Walk From The Pub
Emma is 19 she is currently resiting her A-levels in English Lit and Drama as she didn't totally apply herself the first time round. She also has a job on the local market. She is friendly, confident, laid back, a little spontaneous, a bit of a dreamer. She talks too much but is also a good listener, pot smoking, loves trees, dancing, and is quite interested in the bigger issues in life like why are we here? Where do we come from? Finding her ultimate purpose in life. She has an ambition to write a children's book but is in no hurry, believing there is a time and place for everything. She is very much a people person, and believes you can learn and grow from any experiance. She is petite and quite pretty, she's never been fashionable but has her own hippie grungy charity-shop style. She always looks for the good in people and tries to encourage others to do the same. She's not very organised or tidy. She had a great childhood and has a good relationship with her family. Sometimes she feels very lonely and a bit redundant and a bit lost in the whole adult thing. Emma has a habit of drifting off in mid conversation and sometimes pauses mid sentence trying to find the right words
Phil is 23 he has had a traumatic time trying to come to terms with the abuse he suffered as a child. Apart from the abuse he suffered from his uncle he has a good relationship with the rest of his family,although these relationships have been strongly tested over the last few years. His relationship with his aunt Kate is particularly strong and he has found refuge in her home and comfort in her sound advice, wonderful sunday roasts, and laid back nature. He was diagnosed three years ago with schizophrenia and suffered greatly for the years before diagnosis and the following two years. For the last year he has accepted his condition, forgiven his uncle and with the help of medication , a rigorous exercise regime and a wise and insightful disposition he has managed to turn his life around. Generally when well it is hard to see there is anything wrong with him and instead of appearing weird in any way appears quite normal. When he is ill he becomes a bit of a loner he blames himself for what happened, the voices he hears when ill tend to be that of his uncle and other people he knows putting him down. Phil has been well now for over a year and suffers only occasionly,he has found that exercise helps take his mind of it. You will normally find Phil in an expensive, and clean sports wear i.e. tracksuits etc.
Scene 1
( Phil is standing with case Emma walks on stage up to him)
Emma: What's in your case?
Phil: A body
Emma: No its not
Phil: Naaa I'm just kiddin ya..........its just a head, no not really its empty, I've just took it out of that skip down there, I thought my aunt Kate would like it.
Emma: Its cool I like it........I'm a bit drunk. I was thinking whether to get a taxi home or walk, I was thinking if I get a taxi ,I'd be home really quick an I could chill an have a spliff (she's says dreamily)
Phil: Its bad for you that stuff you know
Emma: yeah I know (she says nonchalantly) or I could walk and I thought its a nice night isn't it so I think I'll walk (walks besides Phil)
Phil: (slightly amused) Oh right (carries on walking)
Emma: Are you walking up here (gestures towards the way Phil is walking)
Phil: Yeah I'm walking up to Bebington
Emma: Your walking to Bebington that's miles away, well I'll walk with you then
Phil: Okay Dokay
Emma: Why are you walking all the way to Bebington this late
Phil: I like walking it clears my head, keeps me fit. I'm a bit of a health freak,.......does your Mum know you talk to strangers....... how do you know I'm not a bad man..
Emma: Well you look nice enough........ Have you never heard of the saying ' there are no strangers only friends we haven't yet met'. (studies his face a little than declares) You seem to have one of those faces..
Phil: (smiles) One of what faces.
Emma: You know like a, like a baby face, in fact you seem like a pretty nice guy to me.
Phil: Well me Nan thinks so (cheeky smile) and a few other people I suppose, I've done some pretty shit things in the past though, I feel sorry for me poor Mum
Emma: Dont tell me that, your supposed to be my bodyguard
(looks off thinking) what kind of shit things, you dont have to tell me if you dont want.
Phil: Its all right I don't mind I was ill at the time, well I was a bit fucked up if you must know....its a bit of a heavy story though, proberly to heavy for a saturday night.
Emma: Thats all right, im all intrieged now an i'm a lot tougher then I look you know
Phil: ......(thinking) Where do I start, well basically I was abused as a kid.....but I pretended it didn't happen, blanked it out like, but that was worse
Emma: What blanking it out.
Phil: Yeah I think it hurt me for longer that way, built up inside me. If you can imagine there was a bottle inside me and every time I got pissed off or scared or failed at anything I'd tip the feelings into the bottle instead of dealing with it.......and i'd put the lid on. Tight. Then i'd lash out at the people nearest me like me Mum. God I said some awful things to me poor Mum.........(looks at Emma) Its a bit heavy isn't it.
Emma: (appears to be looking of into the distance) No, well yeah I suppose but I dont mind, I like your analogy go on carry on, what happened to the bottle.
Phil: Well my uncle abused me when I was a kid, a little kid then he just dissapeared. I never asked were he'd gone I just imagined he'd been propelled into space.
Emma: (smiles optimistically) maybe he has
Phil: Well no he came back a few years ago.
Emma: Oh sorry
Phil: I'd spent years pretending it was all a bad dream, being a angry teenager , taking it out on me Mum for not knowing,or understanding, or helping me.
Emma: But she's not phsycic
Phil: (smiles ) No..... Any way I got into loads of fights, became one of those people you cross the road from in case you look at them the wrong way, you know...
Emma: Oh yeah Ive met a few of them, in fact me sisters going through one of those phases now. I was looking at her the other day trying to remember how many sugars she took in her tea an she kicked off big time and then me Mum comes in an has a go at both of us, I'm like, I haven't done anything, I was just making her a cup of tea...... Anyway sorry go on.
Phil:......... Well I spent most of my time locked in my bedroom smoking weed. Hence the warning, it didn't do me much good an i got into loads of fights for no reason other than I wanted to punch someones head in, just to stop me feeling so crap and confused an to get all the anger inside me out. Then the glass bottle I told you about
Emma: Yeah..
Phil: Well it got so full it shattered inside me, thats what it felt like , like I had all these tiny shards of glass piercing every bit of who I was, piercing every memory, even the good ones, an I was just sad then..........just felt sad all the time. Thought I was going to be sad forever, an I still had these voices but different, oh I didn't tell you about the voices did I. Well to cut a long story short I had a breakdown, ended up in clatterbridge and was diagnosed with scitzophrenia.
Emma: God you should write a book
Phil: yeah any way its not all bad I sorted my head out ,took up running did some counseling, forgave my uncle, which was hard .Still dont see him but I dont hate him any more. Quit the weed and locking myself away, talked to my Mum. An now I do voluntary support work and I'm training for the marathon. ( checks predominator on waist) I've done 26 thousand and 746 steps today.
Emma: Wow thats a really inspiring story. Your an inspiration! You should be proud of your self. Oh this is mine now. God you've still got to walk all the way to Bebington.
Phil: Yeah well its been nice talking to you , your a good listener. (smiles) Hope your heads allright in the morning
Emma: I'll be allright. Dont think I'll ever moan again.........(thinks for a minute) You can allways get your head down on my couch if you want, save you walking back tonight.
Phil: Oh right yeah ok I think I will.
Emma: You'll have to excuse the mess.
Phil: Dont worry my rooms a tip.
Emma: Yeah right but I mean really messy. I just can't seem to get that part of my brain to work, an I like 'things' too much you know thingymebobs and whatchmecallits theres loads of whatchamecallits everywhere ( phil smiles)
(they go through front door)
Scene 2
( Emma is sitting on bed on her own smoking a spliff, staring into space)
Emma: Oh my God what have I done. I've invited a complete stranger , who's just told told me there schizophrenic and used to beat people up - to sleep on my couch. Bloodyhell Emma what have you done, you bloody idiot. Shit he could go off on one and stab me in the middle of the night......or rape me.......shit...................shit................shit...................shit shit shit.(tries to get comfy in bed, turns over trying a few different positions. (Sits up suddenly) Its no good, I'm going to have to stay awake all night................uuuuuurgh I'm so stupid sometimes. (she skits at herself) 'Oh hello Mr psychopathic serial killer with your handy case for your victims bodies, please come in, be my guest, put your feet up, in fact why not stay the night, wait until I'm in bed, chop me up and stick me in your suitcase. (mimics serial killer in posh voice) Why thank you, how kind of you, now if you could just go to sleep quickly while I sharpen my equipment.................(herself again) oh fuckety fuck sticks.
(Pink Floyds brain damage (the lunatic is in the hall) plays followed by eclipse.The music gets louder and louder until it fills up the whole theatre. Emma sits on her bed with her knees drawn up. The room is in darkness her head is nodding again and again, obvious she is trying to stay awake. The stage disappears into darkness as the second song is played. Slowly day dawns and we see Emma lying flat on her bed, there is silence....... Then we see Emma wake up. We see the reality of the night before dawn on her face. She seems happy to be alive and cautiously heads towards the door to the living room, she opens the door and bright light dazzles her to symbolise daytime and tidy room. There is no sign of Phil just a very tidy room. Emma walks around slowly trying to take it all in, picks up a couple of things as if to see if they are real. Seems a bit dazed, walks up to the case which he has left in the middle of the floor. Kneels down besides it holds onto the handle as if it was a friends hand, looks around and exclaims to no one in particular,
Emma: He's tidied up........... he's fuckin tidied up. (smiles in happy disbelief, look of wonder on face. Looks down at case and opens slowly to reveal..................'nothing' and sits smiling to herself holding case on knees.)
The end......
© Louise Jones
Phil is 23 he has had a traumatic time trying to come to terms with the abuse he suffered as a child. Apart from the abuse he suffered from his uncle he has a good relationship with the rest of his family,although these relationships have been strongly tested over the last few years. His relationship with his aunt Kate is particularly strong and he has found refuge in her home and comfort in her sound advice, wonderful sunday roasts, and laid back nature. He was diagnosed three years ago with schizophrenia and suffered greatly for the years before diagnosis and the following two years. For the last year he has accepted his condition, forgiven his uncle and with the help of medication , a rigorous exercise regime and a wise and insightful disposition he has managed to turn his life around. Generally when well it is hard to see there is anything wrong with him and instead of appearing weird in any way appears quite normal. When he is ill he becomes a bit of a loner he blames himself for what happened, the voices he hears when ill tend to be that of his uncle and other people he knows putting him down. Phil has been well now for over a year and suffers only occasionly,he has found that exercise helps take his mind of it. You will normally find Phil in an expensive, and clean sports wear i.e. tracksuits etc.
Scene 1
( Phil is standing with case Emma walks on stage up to him)
Emma: What's in your case?
Phil: A body
Emma: No its not
Phil: Naaa I'm just kiddin ya..........its just a head, no not really its empty, I've just took it out of that skip down there, I thought my aunt Kate would like it.
Emma: Its cool I like it........I'm a bit drunk. I was thinking whether to get a taxi home or walk, I was thinking if I get a taxi ,I'd be home really quick an I could chill an have a spliff (she's says dreamily)
Phil: Its bad for you that stuff you know
Emma: yeah I know (she says nonchalantly) or I could walk and I thought its a nice night isn't it so I think I'll walk (walks besides Phil)
Phil: (slightly amused) Oh right (carries on walking)
Emma: Are you walking up here (gestures towards the way Phil is walking)
Phil: Yeah I'm walking up to Bebington
Emma: Your walking to Bebington that's miles away, well I'll walk with you then
Phil: Okay Dokay
Emma: Why are you walking all the way to Bebington this late
Phil: I like walking it clears my head, keeps me fit. I'm a bit of a health freak,.......does your Mum know you talk to strangers....... how do you know I'm not a bad man..
Emma: Well you look nice enough........ Have you never heard of the saying ' there are no strangers only friends we haven't yet met'. (studies his face a little than declares) You seem to have one of those faces..
Phil: (smiles) One of what faces.
Emma: You know like a, like a baby face, in fact you seem like a pretty nice guy to me.
Phil: Well me Nan thinks so (cheeky smile) and a few other people I suppose, I've done some pretty shit things in the past though, I feel sorry for me poor Mum
Emma: Dont tell me that, your supposed to be my bodyguard
(looks off thinking) what kind of shit things, you dont have to tell me if you dont want.
Phil: Its all right I don't mind I was ill at the time, well I was a bit fucked up if you must know....its a bit of a heavy story though, proberly to heavy for a saturday night.
Emma: Thats all right, im all intrieged now an i'm a lot tougher then I look you know
Phil: ......(thinking) Where do I start, well basically I was abused as a kid.....but I pretended it didn't happen, blanked it out like, but that was worse
Emma: What blanking it out.
Phil: Yeah I think it hurt me for longer that way, built up inside me. If you can imagine there was a bottle inside me and every time I got pissed off or scared or failed at anything I'd tip the feelings into the bottle instead of dealing with it.......and i'd put the lid on. Tight. Then i'd lash out at the people nearest me like me Mum. God I said some awful things to me poor Mum.........(looks at Emma) Its a bit heavy isn't it.
Emma: (appears to be looking of into the distance) No, well yeah I suppose but I dont mind, I like your analogy go on carry on, what happened to the bottle.
Phil: Well my uncle abused me when I was a kid, a little kid then he just dissapeared. I never asked were he'd gone I just imagined he'd been propelled into space.
Emma: (smiles optimistically) maybe he has
Phil: Well no he came back a few years ago.
Emma: Oh sorry
Phil: I'd spent years pretending it was all a bad dream, being a angry teenager , taking it out on me Mum for not knowing,or understanding, or helping me.
Emma: But she's not phsycic
Phil: (smiles ) No..... Any way I got into loads of fights, became one of those people you cross the road from in case you look at them the wrong way, you know...
Emma: Oh yeah Ive met a few of them, in fact me sisters going through one of those phases now. I was looking at her the other day trying to remember how many sugars she took in her tea an she kicked off big time and then me Mum comes in an has a go at both of us, I'm like, I haven't done anything, I was just making her a cup of tea...... Anyway sorry go on.
Phil:......... Well I spent most of my time locked in my bedroom smoking weed. Hence the warning, it didn't do me much good an i got into loads of fights for no reason other than I wanted to punch someones head in, just to stop me feeling so crap and confused an to get all the anger inside me out. Then the glass bottle I told you about
Emma: Yeah..
Phil: Well it got so full it shattered inside me, thats what it felt like , like I had all these tiny shards of glass piercing every bit of who I was, piercing every memory, even the good ones, an I was just sad then..........just felt sad all the time. Thought I was going to be sad forever, an I still had these voices but different, oh I didn't tell you about the voices did I. Well to cut a long story short I had a breakdown, ended up in clatterbridge and was diagnosed with scitzophrenia.
Emma: God you should write a book
Phil: yeah any way its not all bad I sorted my head out ,took up running did some counseling, forgave my uncle, which was hard .Still dont see him but I dont hate him any more. Quit the weed and locking myself away, talked to my Mum. An now I do voluntary support work and I'm training for the marathon. ( checks predominator on waist) I've done 26 thousand and 746 steps today.
Emma: Wow thats a really inspiring story. Your an inspiration! You should be proud of your self. Oh this is mine now. God you've still got to walk all the way to Bebington.
Phil: Yeah well its been nice talking to you , your a good listener. (smiles) Hope your heads allright in the morning
Emma: I'll be allright. Dont think I'll ever moan again.........(thinks for a minute) You can allways get your head down on my couch if you want, save you walking back tonight.
Phil: Oh right yeah ok I think I will.
Emma: You'll have to excuse the mess.
Phil: Dont worry my rooms a tip.
Emma: Yeah right but I mean really messy. I just can't seem to get that part of my brain to work, an I like 'things' too much you know thingymebobs and whatchmecallits theres loads of whatchamecallits everywhere ( phil smiles)
(they go through front door)
Scene 2
( Emma is sitting on bed on her own smoking a spliff, staring into space)
Emma: Oh my God what have I done. I've invited a complete stranger , who's just told told me there schizophrenic and used to beat people up - to sleep on my couch. Bloodyhell Emma what have you done, you bloody idiot. Shit he could go off on one and stab me in the middle of the night......or rape me.......shit...................shit................shit...................shit shit shit.(tries to get comfy in bed, turns over trying a few different positions. (Sits up suddenly) Its no good, I'm going to have to stay awake all night................uuuuuurgh I'm so stupid sometimes. (she skits at herself) 'Oh hello Mr psychopathic serial killer with your handy case for your victims bodies, please come in, be my guest, put your feet up, in fact why not stay the night, wait until I'm in bed, chop me up and stick me in your suitcase. (mimics serial killer in posh voice) Why thank you, how kind of you, now if you could just go to sleep quickly while I sharpen my equipment.................(herself again) oh fuckety fuck sticks.
(Pink Floyds brain damage (the lunatic is in the hall) plays followed by eclipse.The music gets louder and louder until it fills up the whole theatre. Emma sits on her bed with her knees drawn up. The room is in darkness her head is nodding again and again, obvious she is trying to stay awake. The stage disappears into darkness as the second song is played. Slowly day dawns and we see Emma lying flat on her bed, there is silence....... Then we see Emma wake up. We see the reality of the night before dawn on her face. She seems happy to be alive and cautiously heads towards the door to the living room, she opens the door and bright light dazzles her to symbolise daytime and tidy room. There is no sign of Phil just a very tidy room. Emma walks around slowly trying to take it all in, picks up a couple of things as if to see if they are real. Seems a bit dazed, walks up to the case which he has left in the middle of the floor. Kneels down besides it holds onto the handle as if it was a friends hand, looks around and exclaims to no one in particular,
Emma: He's tidied up........... he's fuckin tidied up. (smiles in happy disbelief, look of wonder on face. Looks down at case and opens slowly to reveal..................'nothing' and sits smiling to herself holding case on knees.)
The end......
© Louise Jones