Hard to Swallow

New edition with bonus features

Mark Wheeller

• Publisher: Salamander Street Ltd.
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781913630256
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

2020 Edition

Suitable text for GCSE 9-1Drama

Based on Maureen Dunbar's award-winning book and film Catherine: The Story of a Young Girl Who Died of Anorexia Nervosa. Catherine Dunbar died in 1984, after a seven-year battle against anorexia nervosa. She was just twenty-two.

Mark Wheeller's potent documentary play uses the words from Catherine's diaries and also of those most closely involved and affected.

This 2020 edition includes a foreword by the late Maureen Dunbar, unseen extra scenes and a reflection by Mark, on the astonishing journey of this widely studied play since its first performances, including one by OYT on the Olivier Stage of the Royal National Theatre.

Suitable for: Key Stage 3/4, BTEC, GCSE
Duration: 75 minutes approximately
Cast: 6 female, 3 male, 22 female/male, or 3 female and 2 male with doubling.

"This play reaches moments of almost unbearable intensity… naturalistic scenes flow seamlessly into sequences of highlystylisedtheatre… such potent theatre!"
Vera Lustig, The Independent

"Elegantly structured, highly informative, and imaginativelytheatrical. There wasn't a dry eye in the house."
Anne McFerran, Stage and Television Today

Try to play this scene in as animated and stylistic manner as possible. Some of the best versions I have seen have had four actors multi rolling. This has forced them to be imaginative about, for example, the creation of the Troll. This grotesque creature can be been created by all the performers suddenly becoming this one character¹ and swiftly returning to become their original roles. There are also possibilities to re-visit this creature to enable the audience to see the Drs through Catherine’s eyes later in the play (Section 6).

Aim for cartoon/comedy style differentiation in the portrayal of the family of goats. Use every possibility to make this scene both engaging and funny. Adding the occasional involuntary “Bah” always goes down well. Feel free to play with the scene! It needs to be a highlight!

¹ For an example of how to do this see the Billy Goat 4 play on the bonus feature Crossing The Bridge (by RSCoYT) on the Hard to Swallow DVD/download available from Salamander Street.

Section 1

THE BILLY GOATS

NARRATOR: Once upon a time there was a family of goats.

DADDY: There was a daddy goat.

MUMMY: There was a mummy goat.

BABY: And a baby goat.

ALL: Aaah!

MUMMY & DADDY: High expectations.

MUMMY: To cross the bridge.

DADDY: To live in the green field.

MUMMY & DADDY: Just like we did when we were young.

MUMMY & DADDY: Cross the bridge.

BABY: But I must tidy my playpen.

MUMMY & DADDY: Cross the bridge.

BABY: Tidy my playpen.

MUMMY, DADDY & NARRATOR: (Chanting.) Cross the bridge… cross the bridge… cross the bridge… cross the bridge…

TROLL: (Leaping onto the bridge blocking BABY’s path. Threatening.) Troll!

BABY: Scared.

TROLL: (Threatening.) Troll!

BABY: Scared. (Running to parents.)

TROLL: (Threatening.) Troll!

MUMMY: Protection.

BABY: Safety.

DADDY: Seethe.

BABY: Playpen. (Goes into it.) Security.

DADDY: Open the door!

MUMMY: Leave Baby alone…

DADDY: Cross the bridge!

MUMMY: Be patient.

DADDY: Open the door.

MUMMY: Leave Baby alone.

DADDY: Cross the bridge!

MUMMY: Be patient.

DADDY: (To MUMMY.) Don’t you see? Baby will never come out!

NARRATOR: Visitor from a neighbouring field.

JO: Jo the Goat. (To MUMMY.) Playpen.

MUMMY: Cross the bridge.

JO: Playpen… just like Baby’s.

MUMMY: Here it is… but our baby never came out.

TROLL: You can have one too. I’ll build one for you…

JO: Small… Frightening…

TROLL: You can have one too. I’ll build one for you.

JO: I don’t like it… I don’t want it.

MUMMY, DADDY & NARRATOR: Cross the bridge… cross the bridge… cross the bridge…

TROLL: (Disheartened.) You can have one too. I’ll build one for you.

TROLL sits on the bridge sobbing as JO successfully crosses the bridge.

MUMMY, DADDY & NARRATOR: Crossed the bridge.

(Silence.)

Section 2

CHRISTMAS ’73 – THE DUNBAR HOUSEHOLD

MAUREEN, JOHN, SIMON, ANNA and CATHERINE are seated round their dining table. In ‘fast forward’ motion they mime eating their Christmas dinner etc. The family are enjoying themselves, pulling crackers etc. accompanied by Christmas Carol which is also sped up. Each of the characters wears a party hat for the duration of this scene. The aim of the scene is to illustrate a happy family.

ALL: Christmas 1973.

MAUREEN & JOHN: Christmas Day. Five o’clock in the morning.

SIMON: Wakey wakey!

ANNA, SIMON & CATHERINE: Celebration!

ANNA: Bleary eyes focus on.

ANNA, SIMON & CATHERINE: (Screaming with excitement.) Christmas stockings… rush.

CATHERINE: Lots of new toys.

ANNA, SIMON & CATHERINE: Loads of noise!

ANNA: Sweets.

ANNA, SIMON & CATHERINE: Lots to eat. Mmmm! Tasty!

SIMON: Ten-fifteen.

ANNA, SIMON & CATHERINE: (Sung a la plainsong.) Time for church.

ANNA: Anna… brand-new blouse.

SIMON: Simon… brand-new tie.

ANNA & CATHERINE: (Jokingly.) Sexy!

CATHERINE: Catherine… a brand-new skirt.

ANNA, SIMON & CATHERINE: Ready.

JOHN: Christmas, and the weeks leading up to it, were always a time of activity, excitement and joyfulness in our family. We always paid a visit to…

ANNA, SIMON & CATHERINE: Harrods’ toy department. Wow!

JOHN: And nearer Christmas we would make another trip to London to see the light...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Introduction by Maureen Dunbar (2000)
• Introduction for the original 1990 CUP publication
• Introduction for the revised 2000 dbda edition
• Introduction for the 2020 Salamander Street Edition
• A Reflection on the Touring Production by TiE It Up Theatre
• Ann’s Story
• A Note from Anna Smith
• Hard to Swallow
• Crossing the Bridge
• Hunchback, believed to be by Catherine Dunbar