SNOOPERS
COMMENTS ON EARLY DRAFTS
"... a fascinating tale of a little-known sociological experiment ... well-written with a great central idea ... good dialogue ... intriguing story"
Papatango Theatre
"... a sense of intrigue ...an enchanting concept that a lot of audiences will enjoy"
Oldham Coliseum
"... a thought-provoking and intriguing play which touches on a number of different interesting and pertinent themes and ideas"
Royal Exchange
(For Anne, Jordayne and Julie with thanks- carers despite the odds).
“Sweet moderation, heart of this nation, desert us not, we are between the wars.” – Billy Bragg
"I really don't care, do u?" - Melania Trump's jacket
Three Male.
Two Female.
Nikki / Ada Rowley - Nikki's great grandmother (both early twenties)
Sean - Nikki's boyfriend / Greville Charlecote (both mid twenties)
Claire - Nikki's dependent friend (early twenties) / Friend
Roger Church (early twenties)
Tom Harrisson (twenty six) / Tristram (forty three)
Locations – Bolton in the present. The 1937 sections – Bolton, Blackpool, London.
The props are brought on and off the stage by the cast . The lighting switches to a hint of sepia in the 1937 sections.
When the play opens Claire is sitting on stage. She is wearing pyjamas - her arms are folded around her knees which are hunched up under her chin – her head is down - her sleeves are rolled up, the left arm showing a row of raw scars. Next to her sits Roger – upright with his hands in front of him – he looks straight into the audience. Neither appears aware, at this stage, of the other’s presence. Claire raises her head - bites her lip and closes her eyes. Roger shrugs his shoulders and smiles slightly. Slowly they both sense each other’s presence. He reaches out to take her hand – she lets him take it. He nods to her - smiles. Total black-out and the sound of an explosion. Actors exit.
With the lights still down we see a projection of a moving image of a factory in the 1930s emptying at the end of the day. The screen is filled with people. (Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrQxvUcg4q4).
Sean enters the auditorium. He walks on his own through the audience, ear-pieces in – he’s finished his shift at the call-centre. He lifts his head, takes out the ear-pieces and looks at the screen. He replaces the ear-pieces and walks off.
Lights down and up.