THE CRASH
Eve and Danny’s kitchen. Danny sits. His right hand is bandaged. His face is badly bruised and grazed. Eve stands with her coat on.
Eve Let me see your hand.
Danny It’s just a cut. I’m fine.
Eve What are you doing discharging yourself? The state of you.
Danny Sweetheart, I’m alright.
Eve Have you seen your face, Danny?
Danny I don’t mind it … Makes me look tough.
Eve What even happened?
Danny I lost concentration. Hit a bump. You think I look bad, you should’ve seen the van.
She pulls him to her suddenly, holding on to him.
Eh … Evie … Look at me … I’m sat here, aren’t I?
Eve You should be dead.
Danny Thanks very much.
Eve I get a message saying you’re unconscious, you’re in an ambulance –
Danny I’m sorry.
He hugs her.
Eve You ‘lost concentration’?
Danny It came on the radio. About the girl.
Eve The girl?
Danny The MP. That poor woman – stabbed and shot in the street and … I don’t know – I could see it.
Eve Danny …
Danny I’m driving and thinking, is this the start of something? Like is something coming unstuck? And there was this weight on my chest. And then this bastard speed bump came out of nowhere –
Eve Danny, you silly sod.
Danny Your dad used to speak round there. When the strike was on. Little towns like that – crowds all clapping.
Eve A lad got shot three streets away last summer. You didn’t have a panic attack then.
Danny This is bigger, Evie. You’ve got to see this is bigger?
Eve (taking his face in her hands) The sky is not falling in. The Queen is not a shape-shifting lizard. The aliens are not in the White House.
She kisses him. He smiles at her.
Danny They might be though.
Eve It’s one more nutter. There’s always a nutter.
Iris enters the yard, takes a trowel and digs up flowers, clattering and cursing at intervals.
What did Tommo say about the van?
Danny Nothing.
Eve He’s not making you pay for it?
Danny No. (Beat.) No.
Eve I’ll talk to Lisa before she sees you. (Turning to go.) Don’t want you scaring her with your clown eye.
Danny He sacked me, Evie.
Eve What?
Danny Tommo. He rang me in the hospital.
Eve He can’t do that.
Danny He’s been looking for reasons to get rid of people for –
Eve He can’t sack you for –
Danny Said I had to be speeding. Reckons he could prove it.
Eve Were you speeding?
Danny He’s on the radio every ten seconds telling me I’m late.
Eve That’s not what I asked.
Danny This way he doesn’t have to pay redundancy.
Eve No, of course – It’s not your fault, it’s a conspiracy, it’s the state of the nation.
Noises from out in the yard get louder.
Danny (peering out at Iris) What’s she doing now?
Eve Right, what’s the plan? How are we gonna do without your wage?
Danny She’s digging all my dahlias out the pots.
Eve I don’t care what she’s doing.
Danny The work I’ve put in to that yard –
Eve (heading for the door) She can wear them as a hat for all I care.
Danny Evie, I’m sorry. I am.
Pause. She stops. During the following Iris becomes distracted and wanders away.
Eve Alan’s cut all the hours. I’m on three days a week as of Monday.
Danny So it’s been a shit day.
Eve Where’s next month’s rent coming from?
Danny I’ll have something sorted by then. Everyone needs a driver.
Eve Nice reference Tommo’ll give you.
Danny I can do other things.
Eve Maybe something in a warehouse? I could ask Faisa’s fella.
Danny I did woodwork at school. I made an ashtray.
Eve You’ll be an ashtray-maker?
Danny An artisan, thank you very much. I’ll sell quality ash receptacles to the Toxteth community.
Eve I remember that ashtray. It went on fire.
Danny I could start DJ-ing again. Used to make a good few bob.
Eve You used to come home with a fiver and a grin after buying your mates drinks all night.
Danny But you fancied me, didn’t you? Behind them decks?
Eve I was the only one.
He laughs, goes to her.
You’re a soft touch, Danny: that’s your problem.
Danny What was it your dad used to say?
Eve Remind me.
Danny Are we breathing? Are we upright?
Eve Just about in your case.
Danny Then we’re fighting.
Beat. She smiles at him.
Eve Then we’re fighting.
SCENE THREE
PROTEST
Danny and Lisa move forward with placards, humming ‘Whole Again’. Danny’s placard reads: VOTE REMAIN, Lisa’s CUT WAR NOT WELFARE. The staff perform tasks as in Scene One. The band plays a fast percussive beat. Stark light as Eve sits with bills, pen, paper before her.
Eve Three days a week = 25 hours at £7.20 per hour = £708 per month after tax. Tax credits + child benefit, housing benefit, council tax reduction = £838.08 a month. Add 189.30 Danny’s back pay and I’ve got £1,735.38 going in, £1,966.52 going out … Deficit: £231.14. (Beat.) Okay, okay … Cuts … I need cuts. £10 for Lisa’s pocket money (she’ll understand); £10 holiday fund (forget that); £20 off the phone bills (no data), £30.25 for the credit card (we’ll run up debt for now). Still £161 under …
She leafs through her notes, bills, searching for cuts.
Can’t have the lights go off. Can’t have the heat go out. Can’t have Lisa getting behind at school. Can’t have the bailiffs banging … We could go without biscuits, meat, chocolate … £15 pounds off the food bill. I could make stews, freeze them – a little bit every day. £25 pounds off. We could do porridge for breakfast – UHT milk. I could miss lunch. £43 off the food bill – why not? We can manage. Get it down to £44 a week. That leaves £1,853.27 going out, £1,735.38 going in. Deficit: £117.89. (Beat.) £117.89 under.
Danny/Lisa/The Staff
One of these days I’m gonna rant and rail
One of these days I’ll be whole again (Repeat.)
These days, these days I’m gonna rant and rail
One of these days I’ll be whole again (Repeat.)
Lights down on Eve. Lights down on the staff as the song ends. Danny and Lisa sit down on a kerb holding their signs. A crowd can be heard gathering up the road, slogans shouted.
Danny It’ll be good, this – once the north Liverpool lot join up. We’ll get the speeches going.
Lisa You don’t have to sell it to me, Danny. I’m here, aren’t I?
Danny We could keep out the house all day if you like. Go down the park?
Lisa And do what?
Danny Kick a ball about. Sit off and eat ice lollies. Scare the ducks.
Lisa I’m not twelve.
Danny Neither am I.
Lisa Sometimes I wonder.
Danny digs in his pocket, brings out half a cereal bar, takes a bite, offers it to Lisa.
It’s got a hair on it.
Danny Extra protein.
She takes it, takes a bite, looking round.
Lisa Could we not’ve co-ordinated a bit more? We’ve got ‘Vote Remain’, ‘Save Sefton Park Meadows’, ‘Stop the Badger Cull’ –
Danny Everything’s connected.
Lisa Some things are more connected than others. Why don’t we just write on a placard ‘Anything Bad’ and have done?
Danny I’ll leave you at home with your
nan next time.
Lisa Don’t joke about Nan.
Danny I know it’s crap – her taking your room and all that.
Lisa You heard her call me Jimmy this morning?
Danny That was your grandad’s name.
Lisa It’s not my name, is it?
Danny She’s alright.
Lisa She’s not, you know? She had me turning the house upside down yesterday looking for a pair of shoes.
Danny What’s wrong with that?
Lisa She was already wearing them.
Danny smiles in spite of himself.
What’s funny about that?
Danny Nothing. Nothing. (Beat.) I thought it’d be a nice thing. Us doing this – like we used to –
Lisa It is nice. I’m having a really nice time. Stop going on about it.
Danny If this is about school … About this row. Your mum’s been in and –
Lisa It wasn’t a row.
Danny Look, this is me as your mate, trying to help you out.
Lisa Alright, mate: go ahead.
Danny Whatever happened to your bag?
Lisa Michelle Carter threw it on the roof.
Danny Well whatever it was – a little falling out between friends –
Lisa She’s not my friend.
Danny This is what I’m saying – if you show you’re alright with her –
Lisa She’ll be alright with me?
Danny Exactly.
Lisa You know how when you’re dead little you think you’re the same as everyone else? Your family: the stuff you do and the stuff you have. You think everyone must be basically the same.
Danny And they are, aren’t they?
Lisa No. They’re not. We’re not.
Danny What do you mean?
Lisa I’m a weirdo, Danny.
Danny Who says?
Lisa I’m a screff and a weirdo. Fact.
Danny This is this Michelle?
Lisa She’s not even the worst. Amy Caldwell tried to push me down the stairs on Wednesday.
Danny She what?
Lisa Kelly McAllister shoved my books in the sink in biology lab – turned the taps on.
Danny Well, can’t you get your mates involved – get them to say something?
Lisa Who says I’ve got mates?
Danny What about that short girl? Always hanging round eating crisps? Ruby.
Lisa Ruth. She went to bottom sets, I went to top sets. She doesn’t speak to me now.
Danny She never did seem very bright.
Lisa Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to do anything, Danny.
The north Liverpool protestors can be heard arriving up the road – horns blasting, muffled voices through loudhailers: ‘Axe, axe, axe the bedroom tax.’ Lisa and Danny look towards it.
Danny Here’s what you do: you find the people like you. The other girls who aren’t having a good time. You … organise. Band together over collective grievances. ’Cause if you’re looking out for their interests, they’re looking out for yours and then when these dickhea— (Stopping himself.) When these other girls try and have a pop at you, you’ve got support, haven’t you? Solidarity. What you smiling at?
Lisa Nothing. It’s nice.
Danny What’s nice?
Lisa You are. It’s nice you think like that.
Danny Are you patronising me?
Lisa It’s not how it is.
Danny You’re not telling me you’re the only one they’re picking on?
Lisa It’s like … there are big kids and little kids … and fat kids and weird kids and kids with good clothes and kids dressed like tramps and kids who stink and kids who everyone fancies, and clever kids and stupid kids and everyone’s just … getting their head down, getting through it. There’s people who can stand up in the canteen and make a joke and everyone laughs and people who can’t walk between classrooms without getting spat at. And everyone’s trying so hard not to be the one that gets spat at … Everyone’s looking around all the time … for stuff they can use, you know? And if I’m the one that everyone else has got the most shit on – then that’s just who I am. It’s just how it is.
Danny What have they got on you?
Lisa Everything. I use too many big words, I hand my homework in on time, I’ve been seen reading books, I answer questions in physics lessons –
Danny Well, you could knock that on the head.
Lisa Not when Mr Wan’s cornering me. You want me to get them wrong on purpose?
Danny Maybe just for a couple of lessons?
Lisa I don’t think that’s what you’re supposed to tell me, Danny.
Danny Well if you won’t help yourself …
Lisa And then Nan …
Danny What about her?
Lisa Last term: I’m sitting on the field at break time and there she is coming towards me in her slippers, holding out a lunch box shouting, ‘Where’s little Lisa?’
Danny Oh Jesus …
Lisa And just crowds, just waves of kids following her laughing, screaming, ‘Lisa! Lisa! You forgot your sarnies!’ I can take them saying things about me but when it’s her …
Danny Oh Jesus Christ …
Lisa Who am I gonna ask to stand up for me? Who’s gonna be that stupid? I wouldn’t be.
Danny Don’t say that.
Lisa It’s true.
Danny You’re too clever, that’s your problem. If it was me you know I’d probably just belt someone. And then belt someone else.
Lisa Well I’m not you, am I? I’m nothing like you.
Danny If there’s anything I can do –
Lisa There’s nothing.
Danny You’ll tell me –
Lisa How about we move to another city? Or another planet?
Danny Lisa, I …
Lisa There’s nothing, Danny. Don’t feel bad about it. It’s just how it is.
The approaching protestors get louder. Lisa and Danny stand with their signs, look towards the noise.
SCENE FOUR
FRACTURES
The shop. Eve stands in the staff room, the rota on the desk behind her. The staff enter minus Bryn. Theresa and Steph are talking and laughing. Ismael is wearing one shoe, shaking the other upside down. Gabi is showing Faisa a pop video on her phone, both of them dancing. Paul sits in one chair, then another, watching Faisa.
Eve Right, we’ve got twenty minutes. Let’s use them.
Theresa Where’s Alan?
Eve Garston. He sends his apologies.
Paul Bryn’s getting a Curly Wurly from the shop. He told me to say.
Theresa (going to leave) I thought we were having a staff meeting?
Eve We are.
Paul Or he might have a Crunchie. If there isn’t a Curly Wurly.
Faisa (approaching the desk) Is this the rota?
Eve Leave it. Just for a sec.
Paul He gets low blood sugar, that’s the thing.
Eve Alright, Paul.
Gabi (trying to look at the rota) That should’ve been up yesterday.
Eve This is what I want to talk about.
Theresa Don’t say the rota’s changing. I’ve got my Monday, Wednesday, Friday –
Faisa I’ve got college so my days are my days.
Gabi I can’t switch with anyone. Just saying, straight off.
Bryn (entering, eating a Curly Wurly) What are we switching?
Gabi If I’m not here, I’m in the Spendwell so don’t start talking ’bout switching.
Eve Can we all just breathe? It’s like feeding time at the zoo in here.
They all look stop and look at her, questioning.
Look, it’s not good news … Take’s been low: we all know that.
Bryn Oh, Jesus in pyjamas …
Eve So just for now – just until things improve … There’ll be cuts to hours.
Gabi How much?
Bryn How many hours?
Paul What’s ‘for now’? Like a week?
Eve A month. Until next month. I need to look at t
he staffing in more detail –
Theresa I need the Monday, Wednesday, Friday. The grandkids. I can’t mess up the routine.
Bryn I saw this. I knew it. (Of Eve.) Her and him whispering, swapping glances …
Steph (to Bryn) Wind your neck in, Bryn. Eve’s just explaining.
Theresa We’ll take it to the union. Tell them we’re getting shafted.
Eve The union’ll have nothing to say – it’s the contracts we signed.
Faisa I don’t remember that.
Bryn (to Eve) How many hours’ve you got?
Eve Twenty-five.
Bryn That’s all I’m on now. How’ve you wangled that?
Eve Have I ever messed you about? Any of you?
Bryn (of Ismael) How many’s he gonna get?
Eve I don’t know yet, I –
Bryn Cheap labour’ll win the day though, eh?
Faisa (to Bryn) What did you call me?
Bryn I know you take less than I do.
Faisa My wages are nothing to do with you.
Bryn They’re everything to do with me. I’m trying to pay for a shitting wedding here.
Gabi (getting between them; to Bryn) Dial it down, Bryn.
Bryn (to Gabi) Why? You on the same scab deal as him?
Theresa (to Eve) Thing is, I can’t have the hours going up and down. The kids. I can’t …
Eve This isn’t me. Okay? None of this is me.
Faisa But it’s you who needs to sort this out. You need to sort this out with him.
Steph You will though, won’t you, Eve?
Bryn She’s gonna do her nut.
All turn and look at him.
A year planning the bloody thing – I’m gonna tell her we can’t afford it. She’s gonna do her bloody nut.
Lights down.
SCENE FIVE
DAWN LIGHT
Eve’s front room. Iris sits with a plate of beans on toast on her lap. Eve stands.
Iris You don’t have to stay. I will eat it, you know?
Eve I won’t be long in the shops. There’s a new box of tea bags under the sink; don’t start ransacking the place looking for them.
Iris I’m not an idiot.
Eve Did I say you were?
The Sum Page 2
