Hope and Joy & The Return. Ellie Stewart

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      First published in 2020 by Salamander Street Ltd.

      ([email protected])

      Hope and Joy & The Return © Ellie Stewart, 2020

      All rights reserved.

      Application for professional and amateur performance rights should be directed to the author c/o Salamander Street. No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained, and no alterations may be made in the title or the text of the adaptation without the author’s prior written consent.

      You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

      ISBN: 9781913630027

      Printed and bound in Great Britain

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      CONTENTS

       Hope and Joy

       The Return

      The Return is a playful reimagining of real events surrounding a trial for imposture in 1560 in the South West of France. It is not faithful to any historical account of the events. I gratefully acknowledge as inspiration the writing of Natalie Zemon Davis (The Return of Martin Guerre, 1983) and Jean Coras (Arrest Memorable du parlement de Tolose, 1561).

      Hope and Joy was written over several years. Winning the Tron Theatre Progressive Playwright Award was a key stage in its development.

      Heartfelt thanks goes to the extended network of people who made the writing of these plays possible, and special thanks to Philip Howard and Caitlin Skinner for making exciting things happen.

      Ellie Stewart, May 2020

      Hope and Joy

      a Pearlfisher and Stellar Quines commission

      Hope and Joy, produced by Stellar Quines and Pearlfisher, was first performed on Friday 25 October 2019, Cumbernauld Theatre, before embarking on a Scottish tour.

HOPE	Kim Gerard
JOY	Beth Marshall
MAGNUS	Ryan Havelin

Creative Team
Director	Caitlin Skinner
Set and Costume Designer	Becky Minto
Lighting Designer	Emma Jones
Sound Designer	Susan Bear
Movement Director	Amy Kennedy
Movement Direction Mentor	Christine Devaney
Stage Manager	Sophie Wright

      Characters

      HOPE

      female (between 20 and 40)

      JOY

      female (between 40 and 60)

      MAGNUS

      male (age 16/17)

      PART 1

      The beating wings of a large bird increase in frequency and decrease in volume until it sounds like a foetal heartbeat.

      ***

      Summer.

      A room in a hospital.

      HOPE is in labour. She’s in the middle of a contraction. She is groaning.

      JOY is supporting her physically.

      JOY: Keep moving. Keep breathing. You’re doing great.

      A wee while. The contraction passes.

      JOY: There you go. That’s better, isn’t it?

      First time?

      HOPE: Last.

      JOY: They all say that.

      Till the next time.

      What are you having?

      HOPE: What am I having?

      JOY: Girl or boy?

      HOPE: I don’t know. It’s … unexpected.

      JOY: One night stand?

      Beat.

      HOPE: Kind of.

      JOY: Pished were you?

      HOPE: No!

      Pause.

      HOPE: It was …

      I think there might be complications.

      JOY looks at HOPE’s notes.

      JOY: Nothing in your notes, Hope.

      HOPE: No. I didn’t …

      But I think it might be …

      I don’t know what to expect.

      JOY looks at the notes.

      JOY: None of us knows what to expect.

      Pause.

      HOPE: The circumstances of conception were … unusual.

      JOY: None of our business how the wean got in there. The main thing is, it gets out safe.

      HOPE: I think it might be a wee bit unique.

      JOY: Look, if you’ve got a medical history just write it in your notes.

      JOY passes the notes to HOPE.

      JOY: Write it in some kind of squiggly handwriting – makes it look like a Doctor’s.

      HOPE: I can write my own notes?

      JOY: Somebody has to. No one else has time. But do it quick before the next contraction.

      Too late. The contraction has started.

      JOY: Is the Father coming in?

      HOPE breathing. Shakes her head.

      JOY: Anyone you can call?

      HOPE groaning.

      JOY: Girlfriend?

      HOPE groaning.

      JOY: Mum?

      HOPE groaning.

      JOY: Pal?

      The contraction is passing.

      JOY: You won’t be long now. That’s my shift finished.

      HOPE: What?

      JOY: I don’t get overtime for this.

      HOPE: But I don’t know what’s happening!

      JOY: You must have some idea.

      HOPE: No!

      HOPE shakes her head.

      JOY: From the telly?

      HOPE: No.

      JOY: You’ll be fine. There are four born every second. (Claps four times quickly.) Just like that.

      HOPE: Not like this one.

      JOY: You’ll be fine.

      HOPE: When does the next midwife start?

      JOY: Midwife?

      They don’t call a midwife till you’re at least seven centimetres dilated.

      If it all goes to plan you probably won’t even see a midwife.

      HOPE: But you’re a midwife.