XIV Introduction

and collides with our self-respect. What exactly, he keeps

asking, is civilised behaviour, and will our civilised
behaviour ever be civilised enough? And why do human
beings find being human so damned elusive?
Blue/Orange
Terry Johnson
2007
 Bluel Orange was first performed in the Cottesloe auditorium of
the Royal National Theatre, London, on 7 April2000. The
cast was as follows:
Formydad, Christopher Chiwetel Ejiofor
the late, great Brian Penhall (1933-1998) Bruce Andrew Lincoln
Robert Bill Nighy
Directed by Roger Michell
Designed by William Dudley
Michael Codron and Lee Dean transferred the Royal
National Theatre's production to the Duchess Theatre on 30
April2001.

Setting
The action takes place over twenty-four hours in a modern
NHS psychiatric hospital in London.
Act One

A consultation room. A transparent water cooler. A round table with a

large glass bowl containing three oranges.
Bruce and Christopher standfacing each other.
Christopher Mister Bruce -
Bruce Christopher -
Christopher Mister Bruce -
Bruce How are you doing?
Christopher Brucey Brucey Brucey. How you doing?
Bruce A pleasure as always.
Christopher A pleasure. Y eah, a pleasure. The pleasure's
all mine, man.
Bruce Take a seat.
Christopher The pleasure today is mine. D'you know
what I mean?
Bruce Plant your arse.
Christopher It's mine! It's my day. Innit. My big day.
What can I say ... ?
Bruce Y es, well, yes - sit clown now.
Christopher Gimme sorne skin.
Bruce Why not.
Bruce shakes Christopher's hand. Christopher makes it an
elaborate one. Thf!Y punch fists.
Christopher I'm a free man. D'you know what I mean?
Bruce Well ... aha ha ... OK.
Christopher I'm a happy man. Bursting with joy.
6 Blue/Orange Act One 7

Bruce Chris? Christopher Makes my head explode oh man - I know

- I get you.
Christopher Oh- hey- oh ... OK. I'll be good. You're
right. I should sit. Bruce It's not good for you, is it?

Christopher sits with exaggerated calm. Christopher No. It's bad.

Bruce What's the first thing we learnt when you carne in
Bruce Relax.
he re?
Christopher I should relax and calm myself.
Christopher N o coffee no Coke.
Bruce Take a few breaths. Would you like sorne water?
Bruce No coffee no Coke, that's right. Doesn't do us any
Christopher (jidgeting) Uh? good at all.

Bruce Would you like a cup ofwater? Christopher Mm.

Christopher Coke. Bruce Gets us overexcited.

Bruce N o, yo u can't have - Christopher Y eah yeah yeah yeah, makes me jumpy.

Christopher Ice-cold Coke. The Real Thing. Bruce That's right so- what shall we have instead?
Christopher I dunno.
Bruce N o, yo u know yo u can't have Coke -
Bruce What would you like?
Christopher Y eah I can because -
Christopher What I'd really like is a Snakebite. D'you
Bruce What did I tell you about Coke? know what I mean?
Christopher I'm going home tomorrow. Bruce A Snakebite. Right, well-
Bruce What's wrong with drinking Coke? Christopher Cider and Red Stripe or, you know, ora
Christopher But I'm going home. rum and black or or or ...

Bruce Chris? Come on you know this, it's important. Bruce Chris, Christopher ... what's the rule on alcohol
now?
What's wrong with Coke?
Christopher But-
Pause.
Bruce What's the rule on alcohol in here?
Christopher It rots your teeth.
Christopher Alcohol.
Bruce N o - well, yes - and ... ? What else does it do to
you?. Pause.
Christopher Makes my head explode. Oh yeah. Alcohol. Heh heh. D'you know what I mean?

Bruce Well- no- no- what does it do to you really? Bruce What does alcohol do?
8 Blue/ Orange Act One 9

Christopher It makes your blood thin. Bruce Absolutely.

Bruce No ... well, possibly, but Christopher (sitting) D'you know what I mean? Heh heh.
Y o u must know what I mean? Eh? Eh? Doctor.
Christopher Makes you see things.
He puts a cup of water in .front ofBruce and sips his own.
Bruce W ell ... yes, but-
Christopher D'you know what I mean?
Christopher See into the future maybe.
Bruce W ell ... s ... sometimes maybe but what does it Bruce Huh. Of course ...
mostly do? Christopher D'you know what I mean?
Christopher It fucks you up. Bruce Well ...
Bruce It fucks you up. Precisely. How about a glass of
Pause.
water. Eh? Sorne nice cool water? From the, from the thing?
Christopher Water from the thing. That's cool. No. I don't.

Bruce Nice cool water, yes. Let me- just hold on ... Christopher Y eah yo u do.

Bruce gets up and Christopher suddenly gets up too. Bruce sips his water.

Bruce No no- you're all right, I'm just- Christopher Where's the drugs, man?
Christopher No, you're all right- Bruce ... Oh the drugs. Of course ...
Bruce (sitting) Help yourself- Christopher It's all that, innit. 'Where's the drugs, man?
Oh man, these patients giving me massive big headache,
Christopher (sitting) No no, I'll-
man, massive big headache, what have I got in my doctor's
Bruce I'll-look this is silly. bag, gimme sorne smack, where's sorne smack? Where's the
Tamazie Party? This bad nigga patient I got. This bad nigga
Bruce gestures.
dude I know. M y God! I Can't Take The Pressure!' Innit?
Christopher Are you sure? Innit. Go home to the old lady 'Aw I can't take the
pressure. Oh no. I can't calm clown. Oh no- yes no- I
Bruce Be my guest.
can't shag until you gimme the smack, darling!' D'you know
Christopher gets up and goes to the water cooler) takes two cups) what I mean? Ha ha ha ha ha. Oh no. Ha ha. It's all that.
pours. You with me?
Bruce Sorted. Pause.
Christopher (drinking shakily) Sorted for Es and whiz. Bruce Well ...
Bruce ... Indeed. Christopher Y eah yeah ... go on! Typical white doctor.
Christopher Sorted, innit. Sorted for Es and whiz. This is how white doctors speak: 'Drugs? What drugs? No
1O B1ue/ Orange Act One 11

drugs for you, nigga. Cos you'll only enjoy them! These are my enjf!_Ying, enjoying their drugs. Having sorne fun. D'you see
drugs ... ' what I mean?

Bruce It's not quite like that. Pause.

Christopher Deny. It's all you doctors do! Deny, man. I mean, they are supposed to be recreational.

Bruce W ell, I don't think so really ... Pause.

Christopher (sipping water shaki!J) Bullshit. Bullshit. Why So m y point is and this is one of the things I want to talk to
else would you do it? Why else are you here? you about today you're here to get better, aren't you?
Because you've been very poorly. Haven't you?
Bruce Well, Christopher, why do you think you're here?
Long pause.
Christopher Eh?
Christopher I dunno.
Bruce Why are you here? Why do you think you're here?
Bruce Ah.
Christopher Why am I here?
Christopher What's up? I'm going home. Y ou should be
Bruce Yes. happy.
Pause. Bruce W ell, I'm not as happy as yo u.
Christopher I dunno. Christopher I been saying all along, there's nothing
Bruce And you've been here a while now. wrong with me and now yo u agree with me and, I just, I just,
I just ... I'm going home.
Christopher Y eah- yes I have ... that's true.
Pause.
Bruce Why do you think that is? Ifyou'djust wanted drugs
you wouldn't really be here, would you? You'd be out there. I don't know why I'm here.
Scoring offsomebody and ... going home. Wouldn't you? Pause.
Pause. It's mad, innit. It's bonkers. Mad shit. First thing I said when
I know I would! Eh? Ha ha. Have a smoke. Watch the I arrived. When I first come in here. I had a look I saw all
the all the, you know, the others, the other geeze;s and I
football.
thought ... Fuck This. My God! These people are insane! Ha
Pause. ha ha ha ha ... Get Me Outta Here -
N'haha. Bruce Ha ha yes -
Pause. Christopher It's a nuthouse, man.
No. Obviously. I'm nota drug user- OK? You know. But Bruce I grant you - indeed there are a fair proportion -
joking aside - it doesn't make sense that anybody would be in
here just for drugs as opposed to say, you know, out there Christopher Afair proportion? You're kidding me.
12 Blue/ Orange Act One 13

Bruce Of quite, quite - identity, the analogy of a split personality. Except we know
now that schizophrenia doesn't mean that at all. Split
Christopher They are NUTS! personality? Meaningless. OK? So it's an unhelpful term. It's
maccurate. What we call a 'misnomer'. And this is a sensitive
Bruce ... crazy people here ... yes -
subject. We must think carefully, be specific. Because it's too
Christopher Crazies, man! Radio Rental. ... you know ... it's too serious.
Bruce People with well - we don't actually use the term Pause.
'crazy' ...
Y o u were diagnosed with 'Borderline Personality Disorder'.
Christopher Y ou just said it. What does that mean?
Bruce I know I just said it but- I shouldn't have I was -
Pause.
humouring- I was, you know- it's a no-no.
Christopher But yo u just said it. Borderline personality disorder. OK? Key word- borderline.
Because, clinically speaking, you're on the border between
Bruce I know, but- you see my point? neurotic and psychotic.
Christopher Y o u said it first. Christopher Just ... on the border.
Bruce O K, loo k ... there are things we ... there are terms
Bruce Y es. And that's a very useful term, isn't it? Because
we use which people used to use all the time, terms which
if people get the word wrong - if people just get the meaning
used to be inoffensive but things are a bit different now.
of the word wrong, how can they get the person right? How
Certain words. can there be any ... any awareness? People don't know
Christopher Certain words, what words? anything about it. They have stupid ideas. Y ou lose out. So
we try to 'demystify'. W e try to explain.
Bruce Just ... terms which aren't even that offensive
but- Pause.
Christopher Same as I say, what's offensive about it? ~ich i.s wha~ I wanted to talk to you about today. Y our
Bruce Well- diagnosis. This term, this label, and what it means, because
the thing is, l'm beginning to think, now ... it's ... well, it's a
Christopher It's true! little inaccurate -
Bruce It's not true ... it's- OK- it's not even that- it's Christopher YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT I SAID
just inaccurate. Sorne terms are just inaccurate. 'Crazy' is one I'M SORRYWHAT DO YOU WANT-BLOOD?
of them. It's just ... unhelpful. Woolly.
Bruce But I'm just saying ... in the light of recent
Christopher 'Woolly'. Oh. OK. I'm sorry.
developments
Bruce For example, people used to say 'schizophrenic' all
the time. 'Such-and-such is schizophrenic.' Because it's two Christopher Developments? What developments. What
things at once. OK. U sed to denote a divided agenda, a dual you on about, man?
14 B1ue/ Orange Act One 15

Robert, carrying a cup of cqffee also in a plastic cup, appears at the Robert Or New Zealand or any ofthe other hairy colonial
door and just stands there waiting. outposts.

Robert Y ou wanted to see me. Bruce Doctor -

Bruce Doctor Smith. Y es, come in. Hi. Robert Welsh rarebit, eh? Took me back to my student
days. Tie that woman to the nearest bed and inseminate her
Robert How's tricks? at once.
Bruce I'm fine. How are you? Bruce Doctor -
Robert I don't believe l've thanked you for that Robert Breed. Lots oflittle Bruces. Have you thought any
stupendous spread. more about that 1oft conversion? All the rage when I was a
Bruce Sorry? student. Quite the thing for somebody in your circumstances.

Robert That sumptuous meal on Saturday. After the Ro bert winks at Christopher conspiratorial!y and
rugby. The food. Christopher just stares back blank!y.

Bruce Oh. Thanks. Bruce Doc-

Robert Hang on to that woman, Bruce. Robert That'll set you back a few quid. Still, when you
become a consultant ...
Bruce Sure.
Bruce D
Robert Y ou'lllive to a hundred and three.
Robert That's where the big bucks are.
Bruce The thing is
Bruce The thing is -
Robert The only woman I know with the audacity to pull
off a fondue. I thought, 'Any minute now she'll be climbing Robert (to Christopher) Hello.
into her caftan.' Bruce Y ou remember Christopher? Chris, do you
Bruce It was Welsh rarebit. remember Doctor Smith? Senior Consultant.

Robert Welsh rarebit? The very thing. Christopher Warning warning warning! Alien life form
approaching, Will Robinson.
Bruce I know it's not what you're used to-
Robert Mm, ha ha ha-
Robert On the contrary. It was just the ticket. Miserable
and wet. Vanquished by the Frog and foot-sore. Bruce Mm, yes

Bruce Well, it soaked up the booze. Robert Very witty-

Robert I couldn't believe that score. Not from the Frogs. Bruce OK ... look
Still, at least it wasn't Australia - Christopher Warning warning warning ... d'you know
Bruce Doctor Smith - what I mean?
16 Blue/Orange Act One 17

Bruce Let' s not get too distracted. Bruce No Coke no coffee. I'm sorry. You know why.

Robert l'm distracting you of course. Christopher Why?

Bruce No no, you- Bruce Y ou know why.

Robert I- Christopher Y eah, but I get out tomorrow. I'm getting

out.
Bruce I want you to -
Robert I think your man has a point.
Robert Well, of course, you asked me to-
Bruce looks at Robert.
Christopher D'you know what I mean?
Robert takes out a packet qf cigarettes and lights one.
Bruce l've asked Doctor Smith to sit in today.
Rohert Y es that's right. Just got myself a nice cup of coffee Robert Sorry. I'm distracting you.
and 1'11 just lurk in the corner ... Ro hert gets up to leave but Bruce gestures for him to sit.
Christopher (simultaneously with 'comer') Coffee ... ! Bruce Please, you aren't. Really.
Robert Y ou won't know I'm here.
Christopher Y ou got cigarettes! Gimme a cigarette, Doc,
Christopher He's got coffee. just one, I'm gagging for a puff, d'you know what I mean?

Bruce There's plenty of water in the - Bruce nods.

Christopher Oh wow! Robert sits again and rifftrs the pack to Christopher who takes a
cigarette, then another, then another two, putting one behind his ear two
Bruce That's not for you.
in his top pocket and one in his mouth. '
Christopher (reaching over and gesturingfor criffte) Oh come
Robert lights the cigarettefor him and Christopher exhales a
on, man. Coffee!
plume qf smoke.
Bruce Chris ... Chris ... (To Robert.) Excuse me.
Ro bert Better?
Christopher I want a cup of coffee.
Christopher It's my nerves. I'm getting out tomorrow.
Bruce Christopher, hey listen, that' s not yours. Y ou can't tell me what to do when I get out- when I'm m!t
Christopher I'll split it with you. there which is in (checks his watch) exactly twenty-four hours.
I'm not under your ... it's none ofyour business then, man.
Bruce Is that yours or isn't it? l'm twenty-four hours away from freedom. Out of this hole.
D'you know what I mean?
Christopher Come on, man.
Bruce Chris ... Chris, come on! What's the rule on coffee? Pause.

Christopher sits and kisses his teeth. Forty-eight hours tops.

18 Blue/ Orange Act One 19

Robert Give him sorne coffee, he's going home. I haven't Christopher Because I'm ... ? (No you're all right.) Cos
touched mine. l'm ... ?
Robert offers the coffee) Christopher reachesfor it but Bruce is Bruce No-
there first and takes the cup) drains it in one and throws it expert!)J into a
Christopher l'm -
waste-paper bin in the comer.
Bruce No-
Christopher Hey, man-
Bruce Coffee's got caffeine in it. Christopher N o what? Y ou don't even know what I was
gonna say. What was I gonna say?
Robert Or a nice cup of tea?
Robert Or I can stay?
Bruce So has tea. The water's over there.
Bruce N o, no I wasn't -
Christopher What did you do that for?
Christopher Because I'm a Brother?
Robert Ifthis isn't a good time ... ?
Pause.
Bruce No, it's perfect timing. I wanted you to see this.
Bruce (to Robert) Paranoia. Nihilism. Persecution.
Robert See what? Delusion
Christopher I'm already packed. Christopher Cos I'm an 'uppity nigga'.
Bruce Y o u 're packed? Bruce No. You always say that and I always tell you the
same thing. N o.
Robert I'lljust-
Robert I'll come back, shall I?
Christopher Y eah, man. What, you think I'm not in a
hurry? (To Robert.) I could use a coffee to give me a bump. Bruce Doctor Smith -
Just to get me on my way, d'you know what I mean?
Christopher WOULD YOU JUST MAKE UP YOUR
Bruce Who said you could pack? MIND BEFORE I GO STARK STARING BANANAS?
Bouncing about like Zebedee.
Robert (half standing) hovering) Look, I can just-
Bruce Christopher -
Christopher No one, man, Ijust did it. Ijust (no, you stay
there), I put my pyjamas in a bag and my toothbrush in on Christopher Don't Christopher me, man ... (One sio of
top. (Don't move.) Took a whole five minutes. Shoot me. coffee he thinks he's Batman.) ._
What, you think I 'pinched the towels' and sorne stationery?
Bruce You know that's not the way you talk to the
Bruce The thing is ... consultants.
Christopher Cos I'm I'm I'm ... I'm what? Christopher He's giving me the fear.
Robert I can come back - Bruce Calm clown. N ow yo u are acting like a -
 Act One 21
20 Blue/Orange
~obert. Loo~ around you. VVho isn't unresponsive, and
Christopher A what? A what. Go on, say it. An 'uppity
d1sorgan1sed with declining social skills? Eh? Heh heh. It's
nigga'. normal.
Christopher kisses his teeth and starts eyeballing Ro bert.
Pause.
Bruce Well ... OK, yes, frankly you are and that's not
what we do, is it? Eh? And when you get out ofhere, ifyou Uh-huh huh huh.
start staring at people like that, what are they going to think?
Bruce Could we have a quiet word?
Christopher What? Christopher stands abruptly and slams his.fist on the desk.
Bruce What are people going to think? When you get out?
Christo.pher Hey! Y ou! I'm talking to you. When I get
When you're ready ... ?
out of th1s place, people won't think anything because I'll be
Christopher I don't fucking know. gone, b_oy. l'm going far away where I can get sorne peace
and qmet, no people, no cars, pollution, planes flying
Bruce W ell, what do yo u think they're gonna think?
overhead like fruit flies, no cities, no fucking TVs, no
Christopher I don't know. constr~ction work, no roadworks, no drills, no neighbours
squ~ttrng on my head, under the floor, through the walls,
Bruce They'll think you're a, a, an 'uppity nigga', that's
roWing all d~y and night. N othing. N o people at all, man, and
what they'll think. Kissing your teeth. It's not you. It's silly.
nobody looking at me funny like they never seen a Brother
It's crazy. You're not a, a, a, sorne type of 'Yardie' - before except on fucking Sesame Street! I'm going far away.
Christopher Now you're telling me who I am? (What's he looking at?) Look at you nervous as a tomcat
with big balls.
Bruce No, I'm- D'you think I'm gonna eat you?
Christopher Y ou're telling me who I am? I might do just to see the look on your face.

Bruce I'm telling you ... to be Y ou. Bruce Nobody's looking at you funny, Chris.
Christopher That's rum, that is. That's rich. Now I've got Christopher He is.
an identity crisis. Y ou're a cheeky fucking monkey, you are,
Robert Well, are you surprised?
aren't you?
Christopher What?
Pause.
Robert Mm. 'Uppity' isn't strictly speaking a term we- Robert Are you surprised? Look at yourself. Now just ...
sit clown and ... relax, would you? Of course people stare at
Bruce (to Robert) Learned Unresponsiveness? ~ou when you act like this. Y ou know that, you know what it's
Disorganised Behaviour? Decline in Social Skills? Do you get hke.
me?
Christopher looks.from one to another, kisses his teeth.
Robert So?
Pause.
Bruce Eh?
22 Blue/Orange Act One 23

Bruce (to Robert) Overburdened Nervous System. Can't Christopher M y twenty-eight days is up. lt's up, man.
· look me in the eye. Thinks we're staring at him. Y ou've had your fun. I'm gone. Believe.
Bruce Uh-huh, OK ... thank you.
Robert We are.
Christopher stands) lingers) stares at them both) then goes through a
Pause.
door.
Christopher I'm gone, oh yes. Believe. A place with a
Silence.
desert. And beaches. Palm trees. Somewhere hot. D'you
know what 1 mean? Bruce Do you think he knows?
Bruce Chris ... ? W ould yo u mind waiting in the other Robert What's there to know? He's a Section 2. His
room for two minutes? twenty-eight days are up. He's responded to treatment and
now he's going home.
Christopher What did I say?
Pause.
Bruce N othing at all, we just need to
Am 1 right?
Robert Consult.
Bruce But
Bruce That' s right.
Robert But what?
Robert That's why the badge says 'Consultant'. (I'm not
Bruce W ell ... 1 mean, yo u know what I'm going to ask
wearing it.)
you, don't you?
Bruce Please. I'd really appreciate it.Just go through that
Pause.
door.
Christopher (sighs) OK. But 1 hope you know what you're Robert What?
doing, yeah? Bruce 1 want a Section 3.
Bruce How do you mean? Robert Take a deep breath, and forget you even thought
ofit.
Christopher 1 hope you're not gonna let him talk you into
anything. Bruce But-
Robert Good God no. No no no no no. Robert Let him out. You're doing the right thing.
Christopher Hope you're not gonna go changing your Bruce But I'm not.
mind on me. Cos my twenty-eight ... Robert Y es, this is right. Y ou are doing what is fair and
Bruce Chris right and just and textbook medically beneficia!.

Christoph.er My twenty-eight days Pause.

Bruce 1 know - And apart from anything else we don't have the beds.
 Act One 25
24 Blue/Orange
Robert Y ou can't afford not to follow my advice is what I
Bruce I'm really quite concerned -
mean.
Robert Those beds are Prioritised for Emergency
Bruce Oh, that kind of indecisive.
Admissions and Level Ones. Otherwise we'll wind up with a
hospital full oflong-term chronic mental patients hurtling Robert They'll close the hospital clown and build another
about on trolleys- it'll be like the Waclry Races. Millennium Dome.
Bruce Look- Bruce Nobody's going to close the hospital because of one
Section 3. Are they? D'you think ... ?
Robert There' d be scandal. They' d have m y arse out of
here faster than his and you'd be next. That's right. I'll never Robert Y es. Perhaps.
make Professor. Y o u 'll never make your Specialist Registrar
Bruce Really?
Training. And how long did you study for that? Six years?
What were we saying on Saturday? Robert Y es. Perhaps.
Bruce When? Pause.
Robert Mter the rugby. What did we talk about? Follow the Path of Least Resistance.

Bruce I dunno, what?
Robert Well, your Specialist Registrar Trainin~. And I ,
said, for the coming year I am prepared to superVIse you, I ll
be your 'Mentor', I'll teach yo u 'all I know' ... but you have
to play the game.
Bruce But ... I can't justify throwing him out on the basis
ofbeds.
Robert You're not 'throwing him out' ... you're doing
what we are here to do. What they are here for us to do - and
what everybody expects us todo.

Bruce 'Play the game'? Pause.

Robert That's right. I'll push your barrow. I'll feed the Eh? Y o u are giving this man his freedom.
scrum but you're going to have to kick the ball into touch Y o u are releasing this man into the bosom of the community.
once in a while. Y ou are giving him back his life.
He's going back to his people.
Bruce But-
Bruce His 'people'? He doesn't have any people. He doesn't
Robert Take my advice, ifyou keep your nose clean and have alife.
you enjoy psychiatry you'll almost certainly become a
consultant. Nevertheless, you don't want to be a consultant Robert That's a matter of conjecture.
for ever. Sooner or later you'll want to become a Senior. Y ou Bruce It's true. He's on the White City Estate. It's a
too may one day seek a professorship. predominantly Jamaican community, he didn't grow up
there, he doesn't know anybody and he hates it.
Bruce Ifl ... ?
Robert But you can't afford to be indecisive about this. Robert Where did he grow up?
Bruce All over the place. Peripatetic childhood.
Bruce But I am indecisive.
26 Blue/ Orange
Act One 27
Robert What about family? He must have a mother. things have calmed clown, the mess has been mopped up and
Bruce He doesn't seem to be in contact with her any more. off they trot, back to whatever hell they've just blown in from,
usually a little bit happier and maybe even a little bit wiser
Robert Are you proposing to section this man again on the until the next time.
basis that he- what- he's lonely?
Pause.
Bruce It'll do his head in.
Bruce Christopher is a schizophrenic.
Robert It'll do his head in if you section him again.
Pause.
Bruce He isn't ready to go. You heard him. He's unstable.
Did you hear me?
Robert Borderline personality disorder. On the border of Robert No, he's BPD.
neurotic and psychotic.
Bruce Ifyou Section 3 him I can keep him here until he's
Bruce He was highly animated, shouting, staring. properly diagnosed.
Robert You'd shout and stare ifyou were on the border of Robert No. Absolutely not.
neurotic and psychotic.
Bruce He's a Type I Schizophrenic with Positive
Bruce The loosening of associations? The paranoia? Symptoms including Paranoid Tendencies. Probably
Robert And you can add, reckless, impulsive, prone to Thought Disorder as well.
extreme behaviour, problems handling personallife, handling Robert Not Paranoid Schizophrenia?
money, maintaining a home, family, sex, relationships,
alcohol, a fundamental inability to handle practically Bruce Close but I'd be loath to go that far at this-
everything that makes us human- and hey, Som: People.~e Robert It's another month before we can diagnose
Just Like That. Borderline. On the border. Occaswnally v1s1ts Schizophrenia Paranoid or Disorganised.
but doesn't live there. See, technically he's not that mentally
ill. We can't keep him here. It's Ugly but it's Right. Bruce So resection him.

Pause. Robert Is he delusional?

Shoot me, those are the rules. Bruce Sometimes.

Bruce 'Shoot me'? 'Sorne people are just like that. Shoot Robert Since when?
me'? Are you joking? Bruce Since he presented.
Robert Deadly serious. It's what makes it so hard for us. Robert How delusional?
And one day, when you're a consultant like me, and you will
be, if yo u don't fuck this up, when every young clinician is Bruce Give me time and I'll show you.
saying exactly the same thing as you, you'll tell them what Robert You haven't got time. He's been here a month.
I'm telling you now. Sorne People Arejust Like That. Get He's been steadily improving- it's therefore a briefPsychotic
over it. We hold their hands for twenty-eight days, wait until Episode associated with BPD. Nothing more insidious.
 Act One 29
28 Blue/ Orange
Robert But what's he done?
Bruce He's paranoid. Y ou heard him.
Bruce He hasn't done anything yet.
Rohert How does BPD with Paranoia sound? Stick to the
ICD 1O Classification. Ro hert Has he tried to harm himself?
Bruce Y o u love the ICD lO, don't yo u? All the different Bruce No.
euphemisms for 'he's nuts' without actually having to admit
Robert Has he tried to harm anybody else?
he's nuts. It's like your Linus blanket.
Bruce Of course not.
Rohert OK. BPD andA Bit Nuts.
Rober~ Well, you can't section him again until he does
Bruce No. Doctor. Please. somethmg. Is he a danger to himself or to the public is what
Rohert 'Eccentric'. l'm getting at.
Bruce Y ou want to wait until he becomes dangerous?
Bruce Look-
Robert We have to be sure.
Rohert Was he squiffy?
Bruce But we can't be sure until it's too late.
B ruce . . . 'S qu1.L.Ly
·fhr'?.

Robert And we can't do anything until he does something.

Rohert 'Squi:ffY'. Intoxicated. When he was sectioned.
It's a conundrum, I know.
Bruce ... Y es ... I think ...
Bruce A 'conundrum'?
Rohert BPD with Alcoholism. It's a movable feast.
Robert What's the risk factor? Come on. Write it clown.
Bruce What? N o it' s not! Pretend you're running a business.

Rohert It's a matter of'opinion'. And I'd be loath to Bruce 'Pretend I'm ... running a business'?
resection the boy on the basis of a difference of opinion. It's Robert If we don't keep him in here - if we do not make
semantics. And right now, Doctor, my semantics are better this 'very costly outlay' ...
than yours so I win.
Bruce W ell, it is risky.
Bruce I can't live with that diagnosis.
Robert How risky?
Rohert You don't have to.
Bruce Very risky.
Bruce I can't live with the prognosis.
Robert What did he do before?
Robert Well, you can't make a new diagnosis safely for at
Bruce Before when?
least another month.
Bruce And I can't keep him another month unless I make Robert Before he was admitted. What happened?
a new diagnosis! Bruce He was ... he was in the market ... doing ... 1
dunno, something funny.
Pause.
 Act One 31
30 Blue/ Orange

Robert He was doing 'something funny' in the market. psychiatric nurse and treat him in the home- he's more
comfortable, we're more comfortable, it's less of a drain on
Which market?
resources, the Authority is ecstatic.
Bruce Does it matter?
Bruce OK. In a perfect world, forgetting about 'resources'
Robert I'm curious. forgetting about 'budgetary constraints' say we've got '
unlimited beds- what would yo u do?
Bruce Shepherd's Bush.
Robert In a perfect world 1' d send him home with fucking
Robert 'Funny' strange or 'funny' ha ha?
bells on an~ spread a little happiness. Why the hell not? Now,
Bruce It's in the file. Read the file. you have a JOb to do. If you don't feel you can do that job,
you go away and have a think for a while. Y ou know in the
Robert Why can't yo u just tell me?
me~cal wilderness, in your new job proofreading fo; the
Bruce I' d rather no t. fucking Lancet, writing Bolshevik columns for Welsh Doctor
Week?J.
Robert Why not?
Pause.
Bruce I' d just rather no t.
Is he still in there? Where is he?
Pause.
Bruce He's in there.
Robert Why not?
Robert In the ... the ...
Pause.
Bruce That little room.
Why not, Doctor? What did he do?
Robert What little room? The cleaners' room?
Bruce It's rather delicate.
Bruce No, the, you know. That little waiting room. That's
Robert Well, if you're going to be coy about it-
where they go to wait. It's a new thing.
Bruce I just don't think it's relevant.
Pause.
Robert We can't keep him in here unless he's dangerous.
Ro~ert Y ou know, there is nothing wrong with your
Y ou know the rules. patlent, Bruce. He may be a bit jumpy, he may be a bit
Bruce I think he's becoming depressed. brusque, a bit shouty, a bit OTT- but hey, maybe that's just
what you do where he comes from.
Robert Fm becoming depressed now.
Bruce 'Where he comes from'?
Pause.
Robert His 'community'.
Look.
Doctor. If yo u keep him he re long enough he won't be able to Bruce. He comes from Shepherd's Bush. What exactly are
go home because he won't know what home is any more. He you trying to say?
won't know how it works any more- he won't know How To
Robert I'm not saying anything.
Do It. Get him out there now. Assign a community
 Act One 33
32 Blue/Orange

Bruce 'Where he comes from'? What are you saying? Silence.

Robert OK, I'm being 'whimsical'. I'm being 'capricious'.
Robert I'm not saying anything.
But maybe, just maybe he's a right to be angry and paranoid
Bruce Go on. What are you saying? and depressed and unstable. Maybe it's the only suitable
response to the human condition.
Robert Nothing.
Bruce What?
Pause.
Robert The human species is the only species which is
I'm only saying ...
innately insane. 'Sanity is a conditioned response to
Pause. environmental ...
Maybe ... maybe, maybe it'sjust you. Maybe youjust make Bruce I don't believe you're saying this ...
him nervous. Eh?
Robert ... stimulae.' Maybe - just maybe it's true.
Bruce VVhat?
Bruce Maybe it's utter horseshit. (Beat.) I'm sorry. Doctor
Robert Hear me out, it happens. This is the question we Smith. But. Which, which existential novelist said that? I
must ask ourselves. As a profession. mean, um, you'll be quoting R.D. Laing next.
Bruce 'Is it me? Do I just make him nervous?' Robert That was R.D. Laing.
Robert Yes. Bruce R.D. Laing was a madman. They don't come any
Bruce He's a paranoid schizophrenic. fruitier.
Robert I think there's something in it ...
Robert 'Allegedly.'
Bruce This is ridiculous. Bruce Y ou'll be leaping into your tights and spouting
Shakespeare next: Hamlet had a Borderline Personality
Robert W e spend our lives asking whether or not this or Disorder with Morbidity, Recklessness, Impulsiveness and a
that person is to be judged normal, a 'normal' person, a propensity for dithering.
'human', and we blithely assume that we know what 'normal'
is. What 'human' is. Maybe he's more 'human' than us. Robert He did!
Maybe we~re the sick ones. Bruce Should you really be telling me this? Because, when
Bruce He's 'more human than us'? I was at med school, yo u know, this is not the sort of thing I
learnt.
Robert Yes.
Robert Well, with respect, Doctor, maybe it's time you
Bruce And we're the sick ones. grew up, eh? Loosen up, calm clown, get your head out of
your textbooks and learn a little about humanity. Humanity,
Robert Maybe.
Doctor. Being human. As the poet said, Alan Ginsberg, Alan
Pause. Ginsberg said this, I'll never forget it ... 'Human is not a noun,
it's a verb.'
Bruce VVhy?
34 Blue/ Orange Act One 35

Pause. Robert pours another cup .for Christopher who drinks thirstily.

Eh? Don't be so old-Jashioned. Christopher paces a moment.

Bruce Thirsty?
Silence.
Christopher nods and holds his cup out.for a rifill. He drinks it and
Bruce Alan Ginsberg.
goes back to pacing.
Rohert OK, bad example. But listen... .
The government guidelines clearly state that the communlty Bruce That'll be the haloperidol. Are you still stiff?
is the preferred and proper place and it' s our duty to Christopher I'm jumping like a leaf. I been walking
subscribe to that. Otherwise it's no end of trouble. it off.
Bruce If I let him out he will have a breakdown and Bruce Try not to.
succumb to all the most horrifying symptoms of
schizophrenia undiagnosed, unchecked, unsupervised and Christopher I like walking.
unmedicated. Bruce I know. And that's how you get lost.
Rohert Doctor F1aherty Christopher I walked to the Hanger Lane Gyratory once.
Bruce And we can't do anything about it - Bruce I know. I'm sure it was wonderful.
Rohert Doctor F1aherty. Robert Bravo.
Bruce Because of policy? Bruce No, not Bravo, you must try and control it.
Rohert Calm clown. Robert Oh, let him walk ifhe wants to walk. Goodness
gracious. You go ahead and walk to Hanger Lane. Enjoy.
Bruce I'm sorry. Um, you're right. I'm calm. Now. When were you planning on leaving us?
Robert If you detain this man any longer he will become Christopher (pacing) Twenty-four hours.
institutionalised.
He won't get better he'll get worse. Robert Morning, evening?
Y o u will make him ill. Christopher Mter I had my lunch.
Pause. Robert And you have somewhere to go I take it.
Bruce W ell, um, I don't believe I will. Bruce Council accommodation. White City.
Ro bert goes to the door) opens it. Robert Marvellous.
Christopher comes through the door. Christopher Only I don't go there.
Rohert You can come back in now. We've finished our Robert Oh.
little chat. Sit clown, there's a good fellow. Can I get you
anything, a cup of water? Christopher I don't like White City.
 Act One 37
36 Blue/ Orange
Robert Aha ha ha. Yes, very good. And why not?
Robert Why not?
Christopher Cos of the Fuzz. Christopher I already told you.

Robert The 'Fuzz'. Robert Y es, but I mean, for the time being.

Christopher The Filth. The Pigs. The Cops. The 'Old Christopher There is no time being. l'm going to Mrica.
Bill'. Central Mrica. Where my dad come from.

Robert The police? Robert Ah. Well ... when you get out, ifyou, ifthings
work out for you and you get a ... have you got a job to go
Christopher I get stopped a lot in White City. back to?
That's why I was arrested in Shepherd's Bush. Cos they all
talk to each other on their walkie-talkies. They was waiting Christopher Got a job in Mrica.
for me. They carne to get me in the market. Come all the way
Robert O ... K ... Somewhere to stay?
from White City for me. Believe. I lost my shit.
Christopher In Mrica. In U ganda.
Robert I see, well -
Christopher Cos they was after me, man. Silence.

Robert And why do you think that is? Robert Friends?

Christopher What? V0zy? Christopher In Mrica.

Robert Y es, why? Why were they 'after yo u'? Robert (beat) Excellent.

Christopher Why do you think, man? Robert stands.

Robert I'm asking you. He hands the notes back to Bruce.

Christopher Cos they're fascists. It's obvious. Robert W ell, I think I've pretty much finished here.
Doctor Flaherty?
Silence.
Bruce Y ou're finished?
Robert Where would you like to live?
Robert Quite finished. It's been nice chatting to you,
Christopher Where?
Christopher. I sincerely hope I never clap eyes on you again,
Robert W ould yo u prefer? e-heh heh heh.
Christopher Mrica. He shakes Christopher's hand and Christopher just stares at
him.
Robert Mrica.
Robert It's ajoke.
Pause.
Christopher sits and stares at Robert with intensity. Bruce So you're just going now?
 Act One 39
38 Blue/ Orange
He prqffers the bowlfull qf oranges. Christopher stares at it long
Rohert Is that a problem? Unless you want me for
and hard. Bruce takes an orange from the bowl and hands it to
anything else? Christopher who stares at it hard.
They alllook at each other. He also tosses one to Ro bert.
Christopher is still holding Rohert's hand. Bruce What's in the bowl, Chris?
Christopher (to Robert) What's up with him? (To Christopher Oranges.
Bruce.) What's up your arse, man?
Bruce Oranges, good, but what sort of oranges?
Bruce If you don't mind, I' d like yo u to stay while I ask
Chris a couple more questions. Christopher Just oranges.
Bruce Y es, but they're not orange oranges, are they?
Rohert What sort of questions?
Christopher N o pe.
Bruce Routine. M y assessment isn't over yet.
Bruce What did you tell me yesterday? Can you
Rohert sits reluctan#y) taking his hand back. remember?
Robert Why not? Fire away. Pause.
Bruce Because, the thing is, Chris, Doctor Smith here says Christopher They're blue oranges.
that yo u can go if yo u want to.
Bruce Blue oranges. Really?
Christopher I know. I'm going.
Christopher Bright blue.
Bruce But I'm wondering if yo u really want to?
Bruce Peel one. See what's inside.
Christopher I want it bad, d'you know what I mean? They wait as Christopher peels the orange) holds it up.
Bruce And ... you're sure you're ready. Are you sure? Bruce What colour is it inside?
Christopher I'm cool. Pause.
Pause. Chris?
Bruce OK.Just a couple of questions. Christopher It's blue.

Christopher Shoot. Bruce So the skin is blue - and even underneath the skin
it's the same it's blue?
Bruce What' s in the fruit bowl?
Christopher That's correct. Completely blue.
Christopher How d'you mean?
Pause.
Bruce What do you see in the fruit bowl? What type of
It's bad. It's abad orange. Don't eat it.
fruit do you see?
 Act One 41
40 Blue/ Orange
Christopher Ifl ask you who your father is nobody gives
Pause. a shit. With me it's front-page news. D'you understand?
I mean, my God! Ha ha. What is it? 'Black magic'?
Bruce No, I don't understand. Why is it front-page news?
Bruce Voodoo. Christopher Cos of who he is.
Christopher Voodoo! Oh no. Spooky. D'you know what I
Robert Who is he?
mean? It's- it's- it's nuts.
Christopher I'm not telling you.
Bruce 'Spooky'.
Bruce (This is ridiculous.) Look. Please. Help me out here.
Christopher Spooky. 'Yikes!'
Christopher Y o u want me to help ~yo u? N ow yo u want me
Bruce 'Yikes' indeed ... to do your job.
Christopher 'This bad nigga dude we got doing his Robert If yo u can't tell us who he is it'll be tricky for us
voodoo again.' to send you home. Y ou will have to stay here. Do you
understand?
Pause.
My dad, right, my dad, that's his favourite fruit. c;ranges. Bruce Who's your father, Chris?
Orange oranges, though. D'you know what I mean. Pause.
Bruce Who is your father, Chris? Chris? Christopher It sounds silly.
Pause. Bruce F or Christ' s sake -
Christopher eats a segment rif orange. Christopher It's embarrassing.
Bruce Who is your father? Bruce Chris!
Christopher How d'you mean? Christopher How can I say it, in all honesty, without you
thinking I'm off the stick? How do I know it won't
Bruce What's his name? incriminate me, d'you know what I'm saying?
Christopher I already told you. Robert It won't incriminate you. We promise.
Bruce Tell me again. In front ofRobert. Christopher Oh you 'promise'? Well, in that case, I feel a
whole lot better.
Christopher Why?
Bruce Just ... please, Chris ... it's a simple question. Bruce Please ... just do this one thing forme. Forme.

Christopher It's difficult to answer. D'you know what I Pause.

mean? Christopher M y father ... m y dad ... was a very
important man.
Bruce No I don't. Why?
42 Blue/Orange Act One 43

Pause. what I mean? I'm not proud of it. It's just the way he was.
Old-fashioned.
Believe it or not ... m y dad ... is former U gandan President
His Excellency Idi Amin. Pause.

Bruce Fabulous - Rohert 'Old ... fashioned'. Mm ...

Christopher And if he knew where I was now I would not Pause.

want to be you. Y our mother is from Zaire, you say?
Bruce Y- Chris - Christopher Y ou don't believe me, do you?
Christopher I would not want to be you. Rohert When was this?
Because The Man Does N ot Fuck About, d'you understand
Christopher 1974. Before I was born.
what l'm saying?
He will digest yo u. Robert Bifore you were born?
He will juice yo u and squirt yo u out of his arse like a
motherfucking firehose, into the sewers for the bats and the Christopher I was conceived. That's why she had to go. He
couldn't father a foreigner. It's obvious.
fish.
They don't call him 'The Butcher of the Bush' for nothing. Bruce and Robert stare at each other.
Believe.
Ch~istopher He's got another wife in Haringay who runs
Silence. a chippy. Got closed clown for bad hygiene, d'you know what
I mean?
Rohert Fine ... OK ...
Bruce You can go back to your ward now. Chris? I'll see
Christopher What else d'you want to know? you later.
Robert W ell - Christopher But

Christopher He got forty-three children and a hundred Bruce It's over now.
grandchildren. He's a family man. He's a Muslim. He lives in Christopher W e finished?
Saudi Arabia. In exile. 'Cept when he goes on holiday to
París. Every day he takes a delivery of East African oranges Bruce We're finished for today, yes.
from the airport. Reminds him of old times. Christopher What did I say?
He drives a Chevrolet and has a talent for the accordion. A
lot of exiles drive Mercedes but he don't like to draw Robert Absolutely nothing.
attention to his self. Christopher Did I pass?
Robert I see ... Bruce just smiles.
Christopher He kicked my mum out ofUganda cos she's Christopher Now you're not saying anything. That's no
from Zaire. He kicked out all the foreigners. D'you know good.
 Act One 45
44 Blue/ Orange
Bruce Happy?
Bruce Y ou have nothing to worry about.
Robert 'Le Monde est Bleu comme une Orange'.
Christopher I don't, yeah?
Bruce What?
Bruce No. You're going to be fine.
Robert It's a poem by Paul Eluard. He was a French
Christopher l'm still going home, right?
surrealist.
Pause. Bruce Y ou don't say.
I'm still going home, yeah?
Robert 'The World is as Blue asan Orange'. (Beat.) It's an
Pause. analogy.
I'm ... I'm still going home? Bruce Classic hallucinatory behaviour.
Robert Shhhh ... OK? Just relax. Robert Or is it a simile?

Pause. Bruce Already he's building a system oflogic around it ...

his 'jather' who loves oranges de da de da de da.
Christopher But ... I'm-
Robert Hypomania. Brief psychotic episode requiring
Robert Shhh. short-term hospital treatment anda course of antipsychotics
Pause. when he goes home. Simple.
Christopher I'm - Bruce What if it isn't? What if it's just the tip of the
iceberg?
Robert (waving afinger) Uh. Uh-uh.
Robert Is he hearing voices? Auditory hallucinations?
Pause.
Bruce N ot yet.
Christopher But I'm still going home, aren't I?
Robert Is he seeing things - other than blue oranges?
Robert Of course you are.
Bruce Chris? I'll speak to you later. Go back to your ward Bruce Isn't this enough?
now. Robert (shrugs) For sorne reason he wants to see blue
instead of orange. Neurotics do it all the time. They see what
Christopher But l'm still going home, yeah?
they want to see, not what they really see. Maybe he knows
Robert Yes. the poem.
Bruce takes back the remains rif the orange) Christopher gets up Bruce Y ou're joking, aren't you?
and shLiffies out. Robert Entirely serious. There's a lot ofFrench speakers in
Robert takes the remains rif the orange jrom Bruce and eats a Central Mrica. His mother could have read it him as a child.
segment. It planted an image in his mind. When he's nota hundred
per cent that image presents itsel(
Robert Very interesting.
 Act One 47
46 Blue/Orange
Bruce What?
Bruce Y ou are joking.
Robert There's a Tintin book. Tintin and the Blue Oranges. Robert Cheaper than hospitals anyway. Do the maths.
It' s about a 'mad professor' who invents an orange which will Bruce OK. We'll keep him here until the next budget.
grow in the Sahara. Only trouble is it's bright blue and tastes Simple.
salty. Tintin was banned in the Belgian Congo. They thought
he was a communist. But in colonial U ganda the notoriety no Robert Don't be facetious. It's nota rest home.
doubt made Tintin a 'must read' for the bourgeoisie. He was Bruce He needs looking after. Y o u agreed, he needs to be
a cultural icon and a symbol of middle-class insurrection. A on antipsychotics.
delusion waiting to happen.
BPD with Delusion. Robert Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't.
Maybe he really does have sorne connection with Idi Amin.
Bruce Are you making this up? Jesus Christ-on-a-mountain-bike. The man was spawning
Robert shakes his head. offspring all over the shop.

Bruce Surely, you must agree, there's something terribly Bruce Y o u can't be serious.
wrong here. Surely we have a responsibility to ... Robert Maybe I am.
Robert A responsibility to let him out. Level 2. Prescribe
Bruce Oh for God's sake.
medication, CPN twice weekly.
Robert OK, calm clown.
Bruce He won't take medication, you know that, they
never do. H~ paces and wipes his hands on his shirt) rubs his hands together) talks
wzth a moutliful.
Robert That's what we have CPNs for. Just till he's back
on his feet. Now (clears his throat) for what it's worth, it's quite possible he's
Bruce They never do because it's dated toxic crud which heard sorne family story, handed clown through the
will paralyse him from the skull downwards and make his life generations, sorne apocryphal story, maybe Idi Amin carne to
~own, to the ~llage, de da de da de da, Chinese whispers, it's
a misery. Nobody in their right mind will take those drugs by
JUSt gathered 1mportance, gained in stature and now he
choice. believes this. It happens. Read my manuscript.
Robert Precisely.
Bruce What manuscript?
Bruce So ... ?
Robert It's a continuation of my PhD really. It's not
Robert New generation antipsychotics. Clozapine, finished. There' s a chapter missing - something rather
risperidone, olanzapine. Let him go home. complex and enigmatic a certainje ne sais quoi although I
Bruce At thirty times the cost? Have you got the resources
can't think what.
Seriously. I think there's something in it.
or does he have to go private?
Robert Risperidone and clozapine are now licensed, by Bruce I think there's something in feng shui, Doctor, but I
wouldn't do a PhD in it.
the next budget they'll be cheaper than Mars bars.
 Act One 49
48 Blue/ Orange

Robert As your supervisor I wouldn't have it any other Why?

Is it the way we're diagnosing it? Is it us? Is it them? What's
way.
causing it? What's the answer? What's the cure?
Bruce I read your PhD. 'Cultural Antecedent and Cultural There's no 'cure' for schizophrenia.
Specificity in Connection with a Delusional Belief System'. No 'cure' for psychosis.
Enables us to understand the origins of delusion. African Only palliative drugs.
tribesmen develop delusions about sorcerers; W esterners But what ifit isn'tpsychosis? Wouldn't that be a relief? What
develop delusions about the Spice Girls and extraterrestrials. if there is a cure? Cognitive therapy. Minimal medication.
The specifics of Christopher's cultural background are that A 'cure' for 'black psychosis'.
his mother once lived in Uganda: he's gota delusion about a Imagine it.
U gandan dictator she no doubt talked about. Y ou're saying The Holy Grail.
he's not sick, it's a cultural thing. And imagine if the fucker who found it was ... us.
Robert I'm saying he's not mad. There's a difference. Silence.
Pause. Bruce 'A Cure for Black Psychosis'.
Do yo u know what happened to his mother in U ganda? Do Robert Figuratively speaking.
you know whether she was raped by soldiers after the military
coup? By Idi Amin himself? She could have been a journalist Bruce You're being 'whimsical' again?
ora cook at State House for all you know. Have you asked Robert (shaking his head) An end to palliatives. No more
her? 'dated toxic crud'.
Bruce That's not possible. Bruce OK. Say it is true. It's all true. Christopher is Idi
Amin's son. And he's schizophrenic. It's both. Had you
Robert Why not?
thought of that?
Bruce I can't trace her. We think she lives in Feltham.
Pause.
Robert Where in Feltham?
Kind ofblows your theory out ofthe water, doesn't it?
Bruce Nobody seems to have an address.
Silence.
Robert Find her. It might not all be true - but then again
Robert OK, look. I'm merely pointing out that sometimes
it might.
Can yo u imagine the ramifications of that? our analysis is ethnocentric: in this case you are evaluating the
This is precisely what I'm getting at in my research. situation according to your own specific cultural criteria.

Bruce What are you talking about? Y ou can't use him for
research.
Robert Why not? Why ever not? Think about it.
There is more mental illness amongst the Afro-Caribbean
population in London than any other ethnic grouping.
Bruce 'Ethnocentric'?
Robert Our colonial antecedents are latent and barely
suppressed. W e are intuitively suspicious because of our
cultural background.
For example, on the way back from the rugby the other night
50 Blue/ Orange Act One 51

we stopped at the off-licence for a bottle of wine. I noticed Beds and, more importantly, a patient who has No Need of a
that the Hindu gentleman behind the counter said neither Be d.
Please nor Thank you. I had to ask myself, is he just like
that - is he just rude? Or is it because there is no such thing as Bruce But I think -
Please and Thank you in Urdu- is it not customary in his Robert What I 'think' is that you think too much.
culture? What I think is that you should let me do the thinking.
Now ifyou don't mind, I'm very busy.
Bruce What are you talking about? He always says Please
and Thank you. Robert goes to the door.
Rohert OK, fine. So perhaps I should ask myself, Is it me? Bruce But ... you're saying ... what you're really saying
What are my cultural expectations? is Christopher' s ... unable to distinguish between realistic
and utterly unrealistic notions because ... what ... ? Because
Bruce Look, after the rugby, everybody goes in there, all he's ... ?
the rugger buggers, pissy drunk and they don't say Please and
Thankyou- Robert BPD. Case closed.

Robert Nevertheless, we must guard against our Bruce It's because he's b-
ethnocentricity. Robert BPD. Goodbye, Doctor.
Bruce I don't think I like the direction this is heading. Bruce Because he's black?
Robert The point is, this is my province, Doctor. Ro bert sighs) clenches his teeth. Walks back into the room.
That's why you asked me here.
Because I know how many beans make five. Robert (ici!y) l'm saying where he comes from it is almost
I am, as they say, an 'expert'. certainly not an unrealistic notion. Where we come from, it
evidently is. Get it?
I am Senior Consultant and I am here to be 'consulted'.
I am not here to be 'bounced off'. Bruce But he comes from Shepherd's Bush.
To 'run it up the flag pole and see who salutes'.
I'm here because 'I know'. Rohert He sees himself as Mrican. And we don't say
'black' any more -
Bruce But ... with the greatest respect, Doctor Smith, you
Bruce Y es we do -
don't. He's my patient ... so ... really ...
Robert We say 'Mro-Caribbean'.
Rohert OK, fine. Whatever. Discharge him. Next case.
Bruce Where does the Caribbean come into it?
Pause.
Rohert All right, he's 'Mrican'.
Bruce But-
Bruce From Shepherd's Bush.
Rohert We can skin this catas artfully as we like.
However, in the opinion of this highly experienced Rohert I'm not going to quibble over this twaddle.
Department Head, Doctor Flaherty, what we have here is No Bruce 'Twaddle'?
52 Blue/Orange Act One 53

Robert I'm not going to squabble. His 'origins' are in Bruce I feel very strongly. I feel ... very strongly ... that
Africa. keeping him in hospital for the time being is the right thing to
do.
Bruce How far back are you going?
Robert And what if you make him worse?
Robert And for the last time I'll remind you that you are He starts out as borderline but because of your diagnosis he
under my supervision, you are my subordinate, and your tone stays here indefinitely and disintegrates. The family comes
is beginning to sound dangerously insubordinate if not forward, pillars of the community. Local MPs. S hit will hit
nakedly insulting. rotor blades.
Bruce I'm sorry ... but - Pause.
Robert Do you know what most young doctors would do And and and apart from anything else do you really want to
to have me as Supervisor? I mean, normal ones ... the smart make a schizophrenia diagnosis now? He's twenty-four hours
ones ... what they' d do to know they have a future. To have away from normality. Do you want this man stigmatised? For
a shot at becoming Consultant? They'd lick my anus. the rest of his life. Don't yo u think he has enough problems as
it is?
Silence.
Pause.
(But that's beside the point ... )
Do you understand the weight of responsibility, lifetime
He goes to the door and looks out. responsibility that goes with such a diagnosis? No doctor
Comes back. Sits. wants to make that kind of diagnosis. No CPN, no GP, no
Now. Do you want meto recommend your consultancy at consultant. Nobody. Do you understand?
this hospital or don't you? Bruce Perfectly. But ... um ... with respect, it's it's it's it's
Bruce Of course. what I believe in.

Robert Then act like a professional. Act like a Robert Well, you know, Doctor, with respect, that isn't
representative of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. good enough.

Bruce But I'm nota - Bruce It's not good enough that I do what I believe is
right?
Robert Do you want to be? Mm? Now. Pull yourself
together. Try not to be so wet behind the ears. Otherwise I'm Robert That's right. It's naive.
taking yo u off this case. Bruce Naive?
Bruce Y ou can't take me off this case. Robert That's right. You're naive. And you're beginning
Robert I'll assign a CPN and discharge him myself. to get on my wick.

Bruce Ifyou do I'll appeal to the Authority. Silence.

Robert I am the Authority. (Just between you and me.) Bruce Why won't you listen to me?
54 Blue/ Orange
Robert What? 'Listen to you'? To you? It's not my job to
listen to you. It's your job to ... oh for goodness' sake ...
Pause.
OK. All right. Listen.
Let me join up sorne of the dots for you.
Let me do sorne of the maths for yo u:
Schizophrenia is the worst pariah.
One of the last great taboos.
People don't understand it.
They don't want to understand it.
It scares them.
It depresses them.
It is not treatable with glamorous and intriguing wonderdrugs
like Prozac or Viagra.
It isn't newsworthy.
It isn't curable.
It isn't heroin or Ecstasy.
It is not the preserve of rock stars and supermodels and hip
young authors.
It is not a topic of dinner-party conversation.
Organised crime gets better press.
They make movies about junkies and alcoholics and gangsters
and men who drink too much, fall over and beat their woman
until bubbles come out ofher nose, but schizophrenia, my
friend, is just not in the phone book.
Bruce Then we must change that.
Robert ... And they ... what?
Bruce Then we must change that.
Robert 'Change'. Hmm. Well ... the thing is, you can't
change that. D'you see? I can't. Seriously.
The Authority the rest of the Board, not even me - they will
question your expertise. They will wonder why you got so
upset about it. They will wonder whether or not this case has
a 'deeper personal significance' to you and they will
Act One 55
undermine you at every turn and then they will screw you. As
sure as eggs are fucking eggs.
Bruce A 'deeper personal ... '?
Robert People will question your mental wellness.
Silence.
They'll say you're mad.
And then they'll say Fm mad for supervising you and allowing
my department to disintegrate so.
Bruce W ell, if yo u don't want to supervise me ... if you've
changed your mind ... you only have to say.
Robert Not at all. This is a 'Teaching Hospital' and I am
here to teach.
Bruce W ... was it Saturday? Did I say something after
the rugby?
Robert Look. l'm not the big bad wolf. l'm not trying to
undermine your decision and I certainly don't want to release
Christopher ifhe isn't ready. I care. And I know you care. All
l'm saying is sometimes one can care too much. One can have
too much Empathy- Understanding an overweening
Compassion. Y o u try to be all things to all m en: Doctor.
Friend. A reasonable man. We all want to be reasonable men.
Eh? Bruce? Please. Now. AmI not your friend?
Pause.
Aren't we friends?
Bruce slowfy nods.
Robert Sleep on it.
Let me conduct my own assessment. We can reconvene in the
moming and all decide together. Eh? l'll talk to him tonight. I
promise you I won't be partisan.
Bruce OK. Fine. Whatever you say.
56 Blue/ Orange

Robert Don't look so gloomy.Just wait till you're a Act Two

consultant. Think of that 1oft conversion.
Bruce Robert .. . That night. Robert and Christopher sitjacing each other across
Robert Bruce ... Bruce ... Bruce ... the table. A reading light is the only light.
Y ou have it all to look forward to.
Robert takes a cigarettefrom his pack and lights it. Christopher
Trust me.
takes a cigarette from behind his ear and Robert lights it. They exhale.
I want what you want. I really do.
I believe in what you believe in. Robert Listen listen listen listen.
I'm On Your Side.
Pause.
Blackout.
Listen.
Pause.
We all have these thoughts. It's perfectly natural. Even I have
them. Y es. Me. Sorne days I get home from work, from a
long night in the hospital, visiting, ward rounds, nothing
untoward, nothing terrible, a few cross words with a
colleague, sorne silly argument, I get home and I get in the
door and I slump. All the life drains out of me. I think ...
Why AmI Doing This? Eh? What's in it forme? Atable at
the Ivy ifl use the right prefix. A seminar in Norway. Sorne
spotty young registrar takes me to the rugby and hangs on my
every word. Big deal. And there are times, when I look across
at this professor and that professor turning up to work in a
new ]ag, he's just come back from La Rochelle, he's off to
play a round of golf at his thousand-pound-a-year golf club,
have a drink at his jolly old Mayfair club, posh dinners with
drug company reps, knighthoods, appearances on Radio Four
n'ha ha ha .. .
And I think ... How do they do that?
What, are they 'experts' or something?
I W ant To Be Professor!
What do they do that I don't?
And the answer is:
Who cares? That's their life. Nevertheless, I feel small and I
think my life adds up to nothing. And I have to keep
reminding myself: Why not? Why not think these things? It's
58 Blue/ Orange
Act Two 59

not greedy, it's not covetous. It's human. It's me being a Silence.
human being. And it applies to us all. And it's my right todo
something about it. It's everybody's right to take steps. Christopher I don't want to go home.
But killingyourself? Pause.
Christopher?
Why? I changed my mind. I'm not going.

Silence. Robert Christopher .. .

Everybody Feels Like This. At sorne point. In their life. Christopher I ... I ... I don't have a home. I'm not ...
Everybody feels that they've ... lost out. It's the Human l'm not ready.
Condition. The capacity to feel disappointment. It' s what Robert What happens to you when you go home?
distinguishes us from the animals. Our disappointment. Mm. It's
true. The capacity to grieve for lost opportunity. For the lives Christopher I told you about the Fuzz.
we could have led. The men or women we may have become. It Robert OK. Fine. But apart from ... the 'Fuzz'. What else
has us in an appalling stranglehold. happens to you?
And sometimes we say, Why Go On? And we want to end it
all. The hell with it. Life's a sham. Pause.
Thafs human too. Y ou don't hear doggies running about Chris?
going, 'Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt.' Of course
not. Why not? They're dogs! It would be ridiculous. Dogs have Pause.
other talents. They can lick their own balls. A talent for Christopher People stare at me. Like they know ... like
simplicity. N'ha ha ha. Do you see? Learn to cultivate a they know about me.
Talent for Simplicity. Like they know something about me that I don't know.
Pause. Robert Such as?
Christopher Learn to Lick My Balls? Christopher Eh?
That' s your expert advice, ye ah?
Robert What could they know that you don't know?
Robert N'ha ha ha. N'ha ha ha, well ... it might work ...
Christopher I don't know. They hate me. They think l'm
Christopher You're a fucking doctor, man. bad.
Robert I know, I'm joking, but you, you, yo u see m y point. Robert Which people?
This life is a gift. The food we eat, the smells we smell, the
Christopher Eh?
trees, the sky, the fecundity of Creation ... I t' s a really lo ve!y gift,
and if for whatever reason you cannot see that right now, Robert Who are these people who ... think you're bad?
then l'm here to Real Your Vision. To help you. See. I
promise you, I plead with you, I entreat you. Take a few deep Christopher I hear noises. At night. Outside my window.
breaths. Calm clown. Think about this. Y ou're not 'suicidal'. Sometimes I hear ... talking. People talking about me.
It's ridiculous. Robert Talking about you?
60 Blue/ Orange Act Two 61

Christopher Laughing sometimes. Robert Well, you know, Chris, I can't provide you with
double glazing. It's not part of my remit. If you want double
Robert And you've no idea who it is? glazing ...
Christopher No idea. Sometimes I hear machinery. Go to the Council. See your housing officer.
Whirring. Like a ... a strange droning noise. And beeping. A Christopher Y ou said you would help me.
strange Beeping noise. Very loud.
Robert I know, but-
Robert It's the dustbin men.
Christopher So help me -
Christopher On Saturdays and Sundays?
Robert It's-
Robert Builders. OK? We're in the midst of a property
boom. Interest rates are low, people are buying and building
Christopher Help me -
and renovating - people want more of the life gifted them. Robert It's not my job! N'ha ha ha. D'you see?
Life is Rich. People are greedy for Life.
Christopher Y eah, but what I thought was, if I moved
Christopher N ot in White City they're no t. 'White City'. somewhere else -
'South Africa Road'. Even the names are a fucking wind-up.
Robert OK. There's a procedure for that. The Council
Robert But you have your friends. Y our communiry. People will have a procedure for transferring you.
who care.
Christopher Y e ah, but I wanna go to Africa.
Christopher I don't have any friends.
Robert Y ou want to go to Africa.
I try to make friends with people but it's not easy. I try to
make conversation but it's not easy. Sometimes I say the Christopher I want to go to Africa.
wrong thing.
Robert Back to your roots.
Actually I always say the wrong thing. I don't have a
girlfriend. Who'd want me? Christopher My 'roots'?
Pause. Robert Y ou feel you 'belong' there?
Robert Well. Y ou'll make new friends when you get out. Christopher No, man. I already told you. It's nice there.
And and and you know I told you about my dad.
Christopher I made friends with Bruce.
Robert Idi Amin.
Robert Y ou won't be alone in all this. I'll make sure of
that. Christopher Idi Amin Dada. That's his proper name. Idi
Amin Dada.
Christopher Y eah but I want double glazing. Don't talk
tome about the fucking property boom. It's like living in a Robert O .... K ...
biscuit tin. Pause.
Pause. Tell me about your mother. What did she do in Uganda?
62 Blue/ Orange Act Two 63

Christopher She was a barmaid. Christopher How d'you mean?

Robert A 'barmaid'. Really? In a pub? Robert What I'm getting at is, well, does she read you
poetry, for example? Or plays?
Christopher No, in a shoe shop, innit.
Christopher N o.
Robert Where the soldiers drank?
Robert What about at school? Did you read poetry at
Christopher Eh? school?
Robert Did many soldiers drink there? Christopher No.
Christopher 1 don't know. Robert Oh. OK. Fine.
Robert What l'm getting at is ... how ... how did your Pause.
mum actually meet President Amin?
What about books? Children's books? Comics? Tintin? Asterix?
Silence. She must have given you books.
Christopher stares into space. Christopher No.
Robert Christopher? Robert Do you still see her? Christopher? D'you know
Christopher Y ou wouldn't understand. where she lives?

Robert Why wouldn't I understand? Pause.

Christopher Y ou wouldn't understand. Chris?

Silence. Christopher She lives in Feltham.

Robert Try me. Robert Do you know her address? Do you want to tell me?
Christopher She was a student. He closed clown the Pause.
university for political reasons.
Y ou don't want to tell me where she lives?
Robert She told you this? Why should 1 believe yo u if yo u can't even tell me your
Christopher She never talks about it d'you know what 1 mother's address?
mean? lt' s personal. Christopher Bruce don't believe me either but 1 can
prove it.
Pause.
Robert Y o u can 'prove it'?
She gets upset.
Robert What did she read? Christopher Y eah, man.

Christopher How d'you mean? Robert How?

Robert What was her subject? English literature? Christopher Why should 1 tell you?
 Act Two 65
64 Blue/ Orange

Robert Well ... because I'm asking you to ... They look at each other.

Christopher What ifl don't trust you? Silence.

Robert W ell ... then ... that would be a great shame. Robert puts his fingertips to his temples momentari[y, thinking hard.

Christopher A shame? (Beat.) You think it'd be a shame, Christopher (pointing) Look. That's his photo.
yeah? Robert (holding the article) Can 1 keep this?
Robert Yeah. Christopher N o yo u cannot keep that.
Christopher Oh.
Robert Please. Christopher ... listen ...
Christopher weighs it up.
Christopher snatches the article back,Jolds it, puts it away as he
He produces a walletfrom his pocket. .
From the wallet he produces a tight{y folded up newspaper artzcle. speaks.
He unfolds it and holds it out to Robert. Christopher 1 am being harassed. l'm in fear of my life. 1
Robert hesitates, then takes it and reads. live in fiar. They Know Who 1 Am.
Christopher reads over his shoulder.
Robert Who does?
Robert (reading) 'A delivery of East African oranges from
the airport ... the Butcher of the Bush ... talent for the Christopher The men. Where 1 live. The noises. The ...
accordion blah blah blah ... Forty-three children by four the police. lt all makes sense.
.
WlVeS ... '
Robert They're ... look ... it's ... they're just ordinary
Christopher Five wives. men. Work men ... police men.
Robert Eh? Christopher Other men too. Another man. He throws
bananas at me.
Christopher Five wives really. There's a fifth. A secret
one. Robert Bananas ... ?
Robert A ... a ... where? Christopher When l'm at work. Even at work- d'you
Christopher (pointing) N ot the one who runs a chippy. know what 1 mean! Big bloke with a little pointy head. Long
Another one. Common-law wife. Living in 'penury'. thin arms trailing along the gro und. A real knuckle-dragger.
Very white skin. Hideous-looking bastard. He's the ring-
Robert (reading) 'Living in ... in Feltham.' leader. 1 see him at night. He bangs on my door. Says he's
coming to get me. He says he'll do me and nobody would
Christopher In 'penury'.
even notice and I believe him. There's a whole family of
Robert 'In penury ... in Feltham.' Bugger me. How long them. A tribe. I don't like them at all. They're a race apart.
have you had this? ,Zombies! The undead. Monsters!
QPR supporters.
Christopher My mother gave it to me.
Pause.
Robert Bugger me.
66 Blue/ Orange Act Two 67

Robert Football hooligans? Christopher They're dangerous, man. Believe. They're

Christopher On Saturdays, I seem 'em in the crowds at
Loftus Road.
They come after the game. And before the game. With
bananas.
With ... with shit smeared through the letter box, not dog
shit real shit. Pissing through the letter box, fires,
firestarting on the front step. It's a disgrace. They call me
jungle Boy'. Ifmy dad was here he'd kili them dead.
He' d monster them.
Believe.
Silence.
spooky. I could be dead tomorrow.
Robert rubs his eyes and sighs.
Christopher Y ou know the average life expectancy of the
modern black male? Sixty-four years old. That's how long we
got. What age do we get the pension? Sixty-jive! It's a fucking
rip-qff, man! D'you know what I mean?
Robert So ... fundamentally, you don't think you're sick?
AmI right?
Christopher Y eah I'm sick. Sick and tired, man. Sick of
everything. I got problems. D'you know what I'm saying?

It's their appearance that spooks me the most. Those tiny, Robert Do you keep a diary?
bony, shrunken heads. All shaved. Ugly. Christopher A diary? No. Do you?
Robert D'you mean ... Skinheads? Robert Y ou should start keeping a diary.
Christopher Zombies. Christopher I never go out.
Robert What makes you think these people are ... 'the Robert No, a diary ofwhat happens.
undead'?
Christopher Nothing ever happens, man. All day every
Christopher They look ha!f dead. It's that ghostly white day, nothing.
skin, looks like tapioca, d'you know what I mean?
Robert I meant, things on the estate. Concerning the letter
Robert Christopher box ... ? OK?
Christopher Baldies. 'Baldy-Heads', that's what I call Then you go to the Council, you ask to see your housing
them. Baldy-Heads. officer and you show her the diary. She can have you
transferred to a different estate.
Robert 'Baldy-Heads'. I see. But ... they're not really ...
'Zombies', now are they? Chris? Which is it, 'Zombies' or Christopher It gets a bit lonely sometimes but
'Baldy-Heads'? Robert Y es I know and that's OK. That's normal. Thafs
Pause. human. And I'll tell you something else -

There is a difference. Christopher Sometimes people scare me.

Christopher D'you think it's funny? Robert I know they do. And you know what you do when
they do these things?
Robert N ot in the least. It could be the difference between
you staying here or you going home. Christopher What?
68 Blue/ Orange Act Two 69

Rohert You laugh. Christopher What are you scared of?

Christopher Laugh? Robert Eh?

Rohert When somebody hurts you, just laugh at them. Christopher What are you scared of?
Y ou don't care. They'll soon get the message. Robert Everything. My life. Academia.
Pause. Pause.
Christopher Laugh, yeah? I'm lonely too. Everybody
Robert It drives them crazy. Really, it's a good trick. Christopher Why are you lonely?
Christopher Oh I get you. Laugh. Really. Robert Supposing I don't measure up.
HA HA HA HA HA. HA HA HA HA HA. 'Laugh and the Supposing my research is less well received than anticipated
whole world laughs with yo u.' and then I have no friends.
AND THEN THEY LOCK YOU UP! Supposing I never make Professor.
What the fuck are you on about, man? D'you know what I Supposing nobody wants to hear my ideas.
mean? Pull yourself together! N obody wants to talk to me.
And and and even when they do talk to me, is it the real me
Rohert OK. Cry. Do handstands. Express Yourself.Just
they're talking to? Or is it Somebody Up There in the ...
Don't Take It Personally.
Academic Firmament. Sorne Great Illustrious Thinker.
Christopher 'Express myself'. And who are yo u: Mister Big Cheese Head ofDepartment. Somebody I'mJust
'Professor Groovy'? Not. You see?

Robert Strictly speaking it's 'Doctor Groovy'. N'ha ha ha Pause.

ha. N'ha ha ha. See? Y ou can do it. Everybody's scared. Everybody's lonely.
Silence. Christopher I think Bruce is right. I'm not ready. I don't
No. You're quite right. I'm sorry. But, you see, the thing is, wanna go.
Chris, I don't think that you are ill and I want you to try to Robert OK ... well ... did he actually say that to you, did
settle clown somewhere. he?
Christopher What I'm saying is, Doctor, I been unlucky Christopher He asked me ifl was sure.
where I been housed, yeah?
Robert And you said you were, didn't you?
Robert Well then ... you need to be rehoused not locked
u p. Christopher Y eah, but I was lying. D'you know what I
mean?
Christopher I get scared out there.
Pause.
Robert I know, I know. And, look, l'lllet you into a secret.
.Are you listening? I get scared too. Robert Y ou were !ying.
 Act Two 71
70 Blue/Orange

Christopher I was lying. Robert I've just told you what to do.

Robert Why? Christopher Uh?

Christopher Cos I wanted to get out of this place. Robert I just told you what you should do.

Robert Aha! 'The truth will out.' You 'wanted to get out of Christopher stares into space.
this place'. Y ou did. It's true. Robert Chris ... ? The Council ... ? Y our housing
Christopher But now I don't. officer-

Robert Y es yo u do. Christopher He said I could stay. Doctor Flaherty said-

Christopher N o I don't. Robert Y o u know what I think? I think that yo u think yo u

are scared. And that's all it is, a thought. And I think that it's
Robert I think you do. not your thought.
Christopher I fucking don't, man. Christopher What d'you mean?
Robert Y ou do and I'm going to continue to suggest to
Robert I think that someone else's thoughts have scared
you that you do whether your conscious mind likes it or not.
yo u.
Pause. Christopher Y ou think ... I'm thinking someone else's
Y o u see, until your conscious mind catches up with what your thoughts?
subconscious mind wants ... and knows, which is that you,
Pause.
quote, 'want to get out ofhere', unquote, you're never going
to get better. And you're never going to get out ofhere. Whose thoughts?
Christopher I'm never ... ? Robert I'm saying ... look ... Maybe Doctor Flaherty
Robert Nope. Never. You'll be in hospital- this hospital 'projected' his fears of letting yo u go home on to you and now
or sorne other hospital somewhere - in and out of hospital for they're your fears.
I'm saying maybe, just maybe Doctor Flaherty ...
the rest of your life.
unconsciously put his thoughts in your head.
For the rest of your life.
Christopher He put his thoughts in my head. In my
Pause.
head ... ?
Christopher N ow I'm scared.
Robert Look, this morning, you were ready to go home.
Robert Sure. Of course you are. And I think that that's Y ou were so excited. You couldn't wait. You wanted coffee
right. I think if you weren't nervous, you wouldn't be human. you had your bags packed, wahey, it was all happening for '
you. Remember?
Christopher I didn't say I was nervous.
Christopher Mm ...
Robert W ell ... I think you are.
Christopher Oh man. What amI gonna do? Robert So what's changed? What's new, my friend? Eh?
72 Blue/Orange Act Two 73

Pause. Silence.

Nothing. Y o u had your bags packed. Remember he asked me what colour the orange was?

Pause. Robert Mm.

Nothing has changed. You're going home. Stop thinking Christopher And I said it was blue. It was. I saw that.
about it. Just do it.
Pause.
Christopher But, see, the thing is, I got the impression, I
got the impression from Doctor F1aherty- Bright blue. Virtually glowing.

Robert What? Did he say something? What did he say? Robert Y ou've had a psychotic episode. Things will be a
bit strange for a while. Nothing more insidious.
Christopher No, but I got the impression-
Christopher 'A bit strange'? They were blue.
Robert Well, did you read his mind?
Robert W e will give yo u medication for that.
Christopher stares.
Christopher I'm seeing things.
Silence.
Robert OK OK OK, look. You're not.
Robert OK, forget that, bad idea. But but but ... what
I'm saying is How Do Yo u Know? Because really: he wants Christopher What?
yo u to go too. He wants rid of you. I should know.
Robert Y ou're not seeing things. I think ... all right ... I
Christopher He wants rid of me? think you wanted so badly to stay here, subconsciously, that
Robert Y es. He's had enough ofyou, my friend, we all you thought you saw things, or you said you saw things ...
have, don't jolly well ... outstay your welcome! N'huh huh Christopher Y ou saying I was lying? Me?
huh. Go. Be free.
Robert N ... I'm saying you were lying. Y es.
Pause.
Christopher Well, I think you're lying.
N'huh huh huh. D'you see?
Robert Because you wanted to stay here. But, you see, if
Pause.
you do stay here, if we give yo u what we call a Section 3, yo u
I'm trying to help you. will stay here Indefinitely.
Christopher I read his mind? Christopher How d'you mean?
Robert I said to forget that. Robert W e can keep yo u for up to six months. We can
Christopher He wants rid uf me? keep you, more or less, for as long as we like.

Robert I'm joking. It's a joke! Pause.

Christopher The oranges are blue. Christopher You're prolly not even a-proper doctor.
74 Blue/Orange Act Two 75

Robert Well ... n'ha ... I can assure you, Chris, I ama Robert There's nothing to be afraid of.
'proper doctor'. Christopher Y o u don't know that.
Christopher Prove it. Robert Ido, yes, Ido. Because. Two reasons. 1'11 tell you
Robert I don't have to prove it. then you'll promise to stop fretting about them, OK? Two
things.
Christopher Well, that's not fair, is it? What about my One: We can sort these things out when you get home. It's
job? D'you know what I mean? I got a job to go to. On a fruit unfair for you to be here while we answer those questions.
stall. In the market. I sell oranges. They are not life-threatening.
They are not a danger to you.
Pause. Y ou are not a danger to yourself.
Robert You sell oranges? (I didn't know that ... ) Y ou'll be seeing me once a month and you'll be quite safe
and so now I want you to forget all about it.
Christopher It's true. What amI supposed to tell the
customers? I'm in no condition to sell fruit, d'you know what Christopher Seeingyou?
I'm saying? Same as I say, I got problems. Robert Ifi take over your case, yes. That might happen.
Pause. Christopher Why should I see you?
Robert Well. OK. In fact, as I remember, and correct me Robert Because it's what I think is best. Because ... it
if I'm wrong: First, Doctor Flaherty told yo u it wasn't orange. would be a 'shame' if yo u didn't.
The first thing he said was: 'It's notan orange orange.'
What does that tell you? Pause.
You spontaneously made what's called a 'common Christopher Y eah, but I wanna see Doctor Flaherty.
association'. Y o u may just have easily said Red.
It' s harmless. Ro bert I' d be better.

Christopher It means something. Christopher Uh-huh.

Robert What does it mean? Pause.

Christopher It's a sign. Cos nobody believes me but I What's the other thing? You said there was two.
think it proves it. Robert The second thing is ...
He likes oranges. Every day a shipment from Nairobi. Ijust
proved that. I come in here, first thing I see, oranges! They Pause.
turn blue. A signal. Doctor Flaherty ...
Pause. Bruce ... is somewhat unorthodox in his approach. What he's
suggesting by keeping you in here is, you have to understand,
Rohert OK, look ... we don't have to concern ourselves a little unorthodox. We don't do that any more if we can help
with these things now. it. We want you out there.
Christopher Y eah, but l'm worried now. I got the fear. We want you to go home. D'you see?
76 Blue/Orange Act Two 77

Christopher Y eah, but he's worried, that's all. 'Cultural Specificity and Cultural Antecedent or
Schizophrenia'.
Robert I know, and that's because, you see, Bruce, Bruce,
see, Bruce is a little, as we say in the trade, He's a Tee-Pee You see? 'Or Schizophrenia'. Not 'And'. That's what it's
called.
anda Wig-Wam.
Pause. Pause.

He's Too Tense. Christopher What does Doctor Flaherty think about it?

Pause. Robert Well ... uh ... he hasn't read it yet.

Heh heh. No I'm kidding. But he is ... you know, he's justa, Christopher I meant about me seeing you.
yo u know, Fm the Head of Department. I'm the Boss. I'm the
Robert Oh well ... OK ... well, the thing is ... see ...
Big Cheese.
Pause.
Pause.
The Top Banana. Doctor Flaherty isn't in possession of the full facts.

Pause. Christopher Why not?

OK this is very delicate. It's not something we know an awful Robert Because he's not an authority. I'm an authority.
lot ~bout. But it's m y specific field of research, I'm writing a He isn't.
book on it as a matter of fact. Pause.
Christopher You're writing a book? Really? You're really
Because there are things you do and things you believe which
writing a book?
he, within his culture, can only recognise as Insanity.
Robert Well ... I blush to the toes of my shoes to admit
Pause.
but ...
Christopher What's it about? Which I personally believe, for what it's worth, is rather
narrow-minded ... it's what sorne people call 'Culturally
Robert Well ... it's about ... it's about psychosis Oppressive'.
diagnosis. In ... people like you.
Christopher Insanity.
Christopher People like me, yeah?
Robert It means he has a tendency to overlook, in our
Robert Y ou see, I believe there may be a cognitive therapy discussions at any rate, your cultural identity.
which we can substitute for the drug palliatives normally
associated with psychosis. Pause.
My 'assertion' is this: .
It's nothing ... it's no big deal ... it's an oversight, that's all.
There is a Cultural Specificity to the apparently delus10nary
It's a vastly complex subject. People get things wrong.
nature of sorne of your beliefs.
There are Antecedents for sorne of the beliefs yo u hold. Christopher What did he say?
78 Blue/Orange ActTwo 79

Rohert OK, look. I clon't want you to take this the wrong Christopher Where is he?
way because I clon't think he meant it in a pejorative sense Robert OK, calm clown .
. . . I'm quite sure ... but it indicates a gap in his knowleclge
which l'm trying to redress. Christopher The fuck cloes that mean?

Christopher What dicl he say? Robert Chris Chris Chris Chris-

Robert Well ... well ... since you askecl ... I think he has Christopher He really saicl that? It's cos I'm black?
a very real fear that ... our response to you is weightecl by Christopher heads for the door and Robert rushes around and
our response to your colour. I personally feel that should be blocks his wqy, trying to hold him back.
the case; it should be a factor in your treatment ancl that we
shoulcln't overlook such a thing. Otherwise what happens, in Robert (struggling with him) Look, listen, look, listen, look,
institutions such as this, there clevelops what's termecl listen, look, listen, look, listen ...
'ethnocentricity'; which orclinarily is fairly harmless but in Pause.
certain instances is not far off ... well ... it is the progenitor
of 'cultural oppression', which in turn leacls to what we call Chris, my clear clear fellow, just sit clown ancl listen for one
'institutionalisecl racism'. moment please.
Our colonial antececlents are latent ancl barely suppressecl -
Christopher Racism?
Christopher What shit!
Robert Y es. Ancl the clanger is that in a sense you maybe
encl up, in a sense, being 'punishecl' for the colour of your He paces angri?J.
skin. (Beat.) For your ethnicity ancl your attenclant cultural Robert This really is a storm in a teacup.
beliefs. (Beat.) Y ou are sectionecl ancl lockecl up when you
shoulcln't be. (!3eat.) Because you're 'black'. Christopher Punishecl by who?

Silence. Robert Chris, please, sit clown. Sit clown. Come on now.
I implore you.
Christopher I'm being punisherP.
Christopher sits and thinks, stares, quiet.
Robert Maybe that's too strong a term but but but-
Christopher Who am I being punishecl by?
Christopher Because I'm black?
Robert Well, by, by, by the system. The system tencls to
Robert Well, you see, the system isfiawed. People of ethnic punish without meaning to.
minority are not well caterecl for, it's a well-known fact. l've
just expressecl it clumsily - Christopher That's why I see things? I'm being punishecl?

Christopher He saicl that? I'm lockecl up because I'm Robert No ... Chris
black? Christopher That's why I hear things? These mental .. .
Christopher stands abrupt?J. fucking ... the noises I hear ... the fiar

Rohert No, that's not what was saicl. Let me finish- Robert What he saicl was -
80 Blue/ Orange Act Two 81

Christopher You said I'm not thinking my own thoughts - Robert W ... ell ...
Rohert No- Christopher ~d he lied to me. He said he was letting me
Christopher W ell, whose thoughts am I thinking? out when he was JUSt gonna keep me in here longer just like
you said, man. He lied to me.
Robert N obody-
Pause.
Christopher Doctor F1aherty' s ... ?
And and and he keeps looking at me funny.
Robert OK, let's not get offthe track-
Pause.
Christopher He smokes too much drugs, man, d'you know
Can I have a cup of coffee now?
what I mean? He likes his puff. I can tell.
Blackout.
Silence.
Robert Sorry ... you said? About ... dr ... ?
Christopher He told me I should go back out there and
score sorne puff, man. Why did he say that? Because I'm
black?
Robert O ... K ... but ... I'm sure ...
Pause.
'Puff'. For him . .. ? Or ... for ... ?
Christopher He goes he goes he goes, Ifl was only in
here to get drugs I' d come to the wrong place. He said the
drugs out there, right, were more Jun.
Robert I see, well ... I see ... well. (Beat.) When was this?
Christopher Earlier. Before you got here.
Robert Just before or ... sorne time before?
Christopher Just before. This morning.
Robert Oh.
Pause.
What else did he say?
Christopher He said it was 'voodoo'. That's why I'm
here. Voodoo. Remember?
 Act Three 83

Act Three ~ruce Would you please put that out? Christopher? The
c1garette.

Next iftemoon. Bruce and Christopher sitfacing each other)· the Christopher mashes out the cigarette on the table.
bowl qf oranges is on the table between them. Bruce I, I, I, didn't call you a, a, a, um, a ... a ... (beat)
'nigger'.
Bruce has a report in front qfhim and is readingfrom it.

Christopher is smoking a cigarette and staring into space. Christopher You said 'uppity nigga'. You did. Deny.

Bruce 'He ordered the patient to peel the orange ... ' I Bruce Only becauseyou did. My God! It was a quote!
didn't arder you. Christopher Y eah, but you shouldn'ta said it.
He reads. Bruce Oh, so so so only you can say it?
' ... establishing that it was the same under the skin. That the Christopher It's not polite.
flesh was the same colour as the skin.'
OK, I suggested, Chris, I prompted, and maybe I shouldn't have Bruce I know it isn't and, um ...
but, you know, it's notas if this was the first time, was it? You l'm sorry, excuse me ...
don't need my help to start ... (reading) seeing things ... I feel sick ...

He reads. He steadies himse!f

Pause. Pause.

Do you really believe this? Do you really think I ... what? Do, do you really think I meant it? Do you really think I
I'm ... 'Provocative, unorthodox, patronising ... '? And ... meant to 'provoke' you? I was giving vent to 'racist'
'Possibly on drugs ... '? I mean, this is ... this just ... l've proclivities?
never heard anything so ridiculous in my life!
Christopher Look. I don't know. 1 don't know. Ijust want
He reads. to go home.

'He snatched away a cup of coffee given to the patient by the Bruce What is wrong with you?
consultant ... He used the pejorative epithet "nigger".' Are you out of your mind?
Have you been drinking?
Silence.
Ro bert appears in the doorway) listening.
I did not, um, my God, I didn't use the epithet ... nnn ... He enters and sits down.
He stares. Robert You asked to see me.
I did not call you a ... um, um, um, a ... I didn't say that. Bruce W e have a meeting.
Christopher Say what? Pause.
84 Blue/Orange Act Three 85

We agreed to meet today. The three ofus. Unless you know Christopher My
of something that could have happened to change that. Bruce All right!
Rohert I'm on the Authority, Doctor Flaherty, of course I Pause.
know.
Not now. Later. l'll send for you.
Pause.
Christopher I already packed.
There was a Management Hearing this morning.
Bruce I know.
Bruce Y es I know. How convenient.
Christopher stands and exits.
Robert shrugs.
Bruce So. Where do we go from here? Robert I know exactly what you're thinking and before
YC:U say anything I want you to know it was nothing to do
Rohert Well, you know, actually, what I think is that you wtth me. (Beat.) I mean, whatever he said to the rest of the
and I need to be alone together. Authority ... (Beat.) I had no idea that he'd done this when I
Bruce OK. Uh. Christopher, would you mind coming went into that Management Hearing this morning. I knew he
wanted to make a complaint to the Authority - I tried to talk
back in ... ?
him out of it. That's the last I knew of it.
He checks his watch.
Bruce But yo u 'are the Authority'.
Christopher But I've just packed.
Robert OK ... I'm a representative at Management Hearings.
Bruce That' s all right. Just go back to your ward and I'll One ofmany.
send for you.
Bruce But yesterday yo u said yo u 'are the Authority'.
Christopher But l've just -
Robert O~y sometimes ... sometimes it's me, yes, who
Bruce Please, Chris. . .. whoever 1s ... everybody runs it. It's a different person each
Christopher But we- week depending on ... it' s more of a committee than a than
a ...
'
Bruce Please?
Bruce The point is ... have you read this?
Christopher But ... I'm getting out today. My twenty-
eight- Pause.
Bruce OK, look- Robert Of course I've read it.
Christopher M y twenty-eight - Bruce Don't tell me. Y ou've read it because: you wrote it?
Bruce Chris - Robert Of course I didn't write it. What kind ofbastard do
you take me for?
Christopher M y twenty
Bruce I know but - Pause.
86 Blue/ Orange Act Three 87

Bruce (reading) 'After sorne initial difficulty following the
patient's interpretation of events, the Authority reached a
consensus that if the said orange was indeed to be viewed as
blue for the purposes of the analogy ... ' For the purposes
of ... ?
He gives Robert a look.
Rohert I rather think I should remain impartial on this
one. Besides, they're more interested in your side of the story.
Give me a statement and they'll probably leave you alone.
Bruce Give you a 'statement'. But I haven't done anything!
I can't ... believe ... has it really gone that far? Can't you
... can't I just talk to them?

Bruce ' ... then clearly as a blue-skinned orange it was Robert Well ... not really. There's a Procedure.
indeed in the minority given that other citruses are ordinarily Pause.
orange, yellow or ... '
Bruce reads.
He gives Robert a look.
Bruce 'The Authority recommends that a senior
Bruce 'By asking the patient to peel the "minority" consultant confers treatment with an outpatient programme.'
orange ... and declaring the insides of the orange to be of
equally unusual colouring, the house officer seems to have Ro bert I think it' s a good idea.
implied ... ' Bruce Why?
What did you say to him?
Robert I'm a senior consultant. He already knows me.
Robert I didn't say anything.
Bruce What do yo u get out of it?
Bruce reads.
Robert I don't 'get' anything. It's just expediency.
Bruce 'The Authority reached a consensus.' How?
Bruce 'Expediency'. The Path of Least Resistance.
Did everybody think of the the the stupidest things they could
think of and then put them all in a hat? Robert Absolutely.
By playing a drinking game?
Small children wouldn't come up with this. Bruce OK. So. You want to take over the case. And ...
Monkeys could do better using sign language. Pause.
For God's sake!
Then yo u can continue Y our Research?
Robert 'Monkeys'.
Pause.
Bruce Yes.
And Then Y ou Can Finish Your Book. Is it a good book? It
Robert Is that another analogy? must be, you'll go to any lengths to finish it ...

Bruce stares. Robert You're on very thin ice here, Flaherty.

Robert It's too easy to misinterpret, Bruce. You really Bruce 'The Search for the Holy Grail'.
have to be more careful. What a chapter heading that would make.
'A Cure For Black Psychosis'.
Bruce W ell. Do yo u agree with 'the Authority'? Imagine. N o more bed crises. N o more hospitals.
88 Blue/ Orange Act Three 89

We'd save a bundle on Care in the Community.
You'd become Professor overnight.
Robert I beg your pardon!
Bruce Y ou heard.
Robert Are you out ofyour mind?
Bruce You'll be the toast of Academia the World Over.
Imagine! A gol den opportunity to distinguish yourself from all
the other boffins; T o be the Eggiest Egg Head of them all; to
be difforent from all the other odious little careerists on the
gravy train kissing management arse. To be Up There with
all the other Cambridge wonderboys in their bow ties and
tweed, flapping about the 'corridors of power' with their
pricks in each other's pockets. What's wrong with just doing
your job?
Pause.
Robert It's the Maudsley actually.
Bruce I'm sorry?
Robert I read Psychiatry at the Institute ofPsychiatry at
the Maudsley Hospital in Dulwich. Not Cambridge.
Bruce Oh, the Maudsley, big difference.
Robert I really recommend you go there. I think you need
to go there. And I don't mean for training.
Pause.
You're already the subject of an inquiry. Ifthe Authority asks
for a Psychiatric Report I'll be in a very awkward position.
Silence.
Bruce O K. O K. Look ... have yo u never heard ... listen,
uh, Doctor .. ·. did yo u hear Christopher refer to himself,
somewhat effacingly, somewhat ironically as a, quote, 'uppity
nigger'? Did you hear him say that?
Robert It was unmistakable.
Bruce And presumably you heard me quoting him, also, I
offer, somewhat ironically?
Robert I'd steer clear ofirony ifl were you. You're not
Lenny Bruce.
Bruce It was ... it was a nuance. It was ... the way I said
it ... with a note of familiarity ... because I know him ...
and-
Robert It's not forme to characterise your 'nuances',
Doctor. And if you ask me, yes, perhaps it was somewhat
'provocative and unorthodox'.
Bruce Only to you.
Robert How do you mean?
Bruce It was provocative and unorthodox to you because,
well, frankly, it would be, wouldn't it? Perhaps you don't get
out enough.
Robert You're doing it again: you're being provocative.
Pause.
I'm sorry, Doctor. It's pejorative whichever way you say it
and these days racial epithets just don't wash.
Bruce 'These days'. I see. Did they use to?
Pause.
Robert Y ou know what I mean.
Bruce seizes the report and tears it into bits.
Robert May I ... ?
He produces a mobile phone and dials.
This is Doctor Robert Smith, can somebody send
Christopher over here immediately please ... upstairs ... yes
... no, I'm in the consultation room with Doctor F1aherty ...
no, he's my ... no, he was but ... he ... n ... I understand
but ... well he's my patient now.
90 Blue/Orange Act Three 91

He puts the phone away. Robert A diary ofmy research, but there are things in it
which might be relevant to your case.
Bruce What did you tell him?
He produces a diary .from his jacket pocket.
Robert Bruce -
Now you've stopped blustering I should read you sorne things
Bruce What have you done? before my patient returns.
Robert It's his complaint; why don't you ask him? Bruce Y ou just happened to have it on you.
Bruce I intend to. (Justas soon as you've slithered off.) Robert (reading) 'Twenty-sixth of October: Mention
Antecedent Programme to Doctor Flaherty and he laughs.
Robert Actually, that's not possible, I'm afraid. Not until
Not interested in providing African-Caribbean and African
I've briefed the patient. patients for research purposes.'
Bruce ... What? Bruce I didn't laugh ... I ... this is silly ...
Robert That's the procedure. I can't allow you to be alone Robert Which suggests you have been obstructive towards
with him. It's a question ofSeniority as muchas anything me from the off. I'm your supervisor. Y o u don't turn clown a
else. Perhaps ifyou'd shown sorne respect for Seniority in the request like that unless you have a very good reason.
first place; ifyou'd listened to Somebody Who Knew, we
wouldn't be in this mess. Bruce I ... look ... I have professional reservations ...
ethical reservations about -
Bruce So l'm not allowed to see Chris any more without
you being present? Robert About what?

Robert Anything you want to ask you must ask the Bruce About using patients as, as guinea pigs in, in, in -
Authority. Robert 'Guinea pigs'? Honestly, Bruce. 'Monkeys, guinea
Bruce I just asked 'the Authority' and I think 'the pigs, voodoo ... ' Y ou've an entire menagerie of piccaninny
Authority' is lying. slurs to unleash.

Robert I'm presenting you with the opportunity to defend Bruce What?
yourself. That's the Procedure. What more do you want? Robert Can you not see how this could be interpreted- by
Bruce Christ, it' s so transparent. the Authority, for example? You have to admit it doesn't look
good.
Robert Oh, do stop whining, Bruce. Before somebody
nails you toa cross. Bruce Then don't show it to the Authority.

Pause. Robert I beg your pardon.

Oh. While I'm here I should mention that I've been keeping Bruce I said, don't ... show ... Doctor Smith ... please
a diary. ... it's ... it's ... do we have to show them this?

Bruce A diary?
Robert We'll pretend you didn't say that, shall we?
92 Blue/ Orange Act Three 93

Silence. Robert .~ich people find so highly offensive about you,

Bruce. Th1s IS how you wind up under investigation.
Bruce just stares.
Christopher walks in carrying a large holdall and sits down.
Robert.flips over afew pages.
Christopher Hope I'm not interrupting.
Robert 'Twenty-fourth of October: Flaherty implies
research funds being used to keep me in, quote, "dickie bows Robe~t Helio a~ain, Christopher. I'm so sorry to send you
and putters" .' away hke that. We ve concluded our meeting now and as
soon as the doctor has asked you one or two more questions
Bruce W e were drunk. Mter the rugby. you'll be on your way.
Robert You were drunk. Christopher I'm going home now?
Bruce And and and you agreed with me. It was a joke! Robert Y ou're going home.
Robert Y ou invite me to watch the rugby with you and Christopher Oh hoy. Oh man. I'm going home.
then you insult me. Y ou drag me home for a chunk of rancid
cheese on toast, get pissy-drunk on Bulgarian hock and start Bruce Chris, have I upset you in any way?
haranguing me about iniquity in the medical profession like
Robert Y ou can't ask that question.
sorne kind of mildly retarded student activist, then yo u expect
the Nobel Peace Prize for Services to Psychiatry. Bruce Why- because he might answer it?
Why are you so threatened by my ideas?
Robert Jurisprudence dictates.
Bruce Because ...
Bruce Are there 'charges pending'?
Pause.
Robert Y o u are Under Investigation, yes. If there are
Because they're shit, Doctor. cha~ges ~obe answered then you will be suspended pending
The research is banal and it's all been done befare anyway. It's the rnqmry.
Old News. It's R.D. Laing in a gorilla suit.
It isn't empirical. Bruce What charges?
And it isn't a PhD. Robert Negligence.
It isn't a Book.
A cookbook would be more ground-breaking. Bruce 'Negligence'?
It's a waste ofresources and money and everybody's time and
Robert Racial harassment.
you know it.
Bruce What else? I'm intrigued.
Rohert What are you implying?
Robert Abuse.
Pause.
Bruce 'Abuse'. Well. I was waiting for that. 'Abuse'. Mm.
Y o u see, this is just the type of verbiage -
Y o u know what I think? I think people abuse the term
Bruce Verbiage? 'abuse'.
94 Blue/ Orange Act Three 95

Robert Excuse usa moment please, Christopher.
He takes Bruce by the elbow and marches him to afar comer qf the
room.
Robert Doctor Flaherty, if Christopher stays in here
indefinitely under a Section 3 and is diagnosed with paranoid
schizophrenia, the rest ofhis life will be ruined.
reason - when they're not catatonic.
Have you thought about how intimidating and frightening
that must be for him? Night after night after night, with no
let-up.
Have you thought about what that does to a young man?
lt' s Like Going T o Prison.
It's cruel.

Bruce He won't get the help he needs without that Silence.

diagnosis. Now.
Robert It would be negligent. 1 have examined the patient in depth.
1 have consulted with a social worker anda CPN.
Bruce Please, Doctor Smith, yours is an arbitrary diagnosis.
You've observed him in one interview. It's my word against Bruce When?
yours.
Robert In this morning's Management Hearing.
Robert Two interviews. And we believe this patient will receive the treatment he
needs in the community.
Bruce And you saw something entirely different to what
We concur that the community is the right and proper place
l've seen. for him.
Robert That's the ICD 10 for you. Observation and W e believe that we would be failing him by keeping him.
interview.
Bruce So ... it's all been settled then. I'm being overruled.
Bruce 1 think ... look, 1 think he's suicidal.
Robert To say the fucking least, Doctor.
Robert He's not suicidal. He's just depressed.
Bruce So why have an inquiry.
Bruce He's depressed because he's schizophrenic.
Robert Well, you see, for what it's worth, we're beginning
Robert He's depressed because he's here. Exactly how old to wonder whether this patient should ever have been
is Christopher? sectioned in the first place.
Bruce Twenty-four. Bruce The, the, the police sectioned him with a 136.
Robert Twenty-four. And how do you think it feels for Robert Well perhaps they were being 'ethnocentric'.
Christopher a bright, fun, charismatic young man - to be He was drinking.
locked up with chronic, dysfunctional mental patients twice He was depressed.
his age? The hospitals are full of m en like Christopher.
People with a history of institutionalised behaviour. The prisons are full of men like Christopher.
People who harm themselves. Ordinary men whose lives have flown apart and they've
People with drug problems, who are suicidally depressed, found themselves in a market one day 'acting funny'. Next
who scream and laugh and cry routinely for no apparent day they've been locked up and a week later they're on the
96 Blue/ Orange Act Three 97

coast of a crack-up. Don't you think it's time we did Robert Bruce, l'm simply asking you to give me a
something about it? statement. Give the Authority your side ofthe story. Now.
Have you got a lawyer?
Pause.
Bruce Why should 1 get a lawyer? 'You get a lawyer. Prove
Look at him! He's a mess. Well? What have you got to say for
this. I can't believe this is even happening!
yourself?
Robert I really don't understand why you're taking it so
Pause.
personally. Why are you so angry?
(To Christopher.) I'm sorry, Chris.
Bruce Because it is personal. You're somebody I trusted. I
Christopher No, you just talk amongst yourselves. D'you confided in. I thought you were on my side. I thought you
know what I mean? and me could make a difference. Which is why I invited you
over. My wife cooked. Nourished you. I should have choked
Bruce stares into space. yo u.
Silence.
Robert Bruce. Y ou wanted me for your supervisor. Y our
Bruce Y o u 're not going to show me any support here, are mentor. Y o u expect me to recommend your consultancy one
you? As my supervisor? As a mentor? A friend? day.
Robert That would be highly inappropriate. Bruce And why did you agree - if not to get research
material out of me? To finish your book. To ... to ... Doctor
Bruce Y o u 've made up your mind. Y o u support this
Sm ... please ... I don't know why ...
allegation.
Robert I agreed because I liked you.
Robert N ot the allegation, just the inquiry. I'm afraid so.
I thought you had promise.
Bruce Golly. Just wait till I tell my wife. I thought, such is my vanity, that you could learn something
from me. Is that so difficult to believe?
Pause. Are you really so insecure?
Maybe you~d like to tell her. Next time we invite you for Silence.
dinner. N ext time she slaves over a hot stove to put food in
your mouth. Ihey stare at each other.
Robert I'd hardly call Welsh rarebit 'slavery'. Christopher Y ou got any jelly babies?
Bruce Next time I huy you a ticket for the rugby. Bruce (to Christopher) Did I upset you yesterday? When
I asked yo u to pe el that orange?
Robert Ifyou'd let me huy them we'd have sat in the
members' stand. Bruce tosses Christopher an orange from the bowl and he catches
it.
Bruce I don't even like fucking rugby. Bunch ofhairy twats
running about biting each other's ears off. Robert I really don't think this is a good idea.
Pause. Bruce Did that upset you?
98 Blue/ Orange Act Three 99

Christopher looks at Robert. Christopher Blue.

Bruce No, don't look at him, look at me. Bruce OK. And what do you think that means?
Christopher D'you know what I mean? I'm thirsty. I Pause.
need a Coke.
Christopher Something to do with my dad.
Bruce Y ou'll get a Coke if you answer my question.
Robert OK, that's enough.
Robert Doctor Flaherty.
Bruce Something to do with your dad? O K.
Bruce Did that upset you when you peeled the orange? Rohert I said
Christopher No. Bruce And what do you think I think it means?
Bruce Later, when you got to thinking about it, were you Rohert Enough!
upset?
Bruce What do 1 think it represents?
Christopher No. It interested me.
Christopher S ... omething to do with my dad?
Robert You're pushing your luck, Flaherty.
Robert This is not the time or the
Bruce 'No'? Oh, OK. Why do you think I asked you to
peel the orange? Bruce Any idea what?
Robert ... Place.
Christopher T o see what colour it was inside.
Christopher Nope. No idea, man.
Bruce And what colour was it? In your own words.
Without any help from me. Bruce W ell, I have no idea either.
Christopher In my own words. Blue. Christopher Maybe it' s a signal.
Bruce Peel another one. See if it's still blue. Rohert ... I must insist
Robert I really don't recommend this. Bruce Ora coincidence?
Bruce Go ahead, Christopher. Why not? I'll even let yo u Christopher N o, it ain't a coincidence.
eat it. Bruce What' s it a signal of then?
Pause. Christopher produces the crumpled newspaper cuttingfrom his
Christopher peels the orange. pocket and smooths it out) shows it to Bruce who shakes his head
slowly.
Pause.
Christopher Idi Amin Dada. See? 'Da-da.' That's another
He begins eating it suspiciously. signal.
Bruce What colour is the orange, Chris? Bruce No, Chris ... I'm sorry ... please.
100 Blue/ Orange Act Three 1O1

He touches Christopher on the arm. Pause.

Bruce Put it away now. Concentrate. You told me about his mother in Feltham, blue oranges and
the Chevrolet but the Rumble in the Soddingjungle you
Robert Don't you think you're being a bit arbitrary?
didn't deem appropriate!Jesus wept!
Bruce What? Silence.
Robert Why should he put it away?
OK. Now. OK, what have we got here? One of the most
Bruce 'Why'? feared men in history and one of the most loved. Both
immensely powerful. Both role models. Both of Mrican
Robert Y es. He's not a child. Why should he? OriginS.

Pause. Christopher Both Muslim Fundamentalists.

Bruce Because he cut it out of the newspaper. Bruce Abso-fucking-lutely! Christopher, please. 1 want you
to concentrate on the orange -
Robert 'Because he cu -' Really?
Rohert 1 am warning you, Doctor-
Pause.
Bruce What does it represent now?
And and and what makes you think that?
Rohert It was stipulated at the Management Hearing that
Robert snatches the article ftom Christopher and examines it.
you have no further contact
Bruce lt's just a hunch.
Bruce What do you think Doctor Smith thinks it
Robert Well, my hunch is that he didn't. My hunch is that represents?
his mother gave it to him. What is it about this particular Rohert Listen ... Christopher-
disclosure that makes you so uncomfortable, Bruce?
Christopher That's easy-
Bruce What makes me uncomfortable is that this morning
he told me his father was Muhammad Ali. He'd seen him on Rohert Chris ... ? Bruce
breakfast television winning Sports Personality of the
Bruce (to Robert) Grant me this one favour, please: listen
Century. to your patient. Chris?
Silence. Christopher He says it's a person.
Robert (to Christopher) ls this true? Rohert 1 never -
Christopher 1974 . .?pire. Think about it, man. Bruce A person. What kind of person?
Robert (to Bruce) Why didn't you tell me this before? Rohert said anything of the -
Bruce Before when? Christopher A Brother.
Robert Before ... now. Rohert No. That's enough.
102 Blue/ Orange Act Three 1O3

Bruce And do you agree with that? Silence.

Christopher I don't know. Christopher And he said I should learn to lick my own
balls. He did. Ridiculous but true.
Robert What I said was ... what I meant was ... and you
obviously completely misunderstood me ... was - Thry all stare at each other.
Christopher Y ou did - Robert rubs his ryes.
Robert Enough! Let me finish- Christopher (Do I look like a contortionist?)
Christopher Y ou said it was me. Bruce So ... Doctor ... you made the Complaint.
You lodged this complaint with the Authority.
Robert OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK, OK ... OK ...
N ow ... I commented, I merely commented that ... I suggested Robert The patient was very upset. He was in no state to-
that it was an unfortunate demonstration which could
potentially be viewed ... by somebody very vulnerable ... by a Bruce Were you upset, Christopher?
patient ... as an 'analogy'. Christopher What? When?
Bruce But it wasn't an analogy. Robert He was. Take my word for it.
Robert All right ... nevertheless ... it could be 'taken the Bruce (to Christopher) Are you upset now?
wrong way'. It could 'cause offence' .. .
Robert I'm going to go berserk in a minute. I am trying to
Bruce But it didn't cause offence - straighten this out for you! I am trying to help.
Robert Well ... in hindsight He takes out his packet rif cigarettes shakily.
Bruce In whose hindsight? (Lighting up.) Give you the benefit of my ... erudition ... and
Robert OK, all right, whatever thefucking semantics, it was experience ... as a Senior ... as Senior ... Senior Consultant
... Head o[ Department .. .
an unfortunate incident
Bruce It wasn't an incident Christopher takes a cigarette and the lighter and lights it) also
shakily.
Robert All right, it was very, very ... it was upsetting. He
was upset by it, that's all and so, so, so I brought it up in the Bruce Christopher, ifl upset you, I apologise. Sincerely. I
Management Hearing- didn't mean to upset you. Did I say anything else that upset
yo u?
Bruce Oh,you brought it up in the Management Hearing?
Pause.
Robert What?
Chris?
Bruce Y ou said you brought it up. Y ou just said that. Y ou
Christopher Y ou put thoughts in my head.
said you brought it up at the Management Hearing this
morning. Bruce What kind of thoughts?
104 B1ue/ Orange
Act Three 105

Christopher Just thoughts. Bruce You're safe here, OK? It's quiet-
Rohert I have to insist this stops right now. Robert Apart from the bloodcurdling screams of all the
Bruce Shut up. Chris ... ? other mental patients -

Robert Christopher. Not another word. Bruce Chris, you need to do this, you must try and stay a
little longer -
Bruce Can you think of anything specific?
Robert Y ou can leave now if you want to leave now-
Christopher stares at Bruce.
Christopher spits the orange out and stares at the remaining Bruce Chris -
segrnents in his hand. Robert But you have to want to.
Christopher The thoughts I have are not my thoughts. Christopher I do want to!
He said that I think your thoughts.
Bruce Are you sure you're ready?
Bruce Doctor Smith said?
Christopher N o, man, I'm not sure of anything!
Christopher And that's why I have to get out ofhere.
Robert Christopher
Robert That's not what I said.
Bruce Chris -
Christopher I've gotta get outta here cos of you, man!
Ro hert Listen ... list -
Robert Look ...
Bruce Chris -
Christopher Cos yo u 're bad.
Rohert Chris -
Robert OK ... Christopher-
Christopher OK OK OKJUST SHUT UP JUST
Christopher And now I don't, I don't, I don't know what SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR ONE MOMENT FOR
to think! I don't know what to think any more. GOD'S SAKE YOU ARE DRIVING ME AROUND THE
When I do think, it' s not my thoughts, it' s not m y voice when BEND!
I talk. Y o u tell me who I am.
Who I'm not. I don't know who I am any more! Silence.
I don't know who I am! Bruce OK, look ... (To Robert.) Could we have a minute
Robert Chris - alone please?

Bruce Chris Robert Absolutely not.

Rohert It's being here that's doing this to you. This place- Bruce I don't think you're in a position to argue any more.

Bruce Y ou're still very confused- Robert Y ou're only making it worse.

Robert Y ou can't think straight in this place. How can Bruce N evertheless. I think yo u should.
you ... ? Robert OK! OK! It'syour.foneral.
106 Blue/ Orange Act Three 1O7

Robert exits. He eyeballs Bruce.

Silence. Pause.
Christopher What the fuck do you want, Bruce? Christopher I had alife before this. I had a job. On a stall
in the market.
Bruce W ell, um, well, um, I' d like yo u to understand that
this is a very serious situation. Bruce That's what I'm saying.
Christopher Y eah, but the thing is, like he said, I don't Christopher I got stuff to go back to. I've got my mum.
think you should take it so personally, d'you know what I
mean? Bruce Y our mum can't help you just now.

Pause. Christopher She needs me. She gets lonely. I miss her.
Bruce Well. You know. Um. I know. Y es. I'm trying. Pause.
Christopher When somebody does something you don't Bruce (gently) Chris ... you don't know where she is, do
like, yo u should just learn to laugh. D'you understand? yo u?
Bruce Y- OK- OK. The thing is, Chris ... see ... I'm Pause.
not very good at this. I'm not very good at ... Not Taking
Things Personally. Y o u see, m y point is, when they let yo u out this afternoon,
That's all. I like to ... Get to the Bottom ofThings. the theory is that you'll go back to your family. To your
community. But you don't have any family, do you? Not any
Christopher Y ou don't say. more. Not so far as we know. And, the thing is, should you
Bruce No, I'm not being funny. Things here at the come back, should you ever need to return and ask for my
hospital, at work, I take personally sometimes. I'm ever- help, I might not be here.
mindful ofthe way one's prqftssionallife impacts upon one Christopher l'll see Doctor Smith.
personal/y. Just as what happens to you here impacts upon your
personal, private life. It's all related. So you see, when you Bruce I ... I know. But, um ... you can see him anyway.
took your complaint to the Authority one of the things they
Christopher How d'you mean?
concluded was that I had been 'unprofessional'. Which is in
their jurisdiction to decide they are generally more Bruce There's no need for you to press ahead with this
venerable - more experienced, judicious beings than l. complaint. If yo u no longer want me to treat you, I won't.
However, the upshot is that depending on what happens now
... I could possibly be sacked in the first month of m y training! Christopher I don't.
It isn't your fault. And I am not taking that personally. But Bruce Then I won't. Fine.
what I would like to point out to you is that, that could well
affect both our personal, private lives in a, in a terrible, disastrous Christopher Cos you put your thoughts in my head.
way. OK? Do you understand now?
Bruce OK, well ... you know, Chris, I really didn't mean
Christopher Don't patronise me. to. Maybe other people have put thoughts in your head too
108 Blue/Orange Act Three 109

but they're not going to be birched for it. Do you, do you, do Christopher snatches the pamphlet) screws it up) throws it on the
you see what 1 mean? floor.

Christopher N o. Christopher Y ou're just trying to get off the hook now.

Bruce I'm saying ... look ... 1 don't know what Doctor Bruce Just listen to me. Y ou don't know what you're
Smith said to you yesterday evening, OK, 1 have no idea talking about.
actually, 1 have a pretty good idea and 1 think ... I'll be Christopher Why? Cos I'm an 'uppity nigga'?
honest with you. 1 think Doctor Smith 'coached' you in what
you had to say to the Authority. Bruce Look. Shut up a minute.

Pause. Christopher Oh, that's very nice, that's lovely. lt's all
coming out now.
I think he put words in your mouth.
Bruce slams his.fist on the table.
Christopher He put words in my mouth?
Bruce This isn't a game! M y career is on the line!
Bruce Y es. Not literally. Figuratively. OK ... don't get
Christopher Y our 'career'?
excited.
Bruce And your ... your ... you have got so much to lose!
Christopher No,you put words in my mouth. When 1 said We both have, don't you see this?
1 wanted to stay and 1 was scared, that was yo u. That' s why
I'm here now! Cos ofyou! Christopher kisses his teeth.

Bruce No. OK? Now ... no.Just ... No.Just let me read
you something.
He takes a pamphletftom Christopher)s.file.
I'm going to give you this to take with you. Whether you stay
or go. This is what the W orld Health Organisation has to say
about schizophrenia. 1 don't want to alarm you, but 1 want to
explain to you what you've just said. 1 want to 'demystify'.
He reads.
'The most intimate thoughts ... are often felt to be known or
shared by others and explanatory delusions may develop, to
the effect that natural or supernatural forces are at work to
influence the individual's thoughts and actions in ways that
are often bizarre.'
Sound familiar?
Bruce Chris ... please, for God's sake. Can you remember
what you did in the market with the orange? Can you see
how that could get yo u into a lot of trouble? If yo u were
doing that ... on the estate, for example, 1 don't know what
could happen ...
Christopher 1 never trusted you. Mm-mm. 1 liked you,
but 1 never trusted you.
Bruce What ... ?
Christopher Y ou told me 1 could have a Coke, yeah? In
front of a witness yo u said 1 could have a Coke if 1 answered
your questions and 1 answered your questions so where is it?
D'you think I'm thick or something?
D'you think I'm thick?
Y o u told me yo u were letting me out and now you're no t.
What's going on, Bruce?

Long pause. Bruce 1 am, Christopher, 1 will.

110 Blue/Orange Act Three 111

Christopher When? Robert is standing in the doonvay) unseen.

Bruce Soon. Bruce Shut up! For fuck's sake!

Christopher Oh 'soon'. Christopher The look on your face, hoy!

Bruce When you've been diagnosed properly. Y ou must Bruce Y ou won't be laughing when you get home. Y ou
try and be patient. won't be laughing when you start losing your marbles all over
again and hearing voices and jabbering like a lunatic and
Christopher 1 don't believe you. Y ou call me nigga. Y ou shitting yourself because yo u think your fucking zombie
say it's voodoo. neighbours are coming to eat your brains, you mad bastard!
Bruce lt was a joke! You idiot!

Christopher Oh funny joke. Do you see me laughing? Christopher 'Love Thy N eighbour' it says. How can 1
l've got one for you. I'm gonna Lay Charges. love my neighbour when my neighbour is fascist?
Cos 1 ain't staying here, man. Bruce They're black! All your neighbours are. lt's a black
You'll never keep me locked up, white man. This is one nigga neighbourhood. Y o u yo u yo u moran. Y ou stupid fool. Are yo u
you don't get to keep, white man. Cos I'm gonna bark every retarded? Jesus! This is the thanks 1 get for rotting in this stinking
time you come near. D'you understand? hellhole, pushing shit uphill, watching what 1 say, tiptoeing
Bruce ls this you or is it ... someone else? ls this the illness around, treading on eggshells, kissing arse while you sit around
laughing and squawking and barking like a freak. Y ou didn't
or is it ...
know if you were Arthur or Martha when you carne in here
Pause. and this is the thanks 1 get. Now you're upset. Now l've upset
you. Good. Good. See how much you like it.
Maybe you're just like this.
Maybe you're just ... A Wanker. He sees Robert standing in the doonvay and stares.
1 mean ... why do you say these things?
Robert When yo u use the term 'neighbour', do yo u mean
Christopher Cos you ruined my life! it rhetorically or 'generically'?
Cos you're Evil.
And you're a Fascist.
He comes into the room) takes an orange from the bowl) sits and peels it
as he talks.
Bruce How dare you!
Because it' s just occurred to me that when Chris talks about
Bruce stands. his 'neighbour', he might not mean literally 'the people nexc
door'. Do you, Chris? Nor would you mean 'sibling' should
Christopher stands.
you allude toa 'Brother'. (Eating.) Neighbours is Everybody,
Bruce Y ou fucking idiot ... What Have Y ou Done? isn't it? People in the street giving yo u a wide berth. W omen
on escalators holding their handbags that little bit tighter as
Christopher starts to laugh. you pass. People looking straight through you as if you're not
Bruce What's funny? Stop laughing! Shut up! Y ou stupid even there. Football hooligans. Skinheads. Throwing
fucker. What are you laughing at? bananas. Y our workmates. Bruce and 1 can only guess at the
112 B1ue/Orange Act Three 113

horror of suffering from acute paranoia and being one of a Robert Y es. Because you are brave. You're a very brave
culturally oppressed minority. What a combination. young man and you've done really well. This is your
prescription.
Pause.
He hands Christopher the prescription.
And we ask each other, Why are our mental hospitals full of
young men like this? Why do you think? Christopher Did you hear what he said?

Pause. Bruce I'm sorry. I didn't mean it.

Bruce Robert-Robert-Robert-Robert-Robert-Robert- Christopher Why d'you say those things, man?

Robert ... Bruce I really am sorry.
Pause. Christopher My God. It really is a game oftwo halves
Doctor ... with you, d'you know what I mean?
Ro bert produces a prescription pad.from his pocket and writes a Bruce Are you all right?
prescription.
Christopher What? No. That hurt, man. I can't stay in
Robert Why don't you report to outpatients and they'll here ifyou're gonna say shit like that. D'you know what I
orgamse yo u a car. mean? Running your mouth. It' s rude.
Pause. Bruce I know.
Chris? Then you can go home. Christopher It's weird.
Christopher Do you think I should? Bruce Sure.
Robert Y es. Y ou must. Christopher How would you like it?
Christopher Do you think I'm ready? Really? Bruce I know ... l'm sorry.
Robert Y es. Y ou're ready. Y ou can't stay in here for ever. Christopher N o, yo u don't know. How would yo u like it?
(To Bruce.) Can he?
Robert Ifyou'd like to make another complaint-
Bruce I ... what ... ?
Christopher I am complaining. I'm complaining to him
Robert Do you want to get better? and he's not even listening.
Christopher Y eah ... I want to. Bruce I ... I think I need to sit clown.
Robert Then you must do what you must do. Be brave. Robert W ould yo u like to lodge a complaint with the
Christopher Uh? Authority?

Robert Be brave. Christopher No. I'm OK.

Christopher 'Be brave'? Robert It's really no trouble.

114 B1ue/ Orange Act Three 115

Christopher I'm all right now. Silence.

Bruce sits. Robert Take it with you ifyou like.
He stares.
1h9 regard him as he picks up a piece qf orange peel) examines it) hites Christopher Uh?
into it. Robert Take it. Be my guest.
Robert I'll get one ofthe nurses to book your first Pause.
outpatient appointment.
It's a gift. It's time to go home.
Christopher Thanks.
Christopher What have you done to it?
Robert Don't mention it. What have you put in it?
Christopher No really, safe, man. I appreciate it. What are you staring at?

Robert It was the least I could do. Christopher ignores the orange.
He staresfrom Robert to Bruce suspicious!J.
Christopher Thank you. He moves afew steps towards the door) then stops.
Robert riffers his hand and th9 shake hands. Robert That's right. Offyou go. Go home and listen to
Bruce just stares from one to the other. sorne reggae mus1c.
Christopher goes to Bruce) sudden!J staring odd!J.
Christopher stares at Robert.for sorne time.
Silence. Christopher picks up an orange. Robert eventual!J smiles and indicates the door.
Christopher Have you ever stuck your dick in one of Christopher goes.
these? Robert looks at Bruce) shakes his head) 'tuts) at length.

Bruce looks at him a little nervous!J. Bruce 'Reggae music'?

Christopher One time I tried it with a grapefruit. At Robert What is it in Mrica, )ungle'? N'ha ha ha. (Snorts.)
Christmas. It's OK but it chafes a bit. The juice stings. On Bruce picks up an orange.
the ward I seen one boy do it with bugs. Straight up. Puts a
bug on the end ofhis willy. A cockroach.Just on the tip. He Bruce W ell. That' s that, then.
likes the way it wiggles. You think there's bugs in this?
Robert How do you mean 'That's that'?
Bruce I'm ... sorry ... ?
Bruce I've fucked it up, haven't I?
Christopher Is there bugs in this?
Robert Oh, I see what you mean. Well ... yes.
Bruce Chris ... please ...
Bruce I'll never make Consultant.
Christopher I need a girlfriend, man. D'you know what I
Robert You still want to?
mean? That's all I ever wanted. Ijust wanted somebody nice
to be with. A lady. Bruce W ell ... of course ... but ...
116 Blue/Orange Act Three 11 7

Robert Oh. Pause.

Long Silence. One could have made a dreadful mistake.

Bruce U nless ... Pause.

Robert What's that? Perhaps ... I could ... buy you a drink ... to express my
gratitude.
Bruce W e ... don't really have to pursue this ... now ... Debrief.
dowe? I could read your manuscript.
Robert Well, I can tell you, I'm in no hurry to have the Pause.
good name of my department dragged through the mud.
Thank you very much. Robert No. I don't think we'll do that.
Bruce No ... Bruce W ... why not?

Pause. Robert Well. The thing is ... I'll tell you something.
Not to mention ... not to mention your Professorship. He takes the report from Bruce and smoothes it out.
Robert M y Professorship? How does it affect that? Robert I don't like you, Bruce.
Y o u talk too m u ch.
Bruce W ell ... it doesn't.
Y ou get in the way.
He retrieves and carifully urifurls the remains qf the screwed-up) torn
Silence.
report.
Y o u see, sick people come to me.
So ... where do we go from here?
All creeds and colours.
Pause. They are suffering.
They go away again and they no longer suffer.
I mean ... what's the procedure? We were getting on quite Because of me.
well. Until ... this ... disagreement. All because of me.
Robert It's a little more than that. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Is there?
Bruce But it's ... I mean ... uh ... you're a good
superVIsor. Bruce Who do you think you are? God?
And a valuable mentor.
Robert How does Archbishop of Canterbury sound? N'ha
Pause. ha ha.
Y o u will not be employed by this Authority again. W e made
I'm pr ... I'm privileged. I'm grateful to you. a mistake. It's a little Darwinian, I admit, nevertheless.
Pause. Goodbye.

For ... putting me straight. He hands Bruce the orange.

118 B1ue/Orange

Y ou can eat it on the train.

Bruce stares at the orange in his hand.
He slumps in his chair.
He peels the orange.
Dwn.b Show
lfe stares at Ro bert.
Robert goes.
Bruce 1 want to make a complaint.
Robert stops.
'Ignorance is strength.'
Bruce 1' d like to lodge a complaint with the Authority. - George Orwell
Robert Sorry?
Bruce I'm ready to give you a statement.
What's the procedure for that?
Bruce hites into the orange. Thry stare at each other.
Blackout.