Kelly - DNA

First published in 2008 by Oberon Books Ltd This electronic edition published in 2012 by Oberon Books Ltd
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www.oberonbooks.com Reprinted 2010, 2011 DNA copyright Dennis Kelly 2008 Dennis Kelly is hereby identified as author of this play in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author has asserted his moral rights. All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before commencement of rehearsal to Casarotto Ramsay & Associates Ltd, Waverley House, 712 Noel Street, London W1F 8GQ (info@casarotto.co.uk). No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained, and no alterations may be made in the title or the text of the play without the authors prior written consent. You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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MARK and JAN , LEAH and PHIL , LOU , JOHN TATE and DANNY , RICHARD , CATHY and BRIAN , and a BOY . Takes place in a street, a field and a wood.

Names and genders of characters are suggestions only, and can be changed to suit performers. DNA was first performed in the Cottesloe Theatre of the National Theatre, on 16 February 2008, with the following Company: MARK , Gregg Chillin JAN , Claire Foy LEAH , Ruby Bentall PHIL , Sam Crane JOHN TATE , Jack Gordon DANNY , Benjamin Smith RICHARD , Troy Glasgow CATHY , Claire Lams BRIAN , Ian Bonar BOY , Ryan Sampson All other parts played by members of the Company.Director Paul Miller Designer Simon Daw Lighting Designer Paule Constable Sound Designer Rich Walsh Associate Video Designer Paul Kenah This play was commissioned by NT Education as part of its Connections project.

A Street. MARK and JAN . JAN: Dead? MARK: Yeah. JAN: What, dead? MARK: Yeah JAN: Like dead, dead MARK: Yes JAN: proper dead, not living dead? MARK: Not living dead, yes. JAN: Are you sure? MARK: Yes.

JAN: I mean theres no MARK: No. JAN: mistake or MARK: No mistake. JAN: its not a joke MARK: Its not a joke. JAN: coz its not funny. MARK: its not funny because its not a joke, if it was a joke it would be funny. JAN: Not hiding? MARK: Not hiding, dead.

JAN: not MARK: Dead. JAN: Oh. MARK: Yes. JAN: God. MARK: Yes. JAN: God.

MARK: Exactly. Pause. JAN: What are we going to do? * * * A Field. LEAH and PHIL , PHIL eating an ice cream. LEAH: What are you thinking? No answer. No, dont tell me, sorry, thats a stupid, thats such a stupid You can tell me, you know. You can talk to me. I wont judge you, whatever it is. Whatever youre, you know, I wont, I wont...

Is it me? Not that Im I mean it wouldnt matter if you werent or were, actually, so Are you thinking about me? No answer. What good things? Phil? Or... I mean is it a negative, are you thinking a negative thing about Not that Im bothered. Im not bothered, Phil, Im not, it doesnt, I dont care. You know. I dont... What, like I talk too much? Is that it? That I talk too much, you, sitting there in absolute silence thinking Leah talks too much, I wish shed shut up once in a while is that it, is that what youre, because dont, you know, judge, you know, because alright, I do.

There, Im admitting, I am admitting, I talk too much, so shoot me. So kill me, Phil, call the police, lock me up, rip out my teeth with a pair of rusty pliers, I talk too much, what a crime, what a sin, what an absolute catastrophe, stupid, evil, ridiculous, because youre not perfect actually, Phil. Okay? There. Ive said it, youre not... Youre a bit... Pause. Pause.

She sits. Do I disgust you? I do. No, I do. No dont because, its alright, its fine, Im not gonna, you know, or whatever, you know its not the collapse of my, because I do have, I could walk out of here, there are friends, Ive got, Ive got friends, I mean alright, I havent got friends, not exactly, I havent, but I could, if I wanted, if I wanted, given the right, given the perfect, you know, circumstances. So dont, because you havent either, I mean its not like youre, you know, Mr, you know, popular, you know, you havent, you know, you havent, you know, you havent, but thats, thats different, isnt it, I mean it is, it is, dont say it isnt, really, dont, youll just embarrass us both because it is different, its different because it doesnt matter to you. Does it. Sitting there.

Sitting there, all... all... Youre not scared. Nothing scares, there, Ive said it; scared. Scared, Phil. Im scared, they scare me, this place, everyone, the fear, the fear that everyone here, and Im not the only one, Im not the only one, Phil, Im just the only one saying it, the fear that everyone here lives in, the brutal terror, it scares me, okay, Ive said it and I am not ashamed.

Yes, I am ashamed but Im not ashamed of my shame, Phil, give me that much credit at least, thank you. Everyones scared. Snot just me. Pause. Weve got each other. We need each other. So dont give it all...

You need me as much as... Dont give it all the... Beat. What are you thinking? JAN and MARK enter.Pause. MARK: We need to talk to you. LEAH: Oh, shit. * * * A Wood. LOU , JOHN TATE and DANNY . LOU: Its fucked.

JOHN TATE: No, no, its not, no, Lou, its not LOU: Were fucked. JOHN TATE: No, Lou, were not...its not...were not...nothings... LOU: It is. JOHN TATE: No, no, no, look, there I have to, I really have to, youre going to have to listen to me on this one, and you are going to have to believe me. Everything is, everythings fine. LOU: Fine? JOHN TATE: Not Fine, no DANNY: Fine? JOHN TATE: not fine exactly, alright, fair enough, I mean things are bad, things are a little, alright, yes, Im not trying to hide the, this is tricky, its a tricky LOU: Tricky? JOHN TATE: situation, but its not, because actually what you are saying is a very negative, and thats...

Look, havent I looked after things before? LOU: This is different. JOHN TATE: Lou, are you scared of anyone in this school? LOU: You? JOHN TATE: Apart from me. LOU: No. JOHN TATE: Exactly LOU: Richard, maybe JOHN TATE: exactly, thats exactly, thats what Im saying Richard, youre scared of, are you...? I mean you can walk down any corridor in this I dont think Richards any corridor in this school and you know, no-one bothers you and if you want something its yours and no-one bothers you and everyone respects you and everyones scared of you and who made that, I mean Im not boasting, but who made that happen? LOU: You. JOHN TATE: Thank you, so are things really that bad? LOU: Yes. JOHN TATE: Richard? I mean are you really? DANNY: I cant get mixed up in this.

Im gonna be a dentist. LOU: This is different, John. This is JOHN TATE: Alright, its a little bit LOU: This is really serious. DANNY: Dentists dont get mixed up in things. Ive got a plan. Ive got a plan John, Ive made plans, and this is not...

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