Ben Musgrave
CRUSHED SHELLS
AND MUD
NICK HERN BOOKS
London
www.nickhernbooks.co.uk
Contents
Title Page
Original Production
Acknowledgements
Characters
Crushed Shells and Mud
About the Author
Copyright and Performing Rights Information
Crushed Shells and Mud was first performed at the Southwark Playhouse, London, on 1 October 2015. The cast was as follows:
VINCE
Alexander Arnold
LYDIA
Hannah Britland
SARAH
Laura Howard
DEREK
Alex Lawther
PETER
Simon Lenagan
Director
Russell Bolam
Designer
Ellan Parry
Lighting Designer
Richard Godin
Sound Designer
Richard Hammarton
Movement Director
Jack Murphy
Acknowledgements
The idea for this play began on a trip to Uganda to talk to people whose lives had been transformed by antiretroviral drugs. Many thanks to Annie Katuregye and all who took the time to tell me about their experiences. Thanks also to Theatrescience, Rebecca Gould, and Caroline Grundy for developing the idea and for getting me out there in the first place.
I wrote the first draft of the play on attachment at the National Theatre Studio and I am enormously grateful to all at the Studio who enabled this – in particular Brian Walters, Matthew Poxon, and Rebecca Frecknall (who directed two excellent workshop readings of the play, the first featuring Nick Blakeley, Robin Pearce and Jess Murphy, the second Siân Thomas, Ted Reilly, Tom Hughes and Lou Broadbent).
I am always indebted to the Dog House Group – Matt Morrison, Robin Booth, Samantha Ellis, and Nick Harrop. And also to Rachel Taylor, Robert Holman, and Lucy Morrison for useful thoughts. Thank you to Kirsten Forster. Thank you also to all at Nick Hern Books and the Southwark Playhouse.
Huge thank you to Joe Strickland, Simon Lenegan, and especially to Russell Bolam who believed in the play and had the cheek and sheer bloody-mindedness to get it on.
To my parents for supporting this play and my strange career, and of course to Selene Burn, for everything.
B.M.
Characters
DEREK, seventeen
LYDIA, seventeen
VINCENT, seventeen
SARAH, forty-eight
PETER, forty
OLD LADY, seventy-five
Notes
The play can be performed with a cast of five actors, doubling Sarah and the Old Lady.
A forward slash (/) marks an interruption by the next speaker.
The absence of a full stop at the end of a line marks a trailing off or an interruption of thought.
This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.
ACT ONE
Scene One
She Crawled Out of the Sea
The east coast of England.
A field. High brambles, nettles, tall grasses obscure a view of the sea. The memory of a path down.
In the other direction, a track leading to the village.
Within the field a holiday caravan, weathered, battered, seagullspattered.
A changeable day in summer. At this moment it is grey.
DEREK emerges from the caravan, carrying a plain brown notebook. He goes to the side of the caravan, and climbs up the side-ladder.
From the top, he looks at the sea for a moment, then sits down, dangling his legs from the roof.
He takes the notebook, and makes a slight adjustment to what is written within.
He starts to read what he has out loud.
DEREK
One day she came out of the sea.
She crawled out of the mud, quietly.
Shy and beautiful
Brushing off sand and shells.
And over marsh and pool she looked straight into his eyes.
And even from that distance
He knew she understood him.
And knew she had the answers
To all the things that hurt or didn’t make sense.
He looks up as the sun comes out and warms his face.
Scene Two
Lydia
By the caravan.
A brighter day.
DEREK is showing LYDIA around.
He is not in her league.
DEREK
(Of the path to the sea.) Now, normally you can get to the sea this way, there’s a path that winds down, but there haven’t been the walkers really, in recent years.
So it’s quite grown over.
I’ll see if I can beat it back at the weekend.
LYDIA
(Smiling.) Don’t worry.
DEREK
Oh I don’t mind!
LYDIA
It was just a whim.
DEREK
It’s a right of way.
You can’t just let it go.
(Of the caravan.) This is just…
Someone just dumped this here.
We use it sometimes – the farmer doesn’t mind.
You’re most welcome at any time.
LYDIA
Thanks.
DEREK tries to point out the view.
DEREK
Well, that’s the sea.
(Looking down into the vegetation.) It’s not a great beach, if I’m honest.
Quite muddy.
There’s a better one further down the coast.
Rockpools, a bit of sand.
I could show you?
LYDIA
(Smiling.) Okay.
DEREK
I’m not much of a swimmer.
Well, I can thrash about…
(Of her name.) It was ‘Lydia’ wasn’t it?
LYDIA
Yes.
DEREK
(Embarrassed.) I always forget in the flurry of it. And then it’s embarrassing to ask again.
Pause.
(Of his name.) Derek.
LYDIA
Yes.
LYDIA smiles. They look into the brambles.
DEREK
Did you swim where you were before?
LYDIA
A little bit.
DEREK
Where was it?
Beat.
LYDIA
Sussex.
DEREK
So this must be a bit of a change!
LYDIA
Yes!
DEREK
Everything okay there?
LYDIA
Yes, we were fine.
Pause.
DEREK
Your parents move out here?
LYDIA
No… They’re in…
Germany.
Business…
I’m staying with my aunt for the holidays.
LYDIA stares out.
DEREK
(Of the whole area.) There’s not much here.
It’s not
Well it’s not too wonderful.
If you’re after clubs and things there’s one in Stonesea. We had a disco at the village hall last year but it wasn’t up to much.
There’s a shop or two and a pub.
I think it would be hard in a new place.
LYDIA looks down. She suddenly appears upset.
I don’t know I’d have the bravery to be honest.
He tries, inexpertly, to comfort her.
Don’t worry, you’ll be alrigh
t. You’ll be as right as rain!
Pause. He can think of only one solution.
I can do you a cup of tea?
Pause.
(Of the caravan.) I’ve got a thing rigged up in here.
LYDIA
Okay, thanks.
DEREK
Maybe you have to go?
LYDIA
No, I’m okay for a bit.
DEREK
Right!
I’ll go and get it on.
(Of the tea.) It might have to be black I’m afraid.
DEREK opens the caravan door and goes in.
LYDIA takes a cigarette from a soft anonymous packet and lights it.
She looks around as she smokes.
(From inside.) There we go!
DEREK comes out. He sees her smoking. A moment of alarm.
LYDIA
Sorry
DEREK
No, don’t worry!
LYDIA
Am I not allowed?
Course, I just didn’t know you / did
LYDIA
(Offering him one.) Would you like / one?
DEREK
(Smiling.) No, thank you!
Beat.
I’ve never taken to it.
Pause.
(Going back into the caravan for the tea.) I’ll just get the
(From inside.) Do you want sugar?
LYDIA
No.
Pause. DEREK comes out.
DEREK
Will you promise me something, Lydia?
Will you give up by the time you’re twenty-five?
LYDIA
If I last till twenty-five.
Beat.
DEREK
Why do you say that?
Beat. LYDIA realises she has said something odd.
LYDIA
Sorry, I was being dramatic.
DEREK
Are you often dramatic?
LYDIA
No, not really.
Beat. She extinguishes her cigarette. DEREK goes into the caravan to get the tea.
She checks her phone.
DEREK
Reception comes and goes I’m afraid…
She puts her phone away.
It’s got markedly worse, actually, the mast is often broken, and they take weeks to repair it.
Beat.
Sorry, I know I go on a bit.
LYDIA
No, you’re alright.
VINCENT, enters, unseen. He is smart in a way DEREK is not.
VINCENT
Can I smell tobacco in the air?
DEREK freezes.
DEREK
No.
VINCENT
It wasn’t you, was it, Derek?
DEREK
No, mate.
VINCENT
You weren’t smoking were you?
DEREK
No!
DEREK shrinks back.
LYDIA
It was me.
VINCENT
Hello.
LYDIA
Hello.
VINCENT
Have you got a spare one?
LYDIA
Sure.
She goes to her bag, and searches for her cigarettes. DEREK disapproves of VINCENT.
VINCENT
(To DEREK.) What’s the problem, chicken, it’s only a cigarette?
DEREK
She doesn’t have to.
LYDIA
I don’t mind.
VINCENT
(To LYDIA.) You’re here on your holidays?
LYDIA
Yeah.
VINCENT
I saw you in the village.
LYDIA hands him a cigarette.
Thanks.
Derek’s been showing you round?
LYDIA
Yeah.
VINCENT
He’s made you a brew?
Isn’t he fantastic!
DEREK
No!
VINCENT
You could polish him up and put him on a ring!
LYDIA smiles.
He knows all the places!
We all love Derek, don’t we?
DEREK looks away.
What’s your name?
LYDIA
(Smiling.) Lydia.
VINCENT
(Holding out his hand to shake hers.) Pleased to meet you, Lydia.
She shakes his hand.
DEREK
This is Vince.
VINCENT
Vincent.
LYDIA doesn’t flinch from his gaze.
There’s a pub in the village, Lydia.
LYDIA
Yeah?
VINCENT
There are lock-ins, parties. People come from miles around.
Beat.
There’s one tonight.
LYDIA
Not tonight.
VINCENT
Why not?
LYDIA
I can’t, tonight.
VINCENT
Can I try and persuade you?
DEREK
She doesn’t want to go with you, Vince!
VINCENT
She didn’t say that.
LYDIA
No, I didn’t say that.
Beat.
(To DEREK.) Are you going?
DEREK
No.
VINCENT
He’s most welcome.
DEREK
I’m alright.
Beat.
VINCENT
Can I have a cup of tea, Derek?
Pause. DEREK seems anxious about leaving VINCENT and LYDIA together.
No, I’ll go, don’t worry.
DEREK
You can have mine.
VINCENT
You sure?
DEREK
Yeah.
VINCENT
Thanks!
(To LYDIA.) He doesn’t like people in his caravan.
DEREK
I don’t mind!
VINCENT
(About going to the pub.) Do you like dancing, Lydia?
LYDIA
Yes.
VINCENT
I can tell.
LYDIA
How?
VINCENT
How about we go to the pub?
LYDIA
I need to get home.
VINCENT
Where do you live? I’ll walk you.
LYDIA
No, I’m fine.
VINCENT
Where are you, though?
She gestures imprecisely.
LYDIA
Over that way.
VINCENT
You want to be careful on the paths at night.
LYDIA
Why?
VINCENT
There could be shrinkies out.
Beat. LYDIA is alarmed.
DEREK
What? There aren’t, Lydia!
VINCENT
There are!
DEREK
Not round here.
VINCENT
It’s coming our way, they say!
Woman died last week in Leigh – a cockle-picker.
They say it was that.