WHEN CHAPLIN MET GANDHI

A Play

James Kenworth

TSL Drama First published in Great Britain in 2016 By TSL Publications, Rickmansworth

Copyright © 2012 and 2016 James Kenworth

ISBN / 978-1-911070-32-0

The right of James Kenworth to be identified as the playwright/author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent buyer.

Rights of performance

Rights of performance for this play is controlled by TSL Publications (tslbooks.uk/Drama) which issues a performing licence on payment of a fee and subject to a number of conditions (specified on tslbooks.uk/Drama). This play is fully protected under the Copyright Laws of the British Commonwealth of Nations, the United States of America and all countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Con- ventions. All rights, including stage, Motion Picture, Radio, Television, Public Reading and Translation into Foreign Languages are strictly reserved. It is an infringement of the Copyright to give any performance or public reading of this play before the fee has been paid and the licence issued. The Royalty Fee is subject to contract and subject to variation at the sole discretion of TSL Publications. In Territories Overseas the fees quoted may not apply. A fee will be quoted on application to TSL Publications. WHEN CHAPLIN MET GANDHI

This play is dedicated to my Mother and my Grandmother, who read stories so well and gave me a love of language that was for life.

The author would like to thank Prodeepta Das, for making the play happen at Kingsley Hall, and The Royal Docks Trust, for their continued support of his writing.

~ 3 ~ A Splotch of Red: Keir Hardie in West Ham (Community Links/Newham Libraries) Dementia’s Journey (London tour) Revolution Far m (Newham City Farm) When Chaplin Met Gandhi (Kingsley Hall) The Last Story in the World (Soho Theatre) Gob (LIFT Festival, Pleasance Theatre, Harrogate Theatre, King’s Head Theatre) Everybody’s World (London tour) Polar Bears (Underbelly, Edinburgh Fringe) Johnny Song (Warehouse Theatre) WHEN CHAPLIN MET GANDHI

Founder of Kingsley Hall Muriel’s co-worker at Kingsley Hall Leader of the Indian independence movement Artist and editor of The New Yorker , good friend of Chaplin English comic actor and director of the silent film era Bow resident Mrs Simmonds’ son Charlie’s Father, Husband of Mrs Simmonds British politician and statesman Gandhi’s secretary A GP, the first Indian mayor of London, and friend of Gandhi Chaplin’s wife and daughter of Eugene O’Neill Movie Director, Kid, East End crowds, Reporter, Schoolchildren, Press Reporter, Press Photographers

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When Chaplin Met Gandhi was first performed at Kingsley Hall, Bow, London on 8th August 2012. The cast was as follows:

Mark Oosterveen Divian Ladwa Pip Mayo Marcus Ellard , , ,

Jenny Leveton

(children of Bow, Canning Town locals, ensemble) Gracia Cathonia Dacia Dixon Dwaynica Greaves Demii Horsley Kristin Shury Jade Ward-McFarlane Gideon Adomako Nikolas Rayhaan Uddin Eghosa Osagiede Joanna Simos Odinelsah Mendes (Didi) Rebecca James Tyler Wheelan Shanice Antoine Matthew Xia Laura Cordery Ciaran Cunningham

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Scene One La Brea Avenue, California, Charlie Chaplin’s house, 1948 Scene Two Kingsley Hall, Bow, East London 1931 Scene Three Kingsley Hall Scene Four A suite in The Carlton Hotel Scene Five The balcony of Kingsley Hall Scene Six The sitting room, Kingsley Hall Scene Seven A cell, or small room, Kingsley Hall rooftop Scene Eight Kingsley Hall Scene Nine Chartwell, the family home of Winston Churchill Scene Ten Sitting room, a house in Bow Scene Eleven Three Mills Lane, Bow Scene Twelve Kingsley Hall Scene Thirteen The house of Dr Katial , Canning Town Scene Fourteen La Brea Avenue, California, Charlie Chaplin’s house, 1948 Scene Fifteen Kingsley Hall, 1931 Scene Sixteen The Greenway, Bow, 2012

The play lasts approximately 75 minutes

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La Brea Avenue, California, house, 1948. is fuming over a scurrilous article about him in Hollywood’s lead- ing gossip mag, ’Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood’. His wife does her best to ignore him and mixes drinks.

She’s at it again, Oona. Hmm? I said, she’s at it again. Who’s at it again? Hedda Hopper. Who else? Why do you persist in reading that trash, Charlie? Because she’s out to get me. She’s out to give you a hernia, darling … and I think she’s succeeding. ( passing her the newspaper) Read … Do I have to? (reading) ‘Charlie Chaplin, at his press interview in New York, needed his former mouth- piece, Jerry Giesler, to supply his answers. Chaplin's didn't seem good enough. He was always better in silent pictures than in talkies’. Putting the paper down. scowls. Well, honestly Charlie, it’s pretty mild … I mean, con- sidering the other things the cow’s said … The other things …? Yes Charlie, you know what I mean, your private life … Which of course is my business.

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Not when your private life is syndicated to a hundred different newspapers throughout America. She’s hell-bent on destroying my career. I’ve told you, it’s not her you should be worrying about – it’s that mad Committee that’s after you. Screw the House Un-American Activities! Why do you make so much noise about it? Keep schtum and don’t make unnecessary enemies. Just because I called our Russian allies brave, and consider them just as human as anyone else, I’m labelled a bloody communist. They helped us win the war for God’s sake. (Pause) I am not a bloody commu- nist! Nor am I, nor is Rock Hudson for all I care, but for God’s sake, Charlie, the more fuss you make, the more you give these bastards reason to attack you. No I won’t be intimated by these bullies – I’ve over- come far worse obstacles in my childhood – they forget that – even when I was in the orphanage, when I was roaming the streets trying to find enough to eat to keep alive, even then I thought of myself as the greatest actor in the world. I belong here, America is the world’s greatest democracy … this is nothing but fanaticism … Charlie …. When I used the word ‘comrades’ in a speech, you know what the Immigration Department asked me – they asked me what did I mean by that word …? Charlie please … The telephone rings. answers. Shocked, he turns to … The Little Leader is dead … What? ~ 10 ~ WHEN CHAPLIN MET GANDHI

Gandhi … he’s been assassinated … shot dead … Fade.

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Kingsley Hall, Bow, East London 1931. and her co-worker read from their voluminous public correspondence regard- ing Gandhi’s impending visit to Kingsley Hall. lets out a sharp gasp.

What is it? Beat. Annie? It’s filth, Miss. beckons to to hand over the letter. I’d rather not Miss. Annie … reluctantly hands over the letter. (Reading) ‘How any British woman can contemplate having a naked nigger in her house passes my com- prehension.’ Awful. Just awful. And here’s another. (Reading) ‘Repent! How can you entertain an old devil like Gandhi! What can you be thinking about – an Englishwoman … Black people should know their place.’ Aren’t you shocked? No. In fact I’m rather pleased. Muriel! How can you be pleased? It means, Annie, the whole of Britain is talking about him.

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Yes – saying the most terrible things. Oh Annie, you’ve read the newspaper articles haven’t you? They know nothing about him – absolutely noth- ing. Look (picking up a newspaper) – goats! Goats? Yes, goats – we’re going to have goats on the roof of Kingsley Hall. Did you know that? Oh … are we? (Reading) ‘Kingsley Hall is currently preparing for Gan- dhi’s visit by arranging a herd of goats for the special use of the Mahatma to be stabled on the roof of Kingsley Hall. It is understood that the Mahatma likes to watch his goat being milked.’ But this is my favour- ite. (picking up another newspaper and reading) ‘The SS Rajputana is carrying to London a ton of mud from the sacred Ganges so that the Hindu leaders can make idols for the comfort of believers during their sojourn in London.’ There you have it, Annie. As far as the great British public are concerned, all they know about him is that he generally goes about half-naked and drinks goat’s milk. Beat . What a surprise they’re going to get … eh?

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