Contemporary Plays by Black British Writers by Arinzé Kene

Author:Arinzé Kene [Ibu, Natalie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788504645
Publisher: Nick Hern Books

Scene Two

St Agnes, Bristol. June 1963.

PRINCESS, eyes closed, stands in the cupboard room. She is wearing a swimming costume and a sash around her. She raises her hands in the air and places a crown made of cardboard and tinsel on her head.

VOICE-OVER. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the winner of the year’s Weston-super-Mare Beauties of the West Contest – (Voice booming.) Princess James.

PRINCESS’s eyes open wide. The cupboard room explodes into a world of pageantry – seems less alive… still there… but somehow subdued.

PRINCESS approaches the microphone.

PRINCESS. I…

I…

My name is Phyllis Princess James. I want to wear this crown…

I want to be the prettiest girl in the whole of Weston-super-Mare and Bristol…

But everyone in school says I can’t be…

PRINCESS picks up a small round mirror –

She stares at her reflection in it –

Because…

PRINCESS touches her lips –

And my hair? And my skin is…

Beat.

Maybe I don’t want to look like everyone else…

PRINCESS hears a noise –

The sound of a key turning in the door. The door opens –

PRINCESS opens the door of the cupboard quietly –

A light is switched on.

MAVIS and MARGOT enter – MARGOT is shrieking with laughter.

MAVIS tries to shush her quiet.

WENDELL follows quickly behind.

They all seem a little bit tipsy.

MARGOT almost falls over a large stack of packaged toilet rolls.

MAVIS. You trying to wake the whole building up Margot?

MARGOT. What are those?

WENDELL. What they look like?

MARGOT. Where you get those from Mavis?

WENDELL. Actually I bring them. I have a friend /

MARGOT. Just the one then!

MARGOT laughs hard –

MAVIS. Margot!

WENDELL. Mi providing far mi family anyway mi choose to.

MAVIS. My feet hurt so much. I’m sure they about to drop off.

MARGOT. But that was so much fun.

MAVIS. You gave them something to look at for certain.

MARGOT. Nevers seen Mavis enjoy herself so much.

And those dance moves?

Didn’t think you had it in you.

MAVIS. These hips do more than push baby /

MARGOT. I nevers seen pushing like that before.

MAVIS. You want me to show you how?

MAVIS starts to whine her hips to imaginary music –

MARGOT tries to imitate – badly –

WENDELL sidles up to MAVIS – dancing close behind her –

WENDELL. You see wha’ dese Black wimmin kyaan do t’yuh!

Dat’s it baby /

MAVIS moves him away from him –

MAVIS. All women know how to get a man to do things /

WENDELL. Is it?

MARGOT. I think I was getting plenty of attention myself.

Dint you see?

All sorts of attempts to you know…

WENDELL. Yuh making plenty attempts yuh self.

No place safe fram de white woman attempts.

MARGOT. What you say?

WENDELL. De club welcome everybody for sure.

Only inna Bristol yuh see so many different different people in same place.

MARGOT. Nearly danced until I broke my back mind /

WENDELL. I’m surprised yuh mout nuh pain yuh too.

De way yuh chat chat to every person like…

MARGOT. Like what?

WENDELL. Well like yuh nuh know how to behave round people sometimes.

MAVIS. We had a nice evening.

Let’s not spoil it /

MARGOT. I am a very friendly person if you must know.

WENDELL. Especially with de Black man it seem /

MARGOT.

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