'THE TRAIN STATION'

A SCENE FROM A PLAY

BY

JADE PATRICK

BASED ON THE PLAY “BLUE MOON OVER POPLAR"

BY

REBECCA LENKIEWICZ

DECEMBER 19, 1953

CHARACTERS:

PETER
THE SELLER

TIME:

THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON. IS WINTER OUTSIDE IS COLD, CLOUDY AND BRIGHT
WHEN COMING BY TRAIN INTO “LONDON ALDWICH CENTRAL” STATION.

PLACE:

WHILE IN THE PACKED STATION I SEE MANY PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO WALK BRISKLY AND
QUICKLY AS I’M ASSUMING THE WEATHER IS COLD.

SCENE 1: COME TO STATION AND BUY DRUGS-

LIGHTS COME ON. POSITIONED ‘CENTRE STAGE’ IS A BLACK CHAIR (CLEAR GLASS
BOTTLES OF WHITE POWDERS AND A WINE GLASS) ON THE CHAIR, POSITIONED STRAIGHT
FULL IS SMALL AND MEDIUM BOTTLES. FILLED ON THE BLOCK IS A VARIETY OF DRUGS
SUCH AS “COCAINE” AND “CANNABIS”.

WEARING BLACK. LONG, PLAIN BLACK WAISTCOAT WITH CUFFS, BLACK SMART TROUSERS
AND PLAIN BLACK SHIRT. ALSO, HAS BLACK POINTY SHOES.

VERY PALE FACE. DIRTY SOOT ON HIS CHEEKS. HAS FRIZZY, DARK BROWN HAIR.

TALL AND STRAIGHT STANCE, LOOKING AROUND AT THE CROWD OF PEOPLE.

 QUICK (BUT SWIFTLY) WALK.

COME ON ‘STAGE RIGHT,’ PETER WALKS IN WITH SUITCASE AND WALKS AROUND
SUSPICIOUSLY (BUT SLOWLY)

CHAIR IS SEEN CLEARLY BY BRIGHT LIGHT ‘CENTRE STAGE’, WALK OVER TO FRONT. REST
OF STAGE IS EMPTY.

(1ST 30 SECONDS)

TAKE A PAUSE, REMAINS THOUGHTFUL FOR A MOMENT AND PEERS DOWN AT THE TABLE
FULL OF GLASS BOTTLES THAT HAVE LOTS OF MULTIPLE TYPES OF WHITE POWDERS.

LOOK AT THE DIRTY, OLD MAN AND ELBOW HIM OUT OF RESPECT. ALSO HAVE A
CONVERSATION BY CLICKING OUT OF INTEREST CASUALLY AND EXTENDING MY ARMS
OUT IN SURPRISE OF ALL THE DRUGS I AM SEEING IN FRONT OF ME.

THIS IS FOR WHAT THE MAN AT THE STALL IS TRYING TO SELL TO EARN MONEY. COUNT
THE BOTTLES FROM RIGHT TO LEFT, EXAMINING THEM ONE BY ONE AND PICKING A
RANDOM BOTTLE WHILE STILL ADMIRING WHAT IT IS BY LABEL ETC.

SWAY SLIGHTLY, WHILE THINKING OF A DECISION TO TAKE THE BOTTLES BY HAND.

GIVE THE SELLER WITH MY RIGHT-HAND A £5 NOTE WHO IS WANTING MONEY.

 MAN SAYS ‘GO AND GRAB EM, THANKS MATE’ IN A SCREECHY VOICE. ALL AT ONCE
IMMEDIATELY TAKE ALL THE GLASS BOTTLES AND HUNCH THEM IN MY HANDS.

NEXT GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND PUT BOTTLES INSIDE QUICKLY WITHOUT HAVING
ANYONE SEEING THEM. THE MAN IS HAPPY; THIS MAKES ME FEEL EXCITED AS I WANT TO
STAND AGAINST EVERYONE IN THE STATION.

TURN TO ‘CENTRE STAGE’ AND AS QUICKLY RUN TO BACK TO STAGE RIGHT.

SCENE 2: SLAM HOUSE DOOR-

WHILE RUNNING QUICKLY ENTER ‘CENTRE STAGE’, SLAM THROUGH MY HOUSE DOOR AND
ENTER MY BEDROOM. GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND THROW MY SUITCASE TO THE SIDE,
WHILE LOOKING TIRED.

FROM THE SUITCASE GET UP ON MY FEET VERY SLOWLY, BUT LOOK TIRED AND STRETCH
OUTWARD WITH MY ARMS, BEFORE SLANTING DOWN ON THE CHAIR AGAIN.
 (BOTH ARMS OUT WHEN LYING ON CHAIR.)

SCENE 3: ADMIRING MY DRUGS-

WHILE SITTING DOWN ON THE CHAIR SLOUCH MY ARMS INTO MY HANDS BEFORE PUTTING
MY HAND ON MY CHIN AND THINKING BRIEFLY FOR A MOMENT.

MY HEAD LOOKS AROUND BRIEFLY AND THEN I LOOK DOWN WITH MY HEAD TO MY
SUITCASE SITUATED ‘STAGE RIGHT’ NEXT TO THE CHAIR.

I START TO LIMP SLOWLY, WHILE BEING DRUNK FROM THE ALCOHOL THAT I BOUGHT AT
THE STALL AND FALL TO FLOOR, KNEES CROSSED BY THE SUITCASE.
 SCENE 4: BECOME KNOCKED OUT AND GO TO SLEEP-

‘CENTRE STAGE’ CROUCHED DOWN BY THE SUITCASE OPEN THE HINGES AND SEE WHAT
IS INSIDE. I SEE ALL THE BOTTLES OUT OF EXCITEMENT AS I WANT TO GET DRUNK AND
FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF.

AS I SEE THEM GET RIGHT INSIDE OF MY SUITCASE AND PEER RIGHT DOWN AT THE
BOTTLES.

IN SUITCASE TO THE RIGHT TAKE THE WINE GLASS AND CUP, OPEN THE LID AND POUR
SOME IN.

SLOWLY TAKE A SIP FROM THE GLASS WHICH HAS WINE AND RUB MY HANDS AT MY FACE.

NEXT AGAIN FAINTLY START TO LOOK DROWSY IN THE EYES AS I AM EXTREMELY TIRED
AND SICK.

MOVE ‘DOWN STAGE RIGHT’ GOING TOWARDS MY CHAIR BY HANDS BEING COMPRESSED
ON MY STOMACH AS I FEEL VERY SICK AND WANT TO SLEEP NOW!

TUG AS EXHAUSTED AS POSSIBLE FROM THE ALCOHOL AND BEING SICK THEN ONTO
CHAIR.

(PAUSE)
 THEN IMMEDIATELY FALL ASLEEP ‘CENTRE STAGE’ ON CHAIR.

BLACKOUT.

CHART THEATER

PRESENTS

‘THE TRAIN STATION’...

BY

JADE PATRICK

With the original play

by

Rebecca Lenkiewicz