Fatal Light (NHB Modern Plays)

Chloë Moss

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781780014500
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

A tender depiction of a young mother's inability to cope with separation from her daughter.

This play was originally published in the volume Charged, a collection of plays about the lives of women in the criminal justice system, and was commissioned and premiered by Clean Break, a theatre and education company working with women whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system.

One

MAGGIE’s house. MAGGIE and a young female POLICE OFFICER sit at opposite sides of the table.

MAGGIE. What happens now?

The POLICE OFFICER pulls a card from her pocket and hands it to MAGGIE.

POLICE OFFICER. If you call this number, they’ll be able to help.

MAGGIE. You’re shaking. (Beat.) What’ll they do?

POLICE OFFICER. They can… answer your questions. Put you in touch with the right people.

MAGGIE. ‘The right people’?

POLICE OFFICER. The prison governer, legal representation. (Beat.) The coroner.

MAGGIE. Do you have to do this much?

POLICE OFFICER. No, not – Sometimes. Only sometimes.

MAGGIE. It must be very difficult.

Pause.

POLICE OFFICER. Not as hard as – I can’t even imagine –

MAGGIE. Shouldn’t you have someone with you? Is it normal, this, doing it on your own?

POLICE OFFICER. It… depends.

MAGGIE. What on?

Beat.

POLICE OFFICER. Numbers. We’re a bit pushed today.

MAGGIE. I thought they had to send two. I thought it was the law. I don’t know why, I suppose I’m getting that off the telly. (Beat.) It doesn’t seem fair. How old are you?

Beat.

POLICE OFFICER. Twenty-one.

Silence.

The next steps are – You need to… before they can issue any – You’ll have to formally identify Julie’s body.

MAGGIE. Her name’s Janine.

Pause.

POLICE OFFICER. I’m so sorry.

MAGGIE. They said she’d be safe.

Silence.

Was there – Did she… leave anything?

POLICE OFFICER….

MAGGIE. A note?

Beat.

POLICE OFFICER. I… don’t know.

MAGGIE. So there might have been?

POLICE OFFICER. There might have been but they didn’t say.

Silence.

(Gesturing to the card.) If you call that –

MAGGIE. Do they all cry straight away? Or start screaming? D’you think I don’t care?

POLICE OFFICER. No. I think you’re… in shock.

MAGGIE. ‘Shock’? No, I’m not in shock. I’m not shocked. (Beat.) She got four years.

Silence.

Did you meet her?

POLICE OFFICER. No. (Beat.) I’m from – They ring the local station. So we can get to you quickly.

MAGGIE. Right, because it’s a long way, isn’t it? For someone to get here from the prison. Takes me over four-and-a-half hours, door to door. I get two buses to Euston then it’s a two-and-a-half hour train ride then a thirty-minute bus ride. It’d be quicker if I got the Tube to Euston but I haven’t got the Tube in years. I’m claustrophobic. The last time I was on one, there was a power failure and it got stuck in the bloody tunnel for fifteen minutes, which I know isn’t very long at all but if you suffer with it like I do then it’s an eternity. An absolute living hell. This poor old woman had to calm me down, I was nearly hammering on the windows, I would have got out and crawled along the tracks in the dark if I could, I felt so desperate. (Pause.) I felt so completely desperate.

MAGGIE lets out a howl. The POLICE OFFICER searches for something to say.

POLICE OFFICER. Do you want me to get you something? A glass of water or something?

MAGGIE (composing herself, calm again). A glass of water? No. I don’t want a glass of water.

Silence.

She’s got a little girl. My granddaughter. She’s here with me, it’s just the two of us. I’m not sure… when you go now, I’m not sure what to do.

POLICE OFFICER. Is there anybody I can ring for you?

MAGGIE. No. No, thank you. (Beat.) Will you – Do you come back?

Pause.

POLICE OFFICER. No. If you call that number then –

MAGGIE. The number. Yeah. You’ve told me all this. It’s just, my head…

The POLICE OFFICER goes to leave. MAGGIE leans forward to hug her. She seems startled but lets MAGGIE put her arms around her, keeping her arms down by her sides. The POLICE OFFICER leaves. MAGGIE sits down at the table, broken.

Two

MAGGIE sits, slicing an apple and reading the paper. AINE runs in on her hobby horse, running circles around the table.

MAGGIE. Pack it in. You’re making me dizzy.

AINE stops.

You’re getting too big for him now, aren’t you?

AINE. It’s a girl.

MAGGIE. For her then. That’s for babies. You’re not a baby, are you? (Beat.) Are you?

AINE stares at MAGGIE.

Course you’re not. You’re a big girl now. (Beat.) Have some apple.

MAGGIE holds the apple out. AINE takes a piece and eats it.

Don’t swallow the pips.

AINE. Why not?

MAGGIE. Because a whopping great tree’ll grow in your tummy and come out of the top of your head.

MAGGIE laughs. AINE is silent. She puts the piece of apple back on the table.

I’m only having a joke with you.

AINE. You shouldn’t make jokes like that with children.

MAGGIE. I’m sorry. (Slaps her own hand.) Silly Nanny.

AINE stares at her.

AINE. How long have I got to stay here for?

Beat.

MAGGIE. I don’t know yet. Until Mummy gets better.

AINE. Will she get better soon?

MAGGIE. Yeah, she will, course she will. But this is nice. (Beat.) Isn’t this nice? Me and you spending time together.

AINE. My friend’s nanny lives with her. She’s called Danielle. Her nanny bought her a pink DS.

MAGGIE. A pink what?

AINE. DS. It’s a games console.

MAGGIE. Lucky Danielle.

AINE sits down and picks her book up to read.

That looks good, is it good?

AINE nods. She flicks through and shows MAGGIE a page.

AINE. This is where I’m going to on holiday.

MAGGIE laughs.

MAGGIE. The Emeral...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Characters
• One
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information