work.txt

Nathan Ellis

• Editorial: Methuen Drama
• Año: 2022
• ISBN:
  9781350338944
• Edición: 1
• Categoría: Letteratura
• Categoría: Teatro britannico

Hate your job? Come work for us. This is a show about work.
But the worker isn't here, so it's down to you. You'll clock in at the beginning.
You'll get short breaks at regular intervals.
You'll work in a team, and under your own initiative. You will be your own boss.
You will be free. work.txt is a show performed entirely by the audience about the gig economy, financial instability and bullshit jobs. This edition was published to coincide with the run at the Soho Theatre in London in February 2022.

a gallery

The scene is projected behind the performers line by line. The printer prints the scene.

AI’d like to talk today about truth. About the truth of what life means to me, of what we’re doing and why. Of life and death. Of life AND death. And work. Obviously. This is about hard WORK. There has been SO much hard WORK gone into this new. This NEW gallery space, generously funded by Shell, which allows us to explore in dovetail the word of of of express blah the funding the blah blah blah blah.

B You ok?

ASorry, I didn’t realise anyone else was here.

B I was here the whole time.

AI see that now. Sorry.

B I stay here the whole time. That’s my job. I’m the gallery attendant. What are you doing?

AI’m rehearsing. I have to do a speech.

BWhat for?

AThe room is being renamed.

BYou’re the curator?

AYes.

BCongratulations.

AOn what?

BThis room. It’s a very nice room. I like the exhibition.

AThank you.

BWorkspace. It’s an interesting idea.

AThere’s a dot.

BWhat?

AWork dot space. There’s a dot in the middle. It’s . . . The internet. Or something.

B A lot of people have just been saying ‘work space’.

AYes, I was told that might happen.

BI think it’s really interesting.

AThat’s good. Are you an artist?

BI studied art but in the script my role is just gallery attendant.

AIt’s an important role. Not as important as the curator, obviously, but important!

B The exhibition makes me think about this thing I saw online, maybe you saw it. It’s this person called [INSERT NAME]?

ANo I haven’t seen it.

A member of the audience (shouting out)You work here, right? What does this thing here mean? What’s it about?

B Well, everything in this space is about work and space. And this is a piece by an artist from Mexico exploring crafts practices –

A member of the audience (shouting out)So, it’s about Mexico?

B No. It’s –

A (interrupting)It’s a really interesting piece, actually, exploring the way that work and leisure intersect, the ways beauty and imagination are manipulated –

A member of the audience (shouting out)It looks like blocks of painted wood.

AIt’s a lot more than that.

A member of the audience (shouting out)Who are you?

AI’m the curator. Of the space.

A member of the audience (reading off the wall, still shouting)workspace. What’s that?

B Work dot space. There’s a dot.

A member of the audience (shouting out)Ok. Where’s the best art?

AWell, it’s all world-class, what do you like?

A member of the audience (shouting out)Art. You know, like Art?

AI’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.

A member of the audience (shouting out)Are you patronising me?

ANo.

A member of the audience (shouting out)You are, you’re patronising us, you’re patronising me and my husband and my family. You think we’re too stupid to understand this art and that I want simple art, which isn’t true, I just like different things to you, I just use art for different purposes to you. I don’t need a gallery to explain what work is because I work already. I don’t want to have to work hard in my spare time pretending to like little blocks of wood stacked up on top of each other. I’ve come a very long way to be here, so that I could look at some really nice art, and feel a bit calmer, and then take a picture to show my elderly relatives when I get home.

AWell, I think . . .

A member of the audience (shouting out)I’m not finished. I have to be back at work on Monday, real work, not like you do, stood around chatting about thoughts and feelings, about whether work is good or bad or pointless. Of course I hate my job. Everyone does. But you have to work. What else would you do? And the thing is I want to show the people at work that I’ve been to some proper art on my holiday. Which I think is fine. Isn’t it? Isn’t that fine? I want to see a Monet.

B There’s a Monet on the second floor in the BP Gallery.

A member of the audience (shouting out)Thank you.

B I’m sorry about that.

ADon’t be. It’s fine. They’re probably right.

B No.

AThey are, they’re probably right, the blocks of wood were an error. Whatever. It’s not important. I get sent thank-you cards.

B Do you?

ASometimes. I get sent letters. From people saying how much they like my work.

B That must be nice.

AIt is. It makes me think, what I’m doing must be worthwhile.

Pause.

B I don’t get sent letters.

AWhat?

BIt was a joke. I’m a gallery attendant, so, obviously I don’t get sent letters.

AOf course. A joke. You were talking about [INSERT NAME].

B There are lots of pictures on social media. I’ll show you on my phone.

AAnd then the curator looks at a picture on the attendant’s phone of [INSERT NAME] lying down in the lobby.

B And then the attendant shows the picture of [INSERT NAME] to the curator. The attendant watches the face of the curator, to see if they seem bored or impressed. The attendant talks to the curator about what they think the meaning of the thing might be. They talk about what the significance of [INSERT NAME] is to them, of what that action, which...

Índice

• Cover
• Title Page
• Nathan Ellis – Writer and Director
• Image
• Contents
• work.txt
• Dedication
• A member of the audience reads the following out
• An office
• A gallery
• A cruise ship
• The audience
• The printer will take over the work
• Acknowledgements
• eCopyright