For The Grace Of You Go I (NHB Modern Plays)

By Alan Harris

Jim's writing messages. In pepperoni. On top of pizzas.

His life is going nowhere. But after watching the film I Hired A Contract Killer, Jim's found a solution – he'll just put out a hit on himself. What could possibly go wrong?

Alan Harris's play For The Grace Of You Go I is a darkly funny, quick-witted, fast-moving comedy. It premiered at Theatr Clwyd, Mold, in June 2021, directed by James Grieve.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Jun 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781788503860

Alan Harris

Alan Harris is a playwright and librettist. His plays include: For All I Care (National Theatre of Wales, 2018); Sugar Baby (Dirty Protest, 2017); How My Light Is Spent (Royal Exchange, Manchester / Sherman Theatre / Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, 2017; winner of the Judges’ Award at the 2015 Bruntwood Prize); Love, Lies and Taxidermy (Paines Plough UK tour, 2016); The Opportunity of Efficiency (New National Theatre Tokyo/National Theatre Wales); The Magic Toyshop (Invisible Ink/Theatr Iolo); The Future for Beginners (liveartshow/Wales Millennium Centre); A Good Night Out in the Valleys (National Theatre Wales); Re-Set (Mess Up The Mess); Marsha (Capital Fringe, Washington DC); Cardboard Dad (Sherman Cymru); Miss Brown To You (Hijinx Theatre); Orange (Sgript Cymru); Come To Where I’m From (Paines Plough). He has also written radio plays for BBC Radio 4 and Radio 3. Libretti include: Marsha: A Girl Who Does Bad Things (liveartshow/Arcola Grimeborn Festival); The Hidden Valley (Birdsong Opera/Welsh National Opera/Tête à Tête Opera Festival); The Journey (Welsh National Opera); Rhinegold, Manga Sister (liveartshow/The Yard, London).

Book preview

Alan Harris

FOR THE GRACE OF YOU GO I

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production Details

Epigraph

For The Grace Of You Go I

About the Theatre

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

For The Grace Of You Go I was commissioned by Theatr Clwyd and first performed at the Emlyn Williams Theatre, Theatr Clwyd, Mold, on 12 June 2021. The cast was as follows:

With thanks to all the team at Theatr Clwyd, Llyr Evans and Huws Gray (Flint).

It is work that sometimes stresses us out, and work that causes anxiety; but it is also work that can absorb us and take us out of ourselves until the clouds have gone. If work is the cause, it is also part of the cure. It was with work that Churchill pitchforked off his depression. And what was true for Churchill is basically true for all of us: that to a very large extent we derive our self-esteem from what we do. It is often from our jobs that we get that all-important sense of satisfaction. We can chase away those Black Dogs, boost the economy and save money, all at once.

Prime Minister B. Johnson

Characters

JIM

IRINA

MARK

Notes on Text

/ indicates a slight pause (these can add up)

– near or at the end of a line indicates an interruption

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

Jim

JIM AS DIRECTOR. Okay, okay, this is the set. I know – it doesn’t look like much but don’t worry we’ll green-screen everything in later on. We’ve got the basics and all the special-effects wizardry can happen later. I know. Fantastic. No, no, it’s actually cheaper than building everything. We’re shooting this in a linear timeline – think something like Tangerine, you see that? No? Okay. We’ve got the three cameras, so feel free to move around the space – I know we’ve rehearsed but don’t be afraid to follow your instincts if something feels ‘right’, know what I mean? Okay. You all set? Everyone on set all set? Jim – I’m going to give you very little direction, you just do what you do. Great, Jim, maybe take that as a starting position. Maybe a bit further left. Perfecto. And maybe put your hands in your pockets? No. You’re right – why is the actor always right? – hands out of pockets. Oh and I keep the camera rolling after the dialogue has ended, so you just keep doing what you’re doing, yeah? It’s a director thing. All set on set? Standby. Action.

Irina / Jim

That was. That was, I must admit. I was surprised.

/

Jim?

/

Give me something. You okay?

/

That was. Jim?

/

I couldn’t believe the questions in there. Thanks for allowing me to sit in, to witness. She was, she had no idea you were uncomfortable. And the room-divide thing – we could hear, could you hear everything that poor woman was saying next door? Then the sobbing, we could actually hear her sobbing. That’s not right. You know, when you went to the loo, I asked about the, and the assessor said it’s not usually like this but they divided the