Scene 1: scared?
[complete darkness on stage, the howl of wind permeating the room. The creek of a door is heard, followed by a slam - the wind stops. The sound of dropping keys is heard before luis comes onto ~stage left~ shaking an umbrella and popping it on the side of a table. On the table, an old fashioned stereo is positioned forwards. He clicks a button on top and a muffled old fashioned song begins to play. He walks across the stage to a small, creepy looking armchair and rests his neat blazer on the back of it. He walks some more till he reaches the kitchen in which he fills up and turns on the kettle then puts on the toaster. Following this, he leaves the kitchen to go back to the armchair which he had previously left his blazer on, sits on the chair and picks up a remote control from a small coffee table on the side of the chair. He picks up the remote and turns on the television (with him now for the first time facing the audience). He puts down the remote. The television crackles till a melancholic news channel broadcasts something about a crime that had taken place that night. He picks up the remote as if in shock to change the channel but it only changes to another feed of bad information. He repeats this another three times with each of the news intervals being shorter and shorter till there is the sound of a power cut, he grunts in anger whilst a high pitch ringing noise is heard for a few seconds.]
Luis: [in anger] Shit!
[during the blackout, the television is now turned towards the audience. It turns on but only a glitching screen appears. It's silent for a while with the only noise being the telly crackle.]
Luis (VO): [in complete silence] Fear is an enjoyment we discover at a very young age. [a quiet drone is heard with whispers and crackles of the news continuing] Everyone has fears, right? In fact, it's been statistically proven that 11% of you right now are scared of the dark… 34% are terrified of small spaces and 3% will wet your pants at the sight of a stupid clown! [a picture flashes suddenly onto the screen of the television with a high pitched scream/cackle of a giggle clown echoes through the room, getting louder and louder but suddenly stops] ~continuation~However~ [spotlight on the chair with luis sitting on it] in a situation like this, the fascinating thing is not fear itself [standing up and slowly walking around the stage] but the pleasure we glean from it. That's what theatres are about… it's not about being petrified, rather being immersed in a fantasy and being thrilled by it. Like I said, it's an enjoyment we discover at a very young age. But, why do we get scared? Why do we pay to go to the cinema to see a horror for half of us to just close our eyes? And why do people do things to scare… other… people?
[a smash of glass is heard as Luis gets scared. He turns, runs over to his blazer and grabs it, then flees off, ~stage left~ as Teresa loudly drags the chair from ~stage left~ giving him a dirty look as he passes and lets out a big sigh. She chucks a chair to the side of her and aggressively sits down.]
Teresa: Bread! I hate bread, it's so stupid though, like… I don't get why it's called a staple food or whatever, it's the only thing we got at home though. Know what else I hate? Politics, it’s all just...
Luis: no no no no no no!
Teresa: What, what's wrong?
Luis: How do you think you're going to get a point through to an audience if you don't use any emotion?
Teresa: for god's sake luis i thought something was wrong
Luis: no obviously not
Teresa: well ok but this isn't a pantomime!
Luis: why is that relevant
Teresa: I'm not acting as if I'm in a panto!
Luis: that's not what i'm sayin-
Teresa: well i thought if we used less exaggeration it might be a bit more… realistic?
Luis: oh come on Teresa, this is theatre… right? You're not texting your dry boyfriend, you're acting!
Teresa: ok fine i'll see what i can do ~continuation~ok where I was i, oh yeah… politics! I just don’t get it to be honest. Like, have you seen that lettuce and that woman on the telly, my mum it's got something to do with the prime minister…
Luis: [rudely coughs, interrupting teresa]
Teresa: Tv's awful these days too, like I swear there is nothing to watch apart from that politics and why is every TV show about school? Since we’re on the subject of school.
Luis: Teresa!
Teresa: Oh my god Luis why are you even on stage just let me speak! School… Can't stand it, I hate school, I hate getting out of bed in the morning with the thought of it… My mums alright though!
Amber: Bread! I hate bread, can't stand the thing, dad always says the ‘carbs are good for you’, gives you ‘energy’. But… I know that's NOT true, because carbs make you fat… eww! [stops and thinks for a second] Hah, talking about my dad, I hate him too! I don't get why people think having parents with money is great! I mean, don't get me wrong or anything kuz the moneys great and yeah I can do what I like with it but something that people don't talk about is how you spend no time…
Teresa: mumbling about luis
with them… I can't stand him. I mean, I couldn't tell you when the last time I actually had fun with [inverted commas] “dad” was…
Luis: mumbling about teresa
Amber: Anyways, I guess schools not bad though. It's the only time I can have fun without the money being waved in my face, and the bread! [giggles a bit but quickly goes back] I like… ok why are you arguing so much?
Teresa: Well Luis decided it would be best to exaggerate everything because it's “theatre” but I think we should make it more naturalistic.
Luis: If we don't exaggerate it, people will fall asleep watching us
Teresa: [shouting] You do know actual examiners are watching this it isn't some…
Luis: Well if Teresa had listened to anything I had said she would know that I’m trying to make this performance entertaining!
All: [arguing ensemble]
Teresa: well if Luis had actually contributed to anything-
Amber: [Shouting] RIGHT! [pauses to think of what to say next.] THERE WILL BE NO PLAY IF YOU DON'T STOP ARGUING! If you want to make a good play, why don't you gather some ideas… not argue for god sake.
Teresa: ok so what genius ideas have you got then?
Luis: Why don't we do it on-
amber: [abruptly interrupted] -Why don't we do it on fear?
Luis: That's what I was gonna say-
teresa: [worried] But… Why fear?
Amber: well it's nice to see that you've come up with good ideas! Good storyline i don't know?
Teresa: Ok but still… i just don't really think that it makes sense to do a performance based on fear when-
Luis: [in anger] -Just shut up teresa
Amber:[souting] OK! Both of you just pack it in! Literally no one cares ! WHY don't you… start it like… this? So, the story starts with a girl… name? Poppy. Poppy… taylor. She's quite popular, like me obviously!
Luis: Alright… rub it in why don't you?
Amber: [sarcastically] I will, thanks! She's not rich though. Only popular. [pauses to regain her train of thought] So, poppys setting up her party right, her friends are coming round, hah friends… fake friends. They're so not real! I could swear she only has one true friend. But yeah, she's over here getting her house ready. Seems like a normal girly party i guess [her phone rings] hold on… it’s Poppy!
Poppy: DAD! We don't have enough snacks [running and tripping on stage, prepping her room ready whilst on the phone struggling]
P’s dad: that's fine, I'll go get some now!
Poppy: [on the phone] Hey… [in panic], where are you? I told you to be here by six!
Megan: Poppy, I'll be there in a sec
Poppy: well… just hurry up… please
Megan: [hangs up] ugh, what an ick.
[teres is now poppy, amber is megan she starts to move around the back of stage left getting her decor ready for her birthday party]
I've heard that she's scared of everything, a bit of a weirdo if you ask me! Anyway, a few of us have been invited to go. [walks towards a house] Me included, obviously. [knocking on poppy’s door yet still talking to the audience] I know it won't be good, but I guess it'll be better than being at home.
[poppy finishes setting up her house and runs to the door to welcome her first guest]