Poet - Adam

Frances Poet ADAM NICK HERN BOOKS London www.nickhernbooks.co.uk ContentsAdam was presented by the National Theatre of Scotland and first performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase, on 6 August 2017 (previews from 30 July). The cast was as follows:

ADAM/VARIOUS ROLES	Neshla Caplan
ADAM/VARIOUS ROLES	Adam Kashmiry

Featuring a recording of Myriam Acharki as Adams mother, and additional recorded performances from:

Rylan Gleave
Harry Knights
Juliana Yazbeck
Umar Ahmed
Adam Buksh
Nafee S. Mohammed
Director	Cora Bissett
Composer & Musical Director	Jocelyn Pook
Set & Costume Designer	Emily James
Lighting Designer	Lizzie Powell
Projection Designer	Jack Henry James
Sound Designer	Garry Boyle
Movement Director	Janis Claxton
Voice Coach	Morag Stark
Assistant Director	Rachael Macintyre
Project Manager on The Adam World Choir/ Assistant Producer	Leonie Rae Gasson
Production Manager	Gavin Johnston
Company Stage Manager (Rehearsal Cover)	Alison Brodie
Company Stage Manager	Fiona Findlater
Deputy Stage Manager	Emma Skaer
Assistant Stage Manager	Annie Winton
Lighting Supervisor	Paul Froy
Sound Supervisor	Andy Stuart
Video Supervisor	Ellie Thompson
Stage Supervisor	David Hill
Costume Supervisor	Kylie Langford
Blogger in Residence	Oceana Maund
Cover Photograph	Andy Bell

Adam was conceived for the stage by Cora Bissett The Company would like to thank Anna Hodgart, Elly Goodman and Neil Packham, Ben Power, Katrina at LGBT Health, Martha Steed, Douglas Maxwell, George Aza-Selinger, Jamie Christian-Ward, Umama Hamido, Hazel Gray, David Gerber, Urban Outfitters, Julia from New Look (Glasgow), Carol from les100ciels, Melissa Rankin and Rhonda Barclay at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The Adam World Choir This performance features videos sent in from members of the Adam World Choir, a global digital community of transgender and non-binary people from the USA to Russia, Denmark to Slovenia, Australia to the Netherlands. A massive thank-you to every member of the Adam World Choir around the globe who have taken part in the project. Thank you to all the members who sent in their videos and are singing in this production; thanks to the members who wrote down their powerful stories to be shared in a book; thanks to those members who wrote beautiful songs to be featured in the album; thank you to all the amazing artists, programmers and producers who contributed to our digital symposium and the wonderful people who worked front of house; thank you to the brilliant local members who took part in the singing workshop; thank you to the extraordinary performers and artists who presented work as part of the Home Away event.

Every member of the Adam World Choir has made this project a glorious celebration of trans and non-binary identities around the globe. To take part or find out more visit www.adamworldchoir.netFor Daisy HermioneAcknowledgements Huge thanks to Douglas Hero Maxwell, George Aza-Selinger, Neshla Caplan, Jamie Christian-Ward, Umama Hamido, Harry Knights, David Gerber, Hazel Gray, Davina Shah, Gary McNair, Yvonne Hay, Leigh Kelly, The MacKenzies, Andrew & Maggie Stirk, Janet Stirk and my brilliant gang Richard, Peter and Elizabeth. Special thanks go to Cora Bissett for bringing me on to her dream team; and, of course, to Adam Kashmiry, who shared his story with such generosity, courage and openness thank you, Adam. F.P.Characters EGYPTIAN ADAM GLASGOW ADAM The two Adams also play: MARYAM ADAM AT SIX ADAM AT NINE ADOLESCENT ADAM THE MANAGER AMIRA STRANGER MALAK HOME OFFICE REPRESENTATIVE GP TRANSLATOR MENTAL-HEALTH NURSE TONI This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.Flesh of my FleshA room. A screen. A sense of a cramped Glasgow flat but also the inside of a brain.An Arabic lament plays its painful melody.

Lights snap up on EGYPTIAN ADAM holding a large kitchen knife. EGYPTIAN ADAM places it on the floor and then calmly and methodically folds a towel and places it next to the knife. EGYPTIAN ADAM then retrieves a mobile phone and places that on the pile. EGYPTIAN ADAM kneels by the pile, unbuttons shirt, lifts out breast and holds the knife to it. EGYPTIAN ADAM presses the blade more and more firmly into the flesh.The lament surges.Blackout.In the Beginning was the WordLights up on GLASGOW ADAM, who takes in the audience. Regards them in a simple, direct and honest way before beginning. GLASGOW ADAM. In Arabic, our words are either masculine or feminine. Its a language which likes things to be one thing or another. In English, you talk of the teacher and I dont know whether its a man or a woman its irrelevant. Same with the student or the friend.

In Arabic, the word changes it matters whether my friend is a woman or a man. In English, when a person says I hear you, I understand you, I love you. Theyre not speaking to a woman or a man as they would in Arabic. They are speaking to the soul of the person they are addressing. I like English. I like the words you have for things.

Theres a term Ive forgotten it for words that have more than one meaning. But the meanings are opposite. Sanction is one. It means to permit but also to penalise. Its two things at once. Opposites that live together within this one little word.

And screen. To show but also to conceal. I love these words. Words are not always black and white. And neither are we. EGYPTIAN ADAM, top buttoned-up and restored, joins the scene and defends their mother tongue EGYPTIAN ADAM.

We have those words in Arabic too. In Ancient Arabic Saleem One who has been bitten by a snake. But also One who is cured. The ADAMS turn to face each other. Their likeness is striking, in their movements and their clothes. They are two sides of a single coin. English isnt so special.

Its still she and he. One or the other. Right or wrong. Truth or lie. English words dont speak to the soul of a person. Who here even knows what a soul is? There are two parts to a soul.

Ka and GLASGOW ADAM. Ba. What has this got to do with EGYPTIAN ADAM. Without the body and its shadow which protects it. Without the name given to a person at their birth, the soul becomes lost. GLASGOW ADAM.

I dont want to talk about Egypt. What my ancestors believed. EGYPTIAN ADAM. Mama gave me a name. GLASGOW ADAM. Its too painful to think about Mama.

EGYPTIAN ADAM. Have you forgotten it? GLASGOW ADAM. It was the wrong name. EGYPTIAN ADAM. Have you forgotten it? GLASGOW ADAM. No.

EGYPTIAN ADAM. I cant be explained away with a cute English word. All this begins with Egypt. Where I was born. GLASGOW ADAM.