Griffin Theatre Company. - A Strategic Plan

This play is dedicated to Georgina Capper.
For her strength and her love, her sense of humour.A Strategic Plan was first produced by Griffin Theatre Company at SBW Stables Theatre, Sydney, on 27 January 2017, with the following cast:

LINDA / LEANNE	Briallen Clarke
SIMON / PERKINS	Matt Day
ANDREW	Justin Smith
JILL	Emele Ugavule

Director, Chris Mead Designer, Sophie Fletcher Lighting Designer, Verity Hampson Sound Designer and Composer, Steve Francis Design Assistant, Tyler Hawkins Stage Manager, Grace Nye-Butler CHARACTERS ANDREW, Director of Music Program LEANNE, lawyer with a no-win no-fee law firm LINDA, HR rep on Board of Management SIMON, Chair of the Board of Management JILL, Membership & Marketing employee PERKINS, independent barrister The casting should reflect the diversity of Australia. Staccato, a not-for-profit organisation, promotes music and music opportunities for young people. It relies on government funding for survival. A slash [/] indicates overlapping dialogue. If at the start of a line of dialogue, it indicates that the following line is to be spoken simultaneously. PRE-SHOW MUSICThe Jam: Going Underground. SCENE ONE: CORE BUSINESSLights up on ANDREW and JILL . SCENE ONE: CORE BUSINESSLights up on ANDREW and JILL .

ANDREW is in an airlock. Noise-cancelling headphones. Stainless steel water bottle. Listening to The Shanghai Susans. Plastic bags of folders at his feet. A grey-walled corridor only big enough for three humans and a table.

Fluoro light above. JILL is in her studio. She is setting up a couple of microphones. One for a vocal and one for acoustic guitar. Fluoro light. SIMON is also onstage, either illuminated or in darkness.

ANDREW looks at the dead light. He claps his hands. Nothing. He tries again. Nothing. Silence. LEANNE arrives.

Watches him. He moves his arms wildly in the air. Nothing. He jumps up and down and waves and claps. JILL puts on headphones and tests the microphones with claps and clicks and JILL : One. Chew. Chew. One. Chooo. One Chew. One Chew.

Hello, hello. Hello, hello. / One two three four. LEANNE : Are you okay? SIMON : It is a fucking deathtrap. JILL : Here we go. New man. New man.

Noi-man, N. E. U. Man. I got a D.I. one oh chew. one oh chew.

One oh chew. Thank you, Georgie. Ho. Ho! SIMON : And I happen to think that young people deserve a little bit better than derelict, dangerous, ex-government buildings, dont you? Oh no, thats right. You want to exterminate all the emerging artists in the world, dont you? Look at these walls! JILL : Hah! Ready for you LEANNE : Andrew? ANDREW takes off his headphones. ANDREW : Where have you been? Beat.

LEANNE : Monday morning. Parking is a homicide. ANDREW : Its polite to call if youre running late. The airlock scene continues as LEANNE sets up her workstation. LEANNE : Ando. / I am actually the best in the office when it comes time management and schedulingI did my time in chambers with Gibson and Duncan and anybody who has survived articles with those two-time management Nazis knows how to read a clock on the wall. / I am actually the best in the office when it comes time management and schedulingI did my time in chambers with Gibson and Duncan and anybody who has survived articles with those two-time management Nazis knows how to read a clock on the wall.

Gibson is the worst. ANDREW : It is not Andy or Ando or The Drew-ster. Its simple Andrew. Im renting and Ive got a house inspection this morning, so I had to surgically clean my bathroom before I came here because my landlord is a neo-Nazi and she has pictures of every crack. Any tiny defect LEANNE : So far beyond anal, he is intestinal. ANDREW : I left twenty minutes earlier than I needed just to make sure I would get here on time.

LEANNE : So did I, and look at me. / Here I am. On time. Ready to help you win. ANDREW : Here I am. On time.

They told me nine-thirty. ANDREW s phone rings. LEANNE : For a ten a.m. start and ANDREW : [answering] Hello ? LEANNE : Hes answering his telephone. Good times. ANDREW : Not even close.

I have road cases for everything and I know what I am not going to negotiate. Five grand is rock bottom, or forget it. He hangs up. Fucken Gumtree. LEANNE : You a local? ANDREW : Moved here for the job. LEANNE : Do you love it? ANDREW : Cretins, bogans and Pizza Huts.

LEANNE : Awesome. So What were you ? You know ? Got the whole Peter Garrett thinggoingon That was weird. ANDREW : I thought it might respond. Beat. To human interaction. Beat.

Government buildings. They come on when you move. Beat. But it didnt. Beat. So.

Were in the dark. LEANNE hits the light switch. Fluoro buzzes into life. Oh. You have powers. LEANNE : What have you got down there? Your whole life in plastic bags by the looks of it.

Dont worry. I have copies of all the pertinent documents ANDREW : Have you read them? LEANNE : Thats my job. Now. The docket is always enormous on a Monday. A town this sizebut the current state government believesyesso go and grab a coffee. Throughout the following, LEANNE gets a message and writes a response.

ANDREW : There is a woman out there in / the foyer and she has a black eye. LEANNE : Yes. Yes I know. Theres a good place at the station. ANDREW : Sorry. Am I interrupting you? LEANNE : And send.

What is that noise? ANDREW : Shanghai Susans. LEANNE : Theyre on Triple J. ANDREW : You like em? LEANNE : I dont know, theyre fine. ANDREW : Great bass. Like Kim Deal crossed with Carol Kaye. LEANNE : Getting a coffee? ANDREW : I cant drink coffee.

Whats the message? LEANNE : Mr Perkinshe says traffic is expletive. ANDREW : Who is Mr Perkins? LEANNE : Mr Perkins is your barrister. This will be over by the end of the day. ANDREW : What are you talking about? LEANNE : Your case. We are going to court. This is what were here for.

ANDREW s phone rings. You didnt know? ANDREW : I thought this was just another briefing. LEANNE : Why would we schedule / another briefing at the Magistrates Court? Andrew, today is the day. ANDREW : I dunno. Im a musician. Im not a bloodyam I an idiot? Am I a fuckwit? Really? Are we ready? / Fuck.

This is it? LEANNE receives a text message. LEANNE : Okay. This happens all the time. Melissa should have told you. / She should be informing you of the process. I will speak with her when this is over.

ANDREW : [answering the phone] Hello ? No. Fuck me, man. Five grand is my best and final Sorry, mateIve just got to go and get some justice. He hangs up. LEANNE : Mr Perkins is in the building. ANDREW : What does that mean? LEANNE : Here we go.

SIMON turns up the volume gentlywe are in the band room at Staccato. Posters on the walls from years of gigs. A whiteboard. ANDREW places his hands over his earbudslistening to SIMON s iPod. SIMON is watching his reaction intently. SCENE TWO: FUTURE-PROOFING SIMON : How about that ? Good, isnt it ? Is it? Is it any good? ANDREW : [too loud] This bass is fucking great! SIMON : Hosteady / on. SCENE TWO: FUTURE-PROOFING SIMON : How about that ? Good, isnt it ? Is it? Is it any good? ANDREW : [too loud] This bass is fucking great! SIMON : Hosteady / on.