There Is No Such Thing As an Accident There Is No Such Thing As
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There Is No Such Thing As An Accident There Is No Such Thing As An Accident By David Carswell ©2019 The play is set at a Speed Awareness Course that the participants have chosen to attend as an alternative to points on their driving license . A Basic office / meeting room set is all that’s required. The SOLO spots can Be done where each of the characters sit in the room. There is a separate playing area at the front of the stage for the step outs. It is the INSTRUCTOR’s first day which leads to some nerves. AGNES arrives and helps ease the INSTRUCTOR’s tension. RICHARD’s arrogance antagonises the INSTRUCTOR and causes difficulties as the play progresses, But with AGNES’ help RICHARD is eventually put in his place. EVAN and TIFFANY Both add to the comedy value of the play. CAST List INSTRUCTOR – Any age or sex. RICHARD – 40s or 50s. Arrogant. Narcissist. Sociopath. TIFFANY – Gallus. Not Backward at coming forward. She has more front than Blackpool, But underneath it all she has a vulnerable side. AGNES – 50s to 60s. Loveable. Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. Or would it? EVAN – Scheme lad. Not the Brightest. White van man, which was his dream. Nice guy. Page 1 There Is No Such Thing As An Accident Intro Curtain Music Suggestion – Madness – I’ve Been Driving In My Car A basic “meeting room” type environment. Tables & chairs are laid out with pens and notepads. There is a table with tea & coffee. A flip chart stands in the corner. The INSTRUCTOR paces nervously, lining up the pens and notepads. The INSTRUCTOR sits, then stands, then sits then stands, checking their watch. INSTRUCTOR starts to write on the flip chart. AGNES enters. AGNES – Hello. Is this the Speed Awareness Course? INSTRUCTOR – (Turns to see her) (Nervous) Yes, come in, come in. You’re the first to arrive. Help yourself to tea or coffee while we wait on the others. AGNES – Thanks. I do love a nice cup of tea. Coffee not so much. Does funny things to me… (Notices INSTRUCTOR is nervous) Are you ok? You look a wee Bit… INSTRUCTOR – It’s my first day on the joB, so I’m a wee Bit nervous. AGNES – (Genuinely nice) Och you’ll Be fine! EveryBody has to start somewhere. I’m really looking forward to it. INSTRUCTOR – (Relaxes a bit) Thanks. EVAN enters. EVAN – Is this the… INSTRUCTOR – Speed Awareness Course? Yes. Come on in. Grab a seat. Help yourself to tea and coffee. EVAN – Thanks. (Starts to pour coffee) We hear RICHARD’S first line from off-stage. He’s on the phone. INSTRUCTOR, EVAN and AGNES all react. He enters still on the phone. RICHARD – So I just said to him, I don’t care what time it is in Hong Kong, you either get that sorted in the next hour or the deal’s off! RICHARD takes the coffee from EVAN and puts sugar in it. AGNES nods to RICHARD as if to say hello. He looks her up and down and gives her a look of disgust. EVAN – (Aside, annoyed) Sake man. (Pours himself another coffee and sits down) Page 2 There Is No Such Thing As An Accident RICHARD – I need to go. I’m on one of those speed awareness courses. (Slight pause, looks around, drinks coffee.) Yeah, a total shithole. Although coming here gave me chance to see what the new Jag could do on the motorway. Managed 110 Before some twat in a van got in my way. It had one of those stickers on the Back door that said “Tools are not kept in this van overnight.” Yeah, But I reckon there’s one in the driver’s seat most days… (laughs at own joke). INSTRUCTOR raises eyebrows looking at RICHARD. RICHARD notices this. RICHARD – Look, I Better go. I’ll speak to you later. RICHARD ends call. RICHARD – I’m here for the Speed Awareness Course. INSTRUCTOR goes to speak, but RICHARD interrupts. RICHARD – Although I really shouldn’t Be here. I’m an excellent driver. (Smug) I drive a jag. INSTRUCTOR – (Irked) Welcome to the course. (Sarcastic) Help yourself to tea and coffee. RICHARD looks at the cup he’s holding, then back at INSTRUCTOR. RICHARD – How long is this going to last? I’ve got places to Be. INSTRUCTOR – You’ll Be done By lunchtime. RICHARD – Lunchtime!? Oh for fu… INSTRUCTOR – (Interrupting) We’ll get started soon. We’re just waiting on the last one. In the meantime can you all write your names on the Badges that have Been left out for you? Then put them on so everyone can see. Thanks. RICHARD – (Mexican accent) Badges? Badges? We don’t need no stinking Ba… INSTRUCTOR gives RICHARD a look. RICHARD – (Sits) OK, OK. Name Badge going on… They all start to write their names and stick them on to their tops. TIFFANY enters. She is flustered. TIFFANY – Is this the Speed Awareness Course? Sorry I’m late. The traffic was Brutal this morning. AGNES – Could you not have used puBlic transport? I got the train. Page 3 There Is No Such Thing As An Accident TIFFANY – My wee town doesn’t have a train station. INSTRUCTOR – Have you ever tried Park & Ride? TIFFANY stops and thinks. TIFFANY – (Thinks) Park and ride? No. But I once let my Boyfriend feel my tits in a traffic jam. (Laughs) (She notices the name badges on the others) Oh, name Badges. That’s nice. INTRUCTOR – Take a seat and we’ll get started. There’s tea and coffee available if you want to help yourself. And if you could do a name Badge like the others that would Be great. TIFFANY – No Bother. (Notices EVAN) Oh, hello. Is this, eh, seat taken? EVAN – No. Crack on. TIFFANY sits and starts to write her name badge. INSTRUCTOR – If you can all have your passport or driving license ready to confirm your ID, that will let me sign you off as attending and we can get going. They all take out their ID and the INSTRUCTOR goes round them one by one ticking them off on a sheet she’s holding. She gets to RICHARD last who is scrolling through emails on his phone. INSTRUCTOR – I’m going to have to ask you to switch your phone off. That goes for all of you actually. We can’t have any devices that could Be used to record the course. You all have the right to privacy. RICHARD – But I need my phone. And I don’t mean that the way that most people say it. I actually need my phone. INSTRUCTOR – (INSTRUCTOR and AGNES share a look) I actually don’t care. It’s mandatory. AnyBody found to have their phones on during the course will Be asked to leave and Be classed as a non-completion. The points you avoid By Being here will Be applied to your license and you’ll need to pay the fine. (AGNES gives INSTRUCTOR an approving smile and slight nod of the head) RICHARD gives out a huffy sigh. The rest comply without any issue. INSTRUCTOR – Welcome to your speed awareness course. You’re all here Because you have Been caught speeding, But the speed was within certain parameters which make you eligiBle for this course as an alternative to points on your license. Why don’t we start By going round the room and introducing yourselves to each other? (Looks at TIFFANY’s name badge and points to her) Tiffany. Why don’t we start with you? Page 4 There Is No Such Thing As An Accident TIFFANY – Eh, OK. (Stands) My name’s Tiffany, (nervous pause, then jokingly like it’s a punchline) and I’m an alcoholic… Och sorry, wrong meeting! (She starts to laugh but it fades quickly as she looks around awkwardly)(She sits back down again awkwardly) Wow, tough crowd… I tend to make jokes when I’m nervous and… RICHARD – (Impatiently interrupting, stands) Yes, yes. I’m Richard. I’m an executive and I am an outstanding driver. Am I little too heavy with the right foot occasionally? Yes I am. But I’ve earned that right. I shouldn’t have to drive at the same speed as the rest of the pleBs on the road. I drive a Jag for goodness sake! Vastly superior Braking and road handling. The incident that led me to Being here was just, Bad luck. I lost control of the car one time and got done By a uniformed officer in flagrante. EVAN – You got done for speeding in Spain? AGNES – In flagrante means caught in the act. EVAN pulls a disgusted face. EVAN – Caught in the act!? Ya dirty Bastard! No wonder you lost control of the motor. INSTRUCTOR – Moving on… Evan? EVAN – Eh, aye. Am Evan. I drive a white van. Us white van men get a hard time, But I honestly try and Be a courteous driver. Not like some folk though. (Looks at RICHARD) On the way here there was some tuBe in a Jag right up my trumpet on the motorway. Must have Been doing over a hundred. RICHARD – (Whispers) 110 actually. INSTRUCTOR – And last, But definitely not least… Agnes? AGNES – Hello everyone. I’m Agnes. I’m really looking forward to learning with you all today. INSTRUCTOR, EVAN and TIFFANY all smile at the nice thought. RICHARD sighs and shakes his head. TIFFANY – Awww, that’s a lovely thing to say Agnes. INSTRUCTOR – Right, let’s get started.