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- Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
- Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
- Sprache: Englisch
'We're dying of manners. We're under siege from personal embarrassment. This is not sane. This is not rational. That woman is a monster!' While on holiday, Peter and Debbie befriend Elsa: a lusty, Trump-loving widow from Denver, USA. She's less than woke but kind of wonderful. They agree to stay in touch – because no one ever really does, do they? When Elsa invites herself to stay a few months later, they decide to look her up online. Too late, they learn the truth about Elsa Jean Krakowski. Deadly danger has just boarded a flight to London! But how do you protect all that you love from mortal peril without seeming, well, a bit impolite? Because guess who's coming... to murder! Steven Moffat's play The Unfriend takes a hilarious and satirical look at middle-class England's disastrous instinct always to appear nice. It was first performed at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, in 2022, before transferring to London's West End – first to the Criterion Theatre, then to Wyndham's – in 2023. Steven Moffat is an award-winning writer whose internationally successful television shows include Doctor Who, Sherlock and Dracula – the latter two co-written with actor and writer Mark Gatiss, who made his stage directorial debut with The Unfriend.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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Steven Moffat
THE UNFRIEND
NICK HERN BOOKS
London
www.nickhernbooks.co.uk
Contents
Original Production Details
Characters
The Unfriend
About the Author
Copyright and Performing Rights Information
The Unfriend was developed by Matthew Byam Shaw for Playful Productions and first performed at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester, on 21 May 2022, with the following cast:
ELSA
Frances Barber
PETER
Reece Shearsmith
DEBBIE
Amanda Abbington
ALEX
Gabriel Howell
THE NEIGHBOUR
Michael Simkins
ROSIE
Maddie Holliday
PC JUNKIN
Marcus Onilude
Director
Mark Gatiss
Designer
Robert Jones
Lighting Designer
Mark Henderson
Sound Designer
Ella Wahlström
Video Designer
Andrzej Goulding
Casting Director
Charlotte Sutton CDG
Voice and Dialect Coach
Charmian Hoare
Associate Designer
Ben Davies
Associate Video Designer
Adrien Corcilius
Assistant Director
Gavin Joseph
Production Manager
Kate West
Costume Supervisor
Binnie Bowerman
Props Supervisor
Lisa Buckley
Company Stage Manager
Michael Dennis
Deputy Stage Manager
Imogen Firth
Assistant Stage Manager
David Purdie-Smith
The production transferred to the Criterion Theatre, London, on 15 January 2023, presented by Playful Productions, Eric Kuhn, Sayers & Sayers Productions, Karl Sydow and Sue Vertue/Hartswood Films, with the same cast, and the following understudies and creative team:
Understudies
PETER/THE NEIGHBOUR
Christopher Jordan
ELSA/DEBBIE
Cathy Walker
ALEX/PC JUNKIN
Barnaby Taylor
ROSIE
Charlotte Bradley
Director
Mark Gatiss
Designer
Robert Jones
Lighting Designer
Mark Henderson
Sound Designer and Music
Ella Wahlström
Video Designer and Animation
Andrzej Goulding
Casting Director
Charlotte Sutton CDG
Production Manager
Kate West
Associate Director
Isabel Marr
Associate Producer
Jack Lea
Costume Supervisor
Binnie Bowerman
Props Supervisor
Lisa Buckley
Company Stage Manager
Michael Dennis
Deputy Stage Manager
Imogen Firth
Assistant Stage Manager
David Purdie-Smith
Characters
PETER
ELSA
DEBBIE
ALEX
THE NEIGHBOUR
ROSIE
PC JUNKIN
ACT ONE
Deck of Cruise Ship
Simply indicated – a row of deck chairs at the front of the stage.
Above this – and at all times – there is a screen that shows additional action. At the moment it shows the sky and the sea.
PETER and ELSA, sitting on deck. PETER (mid-forties) is studying his laptop with a frown.
Two deckchairs along, is ELSA – they are clearly acquainted with each other, but are not fellow travellers. She is a powerful battleaxe of a woman, hard to guess her age.
When they speak she is obviously American – drawling, confident, unabashed – and he is English – mordant and always slightly cross.
ELSA. What are you looking at?
PETER. Donald Trump.
ELSA. Why?
PETER. He makes me angry.
ELSA. Do you like being angry?
PETER. I love being angry. I never know what I think about anything until I’m against it. It’s why I read the Guardian.
ELSA contemplates this for a moment.
ELSA.…I don’t have a relationship with anger.
PETER. A what, sorry?
ELSA. I’m never really angry about anything.
PETER. How can you start the day without hating someone? It’s why they have news in the morning.
ELSA. I guess I just really like people. I’m people positive.
PETER. Yeah?
ELSA. It’s just who I am. I don’t hate anyone.
PETER. Yeah? What about him?
He shows her the picture on his laptop. She studies it for a moment, considers.
ELSA. I’d do him.
PETER. Donald Trump??
ELSA. Yeah. I think he’s funny. I’d do him.
PETER. Look at him.
ELSA. I’m looking.
PETER. He’s ancient.
ELSA (shrugs). My husband’s dead – the bar is low.
PETER. Don’t say that. Don’t you sit there and say that to me. On a cruise. When I’m on holiday. Don’t say you’d do Donald Trump.
ELSA. I voted for him.
PETER. No. Don’t. Don’t say that.
ELSA. Everybody voted for him.
PETER. He lost the election.
ELSA. He only lost because of fraud and people voting against him.
PETER. Voting against him is not fraud.
ELSA. Oh, Peter, you’re all tense now.
PETER. I’m not tense.
ELSA. I can hear you clenching.
PETER. I’m not clenching.
ELSA. Oh, honey, look at you – you could snap a proctologist off at the knuckle.
PETER. I’m fine!
ELSA. Are you angry now, Peter?
PETER. Yes! Yes, I am.
ELSA. You’re welcome. Enjoy!
PETER laughs. Fair point.
PETER. You know. I’m going to miss our deckchair chats!
ELSA. Me too. I’m always hoping you’ll be here when I come out.
PETER. Likewise.
ELSA. You or somebody.
DEBBIE enters. Also mid-forties, PETER’s wife – teasing, sunny.
DEBBIE. Have you started packing?
PETER. Broadly.
DEBBIE. Hello, Elsa.
ELSA. Debbie, my sweet. Your husband is angry.
DEBBIE (checking the laptop). Donald Trump?
PETER. Have you seen this? Have you seen what he’s done now?
DEBBIE. What’s he done?
PETER. I’m still reading.
DEBBIE. Why do you have to read about Donald Trump every morning?
PETER. You won’t let me have coffee.
DEBBIE. Your doctor won’t let you have coffee, it’s bad for your blood pressure.
PETER. Actually, it’s irrelevant. My blood pressure finds a way.
ELSA. My husband loved coffee. He used to say ‘Give me coffee or give me death!’ Now he’s got death. So I guess that worked out.
DEBBIE. You see? Don’t you want me to be remembering you fondly some day?
PETER. It’s not something I’m actively looking forward to, no.
DEBBIE. Just me then.
PETER. Oh, you’re funny. Isn’t she funny, my wife?
DEBBIE. So, darling – have you started packing?
PETER. I’m homing in.
DEBBIE. Which means?
PETER. Everything’s in the cabin. I just have to put it in the case.
DEBBIE. Docking in two hours.
PETER. I know.
DEBBIE. I know you know. And I know you think, if you leave it long enough, I’ll pack for you.
(To ELSA.) Game of chicken basically.
PETER. Slow chicken.
DEBBIE. Marriage, as it’s known.
ELSA. I love your relationship. With all your remarks.
PETER. There you are, darling. Elsa loves our remarks.
ELSA (to PETER). You should be more happy though.
PETER. Happiness is misinformation. It’s like being an antelope. Somewhere a lion is watching you.
ELSA. Are you ever in Denver?
DEBBIE. Well, no.
ELSA. Might you ever be in Denver?
DEBBIE. Well – I suppose so, it’s possible –
ELSA. When you come to Denver, I want you to look me up. Elsa Jean Krakowski.
PETER. Well, of course, we’d love to –
ELSA. Promise me – I mean it. Don’t you two dare come to Denver without looking me up.
PETER. If we’re ever in Denver, we will definitely do that.
ELSA. Elsa Jean Krakowski. Promise?
PETER. We promise!
ELSA. Cross your heart?
PETER. Cross our hearts.
ELSA. Hope to die?
PETER.…okay.
ELSA. My husband used to say that. ‘Hope to die.’ Now he’s dead. And people say God doesn’t listen.
DEBBIE.…Anyway. I think Peter is wanting to go and pack.
PETER. Darling, are you wanting me to go and pack?
