Bond Plays, 10 by Edward Bond

Author:Edward Bond [Bond, Edward]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781350039544
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2017-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

The Testament of This Day

A Radio Play

The Testament of This Day was commissioned by Bona Broadcasting Ltd. and first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 2014. The cast was as follows:

Son Tim O’Hara

Mother Helen Bang

Father Roger Allam

Woman on a Train Naomi Frederick

Taxi Driver Michael Stevenson

Directed by Edward Bond

Produced by Turan Ali

Son

Mother

Father

Woman on a Train

Trolley Attendant

Taxi Driver

One

Mountain

Mother and Son scrambling up a steep slope. They fight their way through dense undergrowth. Mother is some way ahead of Son.

Son Where are you? I cant see you?

Mother (calling back) Stay closer.

Son Where’re we going? Why wont you tell me?

Mother Keep up.

Son I cant see you. Its steep. (Complaining to himself.) No light. No path. Trees. I could fall over the side and break my neck. (Calls.) Mother Im not going any further till you tell me where we’re going.

Mother Trust me. (Closer.) I cant tell you. I have to show you.

Son Why?

Mother You’ll understand when you see it.

Son What will I understand? How far is it?

Mother If we hurry we’ll –. You keep stopping and starting –

Son You’re lost.

Mother No. Im just not sure how far we’ve managed to –

Son We could die up here!

Mother Don’t say that. No one will die.

Son You came to me this morning. You had something to show me. You didn’t tell me about a mountain – this forest – we’ve been climbing all day – my clothes are torn – look Ive cut my –

Mother We could be there now if you didn’t keep –

Son Im going back.

Mother You’d never find your way. Without me you’d –

Son Im going –

Mother I wont let you. You’d never forgive me if I did. You’d lose everything.

Son Lose what? Why’s it so mysterious?

Mother (going) We cant waste more time. Come with –

Son No.

Mother (coming back) You couldn’t understand if I told you. If I tell you before you see you’ll never understand. You’ld spend your life talking about it afterwards and you’d never understand. You have to see it first. Then you you’ll understand everything.

Son You make it worse.

Mother I shouldn’t have brought you here. Then you’d never know about it. Never regret it. But I have brought. We have to go on. I can show you and you’ll understand.

Son Im going down.

Mother Please. Ive managed it so badly. You know so little.

Son I know this is crazy. I know that I –

Mother You know nothing!

Son I know you’re my mother and –

Mother You know Im you mother? What’s that? D’you know what it means? If you turned back now I’d push you off this mountain so you wouldn’t spend the rest of your life knowing you’d turned back – knowing your mistake. That’s what a mother would do.

Son … what’s the matter?…

Mother Then I’d throw myself off after you and try to catch you before you fell to the bottom. Catch you before you were dead. You don’t understand that. You don’t live like that yet. You’re too young.

Son Is it far?

Mother Come on.

They scramble further.

Son (muttering to himself) Its getting worse.

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