symmons roberts men who sleep in cars for website

7/21/2019 Symmons Roberts Men Who Sleep in Cars for Website

1/49

MEN WHO SLEEP IN CARS

D2

RADIO 4 AFTERNOON DRAMA

by

MICHAEL SYMMONS

ROBERTS

Reproduced b y kind perm ission of t he autho r. This script is the copyright of t he autho r and may not b e copied,sold or perform ed wit hout advance permission.

W e are happ y to forw ard any request please email your det ails to info@societyo fauthor s.org


2/49

2 .

THE PLAY OPENS WITH A FADE UP ON A

SOUNDSCAPE OF MANCHESTER AT NIGHT.

IT IS AROUND 10PM. WE HEAR TRAFFIC,

SNATCHES OF MUSIC FROM PASSING CARS,

FOOTSTEPS, CALLS AND WHISTLESACROSS THE STREET. DISTANT SIRENS.

ACT 1 SCENE 1

NARRATOR

(V/O)Upon the Irwells sun-drenched sylvan banks, /

A pack of feral whippets stopped to drink. /

And as they stretched out in the midday burn, /

A baby in a basket bobbed upstream. /

A nameless boy-god, man-child, founder, king, /

His line of life was rich and deep and long. /

Raised by dogs and honoured by the world, /This bold man built a city clad in gold, /

With mills for palaces and rain for sun,/

We called it Manchester to honour him. /

Yeah, right. A town of dives and skag and scrotes, /

Birthplace of computers, Marxists, votes./

If you could conjure a town from its sound /

Then come here at night, as it breaks its bounds, /

When all the canals have thickened to ink, /

And each pair of lungs is jugged in drink./

UNDER THE PREVIOUS SECTION, WE HEAR

A RISING CACOPHONY OF STREET LIFE,

FROM WHICH A CAR PASSES CLOSE,

BLASTING

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHTOUT OF ITS

WINDOW. AS IT DISAPPEARS, WE HEAR

MARLEYS FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING.




3/49

3 .

NARRATOR

Welcome to the northern quarter, wipe your feet. /

Now picture this: a man walks down a street. /

Hes forty, forty-two, hes middle-aged. /

And heres what he calls home, this metal cage /

IN THE BACKGROUND WE HEAR FOOTSTEPS

ARRIVE AT THE CAR, OPEN THE DOOR, AND

SHUT IT BEHIND HIM. THE SOUND OF THE

CITY CHANGES AS WERE SEALED INSIDE THE

CAR.

This transit van is where hell spend the night, /

Below the radar, out of mind and sight /

Mouth full of brick dust, pockets of sand /

His conscience is far cleaner than his hands /

But even so the truth is hard to tell /

So each night Marley calls from his hotel.../

ACT 1 SCENE 2

WE HEAR A NUMBER ON SPEED DIAL ON A

MOBILE PHONE, THEN AT THE OTHER END IT

IS ANSWERED BY A VOICEMAIL AND A

RECORDED MESSAGE.

NARRATOR

The person you have called is on the phone /

So kindly leave your message at the tone.




4/49


5/49

5 .

MARLEY

Is sleeping in a transit van /

NARRATOR

Is sleeping in a transit van. /

And so he goes home each weekend, /

sleeps with his wife...

MARLEY

...Plays lets pretend /

That being a labourer suits me well, /

That theres loads of work and my diarys full /

That the Holiday Inn is my weekday base /

That I work so far from home by choice /

That Im raking it in, the man with a plan, /

NARRATOR

But... he sleeps on the street, in his Dads old van.

SOUND CROSS-FADES BACK OUTSIDE, AS WE

ENTER THE CITY AGAIN. WE HEAR SOME

DRUNKEN CLUB-GOERS SINGING

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHTLOUDLY AND

BADLY AS THEY WALK PAST. FADE DOWN,

AND UP ON A QUIETER INDUSTRIAL ESTATE

ON THE EDGE OF TOWN.




6/49

6 .

ACT 1 SCENE 4

NARRATOR

Its gone eleven, bars are turning out, /

Or some are. Some are opening for the night, /

Casinos, clubs and massage parlours pulse, /

The night-birds sing, and everybody else: /

The Mums and Dads, the kids, the tired, the frail, /

The up-with-the-lark for work or school, /

They catch Mancunias infectious yawn /

And this great city holds them in its palm /

They snore or pray or worry, spoon and dream /

And yes, the city holds them in its palm. /

ANTONIO

Not me, it doesnt. Im awake. /

Theres something about these hours I like, /

When it rains on the sunroof I lie back, /

And watch the sky turn blurred and black, /

The stars switched off, the moon dissolved, /

Small mercies, but we keep ourselves /

Alive with them, despite the dread /

NARRATOR

Of spending the night in a tin-box bed /

ANTONIO

Of spending the night in a tin-box bed. /

The shame and the guilt and has life come to this?/

Im Antonio, hey girl, come back to my place/

NARRATOR

And she might, hes a looker, half-Latin by blood /

But his city apartments...




7/49

7 .

ANTONIO

... A ten-year-old Ford, /

Yes, my bachelor pad is a clapped-out-old Ford. /

Parked at the back of a trading estate /

Between World of Velourand a landfill site. /

By day Im a cold-caller, telesales slave /

By night Im a homeless guy trying to survive. /

Im a man in debt, and flats arent cheap /

So the road to dawn looks long and steep. /

But this time next year Ill be off the street, /

Im young, Im smart, and Im quick on my feet, /

Im young, Im smart, and Im quick on my feet. /

ACT 1 SCENE 5

CROSS-FADE AGAIN FROM THE QUIETER

EDGELANDS SOUNDS OF THE INDUSTRIAL

ESTATE WHERE ANTONIO IS PARKED, TO THE

BUSTLE OF THE CITY AGAIN. THIS TIME,

THERE ARE NO SHOUTS OF DRUNKS, ETC,

MORE THE SOUND OF SLEEK EXEC CARS AND

QUIET CONVERSATIONS, PEOPLE CALLING

TAXI!AND A TRAM SLIDING BY.




8/49

8 .

NARRATOR

Now lift your eyes above the streets and up, /

Along the brick-built mills and all-night shops/Across the flyover, past student halls, /

Past tanning salons, wholefood caffs, up walls /

Of banks, insurance brokers, fancy bars, /

Until you reach a street where all the cars /

are spotless, leather-seated, primped and plush, /

Watched over by the dashboards flash, flash, flash./

This is the same town, but set apart /

Tobacco-tint-glass office blocks and smart /

Boutique hotels with temperamental chefs /

And oriental gardens on the roofs /

Where businessmen blow smoke-rings at the moon /

and down below, among the limousines /

MCCULLOCH

A stylish man sits in his car /

Dressed in a suit, designer, sure /

But take a closer look, youll see /

The creases in those sleeves that say /

NARRATOR

That mans a fake, despite the Merc /

Despite the old club tie, his work /

MCCULLOCH

Is faking what his work once was /

Doing what an alpha does, /

Propping up his broken pride, /

An exile from the the rich-club, trying to get inside. /

An exile from the the rich-club, trying to get inside. /




9/49

9 .

ACT 1 SCENE 6

NARRATOR

Such is the night for men who sleep in cars /

Tip back the seat and pray that no alarms, /

No fights, no sirens, stag-nights, cop-cars, dogs /

Will wake you, and remind you what youve lost, /

And so, to keep the citys sounds at bay /

The radio becomes your lullaby. /

ACT 1, SCENE 7

MONTAGE OF THE MEN TURNING ON THE

RADIO AND RESPONDING. FIRST MCCULLOCH.

HE TURNS IT ON AND ITS PART OF THE WORLD

CUP BUILD UP, LISTING THE TEAMS IN EACH

GROUP. THIS FADES INTO THE BACKGROUND

UNDER HIS SPEECH THAT FOLLOWS.

RADIO

Group B is Spain, Netherlands, Chile and Australia. Thats a tough one! Group C

has Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan. Group D is Uruguay, Costa Rica,

England and Italy, and well talk about that one in a minute. Group E contains

Switzerland, Ecuador, France and Honduras. Group F is Argentina, Bosnia-

Herzegovina, Iran and Nigeria. Guess wholl win that one? Group G has Germany,

Portugal, Ghana and the USA. And the final group, Group H is Belgium, Algeria,

Russia and South Korea.




10/49

10

MCCULLOCH

At least at night I drop the act /

Inside the car a facts a fact. /

Im sixty, hair and teeth my own, /

Ex-cop, ex-businessman, ex-con, /

Up to my yellow eyes in debt, /

But I like my scotch and I like a bet, /

Im a gambler in life and Im not bust yet /

Im a gambler in life, and Im not bust yet. /

So the sound-tracks of night are the sports reports /

And they almost drown those siren thoughts /

Of the home and the job and friends I had /

Of the daughter I loved, who loved her Dad /

Of the slips I made and the plain bad calls, /

But Im an ex-cop and Ive still got balls. /

If the right balls go in the right teams nets /

And my accumulator bets /

fit cog to cog, like a cash machine /

Then Ill be a cock of the walk again, /

Yes, Ill be king of the streets again. /

ACT 1 SCENE 8

SECOND TO TURN RADIO ON IS ANTONIO.

THIS IS THE SAME DISCUSSION ON THE

WORLD CUP THAT WEVE JUST HEARD

WITH

MCCULLOCH. IT FADES INTO THE

BACKGROUND UNDERANTONIOS SPEECH.




11/49

11

RADIO

Every World Cup we hear the same phrase - the group of death- which is the

group of death? To be honest, Ive always said its just a phrase that sells

newspapers, it means nothing. But this year I have to admit that phrase did pop

into my head when I heard Englands draw. If theres a group of deathat all, it

has to be Englands group - Group D. Who in their worst nightmares would want to

fight out the group stage with Italy, with Uruguay, even with Costa Rica who must

not be underestimated. And theres the question of the time and place. Is it true

that England have drawn one of the toughest grounds to play their first match?

Well, its certainly tough in that its at the Arena da Amazonia, in Manaus. Its a

beautiful stadium, but its way up in the Amazon rainforest, and the temperature is

pretty constant at 23 to 27 degrees. Thats hot, and when you combine it with

unbelievable humidity, then thats a tough place to play. But surely, I hear you say,

its just the same for both teams? Well, yes. But will the Italians be more

accustomed to playing in stifling heat than Englands players? Only time will tell.

ANTONIO

Half Anglo-Saxon, half Latin blood, /

So win or lose, each way is good, /

If England win, Im a local lad, /

If Italy score Im the son of my Dad, /

I am the sum of both my parts /

An English head, Italian heart /

I made mistakes, there was a cost /

I know Im spared, I know Im blessed /

NARRATOR

He knows hes blessed, but hes close to the wind /

He supplements his wages from a fund /

Called stuff Ive nicked from work- a watch,/

A colleagues phone, a fountain pen - and each /

New thing he steals must be his last, /

Each new thing he steals must be his last.




12/49

12

ANTONIOS PHONE RINGS, AND HE PICKS

UP. HES RATTLED BECAUSE ITS HIS BOSS

FROM THE CALL CENTRE.

ANTONIO

(talking on phone)

Oh, Mr Wise, no, no, of course, /

Ive just got back into the house, /

Two extra shifts? Thats fine, no sweat, /

Ill take all the hours I can get. /

[pause]

Oh God, oh no. I hadnt heard, /

What stuff? His phone? Oh, man thats hard, /

If my phone was nicked Id be, well, you know/

Look, Mr Wise, Ive got to go, /

My girlfriends here, its a special day. /

Yeah, thanks. Our anniversary. /

NARRATOR

So he cuts the call and shuts his eyes, /

And to his inner ghost he says: /

ANTONIO

(rattled, scared, whispered)

I dont deserve the job Ive got /

Im blessed to have this one last shot /

I must not waste this chance Ive got /

I will not waste this final shot. /




13/49

13

ACT 1 SCENE 9

THIRD IN THE MONTAGE OF THE MEN

TURNING ON THEIR RADIOS IS MARLEY. HE

TUNES TO

A VERY DIFFERENT CHANNEL, A MUSIC

CHANNEL, PLAYING STRANGERS IN

THE NIGHTVERSION BY FRANK

SINATRA. IT FADES INTO THE

BACKGROUND UNDER HIS SPEECH.

MARLEY

I tried again, still no reply /

Left a message, left a lie, /

Im watching a film on pay-per-view /

Beer in the mini-bar so if you /

Dont mind then I wont call again /

Its late, lets speak at breakfast-time /

Full English on a hotel plate /

Sets me up for the building site. /

Goodnight, kiss kiss, miss youI said, /

See you on Friday. Weekend in bed!/

Then I lay in the back of my transit van, /

And wondered if ever a call would come /

Not from her but from them: the foremen and gaffers /

The hirers and firers and casual staffers /

Converters of mills into sheeshy apartments,/

Clerks of the city hall building departments, /

Road menders, wreckers, the maintenance crews /

Rich kids with cellar conversions to do. /

Ive put ads in the papers, cards in the shops /

Ill lift and Ill graft and Ill work till I drop /

Ill lift and Ill graft and Ill work till I drop./




14/49

14

ACT 1, SCENE 10

NARRATOR

Predict the journeys of these men, their plans /

Their hopes, their strategies to get them home, /

They know what all the grim statistics say: /

You sleep in cars, you rarely find a way, /

Back under brick and tile, but still you try. /

You drive into a city, beg and busk, /

You move the car each night because the risk /

Of robbery becomes too great to bear, /

Your car your only sanctuary, container /

Toppled from a ship in endless drift /

Across the Arctic oceans, all thats left /

Of home for you, a family sedan. /

A car without a destination, /

Sleeping bag as body bag, an ache /

From spine through legs to feet keeps you awake /

Rain on the roof, voice on the radio, /

Some money man whose talk of macro-/

Economics falls from fiscal cliffs /

And settles on a sleepers dreaming lips...

ANTONIO

A rise in growth, liquidity...




15/49

15

NARRATOR

It sings to him like liturgy /

It lands, a snowflake on his tongue /And prompts some half-remembered song.

ANTONIO

(sleepily sings)

Strangers in the night, exchanging glances /

NARRATOR

Lovers at first sight, no second chances. /

The hours grow small, and cars head home or out /

Except those parked in streets and empty lots /

A backstreet verge where no patrol cars pass, /

An unlit transit pulled up on the grass /

Its engine idling once an hour for heat. /

MARLEY

Hot in the sunshine, freezing after dark, /

Ive had sunstroke in Platt Fields Park, /

And frostbite in St Peters Square. /

The great northern desert of Manchester.

NARRATOR

Ekeing out the weekly fill of fuel /

These men in cars have fitful sleep, not full, /

They drowse and mutter what they may call prayers /

MARLEY

Forgive my lies and keep me from despair...

NARRATOR

Or what they may call gibberish...




16/49

16

ANTONIO

One day, oh yes, one day I wish...

NARRATOR

Or what you might call self-control...

MCCULLOCH

Do not drink more, McCulloch, no, /

Enough means sleep, too much means shame /

I will not tread that path again /

I must not tread that path again./

MCCULLOCH TURNS THE RADIO ON, AND

TUNES TO A PHONE IN SHOW WHERE WE HEAR

A FEMALE PRESENTER (VOICED BY

NARRATOR?) TALKING TO ANTONIO

RADIO

And on the line now Ive got Antonio. Good evening, Antonio.

Good evening.

ANTONIO

RADIO

And where are you from, Antonio?

Manchester.

ANTONIO

RADIO

And what do you do, Antonio?

ANTONIO

Youre asking a lot about me. Ask any more and well have to get married.Reproduced b y kind perm ission of t he autho r. This script is the copyright of t he autho r and may not b e copied,sold or perform ed wit hout advance permission.



17/49

17

RADIO

Well, I like a lad who doesnt hang about. You cut to the chase, Antonio.

ANTONIO

I always do. Its my Italian blood.

RADIO

And what do you do for a living?

ANTONIO

I work in a call centre.

MCCULLOCH

A call centre! God help the boy, /

Id rather join the unemployed! /

NARRATOR

I think youll find youre in that club /

By dint of not having a job. /

RADIO

And do you think you know the answer to tonights star question, Antonio?




18/49

18

Yeah, I think I do.

ANTONIO

RADIO

For a hundred pounds, the question is: Which Frank Sinatra song won three

Grammys in 1967, and featured the legendary Glen Campbell on rhythm guitar?

ANTONIO

Is it Come Fly With Me?

RADIO

Im afraid thats the wrong answer, Antonio. Thanks for trying.

ANTONIO

Oh damn. Well, will you come fly with me anyway?

RADIO

Do you fancy yourself a bit, Antonio?

I dont have to.

ANTONIO




19/49

19

RADIO

I like your style, Antonio. Best of luck, nice talking to you. Next caller please.

MCCULLOCHStrangers in the Night! You clueless clown! /

A hundred quid! Ill get my phone.../

MCCULLOCHS IS INTERRUPTED BY A

SHARP KNOCKING AT THE WINDOW. WE

HEAR THE ELECTRIC WINDOW WIND DOWN.

NARRATOR

Its a man in a uniform, not the police /

But a hotel concierge with Please /

Would you move on?...

MCCULLOCH

... Ive done no crime.

NARRATOR

But hes been parked on yellow lines /

For twelve hours outside one hotel /

Which might disturb its clientele /

So if he doesnt move elsewhere... /

MCCULLOCH

I wish to see your manager.../

NARRATOR

A concierge can spot a tramp /

In car or not..




20/49

20

MCCULLOCH

You cannot clamp

NARRATOR

They can. So he accepts defeat, /

And leaves to find another street. /

ACT 1, SCENE 11

MARLEY

Deliver us from evil, Lord /

And on this night may we be spared /

ANTONIO

From groups of drunks with spray cans, knives /

MCCULLOCH

From a stutter and stall when you need to drive /

MARLEY

From a leak in the roof where the rain gets in /

MCCULLOCH

From a hot summer night in a sardine tin /

ANTONIO

Lu-lay, lu-lay, the blossom falls, /

The blackbird hides, the nightjar calls, /

MARLEY

The stars are sharp, the moon is clear, /Lu-lay, lu-lay, now sleep my dear. /




21/49

21

ACT 2 SCENE 1

NARRATOR

But these dear men dont sleep, or not for long, /

A car alarm two streets off, drunken songs /

Of home-bound stags and hens and birthday dos /

This second part of night, when those who choose, /

To get up in the morning head for trains, /

And bikes and night buses and trams,

Loud students kicked out of the clubs and bars, /

An argument that drifts down from the stars /

Until you realise its the balcony /

Four storeys up from you, a factory /

Converted into bijou New York lofts, /

And some young couple knocking pieces off /

Each other, argument turns into fight, Because hes

peddling her some shite /

About it being just a passing pout /

And nothing she should peck her head about, /

And when she screams he throws a glass at her /

She chucks a plate which drops.../

WE HEAR THE FIGHT IN THE BACKGROUND,

THEN AS THE SCREAM TAILS OFF THE

NARRATOR PAUSES, WHILE THE PLATE FALLS,

SMASHING ONTO THE ROOF OF MCCULLOCHS

CAR, WAKING HIM UP SUDDENLY.

...onto your car. /

NARRATOR




22/49

22

MCCULLOCH

Ahhh! What the hell?

NARRATOR

But he darent make a fuss /

Hes uninsured, untaxed, with no address. /

So when theyre woken, men in cars sit tight, /

And count their debts and blessings through the night. /

ACT 2 SCENE 2

MCCULLOCH

I was, I am, the kind of man you trust. /

You need a volunteer, friend? Im the first. /

I made some bad calls, placed a few sick bets, /

So I tried to pay off debts with debts, /

Sort cards with cards, clear loans with loans, until... /

I lost my nerve, stopped opening the bills, /

So then I lost my business, lost my wife, /

My home, my job, my liberty, my life, /

But never lost this car, this suit, these shoes. /

If you look the part then youll get your dues. /

If you turn up smart then theres always hope, /

So you wont find me on the end of a rope, /

Ive a Paul Smith suit and I drive a Merc, /

My names McCulloch, Im looking for work. /

I can conjure spreadsheets, run a team /

Security consultant, cream of the cream, /

What do I do? No crap, no spin, /

Keep the wrong ones out and the right ones in, /

I keep the wrong ones out and the right ones in. /




23/49

23

NARRATOR

A changed man, eh? I wish it was true, /

But look in the car and youll catch a clue, /

His pockets are stuffed with betting slips. /

And his diary is full of long-odds tips./

MCCULLOCH

Dont judge me yet, just a matter of weeks, /

A run of bad luck, a few mistakes, /

But Ive run the numbers again and again, /

And Im getting so close to the perfect ten, /

A deca-bomb, parlay, a compound machine, /

A system so fine-tuned that whichever team /

Comes out with the trophy my win is secure, /

Ive hedged it and each-wayed and checked till Im sure, /

(Unless its Honduras or Ecuador), /

Soon I wont be sleeping in cars any more, /

The bookies will cry when they write my cheque, /

And then word will get round that McCullochs back, /

Just when they thought it had got too tough, /

They learn that you never write this boy off. /

They learn that you never write this boy off. /

ACT 2 SCENE 3

NARRATOR

Two miles away from the man in the Merc, /

The car next to Marleys old van goes berserk, /




24/49

24

WE HEAR GLASS SHATTERING, AND A VERY

INTRUSIVE CAR ALARM SUDDEN AND CLOSE.

NARRATOR

A brick through the windscreen, and all hell breaks loose, /

Laid in his van like a man in a hearse /

Marley jolts up liked hes wired to the mains. /

He hears the thief running and lays down again./

WE HEAR THE SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS

RUNNING FAST AWAY FROM THE SCENE OF

THE CRIME. THEN WE SWITCH BACK TO THE

INTERIOR OF THE VAN WITH MARLEY.

MARLEY

(muttering to himself, almost

whispering)

Sleep is a bird that flies through a house, /

We long for it to stay with us, /

We shut the doors, we set the traps, /

But out it flies, with all our hopes.

NARRATOR

And so he too lies wide awake, /

And in that wakeful state, takes stock./

MARLEY

I am a lucky, lucky man. /

I have a wife, I have a home, /

NARRATOR

You sleep in a van, youre living the dream. /




25/49

25

MARLEY

Id be fine if it werent for that sense of...

Shame. /

NARRATOR




26/49

26

MARLEY

Ive paid my money and made my choice, /

I could have ignored that siren voice, /

That told me to pack in a well-paid job, /

Testing blood in a hospital lab, /

White coat scientist, graduate, proud, /

But the siren voice came long and loud, /

So I chose what I chose and Ive got no debts, /

Im living from hand to mouth, and yet /

I lie here at night and I count my stars, /

Im fed and Im loved, no wounds, no scars, /On weekdays Im homeless, on weekends Im poor /

But its just for a bit, while I get off the floor, /

While I make some plans and decide what I want, /

While I take back control of my life...

ACT 2 SCENE 4

... but you cant. /

NARRATOR

Leave Marley to his dreams of taking control, /

Rise up from these streets lined with brick dust and coal, /

Float out across mill chimneys, gutters and slates, /

Out to an unobserved edgelands estate, /

ANTONIO

Where I cant sleep a wink, and if I close my eyes /

All is see is the screenshot that governs my days, /

A list of numbers, of hits and fails, /

NARRATOR

The grim litany of tele-sales. /




27/49

27

ANTONIO

Is that Mr Jackson? Good morning, Sir, /

May I ask when you last insured your car? / [pause]

Ive got something to say that could change your mind /

[pause]

Well theres no need for that, Sir, I think youll find /

Its illegal to threaten a thing like that, /

And I doubt very much you could make it fit, /

[pause]

Well if thats how you feel, Sir, then I should go, /

But remember call-workers are people too, /

I bid you good day, Sir, and if you have time/

There are anger-management courses online, /

It might be an hour well-spent in your day.../

[pause]Im sorry, Sir. I dont bend that way. /

WE HEAR A PHONE BEING PUT DOWN.




28/49

28

NARRATOR

Antonio, why do you put yourself through it?

ANTONIO

Ten k of debt is the reason I do it, /

Ten k of debt, and its heading for nine, /

Two years of this and Ive served my time, /

Debt back to zero I take on the world, /

For once in my life I could bring home a girl. /

NARRATOR

I could have been a contender, mate, /

But the world was against me. Hes one of those, /

With an albatross tale of the body blows /

That fate has dealt him. Oh, cruel fate, /

This lad should have won the Golden Boot, /

ANTONIO

Picked up at six for my skills on the ball, /

Most gifted newcomer, I won them all, /

Topped the academy, chucked out at ten, /

We dont think your quite what we hoped for then, /

So, sorry Antonio, all the best, /

Good luck in the world, youve failed your test./

NARRATOR

So, how do you pick up a striker that fails? /

His parents tried, but he ran off the rails, /

Got in with the bad boys, crashed and burned, /

Spent more on drugs than his parents earned, /




29/49

29

ANTONIO

Off my face and off the map, /

Took too much and I ended up.../

WE HEAR THE BEEP, BEEP OF A HEART

MONITOR IN INTENSIVE CARE.

NARRATOR

... Like a wired up corpse in intensive care /

ANTONIO

And my life turned around because I met there...




30/49

30

ACT 2 SCENE 5

ANTONIOS CONFESSION IS INTERRUPTED BY

MARLEYS PHONE RINGING. THE RINGTONE IS

A TINNY VERSION OF THE MELODYSTRANGERS IN THE NIGHT. IT'S MARLEY'S

WIFE. HE RANG EARLIER AND SHE WAS BUSY,

SO SHE'S RINGING BACK NOW. MARLEY

ANSWERS THE PHONE WEARILY.

MARLEY

Hello Babe, this is late for you. /

I left you a message, left you two.../

[pause]

Yeah, sure, well its good to hear your voice, /

Hows work? God I wish I could see your face./

The hotels nice, yeah, does the trick, /

What movie? Oh yeah, some chick-flick /

Was all they had. Actors? Not sure, /

Anyway, it passed an hour./

And now...

[pause]

Yeah, sleepy, wont talk late. /

Tomorrow is an early start. /

Its a new-build, suburbs, out of town, /

Ive got the street name written down /

somewhere...

[pause]

Does it? The room sounds small? /

Well, its a single since thats all.../




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[pause]

Its noisier than youd think, the streets outside. /

[pause]

Its probably the phone, its amplified, /

And well, these hotel walls are wafer thin, /

Thats budget chain hotels for you. /

[pause]

Ill sleep alright. I miss you too. /

Goodnight, my love, Its great to talk.../

[pause]

...just until I can get some work, / Some steady

work, a short commute, /

Then youll see me every night, /

Are you in bed? I like that thought, /

What are you wearing? Is it that short...

NARRATOR

...But then, as hes about to go, /

He hears a voice he doesnt know /

MARLEY

(worried, upset)

Whos that? A mans voice. Heard him laugh /

[pause]

MARLEY

No. That isnt good enough. /

It wasnt you, you didnt cough! /

The TV? I cant hear it now. /

Just tell me, is some man with you? [pause]




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MARLEY

Paranoid? No thats not right /

Oi! Dont just say goodnight! /

WE HEAR THE CALL CUT, LEAVING JUST A

DEAD TONE ON HIS PHONE.

MARLEY

I know hes there! I know your game! /

That bastard! I will swing for him! /

NARRATOR

Not yet he wont. He cant get home /

No petrol, so hes on his own. /

ACT 2 SCENE 7

NARRATOR

Back in the smarter, quieter streets, /

McCulloch readjusts his seat, /

and turns, and turns, and turns again, /

to stretch his legs and kill the pain, /

But nothing will relieve the ache, /

And so this tired man lies awake, /

Revisiting the sources of his loss.../




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MCCULLOCH

I guess youd call it helplessness, /

A man like me, who runs the show, /

Then suddenly, all that you know, /

All that you do and think and feel /

Is taken out of your control, /

And though its ancient history, /

I am still in recovery./

NARRATOR

Nineteen-ninety-eight...

World Cup, /

MCCULLOCH

The year that Beckham screwed it up, /

The sending-off, the national grief, /

For me, the end of my belief, /

That God was good, the world benign, /

My only daughter, love of mine.../

NARRATOR

His only daughter, twelve years old, /

The daughter who hed always told: /

MCCULLOCH

Everything will be alright.../

NARRATOR

Was rushed to hospital that night, /

MCCULLOCH

Her blood was wrong, thats all they said, /




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NARRATOR

And in that moment, in his head, /

The world was remade, hideous, new, /

MCCULLOCH

It bore no resemblance to the world I knew. /




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ACT 3 SCENE 1

NARRATOR

We slide into the third part of the night, /

The deepest, darkest, smallest hours when spirits /

(Not the optic kind that rest in rows /

above the bars of old pubs after hours) /

When spirits as in ghosts come out and walk, /

I like to think that theres a soul network, /

That when we die our spirits will slip out /

Between our lips, on our last breath, as light /

As fine as fibre-optics and as clear, /

Stripped of all uncertainty and fear, /

A cloud of fireflies dancing in the sky, /

Way too high for street-dwellers to see, /

But listen at the stillest point of dark, /

And you may hear the sound those fireflies make, /

As countless tiny wing-tips brush and cross /

An ecstatic reunion of the lost. /

And why would you doubt that those radio waves, /

Could carry a voice from beyond the grave, /

A frequency too high for human ears, /

Could filter through...

ANTONIO

...to men who sleep in cars. /




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ACT 3, SCENE 2

WE HEAR THE SOUND OF A RADIO IN

ANTONIOS CAR, WITH A DEDICATION FOR A

SONG.

RADIO

And this next one is from a lad called Marley. Hes working in Manchester and he

says this song is for his wife and her lover. Funny request there Marley! Anyway,

its an old favourite of ours...

RADIO STARTS TO PLAY STRANGERS IN THE

NIGHTBUT CROSSING FROM A BACKGROUND

SOUND TO A FOREGROUND VOICE THAT

DROWNS THE PUNDITS OUT, COMES THE

VOICE OF THE NARRATOR MIMICKING A YOUNG

GIRL.




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NARRATOR

(through the radio)

I remember you there, like a Christmas tree, /

Even more wires on you than me, /

And I heard the doctors tell your Mum, /

To ready herself for the loss of her son, /

ANTONIO

(scared)

Who are you? And why do you tell me this? /

Youve come from the edge of the edge of a place /

On the borders of sleep and consciousness, /

NARRATOR

(through the radio)

From the borders of this world and the next,/

But you didnt die on that first day, /

And when your parents went away, /

We talked about dying and living and choice, /

ANTONIO

If I turn this off, I get rid of your voice.

ANTONIO TURNS OFF THE RADIO, STILL

PLAYING STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT, AND THE

VOICES VANISH. CROSS-FADE TO INTERIOR OF

MARLEYS VAN, WITH THE SAME SONG COMING

TO AN END. HE SWITCHES OFF THE RADIO.




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ACT 3 SCENE 3

MARLEY

I hope you heard that, in your bed, /

But I bet you were doing him instead. /

Its no more than I knew, nor less than I feared, /

The price Ive paid for the nights out here. /

Four more hours and another one done, /

When I sleep in my van I get up with the sun, /

Then Ill drive to the truck park, shower and eat, /

Then spend the whole day with a cap at my feet, /

Playing the blues in St Peters Square, /

The same six chords on my old guitar, /

That cap is my pillow, my shelter, my bank, /

On days when the sky and my heart are blank. /




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HE PICKS UP HIS GUITAR AND PICKS OUT,

HALTINGLY, THE MELODY OF STRANGERS IN

THE NIGHT.

ACT 3, SCENE 4

NARRATOR

Too tired to think, too fretful to doze, /

McCulloch lines up his losses in rows /

MCCULLOCHThe respect of my friends, the respect of my wife, /

The love of my daughter, the love of my life, /

The pride of a gambler whos beaten the odds, /

The man with such chutzpah he plays with the Gods, /

And he wins. These are the things I have known, I have held,/

But my Mam said it isnt the end of the world, /

Yes she always said its not the end of the world.

ACT 3, SCENE 5

CROSS-FADE TO MARLEYS VAN AND SOME

FRENCH JAZZ. IN THE BACKGROUND,

FAINTLY, THE NARRATOR IS WHISPERING,

SOUNDING LIKE A YOUNG GIRL, THROUGH THE

RADIO.

NARRATOR

(through radio)

Say it, say it, say it, say it...

NARRATOR

Amid the strains of Gallic jazz, /

Marley hears a whispered voice, /

It calls him to confession, now, /

And so he tells the radio...




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MARLEY

Bless me, Wireless, I have sinned, /

I blew the job for which Id trained, /

I screwed it up, now Im condemned /

To walk these streets until the end, /

And all because on that first night, /

First shift, new boy, Im working late, /

I run the last test of the day, /

A young girl in for Ts andAs, /

Id met her, in the waiting room, /

A little girl, her Dad and Mum.../




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NARRATOR

She said to him: Are you the man /

Wholl check my blood?He said...

... I am./

MARLEY

Tonsils and Adenoids, thats all, /

Barely worth the bother, routine call, /

I do the blood count even so, /

White a bit high, platelets low, /

Nothing very odd, but still /

I think Id better check the cells, /

I make a glass slide, smear and stain, /

On to the microscope, and then, /

I see it. Look, refocus, look, /

Its classic, clear, textbook, /

stained up blue, a blast cell, no, /

Theres no-one here to show it to, /

It cant be that, shes Ts andAs! /

I look again, dont trust my eyes, /

But there is no mistaking it /

Those countless blast cells - lacy, lit /

So fragile looking, yet so clear /

The cells that spell leukaemia. /

NARRATOR

And three floors up two parents wait, /

Their daughter moans of her sore throat, /




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MARLEY

And no-one knows, apart from me, /

What shattering piece of destiny /

Has landed in their laps tonight, /

And I cant bear it, try as I might, /

I cannot bear this piece of news, /

And every time I shut my eyes /

I see her pallid, pleading face, /

Are you the man wholl check my blood?/

I am, I was, I will, I did. /

I was a scientist, this was my patch, /

Trained never to get attached, /

To read the bloods, report, move on, /

Keep work at work, and home at home, /

But I couldnt get rid of her voice in my head, /

Are you the man wholl check my blood?/

She called me back as I walked away, /

Dyou think Im going to be okay?/

She said to me as I walked away, /

Do you think Im going to be okay?/

And I said yes.../

I grabbed my coat, turned out the light, /

Walked out the hospital, and on, /

Until I found myself at dawn, /

Outside the town in a farmers ditch. /When I saw that cell, it flicked a switch /

I could not tell them what I knew, /

That test was the last I could ever do. /




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ACT 3, SCENE 6

MCCULLOCH

We sat on the chairs outside the ward, /

And waited for the routine bloods, /

They never came, we took her home /

Next day were back, they do the same, /

They take her blood, they run the test, /

And this time it does not get lost. /

Were led into a private room /

The doctor sits with a face like doom, /

And I knew, I just knew, as we walked in /

That nothing would ever be right again. /




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ACT 3, SCENE 7

ANTONIO

So they brought me back to the world of light, /

Cleaned me up and set me right, /

A teenage junkie out of his depth, /

Far from home, but close to death, /

When they brought me back to the world of light, /

Her face, in the next bed, was my first sight, /

She was on the ward when they brought me in, /

So we talked, and we laughed, and we said that when /

We both got out we would paint the town, /

We would go out dancing and drink champagne, /

Only she had no choices and I had them all, /

I was a smack-head whod lost the ball, /

And couldnt get it back. She shone. /

Its a long time ago, but its never gone, /

I can picture her face, can picture her smile, /

And she gave me an order: you get well./

So I promised, and made her pledge it too, /

I kept my promise, I still try to. /

I came off the ward, went back to school /

I cant say Ive followed every rule /

And I cant swear I stayed clean all the while, /

But I wouldnt be here if not for that girl. /

ACT 3, SCENE 8

MARLEY

I couldnt go back to the lab. No way. /

I quit my white coat the following day, /

I told my wife they laid us off /

A rationalisation of lab staff/

But I pray for that girl every night, /

God knows if she came out alright, /

If they ran the tests again? How fast? /

How far it had spread since I did my test, /

But I pray for her family every night, /

And I wonder if she came out alright. /Reproduced b y kind perm ission of t he autho r. This script is the copyright of t he autho r and may not b e copied,sold or perform ed wit hout advance permission.



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ACT 3, SCENE 9

MCCULLOCH

The day she went, I fell apart. /

Oh, I could take you back to the start, /

I remember that day frame-by-frame, /

The smell of the breeze, the weight of the rain, /

The touch of her cheek as she slipped away, /

I have every detail of that day, /

It is a script I know by heart, /

The day she went, I fell apart. /

ACT 3, SCENE 10

ANTONIO

It was one day after she spoke to me, /

They drew the curtains, I couldnt see, /

But I knew, and I heard her fathers voice /

Is it now?Has she gone?Then I made my choice, /

I would live, for her and me, for two, /

I wish Id asked her name, but no. /

ACT 3, SCENE 11

NARRATOR

Its Sarah. And I remember you, /

The boy with the rings and the bad tattoo. /

WE HEAR ANTONIO OPEN THE CAR DOOR

AND STAGGER OUT.




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ANTONIO

Morning! Come on legs, take my weight, /

Come on eyes, drink in daylight, /Ive been no saint, and Im not right yet, /

But my promise to her is my biggest debt./

So I greet each day with a kiss on the lips, /

Im quick on my feet, and slim in the hips, /

Im good with my hands, and sharp with my tongue, /

I will not be walking these streets for long, /

Theres a Jaguar showroom across from me, /

And on the courtyard now I see, /

The sun catch the glass of a supercar, /

So I promise myself and I promise her, /

That one day I will cross that yard, /

With a triple-Platinum credit card /

Ill pick my colour and take my key, /

And thats the last youll hear from me. /

NARRATOR

I watch nights tail-lights chased by day, /

Out along the Mancunian Way, /

And under the arches white-van-man, /

Is drinking his breakfast from a can. /

WE HEAR MARLEY TAKE A SWIG FROM A CAN,

AND SMACK HIS LIPS.

MARLEY

It aint the full English, Ill tell you that, /

But its higher in taste and lower in fat. /

WE HEAR MCCULLOCH OPEN HIS

MERCEDES DOOR AND STEP

OUT. HE ACHES, AND MOANS.




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MCCULLOCH

Hells teeth, my back! Im too old for this game, /

NARRATOR

Oh dad, if theres anyone left to blame, /

It is not you.

NARRATOR / MCULLOCH IN UNISON

NARRATOR

Another night gone, they leave their steel cells /

Lock them and walk off, remake themselves /

As early commuters, missing the rush, /

Into the cafe with toothpaste and brush, /

Shave in the toilets, pocket the soap, /

Switch on your phone, since youre living in hope, /

And the city stretches, the city yawns, /

Eases her joints and rubs her corns, /

Puts on her makeup, dresses to kill, /

From Spinningfields to Cheetham Hill, /

From the curry mile to the Ship Canal, /

From the Bridgewater Hall to the Palace Hotel, /

The first on the streets are the cleaners and cops, /

Newsagents unlock, unshutter their shops, /

Night porters clock off, doze on the trams, /

But the first on the streets are the ones without homes, /

Yes the first on the streets are the ones without homes. /

Aimless and shameless, committed no crime /

Save ekeing out coffees two hours at a time /




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WE HEAR UNDER THIS FINAL NARRATION,

ONE BY ONE BUT RAPIDLY, THREE CAR

DOORS SHUT, THEN THEY ARE LOCKED, AND

WE HEAR FOOTSTEPS WALK AWAY.

MCCULLOCH

(to waitress)

Tap water, and espresso please, my dear, /

Single, yeah, you know, blood pressure, /

I cant have too much caffeine... table, there /

Ive got a lunchtime meeting, papers to prepare. /

NARRATOR

Betting slips, more like. Oh, Dad, /

I miss the times we never had. /

MCCULLOCH

I said I would look after you, /

The one thing I could never do. /

NARRATOR

While youre on the streets, a car for a bed, /

I promise Ill watch over you instead. /

Mancunias daughter, but always yours, /

The patron saint of men who sleep in cars, /

Did you think the city was brick and stone? /

Did you believe you spent the night alone?/

Did you think I would leave you without hope? /

Well, stand in the morning sun. Look up./

[ENDS]




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[NOTE ON MUSIC: THERE ARE MANY VERSIONS OF STRANGERS IN THE

NIGHTTO USE AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE PLAY - AS SOUND FROM

PASSING CAR, AS TRACK ON RADIO, AS DISTANT SOUND FROM

NIGHTCLUB, ETC. VERY DIFFERENT VERSIONS INCLUDE THE

FOLLOWING:

FRANK SINATRA - the classic version

CAKE - laid back and contemporary, not like Sinatra at all. PETULA CLARK - a

bit more upbeat, 60s dance track.

DIANA ROSS AND THE SUPREMES - more voices.

PLASTIC BERTRAND - wierd! French accented and spoken lyrics. SHIRLEY

BASSEY

GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS

ACAPULCO BRASS - brass, instrumental

FOSTER & ALLEN - Irish crooners RICHARD

CLAYDERMAN - solo piano

THE SANDPIPERS - in Spanish!

symmons roberts men who sleep in cars for website

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