"Patronise a theatre of ideas. A sensual and energising communal environment" Geraldine Brophy

Play Excerpt

PROLOGUE

 

Rachel and Michael's flat, London

 

A woman in her mid thirties is brushing her hair in the mirror.  She’s of medium height and slim, pretty rather than gorgeous.  She has a nice face, framed by soft brown hair cut in a bob . There’s nothing out of the ordinary about this woman, she could be anybody.  But when she speaks she’s not just anybody – she’s a New Zealander.  She is in a hurry.

 

RACHEL                        I am a good person.  I am a happy person. I love                                                             my partner, my friends and my family.  I love myself.  I am an                                     excellent doctor, and I'm driven and highly successful in my                                     career.  I have the life I want.  The life I deserve.   The life I                                     have chosen.

 

Michael, Rachel's partner, approaches unseen from behind.  He's early 50s, English, a silver fox.  He puts his arms around her and nuzzles into her neck.  

 

RACHEL                        Did we get the rubbish out in time?

 

MICHAEL                        I am an attractive, desirable....

 

RACHEL                        I'm late for work.

 

MICHAEL                        ...sexually...

 

RACHEL                        Please. 

 

MICHAEL                        ...frustrated man.

 

Michael reluctantly pulls away.  Rachel laughs as she gathers her work things together.  Among other things, she places a stethoscope into her hand bag.

 

RACHEL                        I'll make it up to you tonight I promise.   I've got an                                                             appointment  in Charing Cross so I might be late home. 

 

MICHAEL                        I suppose you want me to do the shopping?

 

RACHEL                        And can you pick up the dry cleaning?

 

Michael nods.

 

RACHEL                        What would I do without you?

 

She kisses him and rushes out the door.  

 

 “Heaven”

 

Rachel addresses the audience.  She's rocking a double pram.  She’s full of life.

 

RACHEL It’s always been a calling. Medicine.  Right from when I was small. Me and Barry Jenkins, from next door, he was into medicine too.  And my cousin Jodie.  We all were. It fascinated us.  The way the body worked, or didn’t.  Even at six, I knew about the power of medicine. 

 

We used to play doctors and nurses in Barry’s tree hut, he lived across the back fence.   Me and Barry used to fight over who got to be the doctor and who’d get to be the patient.  I loved that bit.  Deciding who I was, who I was going to be.  Victim or Saviour. I liked the idea of being the patient – helpless, dependent, the overwhelming sense of innate tragedy. But being a doctor had it's advantages too.  The rewards of helping people were a draw card obviously.  I liked helping people.  Doctors were kind, distinguished, worthy.  And they earned lots of money.  Usually the doctor in me would win out, and besides, Barry was much better at lying still.

 

We had two favourite games.  One was making up diseases.   We took basic symptoms – coughs, colds, spots, vomiting, the runs – and go from there. That was always fun.  But “plane crash” was always number one.   We used to pretend that a Air New Zealand DC 10 crashed landed into the Pacific Ocean.  Usually Barry would hit his head on the tray table in front of him and be knocked unconscious, as well as various broken bones and ruptured organs.  And I’d have to drag him to safety.  It was always a massive struggle - trying to get him out of his seat, then dragging him down the isle with all the debris and smoke and chaos.  It was always a relief to reach the emergency exit and get down the inflatable slide.  And then the real work would begin.

 

She pulls a stethoscope out of her handbag and places it around her neck. 

 

RACHEL The humble stethoscope.  It’s a simple device that tells us so much.  There’s nothing like it - listening to life.  You know, it wasn’t just the power of medicine –  it was the magic that went with it.   

She puts it on and listens to her own heart.  We hear it too – thud thud thud. We marvel at the wonder of the human body.  Rachel’s heart begins to beat faster and louder.  Boom.  Boom.  Boom.  The booming climaxes into one loud massive explosion.

 

*******

 

PART ONE:  THE BOMBINGS

 

London/ BMJ/News reports

 

Everything shakes.  Screaming starts. Smoke and debris litter the stage.  Over this we hear a montage of sounds – alarms, sirens, the sound of an underground train screeching to a stop, people panicking – looking for loved ones.  London is in chaos. 

 

At the British Medical Journal, where Rachel works, people are huddled around a TV set.  These include Rachel, James, Anna and Christian. Rachel is wearing a pink top and a black skirt.  

 

RACHEL I can't believe it.  I just can't believe it!

 

A news anchor steps forward.

 

NEWS ANCHOR London has been hit by a massive coordinated terrorist attack.  Around nine o’clock this morning, peak hour commuters traveling on the Circle line were between Liverpool St and Aldgate….

 

Another bomb goes off interrupting the news footage.  A different news anchor steps forward.

 

NEWS ANCHOR 2 ….A bomb was located in the second carriage of a West bound underground train.  It had left Edgeware Rd and was heading for Paddington Station ….

 

Another bomb goes off interrupting the news footage.  Both news anchors step forward and speak in unison.

 

NEWS ANCHOR 1 (In Unison) …. a South bound Piccadilly line was also disrupted when a bomb was detonated between Kings Cross and Russell Square.  All bombs went off within fifty seconds of each other. Although not confirmed, it is thought to be the work of Islamist extremists – al Qaeda.

 

NEWS ANCHOR 2 (In unison) It is not known at this stage how many victims there are but the death toll is feared to be in the hundreds, with many more thousands on the injury list.  People who do not have serious injuries are urged to stay away from hospitals in order to treat those in need.

 

The four of them are quiet as they absorb the news. Then another bomb goes off.  This time it is much closer as if in the theatre with us.  All four of them rush to the window of their office and look down at the chaos.  It’s mayhem. 

 

CHRISTIAN Jesus!

 

ANNA It’s right outside.

 

RACHEL What exploded?

 

CHRISTIAN Fuck, look at that smoke.

 

JAMES What was it?  What blew up?

 

RACHEL I can’t see anything.

 

ANNA A bus.  It’s a bus.

 

CHRISTIAN Shit.

 

RACHEL They bombed a bus?

 

JAMES Jesus.  As well as the tubes.

 

James's phone rings. Anna freaks out.

 

ANNA That’s my bus.

 

JAMES James Cunningham. British Medical Journal.

 

ANNA That’s my bus.  The number 30. 

 

CHRISTIAN How many people do you think were on it? 

 

JAMES Yes.  Okay.

 

RACHEL Thank god.  Thank god for that meeting. 

 

James hangs up the phone.

 

JAMES Grab all the first aid kits you can and meet in the hotel next door.   And anything that we can turn into stretchers. 

 

James, Rachel and Christian start running to help but Anna hangs back. She’s clearly traumatized.  Rachel comes back to her – there’s an urgency about her.  Like she’s dying to get out into the action.

 

RACHEL Anna. 

 

ANNA I can't.

 

RACHEL Come on. 

 

ANNA That should’ve been me. 

 

She puts her hand out towards Anna.  

 

RACHEL Don’t let them win.     

 

Anna takes her hand and they leave together.