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- 80 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
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Kes (Stage Version) (NHB Modern Plays)
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About This Book
A tried-and-tested adaptation of the hugely popular novel and film, retaining its gritty charm and popular staying power.
Billy, a disaffected young boy, has problems at school and at home: he's neglected by his mother, beaten by his brother and bullied on all sides. He adopts a fledgling kestrel and treats it with all the tenderness he has never known. Slowly, he begins to see for the first time what he could achieve - if only he tried.
'Laurence Till's skilful adaptation... offers a series of sure-fire scenes... Hines' story retains an undeniable emotional pull' - Independent
'Sensitively scripted and stunningly staged, Kes is essentially about a community which fails its young' - The Times
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Information
ACT ONE
Scene 1
Early Morning Journey to School, 6.00 am
The first scene follows BILLYâs journey to school. It flows without stopping and with BILLY running between the different locations.
We first see BILLY and JUD together in bed asleep in their bedroom. It is cold and dark and uncomforting. The alarm clock rings. JUD rolls over, coughs and fidgets, reaches out of bed, for the alarm clock. It falls from the bedside cabinet. JUD sinks back into his pillow.
JUD. Come here, you bloody thing.
BILLY (pause). Jud?
JUD. What?
BILLY. Youâd better get up.
Pause.
The alarmâs gone off you know.
JUD. Dâyou think I donât know?
JUD pulls the blankets round him.
BILLY. Jud?
JUD. What?
BILLY. Youâll be late.
JUD. Shut it.
BILLY. Clockâs not fast you know.
JUD. I said âShut itâ.
JUD elbows BILLY in the back.
BILLY. Give over, that hurts!
JUD. Well shut it then.
BILLY. Iâll tell me Mum on you.
JUD. Shut your stinking mouth.
JUD hits him again in the back. JUD sits on the edge of the bed, then gets up and puts the bedroom light on.
BILLY. Set clock on for me, Jud. For seven.
JUD. Set it yourself.
BILLY. Go on, youâre up.
JUD pulls the blankets off BILLY, stripping the bed completely. BILLY has his hands between his legs in an attempt to keep warm.
JUD. Hands off cocks, on socks.
BILLY. You rotten sod, just because youâve to get up.
JUD. A few weeks lad and youâll be getting up with me.
JUD has his trousers on by now and goes to the kitchen to continue dressing.
BILLY. Switch the light out then!
JUD ignores him. BILLY lies still a moment then retrieves the blankets after switching off the light. JUD in the kitchen, turns on the radio, finds himself some bread and jam, makes his snap and puts it in his tin. He takes his racing paper from his jacket and writes his bet, and begins to make tea.
BILLY scratches his hair gets dressed and then joins JUD, pulling his motherâs jumper on to keep warm. BILLY arranges the dirty cups from the night before throughout the following. Unable to get warm he puts on his windcheater. The zip is broken.
JUD (writing). âTell Him Heâs Deadâ, 2.30 Doncaster. (Seeing BILLY.) Whatâs up with you? Shit the bed?
BILLY. Have you seen tâ time? Youâre gonna be late.
JUD. Think I donât know?
BILLY. Is there any tea? (There isnât. BILLY sighs and yawns.) Smashing morning again.
JUD. You wouldnât be saying that if you were going where Iâm going. (Writing.) âCrackpot.â Three oâclock, Newbury.
BILLY. Just think, when Iâm doing papers youâll be going down pit in tâ cage.
JUD. Another few weeks, lad, and youâll be coming down wiâ me.
BILLY. Iâll not.
JUD. Wonât you?
BILLY. No.
JUD. Whyâs that?
BILLY. âCos Iâm not going to work down pit.
JUD. Where you gonna work then?
BILLY. I donât know but Iâm not going to work down pit.
JUD. No?
BILLY. No.
JUD. No, and have I to tell you why? For one thing youâve to be able to read and write before theyâll set you on. And for another, they wouldnât have a weedy little twat like you. You can put this bet on for me. âCrackpotâ, âTell Him Heâs Deadâ. Hereâs money.
JUD hits BILLY as he goes out. BILLY looks for something to drink. There is nothing. BILLY sees JUDâs snap tin left on the table, opens it, and begins to eat one of the sandwiches. He is halfway through it when JUD returns.
JUD. I forgot me snap.
He sees BILLY and makes a dive at him.
Iâll bloody murder you when I get home. And donât bother with your bike â Iâve already got it.
BILLY pulls on his shoes, gets rid of his mumâs jumper and collects his newspaper bag from under the table. He runs from the house.
It is still getting light. He passes people getting ready for their day. Postmen, milkmen, two miners coming off the night shift. From here to BILLYâs arrival at school the stage is populated with people going about the morning rituals which start the day. The action flows continuously.
We hear a car passing. A shop doorbell rings. Weâre in MR PORTERâs paper shop.
MR PORTER (arranging newspapers on his counter). I thought you werenât coming.
BILLY. Why, Iâm not late am I?
MR PORTER (taking out his watch and considering it). Very near.
BILLY. I nearly was though.
MR PORTER. What do you mean?
BILLY. Late. Our Jud went to pit on me bike.
MR PORTER (handing BILLY newspapers). What are you going to do then?
BILLY. Walk it.
MR PORTER. Walk it! How long do you think thatâs going to take you?
BILLY. Itâll not take me long.
MR PORTER. Some folks like to read their papers the day they come out.
BILLY. Itâs not my fault. I didnât ask him to take my bike, did I?
MR PORTER. No and I didnât ask for any cheek from you! Do you hear?
BILLY (quietly). Yes.
MR PORTER (sighing). Thereâs a waiting list a mile long for your job you know. Grand lads and all, some of âem. Lads from up Firs Hill and round there.
BILLY is warming his backside on a heater while MR PORTER continues arranging papers.
BILLY. Whatâs up? Itâll not take me that much longer. Iâve done it before. I know some short cuts.
MR PORTER. Well donât be short cutting over peopleâs property.
BILLY. No, across some fields. It cuts miles off.
MR PORTER. Well be sure the farmer doesnât see you, else you might have a barrel of shot spread up your arse.
BILLY. I havenât let you down yet, have I?
A CUSTOMER comes into the shop and MR PORTER gives him his paper.
MR PORTER. Morning, sir, not very promising again. Looks like rain.
CUSTOMER. And twenty Players tipped please.
MR PORTER. Right, sir. Iâve not got twenty. Will two tens do you?
CUSTOMER. Aye.
While MR PORTER gets the cigarettes and the CUSTOMER is leafing through his paper, Billy lifts two bars of chocolate from a display at the side of the counter. He drops them into his newspaper bag as MR PORTER turns round to hand over the cigarettes and put the money in the till. This stealing ritual is commonplace for BILLY.
MR PORTER. I thank you. Good morning, sir.
The CUSTOMER leaves. MR PORTER climbs a ladder to stack shelves. BILLY steals more chocolate during the following.
Next thing youâll be wanting me to deliver âem for you! You know what they said when I took you on, donât you. They said youâll have to keep your eyes open now, you know, âcos theyâre all alike off that estate, up there. Theyâll steal your breath, if y...
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Contents
- Introduction
- Original Production
- Characters
- Act One
- Act Two
- About the Authors
- Copyright and Performing Rights Information