice.

SCOTT: I always ’ave chips on a Fridee.

LISA: You ’ave chips every day...used to...

DANIEL: Go easy...

Pause.

Look, Scotty, I love chips too. But we can’t have chips all the time now, can we?

SCOTT: Why not?

LISA: They make you sick.

Pause.

SCOTT: I’ve never been sick from eatin’ chips.

LISA: I mean...it’s not...they’re not good for you...all the time. You’ll get scurvy.

SCOTT: Wha’?

LISA: Remember. You’re gonna try and eat more like what we do...remember?

SCOTT eats more risotto.

SCOTT: I don’t like mushrooms.

LISA: They’re only small ones.

SCOTT: Mushrooms are poisonous.

LISA: Not these ones.

SCOTT: How do ya know?

LISA: They’re from Marks and Spencer. Go on – try some.

He does so. Silence.

SCOTT: I can make chips meself.

DANIEL: Can ya? That’s handy...handy to know, eh Lis’. Tell ya what...next time we make chips, you can be in charge, eh Lisa...can’t he?

Silence as SCOTT attempts to plough on through the meal. LISA is pleased that he is having a go.

SCOTT: Where’s Leo?

DANIEL: Gone to his nan’s mate. He sometimes goes on a Friday.

SCOTT: Where does she live?

DANIEL: Maghul...