DNA Read online

  First published in 2008 by Oberon Books Ltd

  This electronic edition published in 2012 by Oberon Books Ltd

  521 Caledonian Road, London N7 9RH

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  Reprinted 2010, 2011

  DNA copyright © Dennis Kelly 2008

  Dennis Kelly is hereby identified as author of this play in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author has asserted his moral rights.

  All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before commencement of rehearsal to Casarotto Ramsay & Associates Ltd, Waverley House, 7–12 Noel Street, London W1F 8GQ ([email protected]). No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained, and no alterations may be made in the title or the text of the play without the author’s prior written consent.

  You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  ISBN: 978-1-84943-237-5

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  Characters

  MARK and JAN,

  LEAH and PHIL,

  LOU, JOHN TATE and DANNY,

  RICHARD,

  CATHY and BRIAN, and

  a BOY.

  Takes place in a street, a field and a wood.

  Names and genders of characters are suggestions only, and can be changed to suit performers.

  DNA was first performed in the Cottesloe Theatre of the National Theatre, on 16 February 2008, with the following Company:

  MARK, Gregg Chillin

  JAN, Claire Foy

  LEAH, Ruby Bentall

  PHIL, Sam Crane

  JOHN TATE, Jack Gordon

  DANNY, Benjamin Smith

  RICHARD, Troy Glasgow

  CATHY, Claire Lams

  BRIAN, Ian Bonar

  BOY, Ryan Sampson

  All other parts played by members of the Company.

  Director Paul Miller

  Designer Simon Daw

  Lighting Designer Paule Constable

  Sound Designer Rich Walsh

  Associate Video Designer Paul Kenah

  This play was commissioned by NT Education as part of its Connections project.

  Contents

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  One

  A Street. MARK and JAN.

  JAN: Dead?

  MARK: Yeah.

  JAN: What, dead?

  MARK: Yeah

  JAN: Like dead, dead

  MARK: Yes

  JAN: proper dead, not living dead?

  MARK: Not living dead, yes.

  JAN: Are you sure?

  MARK: Yes.

  JAN: I mean there’s no

  MARK: No.

  JAN: mistake or

  MARK: No mistake.

  JAN: it’s not a joke

  MARK: It’s not a joke.

  JAN: coz it’s not funny.

  MARK: it’s not funny because it’s not a joke, if it was a joke it would be funny.

  JAN: Not hiding?

  MARK: Not hiding, dead.

  JAN: not

  MARK: Dead.

  JAN: Oh.

  MARK: Yes.

  JAN: God.

  MARK: Yes.

  JAN: God.

  MARK: Exactly.

  Pause.

  JAN: What are we going to do?

  * * *

  A Field. LEAH and PHIL, PHIL eating an ice cream.

  LEAH: What are you thinking?

  No answer.

  No, don’t tell me, sorry, that’s a stupid, that’s such a stupid –

  You can tell me, you know. You can talk to me. I won’t judge you, whatever it is. Whatever you’re, you know, I won’t, I won’t...

  Is it me?

  Not that I’m –

  I mean it wouldn’t matter if you weren’t or were, actually, so –

  Are you thinking about me?

  No answer.

  What good things? Phil? Or...

  I mean is it a negative, are you thinking a negative thing about –

  Not that I’m bothered. I’m not bothered, Phil, I’m not, it doesn’t, I don’t care. You know. I don’t...

  What, like I talk too much? Is that it? That I talk too much, you, sitting there in absolute silence thinking ‘Leah talks too much, I wish she’d shut up once in a while’ is that it, is that what you’re, because don’t, you know, judge, you know, because alright, I do. There, I’m admitting, I am admitting, I talk too much, so shoot me. So kill me, Phil, call the police, lock me up, rip out my teeth with a pair of rusty pliers, I talk too much, what a crime, what a sin, what an absolute catastrophe, stupid, evil, ridiculous, because you’re not perfect actually, Phil. Okay? There. I’ve said it, you’re not...

  You’re a bit...

  You’re...

  Pause. She sits.

  Do I disgust you? I do. No, I do. No don’t because, it’s alright, it’s fine, I’m not gonna, you know, or whatever, you know it’s not the collapse of my, because I do have, I could walk out of here, there are friends, I’ve got, I’ve got friends, I mean alright, I haven’t got friends, not exactly, I haven’t, but I could, if I wanted, if I wanted, given the right, given the perfect, you know, circumstances. So don’t, because you haven’t either, I mean it’s not like you’re, you know, Mr, you know, popular, you know, you haven’t, you know, you haven’t, you know, you haven’t, but that’s, that’s different, isn’t it, I mean it is, it is, don’t say it isn’t, really, don’t, you’ll just embarrass us both because it is different, it’s different because it doesn’t matter to you. Does it. Sitting there. Sitting there, all...

  all...

  You’re not scared. Nothing scares, there, I’ve said it; scared. Scared, Phil. I’m scared, they scare me, this place, everyone, the fear, the fear that everyone here, and I’m not the only one, I’m not the only one, Phil, I’m just the only one saying it, the fear that everyone here lives in, the brutal terror, it scares me, okay, I’ve said it and I am not ashamed. Yes, I am ashamed but I’m not ashamed of my shame, Phil, give me that much credit at least, thank you.

  Everyone’s scared.

  S’not just me.

  Pause.

  We’ve got each other.

  We need each other.

  So don’t give it all...

  You need me as much as...

  Don’t give it all the...

  Beat.

  What are you thinking?

  JAN and MARK enter.

  Pause.

  MARK: We need to talk to you.

  LEAH: Oh, shit.

  * * *

  A Wood. LOU, JOHN TATE and DANNY.

  LOU: It’s fucked.

  JOHN TATE: No, no, it’s not, no, Lou, it’s not

  LOU: We’re fucked.

  JOHN TATE: No, Lou, we’re not...it’s not...we’re not...nothing’s...

  LOU: It is.

  JOHN TATE: No, no, no, look, there I have to, I really have to, you’re going to have to listen to me on this one, and you are going to have to believe me. Ever
ything is, everything’s fine.

  LOU: Fine?

  JOHN TATE: Not Fine, no

  DANNY: Fine?

  JOHN TATE: not fine exactly, alright, fair enough, I mean things are bad, things are a little, alright, yes, I’m not trying to hide the, this is tricky, it’s a tricky

  LOU: Tricky?

  JOHN TATE: situation, but it’s not, because actually what you are saying is a very negative, and that’s...

  Look, haven’t I looked after things before?

  LOU: This is different.

  JOHN TATE: Lou, are you scared of anyone in this school?

  LOU: You?

  JOHN TATE: Apart from me.

  LOU: No.

  JOHN TATE: Exactly

  LOU: Richard, maybe

  JOHN TATE: exactly, that’s exactly, that’s what I’m saying – Richard, you’re scared of, are you...? – I mean you can walk down any corridor in this – I don’t think Richard’s – any corridor in this school and you know, no-one bothers you and if you want something it’s yours and no-one bothers you and everyone respects you and everyone’s scared of you and who made that, I mean I’m not boasting, but who made that happen?

  LOU: You.

  JOHN TATE: Thank you, so are things really that bad?

  LOU: Yes.

  JOHN TATE: Richard? I mean are you really?

  DANNY: I can’t get mixed up in this. I’m gonna be a dentist.

  LOU: This is different, John. This is

  JOHN TATE: Alright, it’s a little bit

  LOU: This is really serious.

  DANNY: Dentists don’t get mixed up in things. I’ve got a plan. I’ve got a plan John, I’ve made plans, and this is not...

  JOHN TATE: It’s a bit serious, but let’s not, I mean come on, let’s not overplay the, the, the

  LOU: He’s dead.

  JOHN TATE: the gravity of... Well, yes, okay, fair enough, but

  DANNY: This is not part of the plan. Dental college is part of the plan, A levels are part of the plan, dead people are not part of the plan, this is not dental college.

  LOU: He’s dead, John.

  JOHN TATE: Alright, I’m not denying, am I denying? no, I’m

  LOU: He’s dead.

  JOHN TATE: Well, don’t keep saying it.

  DANNY: This is the opposite of dental college.

  LOU: But he is dead.

  JOHN TATE: Well you just, you’re saying it again, didn’t I just –

  LOU: Because he’s dead, John, he’s dead, dead is what he is so we have to use that word to –

  JOHN TATE: Alright. New rule; that word is banned.

  Beat.

  LOU: What, dead?

  JOHN TATE: Yes.

  DANNY: Banned?

  JOHN TATE: Yes. Banned. Sorry.

  LOU: You can’t ban a word.

  JOHN TATE: and if anyone says it I’m going to have to, you know, bite their face. Or something.

  DANNY: How can you ban a word?

  JOHN TATE: Well just say it then.

  Pause.

  Say it and see what happens.

  They say nothing.

  Look, we have to keep together. We have to trust each other and believe in each other. I’m trying to help. I’m trying to keep things together.

  RICHARD enters, with CATHY and BRIAN, CATHY grinning, BRIAN crying.

  Pause.

  RICHARD: He’s dead.

  JOHN TATE: Right, that’s...now I really am getting a little bit cross, do not use that word.

  RICHARD: What?

  JOHN TATE: No-one says that word, okay, no-one.

  RICHARD: What word?

  CATHY: This is mad, eh?

  JOHN TATE: You know.

  CATHY: Talk about mad. I mean, it’s quite exciting as well, though, isn’t it.

  RICHARD: What, ‘dead’?

  JOHN TATE: Don’t say it again, Richard, or I’m gonna

  CATHY: Better than ordinary life.

  RICHARD: What?

  JOHN TATE: I’m gonna

  RICHARD: What?

  JOHN TATE: I’m gonna

  I’m gonna hurt you, actually.

  Beat.

  RICHARD: You’re going to hurt me?

  JOHN TATE: Yes.

  RICHARD: Me?

  JOHN TATE: Yes. If you use that word.

  CATHY: I mean I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but in a way it is.

  DANNY: Shut up, Cathy.

  CATHY: You shut up.

  JOHN TATE: I am trying to keep everyone together. Ever since I came to this school haven’t I been trying to keep everyone together? Aren’t things better? For us? I mean not for them, not out there, but for us? Doesn’t everyone want to be us, come here in the woods? Isn’t that worth keeping hold of?

  They say nothing. RICHARD steps forward, a little hesitantly.

  RICHARD: You shouldn’t threaten me, John.

  JOHN TATE: I beg your pardon.

  RICHARD: I’m just saying. I’m just saying, I’ve just walked in here. I’ve been with these two. I’ve walked all the way from school with these two, with him crying and with her being weird, and I’ve just walked in here and I’ve got you threatening me, you shouldn’t threaten me, you shouldn’t threaten me, John.

  Pause.

  JOHN TATE: Or what?

  RICHARD: What?

  JOHN TATE: No, I mean, you know, or what?

  RICHARD: Well...

  JOHN TATE: Because I’m interested.

  DANNY: He’s just saying, John.

  JOHN TATE: Are you on his side, Danny?

  DANNY: No, I’m just saying that he’s just saying.

  CATHY: Shut up, Danny.

  DANNY: You shut up.

  JOHN TATE: Don’t tell Cathy to shut up, Danny, that’s really, not...

  DANNY: I’m not telling her to –

  CATHY: He’s on Richard’s side.

  DANNY: I’m not!

  JOHN TATE: Are you, Danny? Are you on Richard’s side?

  DANNY: No –

  CATHY: He is.

  RICHARD: What do you mean by my side, there is no –

  JOHN TATE: Have you got a side now, Richard?

  RICHARD: No, no, there’s no –

  JOHN TATE: because that’s a bit, is that what you’ve got?

  DANNY: John, I’m not on –

  JOHN TATE: Because if you’ve got a side that means you’re not on my side and if you’re not on my side that means you’re setting yourself up against me and I thought we’d got over all that silliness.

  RICHARD: We have, we –

  JOHN TATE: I thought we were mates now.

  RICHARD: We are, we are mates now, we –

  JOHN TATE: So if me and Richard are mates now, which we are and all that silliness is over, which it is, and you’re on someone’s side, Danny, then you’re on your own side, which is very, well, to be honest, very silly and dangerous.

  DANNY: No, you’ve got it wrong, that’s not –

  JOHN TATE: Are you on my side?

  DANNY: Yes, I’m on your side!

  JOHN TATE: Which means you want..?

  DANNY: I want to keep calm, I want to say nothing, just like you, you’re right, you’re right, John.

  JOHN TATE: So what the fuck are you on about, Cathy?

  CATHY: I’m –

  JOHN TATE: Are you on my side? With Richard and Danny? Are you on our side, Cathy?

  CATHY: Yes.

  JOHN TATE: Good. Lou?

  LOU: Yes.

  JOHN TATE: You’re on our side, Lou?

  LOU: Yes, John.

  JOHN TATE: You sure?

  LOU: Yeah, I’m –

  JOHN TATE: That just leaves you, Brian. You crying little piece of filth.

  Beat. BRIAN stops crying. Looks up.

  BRIAN: I think we should tell someone.

  JOHN TATE begins to walk towards BRIAN.

  MARK and JAN enter with LEAH and PHIL, PHIL drinking a Coke.

  JOHN TATE stops.

  Goes back to where he w
as.

  JOHN TATE: I’m finding this all quite stressful. You know that? I’m under a lot of stress. You lot shouldn’t put me under so much stress.

  LEAH walks forward.

  LEAH: Can I just say John, that we haven’t done anything. First I want to say that, but if we have, John, but if we have done a thing, which we haven’t, but if we have then we did it together. Whatever we did, we did, me and Phil, it wasn’t just Phil, if that’s what you’re thinking, if you’re thinking it might just have been him, on his own, without me, well that’s not, we are completely, I am responsible as much as he, as much as Phil, but we didn’t because –

  JOHN TATE places a finger on her lips. She is silent.

  JOHN TATE: Have you told them?

  MARK: No.

  JOHN TATE: Brilliant. Is there one thing that I do not have to do?

  Beat.

  JAN: So you want us to tell them?

  JOHN TATE: Yes! Please.

  He takes his finger away from LEAH’s lips.

  MARK: It’s Adam. He’s...

  I mean we were just having a laugh, weren’t we, we were all, you know...

  You know Adam, you know what he’s like, so we were sort of, well, alright, taking the piss, sort of. You know what he’s like he was, sort of hanging around

  JAN: Trying to be part of

  MARK: Yeah, trying to be part of, yeah, yeah, so we’re having a laugh

  JAN: with him

  MARK: yeah, with him, I mean he’s laughing as well, see how far he’ll go... We got him to eat some leaves.

  JAN: Great big ones, dirty leaves off the floor, he ate them, just like that

  MARK: Just like that, we were all

  JAN: stitches

  MARK: We were in stitches, weren’t we

  JAN: Adam too, he was

  MARK: Oh yeah, Adam was, he was laughing harder than anyone.

  JAN: Nutter.

  MARK: Nutter.

  JAN: complete

  MARK: complete nutter

  JAN: Big fist fulls of leaves, eh John

  MARK: laughing his head off, eh John

  JAN: He burnt his own socks!

  MARK: Yeah, yeah, he did, that’s right he, he set them alight

  JAN: anything, he’d do, just a laugh

  MARK: we got him to nick some vodka

  JAN: you could tell he was scared

  MARK: oh, he was terrified, he was completely, but like you know, pretending, you know, pretending he’s done it before, big man, pretending he’s