This is the very first scene of my play (which has yet to be titled even though Act 1 is almost done). It's basically setting up the tone and pace for the rest of the play. The style is quite impersonal and cinematic, and there's some multi-media work with projections that comes in later. Oh and be warned of some moderate swearing.
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Act 1 Scene 1 – ‘This wasn’t supposed to happen’
The stage is stark, black. Like a warehouse – the only things onstage could be some supporting poles, some heavy chains. White Screen takes up the back wall.
Screams. Police sirens. Gunshots.
The two hitwomen appear onstage throwing The Speaker in front of them, at gunpoint. They are dressed in black suits, Reservoir Dogs style. Professional, calm, they flank him at both sides and focus on him intently. He is bruised, bleeding. They have been rough with him. HW1 is forceful, her tone is kept level, but we can see the strain.
HW2: This wasn’t supposed to happen! You said we’d keep our distance. Make it neat. Over and done with in a second. What the fuck are we supposed to do now?
HW1: Lesson number 2, kid. Things change. You gotta adapt. We couldn’t have risked hitting anyone else.
HW2: So kidnapping is your solution?!
HW1: No. Merely a movement of the place of execution.
HW2: The Boss...
HW1: Will be fine. So long as we get this done with the same degree of professionalism.
HW2: Aren’t we more likely to get caught this way?
HW1: Yes.
HW2: How come you knew where to go? What is this place?
HW1: It’s just an old warehouse. Disused. Used to come here when I was younger...instead of school, you know?...Actually – go make sure the place is secure. Check all the doors and find some way of blocking the one we came in through. I’ll stay with him.
2 nods her assent and exits, keeping her eyes and her gun on The Speaker until the last second.1 moves closer to him and drives the barrel of her gun into his back.
Don’t try anything. You’re still outnumbered two to one. You know why you’re here?
The Speaker nods, but says nothing. 2 returns, gun aimed at The Speaker.
HW2: We’re not secure, but we should be able to hold up for a while. There’s nothing obvious to suggest we’re here. Apart from the car. No one saw that though, right?
HW1: We can’t be sure, but there’s not a lot we can do until the job’s done.
HW2: How do you want to do this?
HW1: I say we do it on 3. Right here. Right now. Just shoot. Clean. Simple. Easy. Leave him here for the rats and stray dogs to eat. He deserves no better.
HW2: On three then...One...Two...
Music: something like Hysteria by Muse.
Stylised Fight sequence. It’s beautiful, but ends in his death. The final image is of the two hitwomen with their guns pressed against the back of The Speaker’s head at arm’s length, with him knelt on the floor DSC. Switch to back lighting so they are entirely in silhouette. Long pause as we look at this image.
HW2: THREE!
Blackout. The sound of a single gunshot – we don’t know which one fired. Sound of The Speaker’s body falling to the floor.
