First published in 2019 by Oberon Books Ltd
521 Caledonian Road, London N7 9RH
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7607 3637 / Fax: +44 (0) 20 7607 3629
e-mail:
www.oberonbooks.com
Copyright Gina Moxley, 2019
Gina Moxley 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 her moral rights.
All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before commencement of rehearsal to First Call Management, Beauparc House, Ballydowd, Lucan, Co. Dublin, Ireland (). 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 binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
PB ISBN: 9781786828316
E ISBN: 9781786828330
Cover image by Luca Truffarelli
Printed and bound by 4EDGE Limited, Hockley, Essex, UK.
eBook conversion by Lapiz Digital Services, India.
Visit www.oberonbooks.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters and be the first to hear about our new releases.
Printed on FSC accredited paper
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
With thanks to: Clare Guest, Francisco Frazo, MAKE, Elaine Donnelly and Siobhn Bourke at The Irish Theatre Institute; Dublin Theatre Festival; Nora Hickey MSichili at Centre Culturel Irlandais; Kate Ferris; the Arts Council and Culture Ireland; all at the Abbey Theatre, particularly Neil Murray, and Pan Pan.
Presented by Gina Moxley and the Abbey Theatre in association with Pan Pan Theatre Company, The Patient Gloria was first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin on 28 September 2018 as part of Dublin Theatre Festival, with the following cast and creatives:
CAST | Gina Moxley |
Liv ODonoghue |
Musician | Zoe N Riordin |
Writer | Gina Moxley |
Director | John McIlduff |
Choreographer | Liv ODonoghue |
Set Design | Andrew Clancy |
Costume Design | Sarah Bacon |
Sound Design | Adam Welsh |
Lighting Design | Sinad Wallace |
AV Design | Conan McIvor |
Stage Manager | Fiona Keller |
Production Manager | Anthony Hanley |
Producer | Aoife White |
Photographer | Luca Truffarelli |
It received its UK premiere at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh on 1 August 2019 with Jane Deasy as musician.
Abbey Theatre | Amharclann na Mainistreach
The Abbey Theatre is Irelands National Theatre. It was founded by W.B. Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory. Since it first opened its doors in 1904 the theatre has played a vital and often controversial role in the artistic, social and cultural life of Ireland.
Inspired by the revolutionary ideals of its founders and its rich canon of Irish dramatic writing, the Abbey Theatres mission is to imaginatively engage with all of Irish society through the production of ambitious, courageous and new theatre in all its forms. The Abbey Theatre commits to lead in the telling of the whole Irish story, in English and in Irish, and affirms that it is a theatre for the entire island of Ireland and for all its people. In every endeavour, the Abbey Theatre promotes inclusiveness, diversity and equality.
Over the years, the Abbey Theatre has premiered the work of major Irish playwrights such as J.M. Synge, Sean OCasey and Teresa Deevy, as well as contemporary classics from Sebastian Barry, Dermot Bolger, Marina Carr, Brian Friel, Thomas Kilroy, Frank McGuinness, Tom Murphy and Mark ORowe.
In recent years, Irish and international audiences have enjoyed the plays of a new generation of playwrights, including Shaun Dunne, Stacey Gregg, Nancy Harris, David Ireland, Deirdre Kinahan, Jimmy McAleavey, Owen McCafferty, Phillip McMahon, Elaine Murphy, Margaret Perry, Michael West and Carmel Winters.
In 1905 the Abbey Theatre first toured internationally and continues to be an ambassador for Irish arts and culture worldwide.
The Abbey Theatre gratefully acknowledges the support of the Arts Council.
Part I
SCENE 1
The set includes a therapists couch, chair, plants, coffee table. Cool, mid-century vibe. A chair for GLORIA and a table for mic and ashtray.
GINA is sewing at GLORIA s table as the audience enter. LIV is draped across the couch. On clearance
GINA: Can you see me? That any better? Can you see me now? You can? Wow. Yes. Miraculous. You should not be able to see me at all. Seriously, Ive been fading for years and am technically invisible by now. Recently, I got on a completely empty bus, first person on it, and then a man got on at the next stop and sat on me, didnt see me at all. Thats how invisible I am. Ancient. But you can see me. Odd. Oh. Right. Maybe its the shirt and tie? Huh? Ah. Or the dick? Is it this? Thats what you see, is it? Listen, it is as much a surprise to me as it is to you to find myself here making a dick. Sewing. Im about to play three men yeah, because I want to so I felt I needed to get a true feeling for the apparent sense of authority and entitlement that comes with this lump of meat, of manhood. Since Ive always been good with my hands I thought Id make myself a nice, muscular dick to help me get into character. For some people its the shoes, in this case I need a bit of anatomy. This dotie dick here I made from memory, well, memories cumulative. Its just tights stuffed with cotton wool and some bird seed for gravity, gravitas.
