Bruce Dixon and Daughters

1. Auflage 2023
ISBN: 978-1-78850-652-6
Verlag: Nick Hern Books
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 104 Seiten

Reihe: NHB Modern Plays

Mary has just been released from prison. She wants to come home and forget all about it - but Briana has other ideas. Over two tumultuous days, a family is forced to confront not only their past, but everything about themselves. Because the truth doesn't go away, even if you refuse to hear it. A powerful story of family and forgiveness, Deborah Bruce's play Dixon and Daughters was first performed at the National Theatre, London, in April 2023, directed by Róisín McBrinn and co-produced with Clean Break.

Deborah Bruce is a writer and theatre director. Her plays include: Dixon and Daughters (Clean Break/National Theatre, 2023); Raya (Hampstead Theatre, 2021); The House They Grew Up In (Minerva Theatre, Chichester, 2017); The Distance (Orange Tree Theatre and Sheffield Crucible, 2014; a finalist for the 2012-13 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize); Same (National Theatre Connections Festival 2014); and Godchild (Hampstead Theatre, 2013).

Autoren/Hrsg.

Bruce, Deborah

Leseproben

1.

MARY BERNIE

BERNIE. In you come.

MARY

BERNIE

You hiding, because I wouldn’t bother.

Ju.

JULIE

JULIE. Where is she?

BERNIE. Toilet.

JULIE. Stop talking to us then.

BERNIE. I just said. Don’t bother! She’s in a right mood.

The strap on that bag broke, you’ll have to take it back, hope you’ve got the receipt.

JULIE. You know I haven’t, it’s off the market.

BERNIE. Well the strap broke.

ELLA

ELLA. Mum. Stop talking to us.

BERNIE. I’m telling you, she’s not in the mood.

JULIE. What are we doing then?

ELLA. Go out!

BERNIE

JULIE ELLA

JULIE. So. We hiding or what?

ELLA. Might as well.

BERNIE

BERNIE

JULIE

JULIE. Surprise!

BERNIE. She’s just flushed.

ELLA

BERNIE

JULIE. For fuck’s sake.

MARY

MARY. It smells funny in there.

BERNIE. Does it?

MARY

JULIE ELLA

JULIE/ELLA. Surprise!

BERNIE

MARY. What surprise, your coat’s over the banister.

BERNIE. Are you going to have a sit-down before you unpack your bag?

Look, Ella’s here to see you!

ELLA. Surprise!

BERNIE. That’s nice, isn’t it?

ELLA. Welcome home, Nana!

MARY. Yeah, well.

ELLA MARY

BERNIE. You’re not in the mood, are you, Mum? / Didn’t I say she’s in a mood.

MARY. I told you, I’m car sick.

JULIE. I took the afternoon off work you know! / I can’t take pay for that

MARY. I’m not deaf, I can hear you.

JULIE. I know, I’m telling you, aren’t I?

MARY. What you shouting for?

JULIE. Who’s shouting? You’d know if I were shouting.

MARY

MARY. What’s gone on in here?

BERNIE. Nothing.

We’ve got you your favourites in, for your tea and your snacks. Julie tidied round for you.

MARY

Gave it a hoover.

ELLA. Shall I make you a cup of tea, Nana?

BERNIE. She wants something to eat I expect. Shall Ella put a slice of toast in for you?

MARY. In a minute.

BERNIE. That’s it, no rush is there.

Just taking it all in, aren’t you? Adapting to being home.

JULIE

MARY. She been staying here?

BERNIE. No.

MARY. She has.

BERNIE. Only for the odd night.

MARY. What’s wrong with house?

BERNIE. I don’t know. She’ll have to tell you that herself, won’t she?

ELLA. Why don’t you sit down, Nana?

BERNIE. Yeah.

MARY

MARY

BERNIE ELLA

She doesn’t miss a trick, does she? God’s sake. She’s like bloody Poirot.

ELLA. What was it like? Did you have to wait ages?

BERNIE. Only half an hour or so.

ELLA. She looks old, doesn’t she?

JULIE

JULIE. She’s gone upstairs.

BERNIE. You better of put it all back the same.

Where you going to stay tonight?

JULIE. Here.

BERNIE

Just till I get sorted.

BERNIE. You won’t last five minutes.

JULIE. Jacko said I could stay at the pub if I’m desperate.

BERNIE. Jesus Christ, you’d have to be.

You can’t stay at ours I’ve got no carpet upstairs till end of the month and Sanj is using the back room for bubble wrap.

ELLA. She’s coming down.

MARY

JULIE. Alright, Mum?

MARY. No I’m not ‘Alright, Mum’ what’s been going on in my house?

JULIE. Nothing, what do you mean?

MARY. Well, you’ve been living here for a start, he kick you out, did he?

JULIE. No.

ELLA

ELLA

MARY. Who’s been messing about in my bedroom?

JULIE. No one.

MARY. Well, someone has, everything’s been moved around and put back wrong.

JULIE. No it hasn’t, like what?

MARY. All my pictures! All my bits and pieces. All my dresses and skirts have got mixed up in the cupboard, what’s been going on?

BERNIE. You must of remembered it wrong.

MARY. Don’t be making out it’s me, I’m not going mad /

BERNIE. I never said you were / going mad

MARY. My cushions on the bed are upside down /

JULIE. I changed your bedding, I made it all nice for you!

MARY. Well, it’s not nice is it? /

JULIE. Wish / I hadn’t bothered!

MARY. Being lied to by your own daughters and taken advantage of.

JULIE. You what?

MARY. It’s a miracle I haven’t dropped dead of heart attack the stress I’m under, I’ve been in there over three months you know /

BERNIE. Come on / sit down

MARY. Moved around, treated like a criminal.

BERNIE JULIE

You wouldn’t last one night, you. You’d be screaming and shouting all sorts.

I get out and now what? I’m being treated like an idiot in my own home /

JULIE. I’ve took the afternoon off work for this.

BERNIE. Come on, / sit down.

MARY. I’ve been dreaming of my own bed, I’ve had no privacy.

BERNIE MARY

What you been sleeping in my bed for?

BERNIE ( JULIE) Just tell her.

( MARY.) You should work for MI5, you.

JULIE. I left him.

MARY. What for?

JULIE. Sick of it, weren’t I.

MARY. Sick of what? Oh don’t bother telling me I don’t want to know.

JULIE. Making me feel like shit all the time.

MARY

MARY. Don’t be thinking you can move in here.

JULIE. It’s only till I get myself sorted.

MARY. Well, you can get yourself sorted somewhere else because you’re not doing it here.

JULIE. Right.

Thanks for your support.

MARY. You’ve had nothing support, all your life. No one forced you to drink you know, no one lifted the bottle to your lips.

JULIE. Oh my god! Two minutes she’s been home!

MARY. No one’s supported you? / Who paid your car insurance when you nearly lost your job because of it?

JULIE. I never said no one’s supported me, I said thanks for your support.

MARY. Moving all my precious things around.

You drinking again?

JULIE. No.

MARY. That why he kicked you out, was it?

ELLA MARY.

BERNIE. Ella’s come all the way across from Leeds, so are you going to behave or what?

MARY

MARY. Thank you, love.

ELLA. Is it nice to be home, Nana?

MARY. Oh yeh.

BERNIE. She’s in her third year now, aren’t you?

ELLA. Yeah. Gone fast.

BERNIE. You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?

ELLA. Yeah it’s good.

MARY. Not working too hard I hope.

ELLA. No.

MARY. That’s good.

BERNIE. Hey, she can come to the graduation, can’t she? You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Mum? Day out in Leeds.

MARY. When’s that then?

BERNIE. Summer, is it?

ELLA. I don’t know how many tickets you’re allowed, but yeah.

BERNIE. We only need three...