Crushed Shells and Mud Read online

  Ben Musgrave

  CRUSHED SHELLS

  AND MUD

  NICK HERN BOOKS

  London

  www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

  Contents

  Title Page

  Original Production

  Acknowledgements

  Characters

  Crushed Shells and Mud

  About the Author

  Copyright and Performing Rights Information

  Crushed Shells and Mud was first performed at the Southwark Playhouse, London, on 1 October 2015. The cast was as follows:

  VINCE

  Alexander Arnold

  LYDIA

  Hannah Britland

  SARAH

  Laura Howard

  DEREK

  Alex Lawther

  PETER

  Simon Lenagan

  Director

  Russell Bolam

  Designer

  Ellan Parry

  Lighting Designer

  Richard Godin

  Sound Designer

  Richard Hammarton

  Movement Director

  Jack Murphy

  Acknowledgements

  The idea for this play began on a trip to Uganda to talk to people whose lives had been transformed by antiretroviral drugs. Many thanks to Annie Katuregye and all who took the time to tell me about their experiences. Thanks also to Theatrescience, Rebecca Gould, and Caroline Grundy for developing the idea and for getting me out there in the first place.

  I wrote the first draft of the play on attachment at the National Theatre Studio and I am enormously grateful to all at the Studio who enabled this – in particular Brian Walters, Matthew Poxon, and Rebecca Frecknall (who directed two excellent workshop readings of the play, the first featuring Nick Blakeley, Robin Pearce and Jess Murphy, the second Siân Thomas, Ted Reilly, Tom Hughes and Lou Broadbent).

  I am always indebted to the Dog House Group – Matt Morrison, Robin Booth, Samantha Ellis, and Nick Harrop. And also to Rachel Taylor, Robert Holman, and Lucy Morrison for useful thoughts. Thank you to Kirsten Forster. Thank you also to all at Nick Hern Books and the Southwark Playhouse.

  Huge thank you to Joe Strickland, Simon Lenegan, and especially to Russell Bolam who believed in the play and had the cheek and sheer bloody-mindedness to get it on.

  To my parents for supporting this play and my strange career, and of course to Selene Burn, for everything.

  B.M.

  Characters

  DEREK, seventeen

  LYDIA, seventeen

  VINCENT, seventeen

  SARAH, forty-eight

  PETER, forty

  OLD LADY, seventy-five

  Notes

  The play can be performed with a cast of five actors, doubling Sarah and the Old Lady.

  A forward slash (/) marks an interruption by the next speaker.

  The absence of a full stop at the end of a line marks a trailing off or an interruption of thought.

  This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

  ACT ONE

  Scene One

  She Crawled Out of the Sea

  The east coast of England.

  A field. High brambles, nettles, tall grasses obscure a view of the sea. The memory of a path down.

  In the other direction, a track leading to the village.

  Within the field a holiday caravan, weathered, battered, seagullspattered.

  A changeable day in summer. At this moment it is grey.

  DEREK emerges from the caravan, carrying a plain brown notebook. He goes to the side of the caravan, and climbs up the side-ladder.

  From the top, he looks at the sea for a moment, then sits down, dangling his legs from the roof.

  He takes the notebook, and makes a slight adjustment to what is written within.

  He starts to read what he has out loud.

  DEREK

  One day she came out of the sea.

  She crawled out of the mud, quietly.

  Shy and beautiful

  Brushing off sand and shells.

  And over marsh and pool she looked straight into his eyes.

  And even from that distance

  He knew she understood him.

  And knew she had the answers

  To all the things that hurt or didn’t make sense.

  He looks up as the sun comes out and warms his face.

  Scene Two

  Lydia

  By the caravan.

  A brighter day.

  DEREK is showing LYDIA around.

  He is not in her league.

  DEREK

  (Of the path to the sea.) Now, normally you can get to the sea this way, there’s a path that winds down, but there haven’t been the walkers really, in recent years.

  So it’s quite grown over.

  I’ll see if I can beat it back at the weekend.

  LYDIA

  (Smiling.) Don’t worry.

  DEREK

  Oh I don’t mind!

  LYDIA

  It was just a whim.

  DEREK

  We need to keep it open.

  It’s a right of way.

  You can’t just let it go.

  (Of the caravan.) This is just…

  Someone just dumped this here.

  We use it sometimes – the farmer doesn’t mind.

  You’re most welcome at any time.

  LYDIA

  Thanks.

  DEREK tries to point out the view.

  DEREK

  Well, that’s the sea.

  (Looking down into the vegetation.) It’s not a great beach, if I’m honest.

  Quite muddy.

  There’s a better one further down the coast.

  Rockpools, a bit of sand.

  I could show you?

  LYDIA

  (Smiling.) Okay.

  DEREK

  I’m not much of a swimmer.

  Well, I can thrash about…

  (Of her name.) It was ‘Lydia’ wasn’t it?

  LYDIA

  Yes.

  DEREK

  (Embarrassed.) I always forget in the flurry of it. And then it’s embarrassing to ask again.

  Pause.

  (Of his name.) Derek.

  LYDIA

  Yes.

  LYDIA smiles. They look into the brambles.

  DEREK

  Did you swim where you were before?

  LYDIA

  A little bit.

  DEREK

  Where was it?

  Beat.

  LYDIA

  Sussex.

  DEREK

  So this must be a bit of a change!

  LYDIA

  Yes!

  DEREK

  Everything okay there?

  LYDIA

  Yes, we were fine.

  Pause.

  DEREK

  Your parents move out here?

  LYDIA

  No… They’re in…

  Germany.

  Business…

  I’m staying with my aunt for the holidays.

  LYDIA stares out.

  DEREK

  (Of the whole area.) There’s not much here.

  It’s not

  Well it’s not too wonderful.

  If you’re after clubs and things there’s one in Stonesea. We had a disco at the village hall last year but it wasn’t up to much.

  There’s a shop or two and a pub.

  I think it would be hard in a new place.

  LYDIA looks down. She suddenly appears upset.

  I don’t know I’d have the bravery to be honest.

  He tries, inexpertly, to comfort her.

  Don’t worry, you’ll be alrigh
t. You’ll be as right as rain!

  Pause. He can think of only one solution.

  I can do you a cup of tea?

  Pause.

  (Of the caravan.) I’ve got a thing rigged up in here.

  LYDIA

  Okay, thanks.

  DEREK

  Maybe you have to go?

  LYDIA

  No, I’m okay for a bit.

  DEREK

  Right!

  I’ll go and get it on.

  (Of the tea.) It might have to be black I’m afraid.

  DEREK opens the caravan door and goes in.

  LYDIA takes a cigarette from a soft anonymous packet and lights it.

  She looks around as she smokes.

  (From inside.) There we go!

  DEREK comes out. He sees her smoking. A moment of alarm.

  LYDIA

  Sorry

  DEREK

  No, don’t worry!

  LYDIA

  Am I not allowed?

  DEREK

  Course, I just didn’t know you / did

  LYDIA

  (Offering him one.) Would you like / one?

  DEREK

  (Smiling.) No, thank you!

  Beat.

  I’ve never taken to it.

  Pause.

  (Going back into the caravan for the tea.) I’ll just get the

  (From inside.) Do you want sugar?

  LYDIA

  No.

  Pause. DEREK comes out.

  DEREK

  Will you promise me something, Lydia?

  Will you give up by the time you’re twenty-five?

  LYDIA

  If I last till twenty-five.

  Beat.

  DEREK

  Why do you say that?

  Beat. LYDIA realises she has said something odd.

  LYDIA

  Sorry, I was being dramatic.

  DEREK

  Are you often dramatic?

  LYDIA

  No, not really.

  Beat. She extinguishes her cigarette. DEREK goes into the caravan to get the tea.

  She checks her phone.

  DEREK

  Reception comes and goes I’m afraid…

  She puts her phone away.

  It’s got markedly worse, actually, the mast is often broken, and they take weeks to repair it.

  Beat.

  Sorry, I know I go on a bit.

  LYDIA

  No, you’re alright.

  VINCENT, enters, unseen. He is smart in a way DEREK is not.

  VINCENT

  Can I smell tobacco in the air?

  DEREK freezes.

  DEREK

  No.

  VINCENT

  It wasn’t you, was it, Derek?

  DEREK

  No, mate.

  VINCENT

  You weren’t smoking were you?

  DEREK

  No!

  DEREK shrinks back.

  LYDIA

  It was me.

  VINCENT

  Hello.

  LYDIA

  Hello.

  VINCENT

  Have you got a spare one?

  LYDIA

  Sure.

  She goes to her bag, and searches for her cigarettes. DEREK disapproves of VINCENT.

  VINCENT

  (To DEREK.) What’s the problem, chicken, it’s only a cigarette?

  DEREK

  She doesn’t have to.

  LYDIA

  I don’t mind.

  VINCENT

  (To LYDIA.) You’re here on your holidays?

  LYDIA

  Yeah.

  VINCENT

  I saw you in the village.

  LYDIA hands him a cigarette.

  Thanks.

  Derek’s been showing you round?

  LYDIA

  Yeah.

  VINCENT

  He’s made you a brew?

  Isn’t he fantastic!

  DEREK

  No!

  VINCENT

  You could polish him up and put him on a ring!

  LYDIA smiles.

  He knows all the places!

  We all love Derek, don’t we?

  DEREK looks away.

  What’s your name?

  LYDIA

  (Smiling.) Lydia.

  VINCENT

  (Holding out his hand to shake hers.) Pleased to meet you, Lydia.

  She shakes his hand.

  DEREK

  This is Vince.

  VINCENT

  Vincent.

  LYDIA doesn’t flinch from his gaze.

  There’s a pub in the village, Lydia.

  LYDIA

  Yeah?

  VINCENT

  There are lock-ins, parties. People come from miles around.

  Beat.

  There’s one tonight.

  LYDIA

  Not tonight.

  VINCENT

  Why not?

  LYDIA

  I can’t, tonight.

  VINCENT

  Can I try and persuade you?

  DEREK

  She doesn’t want to go with you, Vince!

  VINCENT

  She didn’t say that.

  LYDIA

  No, I didn’t say that.

  Beat.

  (To DEREK.) Are you going?

  DEREK

  No.

  VINCENT

  He’s most welcome.

  DEREK

  I’m alright.

  Beat.

  VINCENT

  Can I have a cup of tea, Derek?

  Pause. DEREK seems anxious about leaving VINCENT and LYDIA together.

  No, I’ll go, don’t worry.

  DEREK

  You can have mine.

  VINCENT

  You sure?

  DEREK

  Yeah.

  VINCENT

  Thanks!

  (To LYDIA.) He doesn’t like people in his caravan.

  DEREK

  I don’t mind!

  VINCENT

  (About going to the pub.) Do you like dancing, Lydia?

  LYDIA

  Yes.

  VINCENT

  I can tell.

  LYDIA

  How?

  VINCENT

  How about we go to the pub?

  LYDIA

  I need to get home.

  VINCENT

  Where do you live? I’ll walk you.

  LYDIA

  No, I’m fine.

  VINCENT

  Where are you, though?

  She gestures imprecisely.

  LYDIA

  Over that way.

  VINCENT

  You want to be careful on the paths at night.

  LYDIA

  Why?

  VINCENT

  There could be shrinkies out.

  Beat. LYDIA is alarmed.

  DEREK

  What? There aren’t, Lydia!

  VINCENT

  There are!

  DEREK

  Not round here.

  VINCENT

  It’s coming our way, they say!

  Woman died last week in Leigh – a cockle-picker.

  They say it was that.