dirty butterfly (NHB Modern Plays)

By debbie tucker green

A mesmerising and startling play about voyeurism, power and guilt.
'You ever woken up of a morning wondering if this one was gonna be your last - you ever got that feelin in your stomach as you lay there wonderin that? Like butterflies gone ballistic. Like butterflies gone bad.'
Listening through their thin walls, Amelia and Jason are drawn into the dark and compelling world of their mutual neighbour Jo.
'There is a sly, controlled power in this writing and it is given full rein in Rufus Norris' exquisitely acted production. And now I cannot get it out of my head'- Guardian
'A play about real people with real issues'- Time Out
'The writing is startlingly assured... The understated horror is devastating'- Independent on Sunday

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Sep 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781780014715

debbie tucker green

debbie tucker green is a playwright, screenwriter and director. Her plays include: a profoundly affectionate, passionate devotion to someone (-noun) (Royal Court Theatre, 2017); hang (Royal Court, 2015); nut (National Theatre, 2013); truth and reconciliation (Royal Court, 2011); random (Royal Court, 2008); generations (Young Vic, 2007); stoning mary (Royal Court, 2005); trade (RSC, 2005); born bad (Hampstead Theatre, 2003; Olivier Award for Most Promising Newcomer); and dirty butterfly (Soho Theatre, 2003). She wrote and directed the feature film, Second Coming (BFI/Film 4, 2014; International Film Festival Rotterdam Big Screen Award) and adapted her play random into a TV film for Channel 4, which won the 2012 BAFTA for Best Single Drama and the Black International Film/MVSA Award for Best UK Film. Her work for radio includes: lament (Radio Academy Arias Gold Award), gone, random, handprint and freefall. She was awarded the 2015 Windham Campbell Prize for Drama.

Book preview

debbie tucker green

dirty butterfly

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Dedication

Characters

dirty butterfly

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

dirty butterfly was first performed at Soho Theatre, London, on 26 February 2003, with the following cast:

for Dona Daley

peace

thanks to the royal court, ruth little, caryl and my spars

Characters

AMELIA, black

JASON, black

JO, white

The audience should surround the actors.

Prior to the Epilogue, the characters are always onstage; their dialogue is always between each other and never to the audience. / denotes where dialogue starts to overlap. Throughout this section options can be taken regarding who is talking to who and when, with varying implications for the characters. The form of the piece has been left open for these choices to be made.

Names appearing without dialogue indicate active silences between characters listed.

Music track: ‘Secret Place’ by Jhelisa (from 12-inch, not album version).

JO, JASON and AMELIA onstage.

JO. Sorry . . . I’m sorry . . . sorry . . . sorry I’m sorry. . .

AMELIA starts to sing, increasing her volume to try to drown out the repetitive sound of JO.

JASON. Sssh.

They both stop.

Beat.

JO picks up AMELIA’s melody.

JO. Hmmm, you ever?

JASON (to AMELIA). You ever –

AMELIA (to JASON). you ever got that feelin –

JO. you ever –

AMELIA. got that restless kinda feelin?

JASON. You ever –

AMELIA. got that can’t find somethin to match your mood kinda feelin – you ever got that, Jase?

JO. You ever –

JASON. found yourself doin somethin you can’t help.

AMELIA. You ever –

JASON. gotcha self doin somethin you can’t stop.

Beat.

’Meilia?

AMELIA. No.

JO. You ever woken up of a mornin wonderin this was gonna be your last? You ever got that feelin in your stomach as you lay there wonderin?

JASON. found yourself feelin that?

AMELIA. No.

JO. Like butterflies

Like butterflies gone ballistic.

Butterflies gone wrong.

JASON. You ever –

AMELIA. no once. Take it twice. Nah. I haven’t.

JO. Woke up this morning like that I did, and lay there lookin across at him.

JASON. In my room I sit there listenin out for him n’ all.

Me by myself – listening out. Hard for him – hard for her –

AMELIA. you’re getting worse you are

JO. me looking up above us, layin there in our duvet over us – looking across at husband and wondering if this morning was gonna be my last.

AMELIA. You’re getting worse you are.

JASON. And you’re not?

Like you’re normal.

AMELIA. Like you’re a role model for it is it? You the logo