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- 96 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
Shush (NHB Modern Plays)
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About This Book
A funny and insightful glimpse into the power of female friendship.
Five women with five different stories on a girls' night in to remember. It's Breda's birthday, but life's not been going according to plan of late and she's in no mood to celebrate. Her friends, however, have other ideas...
This play, from the author of the award-winning Little Gem, premiered at the Abbey Theatre, Dulbin in June 2013.
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Yes, you can access Shush (NHB Modern Plays) by Elaine Murphy in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Literature & Drama. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
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ACT ONE
BREDAâs outdated kitchen is in a state of disrepair. Broken appliances have been replaced with new items but the old ones still remain, along with magazines, newspapers, a black sack of menâs clothing, golf clubs and other useless bric-a-brac. A corner of the room is being used for a home office, there is a rickety desk, a couple of boxes of unopened ballpoint pens, numerous packs of highlighters, staplers and blocks of A4 paper, which are stacked one on top of the other creating a small wall. A corporate motivational picture of an eagle with the words âDare to Soarâ hangs over the desk. There is a large bouquet of flowers with a âHappy Birthday Mumâ card proudly displayed on the coffee table, along with a half-eaten box of Ferrero Rocher, a handbag and a couple of pill bottles. Photos of BREDAâs son, Colm, at various stages of his life are displayed around the room, and of BREDA and her husband, Tommy, at a dance and on their wedding day. A stopped clock hangs on the kitchen wall.
BREDA is sitting in her armchair drinking vodka and looking at the pills. She is wearing dark shapeless clothes with a dressing gown. Her face is bare of make-up and her hair slightly messed. She contemplates making a call and finally dials...
BREDA. Hi, Colm, itâs Mammy... em... if you can get back to me tonight, it doesnât matter how late... not that itâs an emergency or anything... itâd just be nice to talk to you on the day thatâs in it. Okay, love, bye.
Her phone beeps with an incoming text message.
Happy Birthday from the O2 network.
BREDA throws the phone aside and eats another chocolate, still staring at the pills. The doorbell rings, startling her. We hear chattering outside. On realising itâs her friends, BREDA quickly drains the remainder of her drink and clears away the pills. The doorbell rings again. Noticing the Ferrero Rocher, she tucks them down the side of the armchair, covering them with a cushion. She finally answers the door to MARIE, CLARE and IRENE, who are all dressed for the cold winter weather.
MARIE. Hi-di-hi.
IRENE. Ho-di-ho.
MARIE waves out to the street.
MARIE. Sheâs here, Iâll ring you later. (To BREDA.) Are we coming in or what?
Offstage, a horn beeps and a car pulls away.
BREDA. Of course, come in. What are you all doing here?
IRENE. We came to see the birthday girl.
MARIE. And if Muhammad wonât come to the mountain...
BREDA. Oh, that... Iâm not celebrating this year.
MARIE. You say that every year... Jaysus, itâs freezing out there.
IRENE. We brought you something to help you forget.
IRENE hands BREDA a large bottle of vodka.
BREDA. That should do the trick.
IRENE. Câmere and give us a love, happy birthday.
IRENE envelops BREDA in a big hug and then drags everyone else into her embrace. MARIE extracts herself from IRENEâs grip.
MARIE. Get off me, Redback.
CLARE. You donât mind us landing on you, Breda?
MARIE. I told her Iâd pop over during the week.
BREDA. You couldâve narrowed it down for me.
IRENE. I bet you were expecting us.
BREDA. I really wasnât.
MARIE (looking around). Obviously.
BREDA. Itâs great to see you, Clare.
CLARE. You too, Breda.
BREDA. To what do I owe the pleasure?
MARIE. Sheâs staying in mine tonight and our electricityâs gone, again.
CLARE. Mam.
BREDA. I thought that was all sorted.
MARIE. It was supposed to be but it keeps coming and going, I donât know what theyâre at.
CLARE. It was back on when we were leaving.
MARIE. That and the telly was shite â Whaâ? Irene, isnât the telly shite these days?
IRENE. It is.
MARIE. So I said you might as well come with us.
BREDA. Well, itâs nice to see you anyway, Clare.
CLARE smiles awkwardly. MARIE is carrying two bottles of mixers and is about to put them in the fridge...
Give me that.
BREDA takes the bottles from her and manoeuvres the rickety fridge door.
MARIE. Have you not fixed that yet?
BREDA. Itâs on my to-do list.
MARIE. It must be a novel by now.
CLARE. The place looks... well.
IRENE. I was just thinking that.
BREDA. Thanks.
MARIE. Normally she sprays a bit of Mr Sheen in the air and calls it a day.
BREDA. You should have left her at home.
CLARE.We tried but Dad insisted we bring her.
BREDA moves a few things around so the girls can sit down.
IRENE. Were you having a clear-out?
BREDA. Tommy asked me to put a few of his things aside.
MARIE. That was very decent of you.
BREDA. Ah, sure. Did your daddy drop you off?
CLARE. Yeah.
MARIE. Iâm not paying for a taxi with a car outside the door and a husband sitting at home doing nothing.
BREDA. Heâs very good, isnât he?
CLARE. The best.
MARIE. I have him well trained. Why donât you go on upstairs and wash your face while I make us all a little drinkie, what are we having?
CLARE. Just an orange juice for me, thanks.
MARIE. Bacardi, Irene?
IRENE produces a large bottle of Bacardi from a shopping bag and hands it to MARIE.
IRENE. A small one.
MARIE. They only had fat Coke in the shop, will that do you?
IRENE. It makes me very gassy, Marie.
MARIE. Just drink it.
IRENE. Okay so.
BREDA is about to hand CLARE her juice.
MARIE. Iâll throw a vodka into that for her, Breda.
CLARE. Iâm fine, thanks.
MARIE. Clare, donât be such a square.
Before CLARE can protest, MARIE adds a large vodka to her juice. CLARE never has more than a few sips and is constantly looking for new and inventive ways to avoid alcohol.
Itâll do you no harm, loosen you up a bit. (To BREDA.) Look alive, weâll still be here when you get back.
BREDA. Oh right.
MARIE. And put something else on while youâre up there.
BREDA exits. CLARE looks at MARIE.
Whatâs with the face?
CLARE. Youâre as subtle as a brick.
MARIE. She has visitors and Iâm sick looking at her in that jumper. She doesnât look great, does she?
IRENE. Sheâs delicate, Marie.
MARIE. What do you think, Clare?
CLARE. I barely spoke to her.
MARIE. Well, you havenât seen her in a while... I thin...
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Contents
- Dedication
- Original Production
- Characters
- Shush
- About the Author
- Copyright and Performing Rights Information