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DEVIL'S DANDRUFF
by
Brian Whittingham
THE CHARACTERS
Charlie Harris 55 years old. Market trader / old school / intolerant / lives on his own.
- addiction - alcoholNorma Harris 45 years old. Business partner of Charlie. - Separated from Charlie / recovering alcoholic / founder of W (women) A (and) P (parents) A (against) D (Drugs) / Mrs. fixit. / lives on her own.
Billy Harris 26 years old. Son of Charlie and Norma. - College student studying manual book-keeping / in own flat / helps out at market / brother of Snowy / clean drugs advocate.
- addiction - gambling.(Snowy Harris) 25 years old. Youngest son of Charlie and Norma. Brother of Billy. - Addict who left home 5 year ago / stays in hostels / trying to kick his habit with aid of narcotics anonymous.
- addiction - heroin.Tessa Blend 25 years old. - Café owner / ex. girlfriend of Snowy / entrepreneur / Cannabis Café her next venture / Fussy about her looks.
- addiction - money.Miss 'X' Heroin addict / 20 years old / unemployed / commits suicide.
- addiction - heroin.
THE PLAY
The piece, a one-act play, is a black comedy, the theme being how unchecked addiction leads to self destruction. All the characters have been invited to a
'SUPPER AGAINST NARCOTICS,' in the townhall on
Saturday. The play takes place during the
course of the Saturday.SCENE 1
MISS 'X' WITH A DARKENED OUT FACE SITS CENTRE STAGE. IT IS LATE AT NIGHT IN THE DESERTED MARKET. ONLY CENTRE STAGE IS LIT BY A SINGLE SPOTLIGHT. THIS IS MOONLIGHT. MISS 'X' IS WRITING ON A PIECE OF PAPER. IN BETWEEN WRITING SHE TAKES HUGE DRAFTS FROM A BOTTLE OF BUCKFAST. THEN WHEN SHE FINISHES, SHE ROLLS HER SHOULDERS AND WE SEE SHE HAS A SYRINGE WHICH SHE HOLDS UP TOWARDS THE LIGHT. SHE PLAYS ABOUT WITH IT FOR A BIT THEN HOLDS IT DOWN BY HER SIDE. AS SHE DOES SO, SHE SPEAKS TO THE MOON.
MISS 'X'
See when I was sixteen, Friday nights were full of hope and Bacardi Breezers. Full of the dizzy dreams of the possibilities of it all. Never short of friends neither I was.
Now I'm twenty, Friday nights are full of Buckfast, (SHE PICKS UP THE BOTTLE AND WAVES IT ABOUT) full of the Devil's Dandruff, (SHE PICKS UP A BAG OF WHITE POWDER AND WAVES IT ABOUT) And full of lonely nightmares in here. (SHE POINTS TO HER HEAD AS SHE SAYS THIS.)
Take tonight for example … it's just me and old mister-moon up there. (SHE POINTS TOWARDS THE MOON) So, how you doing old mister-moon? Tell me this and tell me no more, why do you keep on smiling like nothing ever fucking changes, eh? why? I'm sure I don't know.SHE TAKES ANOTHER DRAFT OF WINE AND SHE PICKS UP THE PIECE OF PAPER.
MISS 'X'
Listen to this mister-moon, I'm going to read you my poem? If I was a real writer. I could maybe change my script, then I wouldn't lose the plot, eh? Sorry, just my wee joke.SHE READS OUT LOUD FROM THE PIECE OF PAPER
MISS 'X'
My life has not been good to me
it's driven me insane
that's why I screw myself up
by sticking smack into my veins.Someday I'd like to fly
to a magic land, far far away
fly to a golden heaven
where the warm sun slumbers -
forever and a dayBut for now
my heart has no future
my soul has no past
why is my life going down the drain
so fucking fast?If I could ever change,
reinvent my fate.
Would dirty old King Heroin
still guard my pearly gate?MISS 'X' REFLECTS, THEN INJECTS HERSELF INTO A VEIN IN HER NECK. GOING FOR THE JUGULAR. MOMENTS LATER SHE COLLAPSES THEN DIES. LIGHT FADES. 'THE PUSHER,' FROM EASY RIDER IS PLAYED WHILE SHE EXITS THE STAGE.
SCENE 2
LIGHTS UP. BILLY ARRIVES CENTRE STAGE. SITS DOWN. IT'S EARLY MORNING. HE CHECKS HIS WATCH. HE HAS A RUCKSACK WHICH HE OPENS AND TAKES OUT A FLASK, A PARCEL AND A NEWSPAPER. BILLY OPENS THE PARCEL, THEN FROM IT HE PULLS OUT A LETTER, EXAMINES THE WRITING ON THE ENVELOPE THEN SPEAKS TO THE LETTER.
BILLY
Well Snowy boy, long time no hear. 5 year without a dickie bird, then whoosh, a phone-call a parcel, and, a mysterious letter. Very Harry Potterish. I wonder what odds I would have got on that happening? Let's see, a London postmark, what do we deduce from that Watson?BILLY COMPLETELY OPENS THE PARCEL. THERE IS A BOX INSIDE. BILLY OPENS THE LID. A WALTZ BEGINS TO PLAY. AS THE MUSIC PLAYS HE OPENS THE LETTER THEN READS OUT LOUD WITH THE WALTZ STILL PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND.
BILLY
Dear BillySnowy here … remember me, your wee brother? This week's my 25th.
birthday and for some reason I feel the need to tell you how I'm doing,
if you're still interested that is. A lot of water has flowed under a lot of
bridges. Please read this before mum and dad, you always understood
better …BILLY HEARS APPROACHING FOOTSTEPS AND COUGHING, STUFFS THE LETTER INTO HIS JACKET POCKET, SNAPS THE MUSIC BOX SHUT AND PUTS IT INTO HIS BAG.
CHARLIE APPEARS WITH A BOTTLE OF IRN-BRU, RUBBING HIS HEAD AND WALKING SLUGGISHLY. SITS ON ONE OF THE BOXES.
CHARLIE
How'y'doin there Billy?BILLY
I'm ticktyboo.CHARLIE
Was that music I heard?BILLY
I, eh, the radio, I wanted to hear the non-runners for today's big race but I guess I'm too early. Not used to being up at this time. I think the horses are still in their beds.