Sure, there were Holocaust survivors. But not all of them got out alive.

ANGEL HAIR

First performances Etcetera Theatre and Bird's Nest Theatre, London, March 1999

Cast::
...............................Maggie Kent ...............................Madeline Muir-Wyett
...............................D.S. Phillips ...............................Ean Ravenscroft
...............................D.C. Riggs .............. . . ..............Anthony Hall
...............................Director............................... .......David Cottis
...............................Lighting ......................................Dominic Burnham

Most recent performance directed by Emily Field (student, examination piece) 

 

 

SET. The theatre. Preset ‘body’, covered by a blanket, 2 chairs. DC Riggs preset, talking to phone. Maggie preset, hidden at back of audience, covered with blanket.

LIGHTING: Whole stage, quite dull

DS Phillips: Enters.
(To audience)
. I’m sorry, but I must insist that nobody leaves.
.
Looks at body on floor.
We’re going to have to take statements from you all..
Looks under blanket.
.......

DC Riggs:
*Still on ‘phone. Makes entry in notebook. Some overlap with DS Phillips’ next speech.
.………..and can you get another car over here. Yes of course it needs a driver, how else are you going to get it here?…….Yes, DS Phillips has reported the breakdown.

DS Phillips:*
(To Riggs)
.Poor old bugger. Some evening out. You mentioned one of the performers?

DC Riggs:................................................
Yes sir. An actress. A Ms Maggie Kent.

DS Phillips: ............................................
Have we managed to trace where she went?

DC Riggs: ...............................................
We’re just checking the theatre now. Everyone got up in a panic when it happened..We don’t think anyone left, but we can’t be certain.

DS Phillips: .............................................
What about the staff? Did they see anyone?

DC Riggs: .................................................
Just the technician here. He might have been able to see from his box, but he didn’t .because he was too busy telephoning the emergency services.

DS Phillips: ..............................................
OK – so what about this actress woman? Is she known to us?

DC Riggs:..................................................
No sir, not really famous, as far as I know. She may have been in Grange Hill or something.

DS Phillips: ..............................................
Any link to the victim?

DC Riggs:..................................................
I don’t know, Sarge. There was no ID, we’re just going on the name the suspect apparently repeated as she attacked him.

DS Phillips:...............................................
Do what you can.

DC Riggs:..................................................
I’m checking with the station to see if we know anything about him, try to find his next of kin.

DS Phillips: ..............................................
Good. The, erm incident - it actually happened while a show was in progress?

DC Riggs: ..................................................
The Mosquito’s Kiss never made it to the end of its first performance.

DS Phillips: ................................................
Not a comedy, I take it?

DC Riggs: ...................................................
A study of the vampire within us all.

DS Phillips: ................................................
Lovely, I’m sure. What I don’t understand is….well, there must have been a long and violent struggle. A person, not even an old man, doesn’t give up life that easy.

DC Riggs:....................................................
It took a few minutes. And there was quite a struggle. You can see from the ripped clothing and the bruising.

DS Phillips: ................................................
And with all this going on nobody lifted a finger to help?

DC Riggs: ...................................................
This is a theatre.

DS Phillips: .................................................
So what’s so special about that?

DC Riggs: ....................................................
They, the audience, thought it was part of the performance.

DS Phillips: ..................................................
I get the picture. I’m dealing with a bunch of voyeuristic perverts. They all sat here passively and watched a murder take place for their entertainment. Just a minute - so all of these people….

DC Riggs: .....................................................
Yes sir.
Passes notebook to DS Phillips
Witnesses, every one of them.

 


 

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