…To be or not to be…
Genre Short-Play
Format Stage Play
Length 10 minutes
Actors:
1.Nozizwe (Female asylum seeker from Zimbabwe)
2.Snake (20 year old new Teesside University Student from London).
3.Jah-Man Kantula (A poet from Jamaica).
4.Miss Mary Smith ( Female bus Driver from Middlesbrough)
5.Rev David Chadwick (Returning Resident of Middlesbrough, from 15 year study in America).
SYNOPSIS
A reflection of Middlesbrough on boro’s sons and loyal daughters, how people who have never been to Middlesbrough perceive it to be and how it was and how it is today. Is it a place that you may wish to be ….living or going to? Be my guest, take a peep, look at the eyes of the people who have been there, hope you will see Middlesbrough as it was and as it is today.
Nozizwe a 30 year old Zimbabwean asylum has been sent to live in Middlesbrough while her claim is being processed; She has read in the newspapers that asylum seekers are racially discriminated in Middlesbrough, people in Middlesbrough would not even share seats with asylum seekers in a bus in Middlesbrough, youths throw eggs at Africans when they walk in the streets. She very worried about what she will find there, she knows no one in Middlesbrough, but has no choice but to go.
On the same day a 23 year old Youngman, born in London called “Snake” is travelling to Middlesbrough for the first time , he had never heard about Middlesbrough till he was expelled from London University where he was studying Animation , his mother was able to get him a place through a friend at Teesside University , which is said to be the best University that offers animation in the UK, he was bunking lessons , and had made friends with the wrong crowd , as a way to get him away from bad influence his mother felt Middlesbrough will help him rid of his bad influence friends that had gotten him into drugs.
“Snake” is angry at himself, his mother the world and mostly with his father he has not seen in his whole 23 years. This has made him seek attention in wrong places and vented his anger in the wrong way. But inside he is a good boy who just needs love.
Rev David Chadwick 55 year old male born in Middlesbrough, left 15 years ago to join the Lutheran Seminary in the USA, to train as a pastor, he has just come back from America, and is on route to Middlesbrough after 15 years away from home, he vividly remembers Middlesbrough. He is talkative, He used to be a drug user in his youth days, and he was a member of a gang back in his days in Middlesbrough. Now he has a daunting challenge of opening up a pre-dominantly American Church in Middlesbrough. They all meet waiting for a bus to Middlesbrough.
Mary Smith middle aged female driver, born in Middlesbrough, here to exchange with the bus driver who will come driving the bus for Middlesbrough, she is will be driving the bus back to Middlesbrough, she a typical Boro loyal, she will protect anything about Middlesbrough, she has the most up-to date information about the place, and is ready to defend Middlesbrough, she loves soccer and is die hard “BORO” supporter.
Jah-Man Kantula 26 year old traveling musician, who loves playing drums, and is a poet, he sits at this bus stop with his hat on the ground , playing drums , collecting coins from well-wishers for a living, he is fed up of the London community , they only throw pennies into his hat, has gone on to write a sign that say “ NO !! RED MONIES” and places next to his hat on the ground , he wishes to travel to a new place , he has never considered going to Middlesbrough , but today , just maybe , he will get on the bus .
Let our story begin, maybe you too may wish to be on the Bus to Middlesbrough, Enjoy.
Scene One
Bus Stop some-where in London.
Nozizwe, late 30s, shabbily dressed but clean, is walking towards the bus stop were she get a bus to Middlesbrough .She passes a Rasta man near a bus stop, she fiddles with a purse and pulls out a couple of coins and throws them into the Rasta-man’s hat, the Rasta-man is playing drums and chanting Rasta rhythms, he peeks into the hat, and say
Jah-Man-Kantula
Hey woman, can ya not read Jah- Sister, NO Rad Coins Jah woman.
Nozizwe
Sorry brother, I don’t have any more, just have, and my bus fare.
Jah-Man-Kantula
Jah-man-Kantula, blessad Jah Sis, Blesad! Blesad!
Nozizwe
Brother may I ask, is this where I can get the Middlesbrough Bus.
Jah-Man-Kantula
Shoo! ….Jah- Sister (Continues to play his drums)
.
{Nozizwe moves into the shade, she is evidently jumpy, she finds the Female Bus Driver and the Reverend seated quietly, she sits at the far end afraid , that maybe they are some of the people from Middlesbrough who are racists , just to avoid trouble}.
Just as she is settling down a young man in his 20s walks in and hits the side of the bus stop shade with his fists, and kicks a coke can that was lying infont of the litter box, and starts swearing
“Snake”
Fukin’ Middlesbrough, shit place. What tha Fuck am I going to do, have to go to Fuking dead cities, why tha hell did Teesside have to be in a Dead place like that.
Jah-Man-Kantula
Eazee Jah-Man – eazee! Jah man-kantula
Nozizwe
Oh my God help me (She starts praying)
Rev David Chadwick
Easy young man, you scaring our poor sister here
“Snake”
{Pulling out a cigarettes and lighting it}, Hope you not going to Middlesbrough, you scared ha!, wait till you get to Middlesbrough , they will skin you alive , there , I tell you , if you clever
Miss Mary Smith
I am sorry you can’t smoke here sir .It’s against the law.
“Snake”
Who the Fuck are you to tell me what to do or not to Do, are you my mother, Ha, ha.hahaha.may be you wanna be my fuck!.Ha
Rev David Chadwick
Take it easy with the language, young lad. You take that attitude to Middlesbrough, you may find yourself in trouble, back in our days in Middlesbrough, we had gangs, we did all the stuff, but we had respect for our elders and our women, hope it’s the same.
Miss Mary Smith
Even in today’s Middlesbrough, our young man respect women, and elders, what he is doing its actually anti-social behaviour; it can get you arrested anyway in the UK. Just for your Information my fellow brother , I Boro through and through , I will not take it if you go around bad mouthing Middlesbrough, you are just scaring this young lady , There is no racism in Middlesbrough , I was born and bred in Middlesbrough.
Nozizwe
But I read in the newspaper that a Kenyan women, was assaulted just for being black and they will not share the same seat in the bust with her, they hit her with rotten eggs as she walked in the street.
Miss Mary Smith
Yes that’s true, there was such an incident, once but the whole community strongly condemned it and ever since then, Middlesbrough has become one of the most, cultural, social and racially tolerant city in the UK.
Nozizwe.
OHHH! (She says with a sigh) I am relived, I was “so” “so” scared.
Snake
Ya! Tolerant Ha! , what kind of a place is that, I can imagine, it must be just one street and a University. Ha! Nothing else .nothing, what else is there Ha!! Middlesbrough my foot.
Jah Man Kantula
So Jah Sister, tell me more about Middlesbrough, I have not heard about that place , do they have places for artists like me .
Miss Mary Smith.
As a matter of fact yes, recently Middlesbrough City Council has been supportin
g several youth projects. There is one by the North Block Writers block, which helps young artist like you develop and realise their visions.
Snake
So it’s a real city it has a City Council ha!.
Miss Mary Smith
May be I must give you guys a brief history of Middlesbrough is a very large town in the northeast of England, in the county of north Yorkshire. It has a population of almost 150,000 and is located approximately 250 miles away from London due north. Due to is rapidly growing population, a number of towns and villages which were once outlying settlements are now suburbs of the town itself.
The town is located on the southern shores of the River Tees which is only a few miles away from the national park, North York Moors.
The second largest port in the United Kingdom is also located in the area, about 3 miles due east of the town itself. There is also an airport nearby, The Durham Tees Valley Airport.
Middlesbrough is now home to a university which was established in 1992. As a result, the town has developed a lively student atmosphere and a significant nightlife. There is also a growing arts scene with a local institute of modern art which opened a few years ago. Areas of the town are currently being redeveloped in an extremely expensive investment programme.
Rev David Chadwick
I Remember in 1974, when the many years ago, when the Middlesbrough Hebrew Congregation open in Park Road South,
Oh! I remember the Tees Transporter Bridge; we called it the transporter you know back then, its the furthest downstream bridge across the River Tees. Connecting Middlesbrough, on the south bank, to Port Clarence, on the north bank. It can carry a travelling 'car', or 'gondola', suspended from the bridge, across the river in 90 seconds. The gondola can carry 200 people, 9 cars, or 6 cars and one minibus. It carries the A178 Middlesbrough to Hartlepool road. Oh! how much I miss Midlesbrough.
I remember, Clairville, Linthorpe, Middlehaven, Nunthorpe, Borough Road, yes I remember. I miss my mom special disk “Parmo”, she made it with pork, sometimes with chicken and bread cream, and she would put white cheese on top. OH! yes it’s all coming back..
I think I wana sing, let me break into praise,
Deep and wide, deep and wide. There is a river flowing deep and wide .
River Tees, by the rivers, We shall rejoice. In Middlesbrough.
Jah-Man-kantula
Hold it right there old man, its coming I can feel it.
{he closes his eyes and looks in the air , yes I feel , it’s a poem , it’s a song for Middlesbrough, I got it, he opens his eyes }.
{He hits his drums; they all start singing, He starts chanting a poem}
From the crest of the River Teese to the Crown of the Transporter, can you hear me?
Sons, and Daughters of Boro, hear me now.
For too long I have been quiet, too long it has too long. From the Borough road to Lintorpe, hear my cries
From deep beneath the bowels of earth, deep beneath debris, of exfoliated rock of Redcar
Miss Mary Smith
Sorry guys I hate to break the fun, and the flow of creativity, but here comes the Middlesbrough bus.{Everyone rushes out of stage and Miss Mary Smith comes back on stage and asks the musician.}
Miss Mary Smith {talking to Jah Man Kantula}
Are you coming?.{Jah-Man Kantula hits his drums madly and they both bow to the audience …………..the end}.