BY BRONWEN CLARK
Copyright © by Bronwen Clark. All rights reserved. Published with permission from the author. Inquiries concerning rights should be addressed to Bronwen Clark at bronwenhclark@gmail.com.
Presented October 25, 2013 | Kenan Theatre, UNC Department of Dramatic Art | Directed by Dana Coen
Original cast members are in brackets.
ALVIE 24, male. A working-class British miner, who seeks the approval of his older brother [Brandon Rafalson].
HARMON 33, male, Alvie’s older brother. A working-class British miner. He has a broken leg and a racking cough [Ben Elling].
GIDEON 48, male. A lonely Welsh miner [Ian Bowater].
VOICE 30s, male. A member of the rescue team [Greg Hohn].
Present. Inside a collapsed British coal mine.
IN THE BLACK, we first hear the SOUND OF STATIC, then the weary voice of ALVIE.
ALVIE This is Alvie Pugh. Down in Shaft C. Well, what was Shaft C. Over. [beat, a BEEP] There was a burst just past the break line. We’ve got a pretty bad roof sag. Do you copy? [beat, another BEEP] Is anybody on?
[The rough voice of HARMON is heard.]
HARMON There’s no use dicking around with that thing, Alvie. There’s no one near enough.
ALVIE I thought you were asleep.
HARMON Not with the racket you’re making.
ALVIE Somebody’s got to try, haven’t they?
HARMON You might as well try ordering takeaway.
ALVIE I must have the wrong frequency. If I could just remember the right channel. . . .
HARMON There’s no one coming for us! Just go to sleep, alright?
[A CAP LAMP FLARES, revealing HARMON, slouched against a support beam. ALVIE is seated on a wheelbarrow, holding the TWO-WAY. Both are filthy and unshaven. Two backpacks, mining tools, and chunks of rock rest between them. Harmon shields his eyes.]
HARMON For Chrissake, Alvie! Warn me next time! [beat] You’re going to waste the battery.
ALVIE I just needed to see you.
[Alvie RISES. Harmon drags himself into more of a reclining position, grasps his leg in pain.]
ALVIE How long do you think we’ve been down here?
HARMON [sarcastic] A fortnight.
ALVIE Really? That long?
HARMON How the hell do I know? There’s no sun, is there? How do you expect me to know how many days it’s been?
ALVIE Days, then?
HARMON Yeah, probably. [beat] God only knows what Anne’s thinking. . . . that she’s scared me off, most likely.
ALVIE Scared you off?
HARMON You know, the baby?
ALVIE Oh. Right.
HARMON [scoffing] You’ve already forgotten?
ALVIE How’s the leg?
HARMON Brilliant. I’ll be fit for the fucking ballet next week.
[Alvie bends to check it.]
HARMON Don’t touch it, you idiot! Piss off, would you?
ALVIE You need anything, then?
HARMON You’ve done enough.
[Alvie rummages through a backpack.]
ALVIE You want a biscuit? We’ve still got a bit left.
HARMON No.
ALVIE You’ve got to eat something.
HARMON What for? To keep my strength up for dying?
ALVIE No one’s dying down here, Harm. Let me take care of you.
HARMON You can’t even take care of yourself.
ALVIE It was an accident. I keep telling you.
HARMON You always go where you shouldn’t. You always have, Alvie.
[Alvie brings him a biscuit.]
ALVIE Here. You get cranky when you’re hungry.
HARMON [chucking the biscuit away] You always have to pester, don’t you, Alvie? Can’t you just leave me alone? Let me rest in peace!
[A distant CRASH of rock is heard.]
ALVIE What was that?
HARMON Ground’s just shifting.
[A soft WHISTLING is heard. A LIGHT appears on ANOTHER PART OF THE STAGE and grows brighter.]
ALVIE Harmon, look! Look! Someone’s coming! [shouting] Hey! Over here! Hey!
[GIDEON APPEARS. He carries a lamp. His clothes are torn.]
GIDEON [Welsh accent] Aha! I knew I heard voices. You fellows all right? Damn tight spot you’re in, yeah?
ALVIE Harmon, I told you they were coming!
GIDEON Been looking for you for days.
[Gideon surveys their camp. Alvie gathers their belongings.]
HARMON How did you find us? The tunnels are all blocked.
GIDEON Oh, I know every inch of this mountain. [touching the wall fondly] Nobody knows it better’n me.
[Harmon cocks his head at Gideon.]
HARMON Don’t think I’ve seen you before. You been working this mine?
GIDEON I was on the other side.
HARMON Yeah? Whose crew?
GIDEON Porter’s. Shaft A.
[Alvie SHOULDERS a backpack and motions to Harmon.]
ALVIE My brother’s leg. . . . he’s not going to be able to walk very far. [peering behind Gideon] The others back there, then? Where’s the rest of your crew?
GIDEON Oh, in their beds, I s’pose. Maybe down at the pub. Bunch of drunk bastards. [beat] You fellows mind if I join you?
ALVIE Join us? You’re not getting us out of here?
GIDEON Would if I could, mate. I’m trapped down here, as well. [Gideon pulls out some cards.] Name’s Gideon, by the way. Fancy a game of cribbage?
[Alvie and Harmon stare back with stunned surprise.]
END OF SCENE
LATER. The lamp is on the floor. Gideon and Harmon are playing cards, using pebbles as pegs. Alvie has the two-way. We hear STATIC.
GIDEON That’s fifteen. Two points for me. Sorry, lad. Let’s count up, shall we?
HARMON What’s a triple, again?
GIDEON Triples are six. Pairs are two. Quadruples, twelve. Easy enough, yeah?
ALVIE [into the two-way] Hello? Anyone on? Hello? Answer me, goddammit!
[He hits the radio and shakes it.]
GIDEON Come have a round, Alvie. Take a break.
ALVIE No. I’m not giving up.
HARMON And I’ve got a flush with the cut. . . .
GIDEON Cut can’t give you a flush. It gives you the fifth if it’s past a four-card flush, see? Didn’t your Da ever teach you?
HARMON [throwing down his cards] Wasn’t around to.
ALVIE This damn thing is useless. Where’s yours, Gideon?
GIDEON Broke a while back. [to Harmon] Don’t worry. You’ll get the hang of it. Can’t learn it all in a few hours, can you? Took me ages to figure it out.
ALVIE We won’t be here ages.
GIDEON They’re bound to seal it off, lad. It’s the economical thing to do, yeah? We’re quite far down, you know. Easier for them to just board it up and carry on. Put it down as an accident.
ALVIE It was an accident. It was dark.
[Alvie kicks a rock. Gideon shuffles the cards.]
HARMON I told him not to go down this way. Didn’t listen. Never does.
GIDEON Signs get covered in dust. Hard to read. Light down here’s awful, too. Taken many a wrong turn myself.
HARMON Yeah, but Alvie takes nothing but wrong turns.
[Gideon SHUFFLES away.]
GIDEON What’s done is done, yeah? Can’t do anything about it now. Fancy another round? Alvie?
[Alvie considers, then slowly crosses back, sits down.]
GIDEON Good lad.
END OF SCENE
LATER. Gideon and Alvie are playing. Harmon wears the cap lamp to illuminate a note he’s writing on a scrap of paper. Alvie lets out a WHOOP and flourishes his cards happily.
ALVIE Ha! Look at that!
GIDEON I haven’t been beat in years. You’ve pegged out!
ALVIE Beginner’s luck, yeah?
GIDEON No, you’re a natural.
[Alvie grins and reaches for a pack.]
ALVIE You hungry, Gid? I could eat a horse. Want a biscuit?
GIDEON Haven’t a taste for them.
ALVIE Just as well. Only got a couple left. Stale, of course.
[The cap lamp DIMS.]
HARMON Damn. Bring me that lamp, Alvie, would you?
[Alvie sets Gideon’s lamp beside Harmon. He peeks at the paper.]
ALVIE What are you scribbling?
HARMON Nothing.
[Alvie reads over Harmon’s shoulder.]
ALVIE What’s this about a mason jar?
[Harmon shields the paper.]
HARMON Piss off, Alvie!
ALVIE You writing a letter to Anne?
HARMON Last will and testament, more like. I want her to know where I kept my winnings.
ALVIE Under the floorboard, beneath the piano.
HARMON You know where it is?
ALVIE It’s not that good a hiding spot.
HARMON You’ve probably gone in there to get a shilling for a pint, haven’t you?
ALVIE I wouldn’t touch that money, Harm! I swear I wouldn’t.
[Gideon holds up a hand.]
GIDEON Easy, easy. What’s it matter now, lads? Whole lot of good it’ll do you, arguing about it down here.
HARMON It’s not much, anyway. Hardly enough for a crib. You know, I could’ve made her a crib. Probably the only good I could’ve done, anyway.
ALVIE When we get out of here, we’ll make a crib together.
[Harmon snorts. A long silence.]
HARMON It doesn’t matter if you’re waiting for rescue or waiting to die. It’s the waiting that’s the hardest part. I just wish it would happen quick.
[Gideon STANDS AND PACES. He looks up at the ceiling.]
GIDEON [reflective] I was waiting for the rocks to fall. I remember. . . . I was sure they were going to crush me, that they were going to shatter my bones into a million pieces. It was deeper than they thought, the shaft. They were just having a bit of fun. I called for help, but they all just disappeared. So, I kept waiting. They told the shift boss I’d been fooling around where I shouldn’t’ve been. Sealed it without bothering to get my body. There was no one to claim it, anyway.
[A long beat as Harmon gapes at Gideon.]
HARMON [shocked] Holy hell. Holy hell!
[Harmon SCRAMBLES away from him.]
GIDEON It’s all right!
[Alvie, curious, circles Gideon. Gideon lets Alvie examine him. Alvie touches his face, his shoulders, his hands.]
HARMON Get away from him, Alvie! Don’t. . . .
[The two-way SCREECHES. Alvie continues to stare at Gideon.]
VOICE ON TWO-WAY Hello? Hello, can anyone hear me? Are you there? Over.
[Harmon lunges for the two-way. Gideon grips Alvie’s hand. Alvie doesn’t recoil.]
HARMON Yes, yes, hello? We’re here, we’re here! This is Harmon Pugh. We’re here! Yes! Hello? Over?
[Alvie places his hand over Gideon’s. A look of understanding passes between them.]
VOICE ON TWO-WAY Fucking hell, Harmon. Can you hold out a bit longer? We’re edging down the shaft now. Almost near enough to drill. We’ll keep you posted. Over.
HARMON Almost near enough. Almost near enough, Alvie! [to Gideon] You, don’t come near me! Go on, won’t you!
ALVIE Easy, Harm. He’s not hurting you, none.
HARMON Just stay away from me.
[Distant ECHO OF A HAMMERING DRILL.]
HARMON You hear that? They’re coming! Alvie, you were right, for once! How about that?
[Harmon crumples up the paper in excitement.]
ALVIE What have you been doing down here, Gid, all alone.
[Gideon fondly touches the wall. Harmon STRUGGLES TO STAND.]
GIDEON There’s a bit to see, you know. Tunnels and shafts that have been blocked for decades.
ALVIE Yeah?
HARMON Give me a hand, Alvie!
[Alvie ignores him.]
GIDEON There’s a haulage way just below here that leads to another drift. It goes all the way down to the sump. I reckon I’m the only one’s been down there in years. It’s a sight. All that water. Still as death. It’s peaceful, there. The air is different. Like there’s no pressure to it.
[Harmon reaches out a hand to Alvie.]
HARMON Help me up, Alvie! I can’t do this by myself!
ALVIE There’s a whole world down here, isn’t there?
GIDEON Places I haven’t even explored, yet. There’s always something to see, something to do.
HARMON Alvie!
[The sound of a DRILL gets closer. The SOUND OF ROCKS CLATTERING around them. They all look up. Harmon pants and leans against the wall.]
HARMON They’re almost here!
[Alvie takes a step toward Gideon.]
ALVIE You know, I think I’d like to see that sump.
GIDEON It’s a bit of a trek. I don’t know if you’d be back in time.
[Alvie shrugs. (beat) Gideon grins.]
GIDEON Right this way, lad. You’ll have to crawl a bit, I’m afraid, but there’s room to walk just around the bend. Just follow the light.
[Gideon WALKS off. HIS LIGHT SLOWLY FADES. Harmon clutches the radio to his ear. Alvie takes one last look at him, then begins to FOLLOW Gideon.]
HARMON [into the radio] Careful on the back. . . . it’s hardly holding. . . . Alvie! Don’t be running off, now! You can’t go down there!
[Alvie looks over his shoulder.]
ALVIE You don’t have to look after me anymore, Harm.
HARMON What do you mean?
[A SCRAPING above. Dust falls.]
ALVIE You can have that old room back. Turn it into a nursery.
[Alvie takes a step, stops, and turns around for one last look at Harmon.]
ALVIE There’s an old Glengettie tin in the cupboard. Underneath the towels. I’ve been trying to save a bit, like you. I want you to have it, Harmon. And, don’t worry. You’ll be a great dad.
[Alvie EXITS.]
HARMON [panicked] Alvie!
[The light FADES COMPLETELY. A sudden CRASH of rocks. A SHAFT OF LIGHT pierces the stage from above. Harmon looks up, CRIES OUT with a mixture of relief and grief. As he waits for his rescuers, two WHISTLERS are heard in the distance.]
FADE TO BLACK
END OF PLAY