The Quiet House (NHB Modern Plays)

Gareth Farr

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9781780017693
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

'It's passing on your thoughts, your personality, a part of yourself, your DNA. If we don't do that what are we? We're just dust.'

Jess and Dylan are in love. They want a family. That's all they have ever wanted.

When diagnosed with infertility, this ordinary couple find themselves on an extraordinary journey. They enter the world of IVF treatment where intimacy is replaced by injections.

Forced to fight for the family they so desperately want, they put their faith in science and their relationship through the ultimate test.

An exploration of infertility and the taboo that surrounds it, The Quiet House is a funny, moving and unswervingly honest love story, inspired by true events. It premiered at Birmingham Rep in May 2016 before playing at Park Theatre, London.

Scene One

Lights up. JESS and DYLAN’s flat. It’s comfortable and tidy. There is a window on the back wall and a front door leading to a lobby/hallway. The hallway has a flight of stairs leading up to other flats and a door leading out to the world.

JESS is sat on the sofa looking at her phone, she has been here for some time. She is dressed in nice underwear and silk dressing gown. She hears the door open in the hallway as DYLAN enters from the street. JESS jumps up, quickly sprays perfume and checks herself in the mirror as DYLAN enters the flat.

JESS. Hello, lover boy. I hope you are ready to make some babies tonight.

DYLAN doesn’t move.

New undies, Dylan my lover. Brand spanking new and ready for you.

DYLAN doesn’t move.

Dylan, I’m not very good at this and you’re already over an hour late so can you please just –

DYLAN. Police.

JESS. What?

DYLAN. I’ve been with the police.

JESS covers herself with her dressing gown.

JESS. What? Jesus. Are you okay? What happened?

DYLAN doesn’t respond.

What happened? Dylan?

DYLAN doesn’t respond.

Dylan. What happened? You’re scaring me, why have you been with the police?

DYLAN. Kids.

JESS. What?

DYLAN. Bloody children, Jess.

JESS. You’re not making much sense, Dylan.

DYLAN. I went to the shop.

JESS. Right. Okay.

DYLAN. Yeah. Today’s been a bit weird. I might just sit down.

JESS. Do you want a tea? Do you want a beer? Dylan? Love? Do you want a beer?

DYLAN. No. Thank you.

JESS. Okay, so you went to the shop? Dylan, you went to
the shop?

DYLAN. I was going to get some cigarettes.

JESS. Cigarettes?

DYLAN. I know. Yeah. Sorry. I’m still smoking. A little bit. Not many. It’s hard, y’know?

JESS. We’ll come back to the cigarettes, just tell me what happened in the shop, Dylan.

DYLAN. It was the Indian woman.

JESS. What was? What about the Indian woman? What Indian woman? Dylan?

DYLAN. She was sat there when I went in. I didn’t notice. She was just sat there and she was really still. Not moving, just staring. I didn’t notice. Sometimes it’s the Indian man, I like him, we chat. Sometimes it’s their son, we chat too, about the cricket mainly.

JESS. This sounds like a lot of cigarettes.

Sorry. Carry on.

DYLAN. It was the woman, the wife, the mum. She was sat there behind the counter. We don’t chat. She doesn’t speak very good English. I tried once but it didn’t work. She didn’t like it. Rude actually, she was actually openly quite rude about it.

JESS. What happened in the shop, Dylan?

DYLAN. I could tell something was wrong. I didn’t know that I knew but looking back now, I know that I knew. Does that make sense.

JESS. Sort of.

DYLAN. Something wasn’t right. An energy, I don’t know, like an atmosphere, y’know?

JESS. Yes, I think so. Go on.

DYLAN. I wasn’t really paying attention. I was distracted because of everything that’s going on, y’know? And we had this huge meeting at work so my head was full. I just wasn’t looking. I just asked for the cigarettes.

JESS. Then what?

DYLAN. Kids, Jess. It’s unbelievable.

JESS. What kids?

DYLAN. She was just sitting there staring over my shoulder at the back of the shop. My head was full because of the meeting and everything else so I was a bit short with her. I just said, ‘Oi. Look sharp. Twenty Marlboro Lights.’ I’m pretty sure that I didn’t even say thank you. Terrible that, isn’t it? Because of everything that’s going on, Jess. It must be.

JESS. Okay.

DYLAN. And the meeting. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t even move. She hadn...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Original Production
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication
• Characters
• The Quiet House
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information