Title: My world
by Hanzla from Warwickshire | in writing, fiction
Street in Britain. Groups of British boys (of all ethnicities), aged 13-17 years old, gather across the stage - some chatting, some on mobile phones, some smoking. Some are dressed in jeans and hoodies; others in tracksuits and trainers; a few are in school uniform. Offstage comes the Islamic call to prayer. Hearing the call, the boys jump up. They face out to the audience, where they freeze in a neutral position, for a beat. Then, as if moving through a jungle, they creep to the middle of the stage in slow motion. We see each character climb over an invisible log, or sweep away a dangling branch. Eventually, they finish up standing, in two parallel rows facing the audience. They pull out of each pocket a white prayer cap, and place them cautiously on their head.
Boy 1:
Time!
Everyone uniformly checks their watches
Boy 2:
You sure?
Boy 3:
Three minutes past
Boy 1:
You're fast
Boy 4:
You're slow
Boy 1:
You heard the Azan.
All:
No. We don't have ears. Look
They pull off their prayer cap in a cannon (ripple effect) to reveal a second cap
Boy 1:
Ask him
Points offstage. Enter Bilal, looking nervous, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt
Boy 2:
Ignoring Boy 4, and addressing Boy 1
Enough of you
Boy 1:
Fight?
Boy 2:
Get him
To the beat of a drum one row turns on the other. A slow motion, martial arts fight is underway. Big Ben sounds. Bilal, screams and freezes. All the other heads twist to see and freeze- a range of expressions and gestures-shock, curiosity, aggression.
Enter two newsreaders (male or female), dressed in suits. Wearing glasses. Carrying papers. The boys become afraid, cowering behind each other and freeze with terrified expressions. Newsreaders stare at the boys before continuing downstage left. Big Ben chimes its last note.
Newsreader 1:
The British Muslim Community was devastated as violence consumed Britain's streets.
Newsreader 1 turns her head sharply towards Newsreader 2, awaiting a reply. Newsreader 2 is shuffling papers, unaware it is her turn. Newsreader 1 looks out to the audience and nudges Newsreader 2 hard in the ribs. Newsreader 2 drops the papers. Newsreader 1 motions newsreader 2 towards the boys, newsreader 2 tiptoes in comedic fashion, pulls out a camera, takes a picture of the boys, then races back and hides behind Newsreader 1.
On camera flash, boys run to different parts of stage looking for exit- freeze. Newsreader 1 looks disapprovingly at now triumphant Newsreader 2. They turn to watch boys, scribbling down what they see.
Boy 3:
Let's hide up here.
The boys form a human triangle rising upwards. All but the tip of the triangle is formed. Bilal looks up in amazement and 'I'll be there for you'- The Rembrandts plays
From within the triangle
Boy 5:
Up here
Bilal, looks in horror before beginning his ascent. Half way up, he loses his footing and the entire triangle collapses. Boys freeze. Bilal is lost amongst the bodies. Music stops.
Newsreader 1:
The tower has fallen. Beheaded by extremists.
She motions to Newsreader 2, who creeps up to the pile of boys and takes a snapshot.
News Reader 1 assumes control, and walks towards the frozen pile of boys, s/he pulls Bilal from amongst them and leads him down-stage centre where Newsreader 2 takes another picture. Bilal, scared, stands between the Newsreaders'
Newsreader 1:
Interrogating Bilal
What are you?
As Bilal's speech continues, the boys rise and one by one join in the speech. The final sentence is said in chorus, and the boys have all reformed their prayer lines with Bilal in the centre. As this happens, the Newsreader' become increasingly fearful. They turn their backs and block their ears with their hands.
Bilal:
I am a man. What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form, in moving, how express and admirable! In action how like an angel in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world!
Blackout
Play opens by depicting the everyday world of young British Muslims. However, as time progresses, and with the introduction of two media figures, this everyday depiction degenerates into confusion and chaos for the Muslim characters. Culminates when the Bilal, the central character, has his identity directly called into question by a news reporter, at which point he realises, to the anger of the media characters, that he is a man (i.e. cannot be defined by his religion), and that all mankind is beautiful. Inspired by Oscar Wilde's Salome and recent world events Credits: (Uses a quotation from 'Hamlet')
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