Bunny

By Jack Thorne

An exhilarating coming-of-age drama for a solo performer.
Fringe First Award, Edinburgh 2010
Scorching heat. A fight. A car chase. A siege. When her boyfriend is attacked on the street, feisty eighteen-year-old Katie is thrust on a white-knuckle ride through one extraordinary evening. Amidst the baying for blood and the longing for love, Katie is forced to decide her future.
'Electrifying combination of streetwise earthiness and heartbreaking vulnerability... terrific'
Scotsman

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Nov 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781780010243

Jack Thorne

Jack Thorne is a playwright and BAFTA-winning screenwriter. His plays for the stage include: When Winston Went to War with the Wireless (Donmar Warehouse, 2023); The Motive and the Cue (National Theatre and West End, 2023); After Life, an adaptation of a film by Hirokazu Kore-eda (National Theatre, 2021); the end of history... (Royal Court, London, 2019); an adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (Old Vic, London, 2017); an adaptation of Büchner's Woyzeck (Old Vic, London, 2017); Junkyard (Headlong, Bristol Old Vic, Rose Theatre Kingston and Theatr Clwyd, 2017); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, London, 2016); The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Graeae and Theatre Royal Plymouth, 2015); Hope (Royal Court, London, 2015); adaptations of Let the Right One In (National Theatre of Scotland at Dundee Rep, the Royal Court and the Apollo Theatre, London, 2013/14) and Stuart: A Life Backwards (Underbelly, Edinburgh and tour, 2013); Mydidae (Soho, 2012; Trafalgar Studios, 2013); an adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's The Physicists (Donmar Warehouse, 2012); Bunny (Underbelly, Edinburgh, 2010; Soho, 2011); 2nd May 1997 (Bush, 2009); When You Cure Me (Bush, 2005; Radio 3's Drama on Three, 2006); Fanny and Faggot (Pleasance, Edinburgh, 2004 and 2007; Finborough, 2007; English Theatre of Bruges, 2007; Trafalgar Studios, 2007); and Stacy (Tron, 2006; Arcola, 2007; Trafalgar Studios, 2007). His television work includes His Dark Materials, Then Barbara Met Alan (with Genevieve Barr), The Eddy, Help, The Accident, Kiri, National Treasure and This is England ’86/’88/’90. His films include The Swimmers (with Sally El Hosaini), Enola Holmes, Radioactive, The Aeronauts and Wonder. He was the recipient of the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award for Outstanding Contribution to Writing in 2022.

Book preview

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Dedication

Bunny

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Bunny was first performed at Underbelly Cowgate as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, on 5 August 2010, performed by Rosie Wyatt, and directed by Joe Murphy.

The production subsequently toured the UK from June 2011 before a run at Soho Theatre, London, in October 2011.

For Teresa Topolski

KATIE, eighteen

Okay, it’s hot.

And I’m late leaving school because of orchestra practice.

And Abe. Sort of my boyfriend, sort of my not, is sitting waiting on the wall by the school gate. Because, you know, we don’t get much time together and so walking home is sort of a thing with us.

‘Alright,’ he says, without smiling. On the wall. Shoulders hunched.

‘Alright.’

I play clarinet. Not well. But I’m carrying my clarinet case – because of orchestra practice – and my bag. Abe is not carrying anything because he’s not at the school. He’s a bit older. Twenty-four. He works in the offices at Vauxhall. 8 ’til 4 so that works, fits, with my school day. He’s good-looking. Well. He’s also black.

Not that that – I just never know how to bring that up.

I didn’t bring that up with my parents for ages – until he came round and I could see they were surprised. And then later I heard them talking in the kitchen and they said – Mum said ‘I knew Abe was a funny name, I told you there’d be something about him’. Not that they’re – they read the Guardian. And we live next door to some Iranians and they come round all the time. Or they could. The Harandis.

Anyway, we’re walking. Hand in hand. Which is okay but I’ve got my shoulder bag on and my clarinet, so I’m having to have them both on the right-hand side while holding hands with him on the left. And they’re sort of too big and banging against my hip as we walk. Not that I have hips.

Sometimes we have quite a bit to say to each other. He’s not much of a talker, but he can talk. But today it’s hot – and I think he’s had quite a hard day, so that’s… He doesn’t like his job. Because of the people he works with mainly. He works in the office. He likes the people who work in the factory down below, but office people just aren’t his people.

He told me once my parents were sort of like the people who work in the office, but I’m more factory… It was a compliment.

Anyway, I’m sort of talking – for us both – about the spots between my shoulder blades because I’m classy and about my A levels because – and about orchestra because I’ve just been in orchestra and it’s sometimes quite funny – and I’m jabbering but that’s okay because Abe’s pretty zoned-out.

‘You want an ice cream?’ He says. Interrupting a particularly interesting thing about how someone put a tampon up Suzy Brinstead’s flute. For jokes. When we did this thing in Bedford.

‘What?’

‘You want an ice cream? I really need to up my sugar or something, you want an ice cream?’ He means blood sugar and