Mike Bartlett - Wild

Wild was first performed at Hampstead Theatre, London, on 11 June 2016, with the following cast:

WOMAN Caoilfhionn Dunne

ANDREW Jack Farthing

MAN John Mackay

Director James Macdonald

Designer Miriam Buether

Lighting Peter Mumford

Sound Christopher Shutt

ANDREW

WOMAN

MAN

( / ) means the next speech begins at that point.

( ) means the next line interrupts.

() at the end of a speech means it trails off. On its own it indicates a pressure, expectation or desire to speak.

A line with no full stop at the end indicates that the next speech follows on immediately.

A speech with no written dialogue indicates a character deliberately remaining silent.

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

A nondescript hotel room.

ANDREW is in the room.

A WOMAN has entered the room thirty seconds ago.

ANDREW Miss Prism?

WOMAN Thats right.

ANDREW Is that a joke?

WOMAN What?

ANDREW Your name?

WOMAN No.

ANDREW Like a reference.

WOMAN No.

ANDREW A reference to

WOMAN Its not a reference.

Its a coincidental pun.

Which I thought youd appreciate actually. And let me tell you, now youre in the club, that its important to keep a sense of humour, because things are going to get, now and for the rest of your life, extremely difficult.

ANDREW Well thats made me feel just rosy.

WOMAN You want to know where it came from, the name?

ANDREW Isnt it obvious?

WOMAN No.

ANDREW Im fine.

Beat.

WOMAN You dont want to play. Okay. Do you want a drink?

ANDREW No thank you.

WOMAN Ive got a sense, a feeling, I just know you want a gin and tonic? Something like that.

ANDREW Youre wrong.

Beat.

WOMAN Id like one.

ANDREW Okay.

Beat.

WOMAN Im uneasy if its just me. Not a party on my own, is it? If I have one will you have one?

ANDREW I need to keep a clear head.

WOMAN Why? Nothings going to happen.

ANDREW Well.

WOMAN Nothing importants going to happen overnight, were just going to talk and then tomorrows another day.

ANDREW Okay so were going to talk, right, so I need to keep a clear head. Is he calling on the phone?

WOMAN Who? Oh. You think hes going to call you on the phone?

ANDREW They said hed get in contact and hes hardly likely to turn up in person.

WOMAN Why not?

ANDREW Hes trapped in an embassy in the middle of London.

WOMAN Officially. Trapped is perhaps overstating it, the thing is weve got to make sure no one knows exactly where he is, so if he was coming to see you I wouldnt be able to tell you in advance, if you take my meaning.

ANDREW So youre saying what he might come here? Tonight?

WOMAN Look, youll appreciate this when its you we couldnt have got you here without this kind of thing the point is that if hes here, hes here, or if hes not here hes somewhere else. There are a lot of people who lets not put too fine a point on it want him dead, who are really out to kill him, and thats the club that you are part of now. You are Trotsky in Mexico, you are John Lennon in New York, Kennedy in fucking Texas.

ANDREW Dallas.

WOMAN I beg your pardon?

ANDREW Kennedy got shot in Dallas.

WOMAN Yeah, and Dallas is in Texas.

ANDREW Yeah, I know, but

WOMAN Jesus this is your country.

ANDREW I know it doesnt matter.

WOMAN We are very careful about saying where he is, and so long as you work with us, rest assured were going to be equally careful about disclosing your location. I promise.

ANDREW Good.

Pause.

WOMAN How are you doing?

ANDREW Okay.

WOMAN This is weird for you.

ANDREW Yeah.

WOMAN All this.

ANDREW Weird yeah.

WOMAN Like it happened just overnight.

ANDREW Well it did. Pretty much.

Beat.

WOMAN You must have predicted it though, you must have known.

ANDREW Yeah for a long time.

But its different, sat there at your desk, trying to work through all the consequences, just in your small life, trying to work out that the moment you click that button, you are going to have to walk out and your entire existence will change for ever, you know thats a difficult thing to imagine, I dont have that kind of imagination, I dont think anyone does. Last week, okay last week, last Thursday I wasnt in Russia, I wasnt being chased, I wasnt at risk of being assassinated, I was having chicken with my girlfriend in KFC, you understand what Im talking about?

WOMAN Yeah.

ANDREW I was that guy, with his girl, we had plans, we were just doing our thing, our apartment, our post, our freaking parents and now you know what Im saying?

WOMAN Thats shocking.

ANDREW Right.

WOMAN You took your girlfriend to KFC?

ANDREW Youre really funny.

WOMAN And shes still with you?

ANDREW Well no she isnt. Shes back home.

WOMAN I mean she didnt break up with you? Thats not what prompted all of this?

ANDREW No.

WOMAN So what the fuck were you doing in KFC?

ANDREW Thats not the point I was making.

WOMAN I know. Its humour. See? I defused you. Thats what I did, you were blowing up, I took a metaphorical pin, and I burst you. Like ppfff. And you just went ffffffffff.

ANDREW Youre a strange person.

WOMAN Yes.

ANDREW Whats your I dont even know who you are.

WOMAN No.

ANDREW Whats your name?

WOMAN I told you. Miss Prism.

ANDREW Your real name not your James Bond name.

WOMAN That is my real name.

ANDREW No it isnt.

WOMAN My full, real, name.

ANDREW Your full name so your first name is Miss?

WOMAN My first name is George.

ANDREW

WOMAN George was the name of the first actor to play the part of Miss Prism in The Importance of Being Earnest.

ANDREW I think youre gone completely crazy now.

WOMAN A Trivial Comedy for Serious People. George was also a womans name then, the part was played by a woman. I said actor because actress is politically incorrect. Anyway, I liked the name George Prism, so you can call me George, or Miss Prism, depending on your mood.

ANDREW You liked the name George Prism.

WOMAN Yes.

ANDREW You chose it.

WOMAN Had a certain charm.

ANDREW So its not your real name like you said it was.

Beat.

WOMAN Im not very good at this.

ANDREW You know I betrayed my entire country in an act that means I could be electrocuted and killed by my own politicians, I then flew to Hong Kong where I recorded an interview which was broadcast around the world, spent two days hiding in a pod-style hotel in Moscow Airport, before being smuggled onto a plane as luggage then back off the plane, and eventually across the Russian border, but despite all that circus or strangeness, Id say this, you, this moment now, is head and shoulders the weirdest part of it. You are a fucking nutfuck.

Pause.

Isnt there anyone else to talk to?

WOMAN You speak Russian?

ANDREW No.

WOMAN You should learn.

ANDREW Lets wait and see if I need to.

WOMAN Well while youre waiting Im the only person to talk to.

ANDREW Shit.

WOMAN Yeah.

Beat.

Nightmare stuck in the room with the nutjob nutfuck. You sure you dont want a drink? Do you miss her?

ANDREW What?