I’ve written a new play. It’s a kind of Beckett meets Friel thing except every word of dialogue in it is a preposition. I needed a gimmick. Everyone loves a gimmick these days. Just telling a story or something, that’s a bit ‘meh’. Anyway, here’s an extract from my new play Until But Despite:
MAURA does the dishes, looking fatigued.
MAURA (wistfully):
After beneath at around beside, onto during except. From inside, since above into beyond.
FATHER O’GORMAN is seated behind Maura, eating a slice of brack.
FATHER O’GORMAN:
Like after near above off into of outside over past.
MAURA angrily turns to face Father O’Gorman.
MAURA:
After along during beside, ‘till toward underneath. Since out throughout! Since out throughout!
FATHER O’GORMAN stands and takes Maura’s shoulders roughly.
FATHER O’GORMAN:
Without like of past, among of upon, but down before of like inside. Toward! Toward!
MAURA shakes herself free of the priest.
MAURA:
Around by after across between except for during. Except for during? Over during! Over during into amongst beneath but against.
FATHER O’GORMAN falls weeping to his knees.
FATHER O’GORMAN:
Within inside toward but out of between, like near past outside over past. At behind! At beneath! At beyond in about of among in AROUND! In AROUND! In AROUND! . . .until, . . .until, . . .until but despite.
MAURA looks down at the priest in disgust. She tosses aside her dishcloth and exits the scene. FATHER O’GORMAN curls into a ball and rocks to and fro.
FATHER O’GORMAN:
. . .until but despite. . . .until but despite . . .until but despite.
End of extract.
What do you think? Powerful stuff eh? I’m really looking forward to everyone pretending to enjoy it when it premiers at the next Dublin Theatre Festival.
IN OTHER NEWS: Click the link to the RDC blog and see myself and an old pal being a bit xenophobic: LINK-KRAZY KRAUTS!
