Same (NHB Modern Plays)

By Deborah Bruce

When Josie dies in an old people's home, her grandchildren gather to share their memories of her, and her fellow residents feel the effects of her death as her funeral takes place. Is the gulf between the young and old as wide as it feels, or are we fundamentally the same inside whatever age we are?

Deborah Bruce's Same was commissioned as part of the 2014 National Theatre Connections Festival and premiered by youth theatres across the UK. Originally written for young actors, but with roles from teens to eighties, Same can be performed by groups of any age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Jul 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781780014852

Deborah Bruce

Deborah Bruce is a writer and theatre director. Her plays include: Dixon and Daughters (Clean Break/National Theatre, 2023); Raya (Hampstead Theatre, 2021); The House They Grew Up In (Minerva Theatre, Chichester, 2017); The Distance (Orange Tree Theatre and Sheffield Crucible, 2014; a finalist for the 2012-13 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize); Same (National Theatre Connections Festival 2014); and Godchild (Hampstead Theatre, 2013).

Book preview

Deborah Bruce

SAME

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Dedication

Characters and Note on the Text

Same

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Same was commissioned as part of the 2014 National Theatre Connections Festival and premiered by youth theatres across the UK, including a performance at the National Theatre in July 2014.

Each year the National Theatre asks ten writers to create new plays to be performed by young theatre companies all over the country. From Scotland to Cornwall and Northern Ireland to Norfolk, Connections celebrates great new writing for the stage – and the energy, commitment and talent of young theatremakers.

www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/connections

For my grandmothers,

Pru Bruce and Paula Barnett, and their great-grandchildren,

Barney and Nell Herrin

Characters

EMMA, sixteen

FAY, Emma’s sister, fifteen

YOUNG HARRY, Emma’s brother, thirteen

SARAH, Emma’s cousin, fourteen

CALLUM, Sarah’s brother, twelve

JO-JO, Emma’s cousin, thirteen

CLARE, late seventies

MARION, Clare’s sister, eighty

SADIE, late seventies

ALF, eighties

EDDIE eighties

GRACE, seventies

JOSIE

HARRY

Note on the Text

The action takes place in an old people’s home in a small town.

Depending on the number of actors, there can be doubling between the young and old characters. Or not.

The older characters were originally written to be played by teenagers with the intention that it enables the audience to see the young person inside the old. I strongly encourage actors and directors to steer well clear of any ‘old person’ acting.

A forward slash (/) in the middle of a line denotes an overlap in dialogue, so that the next person to speak starts speaking before the first person has finished speaking.

Scene One

A bedroom in an old people’s home. Half-packed up. Boxes on the floor, some of the pictures taken down and leaning against the wall. No sheets on the bed.

There are six teenagers in the room.

EMMA, FAY and YOUNG HARRY sit on the bed. SARAH stands by the door. CALLUM sits on the floor playing on a Nintendo DS, and JO-JO sits on a stool at a dressing table.

They are all looking at screens except YOUNG HARRY.

Silence.

FAY. Aaw, thanks for liking my picture, Jo-Jo.

JO-JO. You’re welcome. Thank you for liking mine.

EMMA. Have you changed your profile picture?

JO-JO. No –

FAY. Is it that one with your hair tonged?

JO-JO. The one with my friend’s puppy.

FAY / EMMA. Aaaaw –

FAY. Oh my God, that was so sweet.

YOUNG HARRY. Get off Facebook.

FAY. Sarah. Are you logged in?

SARAH. I’m talking to my friend.

FAY. On Facebook?

SARAH. On WhatsApp.

FAY. I’ve just sent you a message on Facebook.

SARAH. Saying what?

FAY. Go on it.

SARAH. Okay.

Pause.

Aaaw. Sweet.

EMMA. What is it?

YOUNG HARRY. What’d’you send her a message for? She’s right there.

SARAH. I’ve liked it.

EMMA. Let’s see.

FAY shows her her phone screen.

YOUNG HARRY. Get off