King Foxfinder

1. Auflage 2013
ISBN: 978-1-78001-212-4
Verlag: Nick Hern Books
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 96 Seiten

Reihe: NHB Modern Plays

England is in crisis. Fields are flooded, food is scarce and fear grips the land. William Bloor, a foxfinder, arrives at Judith and Samuel Covey's farm to investigate a suspected fox infestation. The Coveys' harvest has failed to meet their target and the government wants to know why. Trained from childhood, William is fixated on his mission to unearth the animals that must be to blame for the Coveys' woes. But as the hunt progresses, William finds more questions than answers... A darkly comic, spell-binding dystopian drama, Dawn King's Foxfinder won the 2011 Papatango New Writing Prize and premiered at the Finborough Theatre, London. Foxfinder had its West End premiere at the Ambassadors Theatre, London, in 2018, in a production directed by Rachel O'Riordan.

Dawn King is an award-winning writer working in theatre, film, TV, VR and radio. Her work for the stage includes: The Trials (Donmar Warehouse, London, 2022); Dystopia987 (Manchester International Festival, 2019); Salt (National Theatre Connections, 2019); an adaptation of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World (Royal and Derngate Theatre and the Touring Consortium, 2015); Ciphers (Out of Joint, Bush Theatre and Exeter Northcott, 2013/14); and Foxfinder (winner of the 2011 Papatango New Writing Competition, and first staged at Finborough Theatre, London, 2011; revived in the West End in 2018). For Foxfinder, Dawn also won the Royal National Theatre Foundation Playwright award 2013. She won Most Promising Playwright at the Off West End awards 2012 and was shortlisted for Best New Play at the Off West End awards 2012, the Susan Smith Blackburn prize 2012 and the James Tait Black drama prize 2011/2012.

Autoren/Hrsg.

King, Dawn

Leseproben

1

SAMUEL JUDITH

SAMUEL. Went up the top this morning. I reckon half that wheat has had it.

JUDITH. It might recover.

SAMUEL. Not if this weather keeps on.

And east-gate field... waste of seed that was. It’s like a bog.

JUDITH. We might get something from it. Better than nothing.

SAMUEL. I planted it too early. You can say that.

JUDITH. We don’t know yet, do we? The rain could stop tomorrow.

There’s a good crop of leeks coming.

SAMUEL. Huh. I wouldn’t call it good.

Listen to it. It’s stupid travelling on a day like this.

JUDITH. He’ll be soaked. And frozen.

SAMUEL. Aye.

Show me the letter again.

JUDITH SAMUEL

Fancy hand he’s got. Very nice.

JUDITH. It’s an honour having one of them stay. Everyone says that.

SAMUEL. Huh. ‘Investigating the area.’ What does that mean?

JUDITH. I don’t know.

SAMUEL. I don’t see why it has to be us.

JUDITH. It doesn’t say.

SAMUEL. There are plenty others as has more room. In ‘the area’.

JUDITH. Yes, but he –

SAMUEL. He should be staying at the big house.

JUDITH. He asked to stay here.

SAMUEL. Aye. He did.

If there was something going on, on our land, I’d know. Don’t I know my own land? I’m out there all times of day and night and I’ve seen nothing. You’ve seen nothing. The men have seen nothing. There is nothing.

JUDITH. They’re clever. They hide, that’s what people say.

SAMUEL. I’d

JUDITH

He’s heard something. Must have.

JUDITH. What?

SAMUEL. Someone’s been telling tall tales, I bet.

JUDITH. Don’t say that. Who’d do that?

SAMUEL. Could be anyone.

JUDITH

JUDITH. No. That can’t be it.

SAMUEL. I’ll ask him when he gets here.

JUDITH. Don’t you dare! If someone’s said something, you’ll just make it worse!

SAMUEL. Fine. Let him waste his time chasing rumours. I’ll say nothing.

JUDITH. What time is it?

SAMUEL. Twenty past. He’s late.

JUDITH. He’ll be here soon.

SAMUEL. You said that an hour ago.

JUDITH. Maybe the roads are flooded.

SAMUEL. Aye, I reckon. And the bridge will be out before long.

JUDITH. It’s no good, Sam, you’ll have to go out looking for him.

SAMUEL. I’ll not. I’ve got animals need feeding. They won’t wait.

JUDITH. What if he’s lost?

SAMUEL. Then he won’t come. So I can get on.

JUDITH. No, you’re not leaving me to meet him alone!

SAMUEL. All right.

SAMUEL

JUDITH. When he comes, you can’t be rude to him. Be polite. Promise me.

SAMUEL. He’ll have to take us as he finds us, won’t he?

JUDITH. Sam!

JUDITH

It’s him.

SAMUEL. Open it then.

JUDITH. I can’t.

SAMUEL WILLIAM

SAMUEL. William Bloor, is it?

WILLIAM. Yes.

SAMUEL. I’m Sam Covey. Come in.

WILLIAM

WILLIAM. Not yet.

SAMUEL. Oh.

WILLIAM. Is the lady of the house present?

SAMUEL. Judith!

JUDITH

WILLIAM. Are you Judith Covey, Mrs?

JUDITH. Yes, that’s right.

Come in. You must be freezing!

WILLIAM. And you’re Samuel Covey, Mr.

SAMUEL. I am. I said that.

WILLIAM. Do you have any identification?

SAMUEL. Excuse me?

WILLIAM. I need to see some identification. For both of you. Please.

JUDITH

JUDITH. Uhm.

JUDITH WILLIAM

SAMUEL. A funny way of greeting people.

WILLIAM. I’m sorry, but you could be anyone.

SAMUEL. You think we’ve chucked the real Coveys down the well or something?

WILLIAM. I don’t know. Have you?

JUDITH

You’ll have to excuse me for seeming rude. Judith.

Samuel.

SAMUEL

Thank you for letting me stay. We appreciate your help in this matter.

JUDITH. It’s no trouble. We’re glad to have you. We don’t get many visitors. I’ll put the kettle on.

WILLIAM. If you don’t mind, I’ll put my bags away first.

JUDITH. Oh. Yes. The room’s quite small, I’m afraid.

WILLIAM. I’m sure it will be more than adequate.

SAMUEL

No, I’ll take those, if you don’t mind.

SAMUEL

JUDITH. It’s this way.

JUDITH WILLIAM SAMUEL

2

WILLIAM JUDITH SAMUEL

WILLIAM. Thank you. That was delicious.

JUDITH. Will you have a cider to finish off? Or we’ve got beer?

WILLIAM. No –

JUDITH. Or tea? Coffee?

WILLIAM. – thank you. No.

JUDITH. I’ll get these.

JUDITH WILLIAM WILLIAM SAMUEL

WILLIAM. I just need to ask you a few questions.

SAMUEL. Now? Can’t it wait till morning?

WILLIAM. It won’t take long.

JUDITH

The farm is sixty acres?

SAMUEL. Aye.

WILLIAM

WILLIAM. And what kind of animals do you have here?

JUDITH. Do you mean... because we’ve not seen any.

WILLIAM. I mean, simply, what kind of animals does the farm have?

SAMUEL. A few cows, pigs, some chickens. That’s it.

WILLIAM. This is an arable farm.

SAMUEL. Yes.

WILLIAM. What about pets?

JUDITH. We had a cat but it ran off.

WILLIAM

Is that important?

WILLIAM. A missing cat as a single, isolated incident is not important.

JUDITH....Oh.

WILLIAM. When did this happen?

JUDITH. March.

WILLIAM

WILLIAM. This is the boundary line we have for your property. Is it correct?

SAMUEL. Uh. Looks it.

WILLIAM. It is correct?

SAMUEL. Yes.

WILLIAM. And this land belongs to David Johnson, Mr.

SAMUEL. Yes.

WILLIAM. And this to Abraham Box, Mr.

SAMUEL. It says that on the map already.

WILLIAM. I’m checking my facts. What’s this?

JUDITH. That’s the woods.

WILLIAM. Woods? Mature trees, young trees... bushes?

SAMUEL. Aah... yes.

WILLIAM. Which?

SAMUEL. Both.

WILLIAM. Pardon?

SAMUEL. All. I mean.

WILLIAM. And who does that belong to?

SAMUEL. Well. No one.

WILLIAM

WILLIAM. Have you seen pheasants on your property?

SAMUEL. Yes. Johnson raises them to hunt. They fly over the fence.

WILLIAM. What about deer. Have you...