DNA was first performed in the Cottesloe Theatre of the National Theatre, London, on 16 February 2008.
A group of teenagers bully, torture and kill (or so they think) one of their classmates. LEAH and Phil weren’t involved but they are very much part of the same gang and Phil organises a bold cover-up. This monologue occurs before LEAH and Phil are told about the supposed killing. LEAH expresses her fears about the violent atmosphere in the school.
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?