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