Chatroom (NHB Modern Plays)

By Enda Walsh

A chilling, blackly comic tale of manipulation, cyberbullying and adolescent insecurity.
In a quiet corner of the internet, a group of bored, restless teenagers spends its time deconstructing children's literature and the messages in modern pop music. But when a new member joins to share his depression and thoughts of suicide, the conversation takes a darker turn.
A powerful depiction of modern-day isolation and the dangerous power of technology, Chatroom formed part of the National Theatre's 2005 Connections season, where it starred Matt Smith and Andrew Garfield.
'A vivid picture of teenage angst and insecurity' Guardian
'Powerful and disturbing' The Stage
'Keenly believeable... enthralling' Financial Times

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Sep 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781780012728

Enda Walsh

Enda Walsh is a multi-award-winning Irish playwright. He lives in London. His work has been translated into over twenty languages and has been performed internationally since 1998. His recent plays include: Medicine at the 2021 Edinburgh International Festival and Galway International Arts Festival; Arlington at the 2016 Galway International Festival; an adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Twits for the Royal Court (2015); Ballyturk and Room 303 at the 2014 Galway International Arts Festival; Misterman, presented by Landmark Productions and Galway International Arts Festival in Ireland, London and New York (2011–2012); and several plays for Druid Theatre Company, including Penelope, which has been presented in Ireland, America and London, from 2010–2011, The New Electric Ballroom, which played Ireland, Australia, Edinburgh, London, New York and LA from 2008–2009, and The Walworth Farce, which played Ireland, Edinburgh, London and New York, as well as an American and Australian tour, from 2007–2010. He collaborated with David Bowie on the musical Lazarus (New York Theatre Workshop, 2015, and West End, 2016), and won a Tony Award in 2012 for writing the book for the musical Once, seen on Broadway, in the West End and on a US tour. His other plays include Delirium (Theatre O/Barbican), which played Dublin and a British tour in 2008; Chatroom (National Theatre), which played at the National Theatre and on tour in Britain and Asia (2006–2007); and The Small Things (Paines Plough), which played London and Ireland (2005). His early plays include Bedbound (Dublin Theatre Festival) and Disco Pigs (Corcadorca). His film work includes Disco Pigs (Temple Films/Renaissance) and Hunger (Blast/FILM4), winner of the Camera d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival.

Book preview

Enda Walsh

CHATROOM

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Characters

Chatroom

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Chatroom was originally performed as part of the 2005 NT Connections season. It received its first professional production in the Cottesloe auditorium of the National Theatre, London, on 10 March 2006. The cast was as follows:

Characters

WILLIAM

JACK

EVA

EMILY

JIM

LAURA

There are six identical orange plastic seats in a row at the very front of the stage. There's a two-metre gap between each seat.

‘Oompa Loompa’ sung by the Oompa Loompas, from the film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, is heard.

During this song three actors appear from one side of the stage and two others appear from the other side. They walk casually towards each other in a line, stop, turn and face the audience.

From left to right they are WILLIAM, JACK, EVA, EMILY and LAURA. They are all about fifteen/sixteen years of age. They stand there for a while and look at the audience.

They then look at each other. They seem to be sizing each other up. In unison they walk towards their seats and sit down.

This should all last one and half minutes.

As they sit the Oompa Loompas’ song comes to an end.

Lights.

WILLIAM. You're depressing me now.

JACK. Really?

WILLIAM. You see, you've lost me. At the beginning I was with you. But not now. I'm a little disappointed.

JACK. Sorry.

WILLIAM. You really think that? You've thought it over, came to an opinion, you believe that?

JACK. It is popular.

WILLIAM. Well, so is body-piercing but that isn't a good thing, is it?

JACK. I suppose.

WILLIAM. So let's look at the facts. A single man lives in a castle in the middle of… where is it set again?

JACK. Film or book?

WILLIAM. There's a difference?

JACK. Both films changed some details. It doesn't really matter.

WILLIAM. Well, in the book it's set where ever it's set… and this man lives in his big house in the middle of the town. He lives with dwarfs. Nothing wrong with that. But they're orange. Orange dwarfs with green hair.

JACK. And there's only twenty of them making the world's supply of chocolate… none of this is meant to be realistic.

WILLIAM. But why make them dwarfs? Why the green hair? Why make them orange in the first place?! Can you see where I'm going with this?

JACK. Kind of.

WILLIAM. What's wrong with the ordinary?

JACK. It's for children. Ordinary's boring, maybe?

WILLIAM. Which is my original point about these children's writers! As if a little boy who shares a giant bed with his grandparents… four of them! As if he'd ever in the real world win this extraordinary chocolate empire!

JACK (groans). Yeah.

WILLIAM. You know in the real world it would have been that fat German boy who falls into the chocolate lake at the beginning of the tour. In the real world he's the winner.

JACK. I think I might have to…

WILLIAM. This is