Kennedy Life Raft

1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-78850-848-3
Verlag: Nick Hern Books
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 160 Seiten

Reihe: NHB Modern Plays

- Every man for himself. - I'd say we're better off sticking together. In a mysterious dystopia, against a backdrop of war, a life raft filled with children is adrift at sea - their passenger liner sunk by an unknown and unseen enemy. As darkness falls and their rations dwindle, fear, superstition and madness start to take hold. Hours turn into days, and it becomes clear that not all of them will make it back to dry land alive... Life Raft is a thrilling contemporary adaptation of The Raft of the Medusa, Georg Kaiser's 1945 play, written during his exile from Nazi Germany, and inspired by a terrifying true story. Written by Fin Kennedy in collaboration with Bristol Old Vic's acclaimed Young Company, and originally performed by them under the direction of Melly Still, this large-cast play for young actors is a dark study in the psychology of survival - and an urgent allegory for our times. This definitive edition of the play is accompanied by a series of interactive games specially created by award-winning games designer Tassos Stevens, allowing young people a deeper exploration of the play's themes, and the opportunity to create their own new stories inspired by the scenario.

Fin Kennedy is an award-winning playwright of theatre and radio whose plays are regularly produced in the UK and abroad. In 2021 he set up Applied Stories, a digital production company making audio drama and online training. His first play Protection was produced at Soho Theatre in 2003, where he was also Pearson writer-in-residence. His second play How To Disappear Completely and Never Be Found won the 38th Arts Council John Whiting Award and has been produced around the world. It has become a firm favourite with student and amateur performance groups and is among Nick Hern Books' most licensed plays. Fin has 20 years' experience writing for teenagers, often through a process of being embedded in an inner-city school or youth theatre. His first two plays for teenagers, Locked In (2006) and We Are Shadows (2008) were produced by Half Moon Young People's Theatre and toured nationally. Life Raft (2015) for Bristol Old Vic Young Company, has been translated into German and French for use in schools across Europe. From 2006-2014 Fin was writer-in-residence at Mulberry School for Girls in east London, for whom he has written seven plays, published in two volumes by Nick Hern Books as The Urban Girl's Guide to Camping and other plays and The Domino Effect and other plays for teenagers. Fin also writes for radio and has had ten Afternoon Plays broadcast on BBC Radio 4 including The Good Listener, a returning series set inside GCHQ and On Kosovo Field, a collaboration with musician PJ Harvey. Fin's most recent venture is the UK's first fully online Playwrighting for Teachers course, to pass on many of the original creative writing exercises he has devised over the years.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kennedy, Fin

Weitere Mitwirkende

Kaiser, Georg

Leseproben

Prologue

Day One

ALLAN

ANN

ANN …

ALLAN ANN

ANN. What’s the matter?

ALLAN. Nothing.

ANN. Want some?

ANN

ALLAN. Yes please.

ANN

What is it?

ANN. Milk.

ALLAN. Oh.

ANN. Too big for a cup of milk?

ALLAN. I didn’t say that.

ANN ALLAN

It’s warm.

ANN. That’s the idea.

ALLAN. When did you fill it?

ANN. Last night.

ALLAN. Before…

ANN. Yes, before.

ALLAN. I wish I’d thought to save something.

ANN. You saved yourself.

ALLAN. So did you.

ANN. Were you scared?

ALLAN. No. Were you?

ANN. No.

ANN

I’d say we’re the oldest here.

ALLAN. How old are you?

ANN. Thirteen. You?

ALLAN. Fourteen.

ANN. That makes you the leader.

ALLAN

What for?

ALLAN. It’s what leaders do.

ANN

Thanks for the milk.

ANN. It isn’t much.

ALLAN. It was kind. You’re a leader too.

ANN. Let’s share.

ALLAN. Can you have two leaders?

ANN. I mean the scarf.

ALLAN. Oh.

ANN. Half and half.

ALLAN. But I barely know you.

ANN. It doesn’t mean we’re engaged or anything.

ANN

I’m Ann.

ALLAN. Allan.

ANN. Allan and Ann.

ALLAN. Yes.

ANN. Two As. Must be top of the class.

ALLAN ANN

Save it. You might need it.

ALLAN. Same.

ALLAN

ANN. Every man for himself.

ALLAN. I’d say we’re better off sticking together.

GEORGE ALFIE ARCHIE ROGER SAM

GEORGE. Where are we?

ALFIE. Where does it look like?

ARCHIE. All at sea. What t-time is it?

ROGER (). Six-thirty. On the dot.

SAM. I need a wee.

GEORGE. Where’s our ship?

ARCHIE. G-gone.

ALFIE. Don’t you remember?

SAM. Boom!

ROGER. I can still taste the smoke.

ARCHIE. M-me too.

ROGER. Yuck.

SAM. I almost died.

ALFIE. We all did.

ALLAN. Well we didn’t. Be thankful.

ALFIE. Who are you?

ALLAN. I’m Allan. This is Ann.

ANN. This is our ship now.

ALFIE. Your ship?

ALLAN. All of us.

ROGER. Until we’re rescued.

ALFIE. When will that be?

ROGER. Soon.

SAM. How do you know?

ROGER. Because who’d leave us here?

SAM. Boom!

GEORGE. Stop it.

SAM. Boom!

GEORGE. Where’s my sister? I need to find my sister. Evie? Evie!

ALFIE. Probably dead.

GEORGE. Shut up!

ARCHIE. D-don’t say that!

ROGER. It’s possible though.

ARCHIE. You d-don’t know that.

GEORGE. She was – she was –

ALLAN. In the water?

GEORGE. Yes.

SAM. She might be on another boat then.

ARCHIE. We’re only ch-children.

ALFIE. Speak for yourself.

ARCHIE. They wouldn’t l-leave us.

ALFIE. I’m a man.

ROGER. How old are you?

ALFIE. Thirteen.

SAM. I’m only twelve.

ARCHIE. So am I.

GEORGE. So am I.

ALFIE. Babies.

ARCHIE. Sh-shut up.

GEORGE. Yeah you can’t bully us.

ALFIE. Why not?

GEORGE. I’m taller than you.

ALFIE. So?

ROGER. I’m thirteen.

ANN. Well Allan’s fourteen. He’s the oldest.

SAM. You won’t be rescued then. They’ll only rescue children.

ALLAN. We’ll all be rescued.

ANN. Yes, whenever children go missing it’s taken seriously.

ALFIE. We’re not all children.

ANN. We are to them.

GEORGE. Who?

ANN. Adults.

ALLAN. That’s right. When something like this happens, it’s on the news.

GEORGE. Ours was a whole ship of children.

ROGER. Then we’ll be on the news right now.

SAM. Where’s the cameras?

ROGER. Not like that. It’ll be on the news that we’re missing.

ALLAN. And that they’re looking.

ROGER. That’s right.

ALFIE. Well they’d better hurry. It’s freezing.

GEORGE. Why were we attacked?

SAM. Boom!

ROGER. They’ll already be out looking.

ARCHIE. Yeah, we’ll be rescued any s-second.

ALFIE. What’s wrong with your voice?

ARCHIE. N-nothing.

GEORGE. Well I can’t see anyone coming.

SAM. Boom!

ROGER. Stop that.

GEORGE. Why would they attack children?

ALLAN. That’s war.

ALFIE. That’s right, just how it is.

ANN. It’s because it hurts the adults.

GEORGE. But we haven’t done anything.

ANN. Exactly.

ARCHIE. M-maybe it was an accident.

SAM. It was a bomb. From a plane.

ALFIE. It was a mine. In the sea.

ROGER. Could’ve been a torpedo. From a sub.

ANN. Does it matter?

ALLAN. We don’t know what it was.

GEORGE. I was asleep.

ALLAN. We all were.

SAM. The explosion woke me up.

ALFIE. I saw the water coming in.

ARCHIE. I heard s-screaming.

ROGER. My cabin caught fire –

GEORGE. There was smoke –

ANN. Enough!

ALLAN. Ann’s right. We’re safe now. Be thankful.

ALFIE. Thankful for what?

ALLAN. You’re still alive, aren’t you?

ALFIE. Well that depends.

ALLAN. They’ll be here soon.

SAM. I thought maybe it was all a dream.

GEORGE. Who are they?

ROGER. Those are girls.

ALFIE. Yuck.

ANN. Er, excuse me.

ALLAN. We have to look after them.

SAM ( ANN). She’s a girl.

ALLAN. She’s got me.

MARGARET MARGOT ENID ANTHEA AMY

MARGARET. Oh my God, we’re outdoors.

MARGOT (). Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

MARGOT

ENID. Fffffreezing!

ROGER. I’ll keep you warm.

ENID. Who are you?

ROGER. My name’s Roger.

ENID. Get off.

ANTHEA. Where are we?

ALLAN. You’re on a lifeboat, you’re safe.

MARGARET ( AMY). Oh my God, look at her.

ENID. Oh my God.

ANTHEA. Oh my God.

MARGOT. Blood…

ARCHIE. B-blood!

MARGARET. Eurgh, blood.

MARGOT. Eurgh!

ALFIE. Is she dead?

ANN. Of course not, she’s awake.

ALLAN. Well don’t just sit there.

ANN. What should we do?

ALLAN. I don’t know.

ANN. You’re the oldest.

ALLAN. So?

MARGARET. Is he?

ANN. Yes, he’s the leader.

MARGOT. Oh good.

ENID. Why does that make him the leader?

ALLAN. I’m not a doctor.

ENID. The best person should be leader not just the oldest.

ANTHEA. It’s alright, my mum’s a nurse.

MARGARET. Oh brilliant.

ENID. Help her then.

...