McPherson - The Seafarer

Conor McPherson THE SEAFARER NICK HERN BOOKS London www.nickhernbooks.co.uk Contents He knows not
Who lives most easily on land, how I
Have spent my winter on the ice-cold sea
Wretched and anxious, in the paths of exile
Lacking dear friends, hung round by icicles
While hail flew past in showers Anonymous. The Seafarer, c.755 AD,
translated from Anglo-Saxon by Richard Hamer The Seafarer was first performed in the Cottesloe auditorium of the National Theatre, London, on 28 September 2006 (previews from 20 September), with the following cast:

MR LOCKHART	Ron Cook
IVAN CURRY	Conleth Hill
JAMES SHARKY HARKIN	Karl Johnson
NICKY GIBLIN	Michael McElhatton
RICHARD HARKIN	Jim Norton
Director	Conor McPherson
Designer	Rae Smith
Lighting Designer	Neil Austin
Sound Designer	Mathew Smethurst-Evans

The play received its American premiere at the Booth Theater, New York, on 31 October 2007, with the same artistic team. The cast was as follows:

IVAN CURRY	Conleth Hill
MR LOCKHART	Ciarn Hinds
NICKY GIBLIN	Sean Mahon
JAMES SHARKY HARKIN	David Morse
RICHARD HARKIN	Jim Norton

Characters JAMES SHARKY HARKIN, erstwhile fisherman/van driver/chauffeur, fifties RICHARD HARKIN, his older brother, recently gone blind, late fifties/sixties IVAN CURRY, old friend of the Harkins, late forties NICKY GIBLIN, a friend of Richards, late forties/fifties MR LOCKHART, an acquaintance of Nickys, fiftiesDialogue in square brackets [ ] is unspoken. Setting The action takes place in a house in Baldoyle, a coastal settlement north of Dublin City. It is an old area which could hardly be called a town these days. It is rather a suburb of the city with a church and a few pubs and shops at its heart.

From the coast one is looking at the north side of the Howth peninsula. Howth Head (Binn Eadair) is a hill on the peninsula which marks the northern arm of Dublin Bay. Due to its prominence it has long been the focus of myths and legends. Act One takes place on Christmas Eve morning and late afternoon. Act Two takes place late on Christmas Eve night. ACT ONE: THE DEVIL AT BINN EADAIR Scene One The grim living area of a house in Baldoyle in Dublin.

The house seems to be built into a hill. The main entrance is down a flight of stairs from the ground floor, giving a basement feel to the room. There is a window with a net curtain and threadbare heavier curtains drawn over it. At the back wall is an opening to a passageway giving access to a yard. Off the passageway are a mostly unseen kitchen and a toilet. The place lacks a womans touch.

It has morphed into a kind of a bar in its appearance. Those who live or pass through here are so immersed in pub culture that many artefacts in the room are originally from bars: a big mirror advertising whiskey, ashtrays, beer mats, a bar stool or two somewhere. There is a cold stove. The furniture is old and worn. An armchair, a couch, mismatched chairs, a dresser with very old mugs, cups and various chipped plates, a little table more suited for playing cards than for eating atAs the play begins the room is more or less in darkness. Some light seeps through from the kitchen, from the door to the yard, from down the stairs and through the threadbare curtains.

There doesnt appear to be anyone here. An old stereo plays low music. A scrawny artificial Christmas tree haunts a corner. SHARKY comes down the stairs, pausing to tap a red light under a picture of the Sacred Heart which has gone out. It flickers to life for a second but goes out again as he descends and surveys the scene. He is in mismatched pyjamas with a sweater over them and wears a pair of runners.

He is not a big man, but is wiry and strong. A very tough life is etched on his face. His eyes are quick and ready. He has a small plaster at the bridge of his nose and a few plasters on the knuckles of his right hand. He opens the curtains to let in the morning light which reveals the squalor. He goes to the stereo and shuts it off.

He then realises the phone is ringing. He lifts the receiver. SHARKY. Hello? Hello? He hangs up. As he does so, RICHARD, his older brother, stirs awake. He has been asleep (passed out)on the floor where we didnt notice him or took him for a bundle of rags.

He wears a black suit, one slipper, an ancient baseball cap and a filthy white shirt. He is unshaven and looks terrible. He has recently gone blind. He rises up behind SHARKY RICHARD. Whos that? Sharky? SHARKY (startled). What are you fucking doing?! RICHARD.

What happened? SHARKY. Nothing I just turned off the radio. I thought you told me youd go up to bed! RICHARD. Yeah, I meant to, but Id no one to help me up the stairs! SHARKY. Where was Ivan? RICHARD. SHARKY. SHARKY.

I thought you said you could feel your way up! RICHARD. Ah, Sharky! Not when Im jarred! SHARKY (going to RICHARD, picking up a slipper). For fucks sake, Richard RICHARD. Ah, dont be at me now, Im not able for it. What time is it? SHARKY. RICHARD. RICHARD.

Oh God, Im bursting give us a hand, wheres me stick? SHARKY, slipper in hand, looks around for RICHARDs stick, while RICHARD shakily holds on to the chair, one slipper on, one slipper off. Sharky! SHARKY. Im here! RICHARD. God, its freezing! Wheres me stick? SHARKY. I dont know! Where did you put it? RICHARD. If I knew where I put it, Id have it! SHARKY.

Ah, dont fucking start, Im looking for it, if youdve let me bring you up to bed last night youd have everything RICHARD. Ivan was here! What was I gonna do, leave him sitting in here on his own? SHARKY. No, you were too busy drinking your fucking brains out. SHARKY goes towards the kitchen. RICHARD. SHARKY. SHARKY.

Here, I have it. RICHARD. Where was it? SHARKY. It was outside the jacks door. Where it was yesterday as well. RICHARD. RICHARD.

Would you give me a hand and bring me through!! SHARKY. I am! What do you think Im doing? SHARKY lifts RICHARDs foot into his slipper. RICHARD. Alright! Im just asking Jaysus, who got out of bed on the wrong side this morning? SHARKY (helping RICHARD towards the passageway). Good fuck, Richard, you absolutely stink again, do you know that? RICHARD. Yeah, happy Christmas to you as well! SHARKY.

Would you not let me put you in the bath? Ill give you a nice shave. RICHARD. I told you! Tomorrow! Christmas morning! Whats the point doing it today? Ill only stink the place out for Santy! SHARKY. Alright! Relax! You have me going deaf in that ear! SHARKY opens the toilet door. Ah, Richard, who did that all over the floor? RICHARD. Well, I dont know! SHARKY.

Come on, let me bring you upstairs Ill give you a shave, come on. RICHARD. I said tomorrow! Would you let me do my toilet please, Sharky? For Jaysus sake will you come out of me road? SHARKY (off). I am! Let me just wipe the seat RICHARD (storming in and ejecting SHARKY). Come out of me road! The toilet door slams. SHARKY tidies up a few things, finding a bottle of Powers whiskey under a chair with about a quarter left.

He goes to the stove and pokes around in there. (Off