From

RANDOM

by debbie tucker green

Random premiered at the Royal Court Theatre Downstairs in London on 7 March 2008, directed by Sacha Wares and performed by Nadine Marshall. It then transferred to a shop in the Elephant and Castle shopping mall. A national tour followed in 2010 (Birmingham Repertory, Bristol Old Vic, Sheffield Theatres The Studio, The Albany).

debbie tucker green is an exceptional playwright; her unique lyrical voice offers a refreshing insight into some of the most prevalent social issues. Random tells the story of a family affected by the loss of a loved one due to knife violence. The one-woman monologue play presents the response of four different family members of a south London household; mother, father, daughter and brother. As the play unfolds, we see how they are all individually impacted by the loss of the brother in the family. Random deliberately takes place in one day (performed on stage over fifty minutes), to demonstrate how quickly a family’s life could be ripped apart. Director Sacha Wares adopted a minimalistic approach to the set and design of this production; actress Nadine Marshall stood in the spotlight on an empty stage delivering the play to a packed-out audience.

About the Playwright

London-born playwright debbie tucker green began her career in the arts as a stage manager. tucker green’s stage writing career was initiated by a friend who encouraged her to submit her play She Three to the Alfred Fagon Award competition; although the play did not win the award, tucker green’s writing gained the attention of the Royal Court Theatre. Her first play, Dirty Butterfly, was produced at Soho Theatre and was followed by Born Bad which won the 2004 Laurence Olivier award for Most Promising Playwright. More recently, debbie tucker green adapted her stage play Random for Channel 4; it was performed by the original cast member Nadine Marshall and aired on television in 2011.

Other plays written by debbie tucker green include Generations, Trade, Stoning Mary, Born Bad, Dirty Butterfly and Truth and Reconciliation.

Summary (Extract)

That morning the SISTER woke up, bickered with her brother about him wanting to borrow her mobile phone, went to work and was annoyed by her work colleagues. A normal day. Until she received a text message from her mum, asking her to ‘come home now’. She arrives to find police cars parked outside her house and news of a black boy who matches the description of her brother stabbed in the area. Could her brother be the black boy killed in this random attack?

Shocked by the news the Sister agrees to go with her dad to identify the body.

SISTER

Dad went down to ID my brother

I went down to support our dad.

Dad went in.

I didn’t have to follow.

But…

Brother had a –

birthmark.

Here.

Just like me.

But his been

cut thru

with a chunk of him gone

now.

He had an eye

two.

Now he got juss one.

They try to pretty it up

mek it look like he winkin…

But

…you can’t pretty up

whass horrific.

Y’not meant to.

His mout’

Look like a clown –

now

wider than it should be.

It slashed so much on a one side

from there

to there.

That juss he’s face.

Thass juss the ones that would mark him.

wouldnt kill him.

Apparently.

Thass juss the ones he’d haveta live with.

Have had to live with.

He have plenty little

Like – uh – like –

(Gestures forearms.)

Look like he a self-harmer

but proof he fought back.

Then they have to turn him

and

hold him

an’

lie him on his side

an’

so we could see – could see good

looking hard to see.

Point of entry.

The killer cut.

You have to look hard

To look hard

This was…

the smallest.

The cleanest.

The easiest to miss

part of it all.

Truss mi.

Juss –

round.

(Gestures.)

From the back –

those rules is broken then –

thru to –

(Gestures.)

punctured his…

su’un – important.

But.

Not no gash.

Not no not sure.

Not no random.

Juss a small

deep

sorta

round

sorta

hole.

In him.

Easy to miss.

Easy to miss

Easy to miss.

(Beat.)

And our dad the kinda dad who…

Who…

don’t say nuthin –

unless he –

who won’t say anythin –

unless…

Dad tryin to say somethin.

Dad’s trying to say somethin

but

…nu’un won’t [come out]…

I watch.

Watch him.

… He’s embarrassed.

I watch his embarrassment.

I can’t look away.

Where do it say –

this is part of it?

…Truss me.