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Seatown

 

The first public performance of this play was a reading directed by Sophia Hall at The Blue Room Theatre on the night of the Blood Moon, 28th August 2007

Cast  

Paula                                                      Kate Rice    

Young Paula                                          Mischa Ipp

Cess                                                       John Aitken

Elton                                                      Igor Sas

Myrna                                                    Polly Low 

Laura                                                     Kristy Sisdrunk

Sun Fat Chow                                        Chris Wu 

Bird Woman    Nana Wik                      Carolyn McKenzie

Baxter   Dick Fortescue                         Ingle Knight

Gary Mead   Constable Tanner              Kamhal Osma

Father Black   Boy 2                              Simon Clark           

Morgan Landy  Boy 1  Colin Darby      Gary McNeill

Simon    Tione                                       Ben Russell

Ben     Leonie                                        Nicholas Robbie

      

        CHARACTERS

PAULA CRISP: A thirty year old woman who has retained the aura of unattainable beauty and intelligence, that she had as a young girl of fifteen.

 

YOUNG PAULA: Paula's fifteen year old daughter, who plays the part of her mother as a girl. 

 

CESS PAINTER:  A very large man who died at the age of fifty three from a heart attack brought on by obesity.

 

BIRD WOMAN:  A bag lady in salvaged clothing, unkempt and of an indeterminate old age.

 

ELTON CRISP:  The pale Banker.

 

MYRNA CRISP:  The pale Banker's menopausal wife.

 

BEN CRISP:   The pale Banker's son, Paula's younger brother. A problem kid.

 

BOYS 1 & 2:  Just boys.

 

COLIN DARBY: The Publican.

 

LAURA MANSON:  A voluptuous woman.

 

SIMON WIK:  A youth, in love with Young Paula.

 

GARY MEAD: A Catholic boy, popular with girls.

 

CONSTABLE TANNER: The town's only policeman.

 

DICK FORTESCUE:  The Newsagent.

 

FATHER BLACK   The town's Catholic priest.

 

SUN FAT CHOW:  A Chinese  Grocer.

 

NANA WIK:  Simon's vindictive grandmother.

 

MORGAN LANDY:  The town drunk.

 

BAXTER GRUNGE:  A living fossil, who runs the General Store.

 

LEONIE &  TIONE GRUNGE:  Baxter's promiscuous twin teenage daughters.

 

 

 

                                                  ACT ONE

 

Winifred Atwell  “Black and White Rag”.

 

YOUNG PAULA:      Mum, where are we going? 

 

PAULA:              To Seatown darling. 

 

YOUNG PAULA:      Why?

 

PAULA:                     To remember.

 

YOUNG PAULA:      Remember what?

 

PAULA:                     Remember where we came from. 

 

Sounds of the sea.

 

                                    I lived in Seatown until I was sixteen. I was only a child but I know what I saw. I remember as an adult,

                                    what I saw as a child. If you ask someone who was an adult then, you shouldn’t expect the truth. 

 

CESS:                         Truth is many layered. Secrets, half truths and lies are part of the  

                                    fabric of knowing. 

 

PAULA:                    Seatown was a small port on the mineral coast, where the opium traders used to beach their sampans.

                                   Before  the big mining booms, before they dredged the harbour and built a new town, it was small

                                   enough for everyone to know nearly everyone else’s business.

 

CESS:                         Nearly.

 

PAULA:                    Children were told very little. I learned to listen, as I grew older. When they have ignored you, all your

                                   life, adults don’t notice you listening. I saw many things, as a child. When I began to listen, I began

                                   to understand what I had seen. That is what I mean, when I say I remember as an adult, what I saw as

                                   a child. This is where I lived as a child, until I was as old as you are now. This is my story. It’s time to

                                  remember.

 

 

This script is now available at the Australian Script Centre:  

 

 http://australianplays.org/playwright/ASC-3541

 

The trilogy in progress:

 
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