The Third Party

By Paul Baden

Forward, forward to the valley of death. Please don't use the bathroom. The Third Party. A play.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9780359044542

Book preview

The Third Party

The Third Party

By

Paul Baden

Copyright

Copyright © 2018 by Paul Baden

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For more information, contact Paul Baden:

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Dedication

To my mother, Patricia.

Dramatis Personae

Declan: A man in his early thirties

Lin: A woman in her thirties

Bollard: A man in his late fifties

Naomi: A woman in her twenties

Malcolm: A man in his early forties

Jerry: An aphonic man in his thirties

Act 1, Scene 1

(The Lounge)

Bollard: I never did that, never did. Thought never crossed my mind. Never at all. You might wonder why. You might be curious​. ​But it’s very simple. There’s no mystery. I’m just not built that way. I don’t have it in me as they say. It’s not part of my ​character​. Never was and never will be. I couldn’t if I tried.

Declan: I’ll bet you could… If you tried.

Bollard: Nonsense.

Declan: Probably wouldn’t have to try very hard either.

Bollard: You don’t know what you’re saying. You don’t know who I am. You don’t…

Declan: I know who you are.

Bollard: He doesn’t, you know. He’s not worth addressing… He’s nothing but a saboteur, you see. He has no character at all of his own. His only compensation is to destroy, to wreck, to bring down. It gives him pleasure

Declan: There’s nowhere to bring him down to.

Bollard: His... Wherever he… But you don’t argue, you see. You never argue. Character speaks for itself. 

Declan: Does it then? And what does it say? What does it say when the character…? Do you want to hear about this​ character. Well, I’m going to tell you…

Bollard: Nonsense.

Declan. ... Whether you want to hear it or not. Because it’s like he said, and on this one point we find ourselves in agreement. It’s just like he said; it speaks for itself. Through actions. Actions speak louder than words, don’t they? Than a load of bollocks dressed up in words. You can dress up anything in words. Look at Hitler. Look at Mussolini. Those were the experts. And we have them now today, believe you me. Nothing has changed. Nothing at all. Sure any amount of absolute bollocks can be dressed up in words and made to look good for… the people… the uneducated… those who aren't listening… and who listens these days? Are you listening? How often do you listen? How often do you walk alone in silence listening. Like I do. And I do. I listen to people. I’m a good listener. And that’s why I know things. And if there’s one thing people don’t like you to know about them, it’s ​things​. They don’t like you to listen and