Enda Walsh Plays: Two (NHB Modern Plays)

Enda Walsh

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2015
• ISBN:
  9781780016368
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

The second collection of plays from the multi-award-winning Irish playwright.

This volume of remarkable plays charts the development of one of the most strikingly original playwrights in contemporary theatre. It collects together four full-length plays – three of which were produced by Galway's Druid Theatre Company, three of which were performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, and two of which transferred to London's National Theatre – along with two fascinating short plays and a Foreword by the author.

The Walworth Farce (2006) is a madcap yet tender play about what can happen when we become stuck in the stories we tell about our lives.

The New Electric Ballroom (2008) is a dark, glitter-dusted fable of the emotionally stultifying effects of small-town life.

In a savage and riveting take on the classic Greek myth of Odysseus's wife, Penelope (2010) sees four ridiculous men facing their inevitable deaths, and playing for an unwinnable love.

Ballyturk (2014) saw Walsh reuniting with actor Cillian Murphy after Disco Pigs and Misterman for a jaw-droppingly physical play in which the lives of two men unravel over the course of ninety minutes.

Also included in this volume are two short plays, My Friend Duplicity (2010), which went on to inspire Ballyturk, and Room 303 (2011).

'One of the most fiercely individual voices in the theatre today' New York Times

'Enda Walsh makes his own distinctive stage music in the fury of his writing talent and the irresistible surge of his blatant theatricality' Independent

THE WALWORTH FARCE

The Walworth Farce was first performed by Druid Theatre Company at the Town Hall Theatre, Galway, on 20 March 2006. The cast was as follows:

DINNY	Denis Conway
SEAN	Aaron Monaghan
BLAKE	Garrett Lombard
HAYLEY	Syan Blake
Director	Mikel Murfi
Designer	Sabine Dargent
Lighting Designer	Paul Keogan

The production subsequently toured to the Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork, and the Helix, Dublin.

The play was revived at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, on 3 August 2007, with the following cast:

DINNY	Denis Conway
SEAN	Tadhg Murphy
BLAKE	Garrett Lombard
HAYLEY	Natalie Best

The play received its London premiere at the National Theatre in September 2008, with Mercy Ojelade playing the role of Hayley.

The play was revived by Landmark Productions at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin, on 14 January 2015 with the following cast:

DINNY	Brendan Gleeson
SEAN	Brian Gleeson
BLAKE	Domhnall Gleeson
HAYLEY	Leona Allen
Director	Sean Foley
Designer	Alice Power
Lighting Designer	Paul Keogan
Sound Designer	Ben and Max Ringham

To the first director of this play
Mikel Murfi
for his advice, support, enthusiasm and general brilliance.
Thank you so much.

Characters

in order of appearance

DINNY, fifty, Irish accent

BLAKE, twenty-five, Irish accent

SEAN, twenty-four, Irish accent

HAYLEY, twenty-four, South London accent

ACT ONE

The set is three square spaces. Essentially a living room at its centre, a kitchen to stage left and a bedroom to stage right.

Much of the plasterboard has been removed from the walls and what remains are the wooden frames beneath.

The two doors on the wall leading into the kitchen and the two doors leading into the bedroom on the other wall have been removed.

The back wall shows the front door leading into this flat. Also there is a large window covered by a heavy curtain.

There are two wardrobes at the back made from the plasterboard. One on the left and one on the right of the front door.

The decor is at best drab. Everything worn and colourless and stuck in the 1970s.

There is an armchair and a small coffee table in the sitting room with six cans of Harp on it. The kitchen is fitted and very messy. The bedroom has two single beds on top of each other made to look like bunk beds.

We’re in a council flat on the Walworth Road, South London.

As the lights go up we see a man sitting in the armchair. This is the father, DINNY. He wears a bad brown yellowing wig on his head, a tight ill-fitting suit that makes him look clownish. He has a jet black bushy moustache. He’s holding a small biscuit tin.

On a side table next to him he presses the button of an old tape recorder. ‘An Irish Lullaby’ begins to play. Slowly he opens the biscuit tin. He looks inside, smiles and smells the contents. He closes it and places it under the armchair. He begins to polish his shoes with a tin of brown polish.

His son BLAKE stands in his vest and underpants and irons something on a coffin-shaped cardboard box in the bedroom.

BLAKE’s brother SEAN stands in the kitchen. He wears a woollen hat. He takes it off and places it in the pocket of his jacket. His hair has been shaved so that he looks as if he’s badly balding.

He goes to the table where he looks into a Tesco bag. His expression suddenly shocked. He takes out an extremely large salami sausage. He goes to the oven and flings the sausage inside, closing the door. With trepidation he returns to the Tesco bag, reaches in and takes out a packet of Ryvita crackers. Again he’s shook.

DINNY enters the kitchen carrying the tape recorder and SEAN quickly hides the Ryvita behind his back. DINNY pours himself a glass of water and gargles for a bit. SEAN watches him. DINNY spits it back in the sink, turns and exits the kitchen and back into the sitting room.

DINNY places the tape recorder on the side table and starts to do little physical jerks. He’s exercising.

BLAKE is putting on what he was ironing. A floral skirt. He puts the iron under the bed and takes up a freshly ironed colourful blouse. He smells it. It’s not the best. He sprays it with some Mister Sheen. He smells it again and puts it on. From under the bed he takes an old lamp with an orange floral shade. He slings it off a hook that hangs from the ceiling and turns it on. The bedroom is thrown into a new light.

SEAN meanwhile is making Ryvita sandwiches in the kitchen with spreadable cheese he’s taken from a tiny fridge.

DINNY stops exercising. He takes off his wig and we can see some Velcro tape running on top of his head which obviously keeps on the wig. He takes a comb out and gives the wig a quick once over.

BLAKE puts on a woman’s black permed wig. He picks up the cardboard coffin and exits the bedroom and into the sitting room and stands waiting.

SEAN sticks a bad fake moustache on (à la Magnum P.I.), dons a tight cream sports jacket which he buttons up and exits the kitchen. BLAKE hands him the coffin and enters one of the wardrobes.

SEAN stands holding the coffin on his shoulders by the front door and waits for his father.

DINNY sticks his wig back on. He goes to the wall and takes a small golden trophy off a shelf. He reverentially kisses it before carefully replacing it. He blesses himself.

He takes a deep breath and exhales sharply. He’s ready.

DINNY holds the other end of the coffin with SEAN. He reaches to the light switch on the back wall and switches off the light in the sitting room as ‘An Irish Lullaby’ comes to an end.

The room is thrown into darkness and silence. DINNY immediately turns the light back on.

DINNY. She was our mother, Paddy –

Suddenly the tape recorder blasts out the Irish traditional song ‘A Nation Once Again’.

The two of them startled.

Shite!

DINNY turns off the tape recorder. Again he takes a deep breath and exhales sharply. He then reaches back to the light switch and turns the lights off again. He immediately turns them back on.

The Farce begins. The three speak in Cork City accents. The performance style resembles The Three Stooges.

She was our mother, Paddy, and she treated us well.

SEAN AS PADDY. It was a happy outcome, Dinny, even if...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• The Walworth Farce
• The New Electric Ballroom
• Penelope
• My Friend Duplicity
• Room 303
• Ballyturk
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information