Tag: Playwriting

So. last night at 1.50am I finished the 81 page draft of Cloud, it’s all sent off to friends for feedback and I shall redraft today and tomorrow morning, print it off and then post it on the way to catch the midday train to a friend’s house in Manchester on Friday! Wooo!

um, and here’s another extract – a monologue from towards the end of act I, Melpomene has stormed off because Azrael was “being a dick”, and the Angel is quizzing Azrael about the ‘pleasures of the flesh’ that Melpeomene had mentioned earlier…

ANGEL: so you’ve never seen

AZRAEL: I guess… I guess I have… look no word to anyone mate, but when it gets too much, and they’re having one of their rows, I like to sneak out, go somewhere like this. Grey. And cold. It’s so nice to have the sky overhead. Anyway there was this time I sneaked out, went down, just walked. I could do that for hours. Just feel- y’know, that light and dark in them, when you pass in the street. It’s like their hearts are just begging to be set free –rise up or sink down… I guess that may slightly be a death god’s point of view but you get what I mean (the ANGEL nods) So anyway I find myself in some grotty little town, walking in the dark streets outside the centre in the cold. I like cold- the air’s hot up above. And I’m walking and suddenly out of the background noise I just feel these two hearts. So completely opposite but yearning to badly – I follow it and go down an alley and suddenly I’m looking through a pane of glass at these two people contradicting one another. There’s an intimacy which suggests they’ve been together for a while, there’s spaghetti on the stove and two glasses of wine but she’s, she’s dressed up- like she’s really made an effort- and he’s holding her face in his hands and suddenly I realise that these two, they’re trying so hard, but falling apart. And her heart is so bunched up and she’s breathing like she’s drinking his smell and he’s talking quietly but his heart is screaming “I want so much to love her” and slowly, with all their hopes and fears, a tear runs down her cheek, and they kiss.

(long silence).

ANGEL: and that’s your job

AZRAEL: what?

ANGEL: to take life, when the pain is too much.

Well this is just a couple of pages from the redraft I’m working on- it’s really messy, literally first draft standard, but I was quite pleased with this bit, I was stuck for half of yesterday and the beginning of today until I talked it over and thought about bringing in an antagonist, I have…. 55 pages, up from 32 and my target is 80, so only 25 more pages, and 10 of those will be more exposition in the already written second act so it’s going ok. ideally I wanted to have a draft finished today, for a bit of feedback tomorrow, and redrafting/posting the final script on Friday but I don’t know how many of my good friends can drop everything and read for a whole night… I’ve had lots of offers though and my sincerest thanks go to all the people supporting me! You’re all awesome… so yes, this section is about 15 minutes in, and apologies for the formatting, it looks perfect in the template I use, but funny on here.

(silence, after a while there is a roll of thunder, MELPOMENE looks around, confused)

angel: (groans) oh no…

melpomene: what?

angel: you don’t want to know

melpomene: what? Why not? What’s-

(footsteps can be heard)

ANGEL: it’s him

melpomene: who? (she looks around, and whilst looking left AZRAEL appears to the right, smartly dressed, pinstriped suit, black handkerchief, black shirt and tie, black, raven coloured wings and white and black polished shoes)

AZRAEL: Hallo sweet cheeks.

(MELPOMENE freezes and turns around)

melpomene: you did not just call me that

azrael: who said I was talking to you?

melpomene: who are you?

azrael: right back at you?

melpomene: what are you doing here?

azrael: I think I’m much more interested in why you are here. Someone who’s given up their wings consorting with a damned soul? Could be that maybe this might just slip this into my minus 5 hour report and then-

melpomene: you wouldn’t dare

azrael: and why wouldn’t I?

melpomene: archangels are such dicks

azrael: how do you know I’m an archangel?

melpomene: because you’re a dick.

azrael: now, now, there’s no need for that.

melpomene: and what on earth do you mean, ‘report’

angel: he’s been sent to keep a check on me

azrael: a masterly summation

melpomene: an archangel.

azrael: yep!

melpomene: but-

angel: he’s also, y’know, the angel of death

(Pause)

melpomene: you have to be kidding, they have the executioner trailing you?

azrael: have you heard the phrase ‘death was his constant companion’?

ANGEL: he’s meant to make sure I’m following the rules

melpomene: (open mouthed) that’s, unbelievable

azrael: (to ANGEL) aren’t you going to introduce me to your charming young friend?

melpomene: that’s absolutely outrageous

azrael: though if I was taking a guess I’d say she was a muse

melpomene: (Snaps out of her rage and hears AZRAEL) now what makes you say that?

azrael: (he leans towards her over ANGEL’s head) well I don’t know, female, feisty, thinks she knows it all, kind to small creatures (i.e. the ANGEL) all the hallmarks of an artistic nature

melpomene: you dick!

(She lunges at him, misses and runs around the back of the bench to catch him, he begins to run ‘round the other way, she chases him twice ‘round. The ANGEL sighs, stands and just as AZRAEL runs past a third time catches the back of his jacket, and then as MELPOMENE approaches, puts his hand out and stops her with his palm against her forehead. MELPOMENE and AZRAEL are panting)

angel: stop it. (a second or two, then the ANGEL lets got and sits down in the middle of the bench, slowly, MELPOMENE and AZRAEL sit either side)

AZRAEL: she started it

melpomene: real mature.

ANGEL: Angel of Death, Azrael, please meet Mel

azrael: Mel?

ANGEL: Melpomene

Azrael: I was right then

ANGEL: and she was right about you

azrael: ooh get you, little one

melpomene: don’t call him that.

azrael: what you going to do?

melpomene: something you’ll very much regret

azrael: you mean something you’ll regret

melpomene: I know what I meant.

(Silence)

angel: what do you want?

azrael: this is the last check up, before the judgement

melpomene: I thought you already had your trial?

azrael: he gets one last stand of defence… or y’know, he could find the boy, haha.

melpomene: I can’t believe you’re being so insensitive!

azrael: I’m doing my job, you’re not even supposed to be here.

angel: please don’t – (IE report her)

azrael: don’t worry; she’s not worth the waste of parchment.