DNA by Dennis Kelly. Oberon school edition

Characters (10. 7 male/3 female)

Note from the writer: "Names and genders of characters are suggestions only and can be changed to suit performers. (Kelly, 2009, pg7)

Mark 14-18

Jan 14-18

Leah 14-18

Phil 16-18

John Tate 14-18

Danny 14-18

Richard 16-18

Cathy 14-18

Brian 14-18

Adam 14-18

Time and setting

The time of the play is not specified but the dialogue references suggest it's set pose 2000. It is set in a field, wood and a street.

Synopsis

The play is excellent for GCSE, A-level or Drama school. There are some good speeches that could be used for professional auditions.

A group of school friends find themselves in a very difficult situation. There friend Adam has disappeared down a big shaft and that assume he is dead. What set out to be a group joke of making Adam walk along a thin walkway, ends in complete tragedy. 

The play itself is a dark comedy. There is some hilarious exchanges, particularly in the tense moments of panic and confuse as to what to do to deal with Adams death.

The dialogue or lack of it between Phil and Leah is Brilliant. Phil the leader of the group is of few words and only speaks when it is crucial. Leah is the opposite and can't stop talking. Leah talks about how closely related humans are to Bonobos. Then goes on to discuss there sexual habits in traffic detail.

After setting up an innocent postman for the murder, Adam shows up to the surprise of all. The group are left with the conundrum of coming clean in their setting up of the postman and face getting in to serious trouble or taking Adams life properly this time. I won't reveal the end. 

Monologues and duologues etc...

There are some excellent monologues within the play mostly from Leah.

Pages 10-12. Leah's first monologue. It is largely about her insecurity, her affection for Phil and her fear of uncertainty surrounding the situation with the missing Adam. 

Pages 22-23. Marks monologue  describes what happened to Adam in the grille which he falls into, never to be seen again. It's descriptive and could be delivered in tragic or comedic style.

Pages 26-28. Leah's second monologue  is hilarious. She starts of discussing her knowledge of bonobos and how closely related humans sings are to them. With Phil showing Zero emotion or acknowledgment Leah decides to strangle herself with the hope that Phil will take notice of her. Of course he doesn't and Leah eventually gives up on strangling herself to death. She breaks the awkward moments after with her lines about Bonobos sex lives, "they shag a lot, always at it" (Kelly, 2008, pg27)

Pages 30-32 Leah's third monologue  is her theory on happiness and she uses science to back it up. Again this has some excellent comedic dialogue. She produces a Tupperware box with her dead bird, Jerry. Which she killed. She shows Phil presumably to impress him. Phil is seemingly unimpressed.

Pages 41-43. Leah's third monologue she is discussing reality and an alternative universe. Leah also is becoming increasingly frustrated by Phil's neutral and silent behaviour. Is never said but the cry for attention must be because she has feelings for him. It's also never clear as to whether they are in a relationship or not, even though they spend lots of time together alone.

Pages 46-48. Leah's fourth  monologue, she is beginning to face up to the reality of the situation, even if Phil can't. She starts the speech wth a packed suitcase and is ready to run away. She stops herself before going, knowing that it's a tough decision. She highlights the implications of the groups actions, who have all either gone mad with guilt, are staying away, on medication or in Leah's case, about to run away. Phil nearly says something but decides to focus on eating his waffle instead. 

Pages 53-54. Adam appears, not dead but suffering with cabin fever and memory loss. He is alive non the less. He explains how he has been living and surviving, often living in "worms and leaves". The speech is disturbing, yet comedic.

Pages 63-65. After Leah finally leaves and runs away and Phil and the group murder Adam for real, Phil finds himself all

alone. Often sitting in his field for hours on end. Richard tries to snap him out of it in the plays final monologue, to no success.

Key words 

Tragedy

Dark comedy

Confusion

DNA

Friendship

Loyalty 

Cover up

Teenager

Murder

Set up 

Peer pressure

The Grandfathers by Rory Mullarkey. Connections 2012. Methuen

Characters (9 males)

Zhen- 18-22

Tol-35-45

Kol-18-22

Kost-18-22

Val-18-22

Dim-18-22

Sash-18-22

Stand-18-22

Lev-18-22

Time and setting 

21st century. A hillside in Central Asia. A barracks room and training field in an unspecified Eastern European country. The play is written in English.

Synopsis

A totalitarian state have risen up and anyone who defies the state, die. Young army recruits don't know any better and the current crop are of a mixed bag. Many are ill disciplined and more accustom to there Xbox's and dating girls then warfare.

The play is a dark or black comedy. With debates around whether "flamingoes are gay" or not, whether an injured bird that has "flown in through the window " has broken a "clandestine incursion " or not or whether ones press up is more like a "snake having sex with a doughnut".

The scene that stands out is scene 5 where Val takes an injured bird in to his care. Which offers hilarious lines of dialogue. The scene is a refreshing escape from the other more tense scenes of war and training. 

The recruits learn the harsh reality of life through gruelling routine, physical punishments, homesickness, loss of life and the smell and look of blood on ones hands.

It's a great play to do with students 14-23 years of age. In his notes, Mullarkey writes that the play can be done with all male, all female or a mixture of the two.

Monologues and duologue etc...

Pages 268-273 Scene two. There is enough chunky Dialogue in this scene to create a monologue for the character of Tol. The Dialogue is witty and would make a good speech any playing the ages 30-45

Pages 273-277. Scene Three. Though this is a scene with most of the other characters, this scene also works very well as a duologue between Tol and his conscript Val. Val is training to kill using a bayonet to stab a sand bag. He struggles with the idea and action.  The scene ends with Vals eventual grandmother giving way stabbing the sandbag Ina savage sequence shouting "blood, blood, blood, blood, blood"

Page 278. Kost is described as the "most aggressive of all the conscripts" (Mullarkey, 2012, 305). In his  monologue it is clear that Kost lacks respect and discipline.

Pages 288-290. The scene takes place a night in the barracks room as the conscripts try to sleep. Taking away the other characters dialogue, Dims paragraphs when put together make an excellent monologue. The speech discusses Dims fear of war.

Key words

Loss

Friendship 

War

Totalitarian 

Comedy

Teenager

Young men

Soldiers

Naivety 

21st century

20 century

Confusion

Blood

Not Safe For Work (NSFW) By Lucy Kirkwood. Published by NHB

Lucy has recently had a new play performed at the National called Mosquitoes 

NSFW takes place on two settings at the offices of Doghouse and Electra Magazines.

Doghouse is about the typical "mans, man" a magazine with tits, rubbish and simple articles, man challenges, controversial language and oh yeah, underage nudes of a 14 year girl, accidentally published by keen intern, Sam. Not to the amusement of her father Mr Bradshaw, who threatens to sue the magazine and take them to the cleaners. 

 

The second act at Electra magazine is of a very honest publication that aims to expose the thoughts that all women think but don't say out loud. Sam now unemployed after being sacked from Doghouse is being interviewed for a post at Electra. Sam is innocent, his morals and principles don't really belong at both magazines. He is challenged by Miranda at Electra to highlight on photoshop the imperfections of a women on screen, which he struggles with, not before giving in at the end of the play, in his desperation to gain the post, having been unemployed for 9 months.

The first act of the play is largely a four hander and offers some hilarious exchanges between Sam (24), Rupert (28), Charlotte (25) and Aidan (early 40s) the boss of Doghouse. 

In pages 8-9 Aidan has a monologue selling his vision and future of Doghouse Magazine. 

Sam's monologue on page 11 really typifies his innocents and genuine love for his girlfriend Rona. It's heartfelt and very romantic, a speech about fulfilling Rona's life long dream of Visiting Rona, the Scottish Island that she was named after.

The Guinness nature of the speech is summed up in Rupert's words after its delivery " I think I'm in love"

The real comedy happens on pages 20-29 where it is revealed that winner of this years 'Local Lovely' is underage. Pandemonium ensues, for the hilarity of the audience. 

On pages 31-53 there is an excellent  duologue between Aidan and Mr Bradshaw. (Two actors in there 40s)

The final act at Electra Magazine is a Duologue between Miranda (40's/50's) head of the magazine and Sam.

On pages 71-72 Sam had a second monologue who again talks of his love of his now ex girlfriend Rona. 

Characters (6)

Males-4

Rupert-28
Sam-24
Aiden-40-45
Mr Bradshaw-45-55

Females-2

Charlotte- 25
Miranda-45-55

Motor Town by Simon Stephens. Royal Court, Methuen

Characters (8)

Males-5

Lee 27-35

Danny 30-40

Tom-30-40

Paul-35-45

Justin-35-45

Lee-3

Marley-25-35

Jade-14-20

Helen 35-45Synopsis

Danny is a returning soldier back from Basra and finds himself in a completely different hell hole, Dagenham.

Danny has developed psychopathic tendencies of which comes out through the journey of the play, through an old flame who wants nothing to do with him, Danny's chasing of Guns, persistent lies, emotionally blackmailing his brother and the eventual murder of 14 year Jade.

It's rollercoaster of a play. Which builds and builds and builds only to end with his head being shaved by his brother in very nonchalant fashion, that plays down the fact the he has just murdered an innocent teenager in cold blood.

Scene 1

Duologue between Danny and Lee

Scene 2

Duologue between Danny and Marley (female)

Scene 3

Duologue between Danny and Tom 

Scene 4

Scene four is largely a duologue, Jade comes in and out briefly but probably could be cut out.

Within the scene, Paul has some chunky paragraphs which could be turned in to a monologue. Paul is sadistic and has some very extreme views that are without doubt controversial. He refers to school girls in school uniforms and thinks that turning the tragic events of Jamie Bulger's Murder in to a musical would be a great idea "I'd pay forty quid to see it" (Stephens, pg34, Methuen) he says.

Paul has a chunky piece of dialogue that is like a long monologue on pages 34,35,36.

Scene 5

A short duologue between Danny and Marley

Scene 6

Scene six is the most dramatic scene of the play that ends in tragic circumstances. Danny taking out his pain, boredom, anger on 14 year old Jade, who is his murder victim, ironically she is killed by the gun purchased on there first meeting.

The play is a spin of events that connect. Danny doesn't really have a plan and lies his way through every meeting that takes place. I don't believe his intention is to murder someone at the start of the play. It is his tailing thoughts that lead him to the conclusion that murdering someone would satisfy the empty whole inside him.

At the end of the scene Danny's half hearted reasoning becomes apparent as to why he would shoot someone for shooting someone sake. (Pg53) Danny's monologue discusses his anger towards those who take for granted the war he fought in Iraq. In his opinion a war that none of them recognised; there lives being all to easy in comparison.

Scene 7

A three hander dialogue scene. This is the aftermath of the murder. Danny finds himself in a bar with Jade dead in n his boot outside in the car. Danny with his usual lies, saying that his boot is full of fireworks because that's what he does for a living, "firework displays".

Danny is propositioned by a swinging couple who want a threesome. The scene is funny and unexpected considering the previous scene. The scene highlights Danny's separation and alienation from the society he now finds himself. 

Scene 8

A final Duologue between Danny and Lee. It's the difficult position of telling the police on Lee's part. And Danny combining Lee not to say anything about the murder.

Writer Simon Stephens

Other plays: Adaptation of Curious Incident Of the Dog of the Night Time, The Funfair, Fatherland