This short play was wrote in 2001 I think during the end of university when I was really influenced by Samuel Beckett and is a attempt again to show everybody is the same.

It first got staged in 2002 at Bolton after I left. I remember it completely confusing the audience which perhaps is the point.

Sleepwalkers

(A PLAY FOR 5 PEOPLE)

(LIGHTS UP)

CHARACTERS LINED UP LIKE THIS

B                                              C

                    A

D                                             E

(THERE ARE 5 CHARACTERS CALLED A, B, C, D AND E

ALL SITTING ON 5 CHAIRS IN THIS ORDER. ALL CHARACTERS MUST BE WEARING ROUGHLY THE SAME CLOTHES AND SIMILAR LOOKING MAKE IP, OF ALMOST LIKE A GHOST LIKE COLOUR.

THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE (IF IT IS A MAJOR DIFFERENCE) IS THE MAKE UP WHICH IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TO HINT AT A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE.)

(ALL 5 CHARACTERS AT THE BEGINNING MUST BE LOOKING DOWN ON THE FLOOR, SPRAWLED OUT LIKE A PUPPET FOR A FEW SECONDS ON THE CHAIRS. THERE IS NO MOVEMENT UNTIL A HEARTBEAT STARTS IN A LOOP OFF STOP. A LOOKS UP FIRST LIKE A PUPPET THEN DROPS BACK DOWN AGAIN. B DOES THE SAME, THEN C, THEN D AND FINALLY 4. ONCE THIS IS DONE, GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING. THE HEARTBEAT THEN STOPS. A CHARACTER GETS UP ALMOST DRUNKEN AND STEPS OVER TO THE AUDIENCE. HE SELECTS ONE OF THE AUDIENCE SAT AT THE FRONT AND SAYS)

A:

I am love

(A FREEZES, HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(B RAISES HIS HEAD. STORMS AS IF IN A TEMPTER OR A RAGE TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE. LIKE A, HE STOPS ALMOST AT RANDOM AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE AND SAYS)

B:

I am rage

(B FREEZES. HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(C RAISES HIS HEAD. LOOKS AROUND NERVOUSKY, AS IF FRIGHTENED OR ON EDGE AND STILL LOOKS UNEASY STEPS TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE, AND LIKE THE PREVIOUS TWO CHARACERS, STOPS AT SOMEBODY AT COMPLETE RANDOM)

C:

I am fear

(C FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(D’S HEAD RAISES. NO DISJOINTMENT OR ANYTHING. MOVEMENT IS SOLID, BUT AS HE BEGINS TO START WALKING, IT IS CLEAR HE CANNOT SEE WHERE HE IS WALKING, YET HE STILL MAKES IT OVER TO THE AUDIENCE, ALMOST BY GOOD LUCK THAN ANYTHING ELSE. FOLLOWING THE PATTERN, OF THE THREE PREVIOUS CHRACTERS, HE THEN STOPS AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE ALSO AND SAYS)

D:

I am darkness.

(D FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(E’S HEAD RAISED. LIKE D, HE HAS SOLD MOVEMENT BUT ALTHOUGH D, IT IS CLEAR FROM HIS WALKING, HE IS NOT BLIND AND CAN SEE PERFECTLY STILL. HE TAKES A POSITION IN THE CENTRE OF THE 4 OTHER CHARACTERS FACING THE AUDIENCE AND THEN SPEAKS)

E:

I am hope.

(LIGHTS GOES DOWN)

(WHEN THE LIGHTS COMES BACK UP, THE ORDERS THE CHARACTERS WERE SITTING IN HAS CHANGED THE FOLLOWING ORDER STILL SAT ON THE CHAIRS):

A                                                                 B

                                       E

D                                                                C

(THERE IS NO MOVEMENT UNTIL A HEARTBEAT START. E LOOKS UP FIRST LIKE A PUPPET. A CHARACTER GETS UP ALMOST DRUNKEN AND STEPS OVER TO THE AUDIENCE. HE LOOKS AT ONE OF THE AUDIENCE AT RANDOM AND THEN SAYS)

E:

I am love

(A FREEZES, HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(A RAISES HIS HEAD. STORMS AS IF IN A TEMPTER OR A RAGE TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE. LIKE A, HE STOPS ALMOST AT RANDOM AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE AND SAYS)

A:

I am rage

(A FREEZES. HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(B RAISES HIS HEAD. LOOKS AROUND NERVOUSKY, AS IF FRIGHTENED OR ON EDGE AND STILL LOOKS UNEASY STEPS TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE, AND LIKE THE PREVIOUS TWO CHARACERS, STOPS AT SOMEBODY AT COMPLETE RANDOM)

B:

I am fear

(B FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(C’S HEAD RAISES. NO DISJOINTMENT OR ANYTHING. MOVEMENT IS SOLID, BUT AS HE BEGINS TO START WALKING, IT IS CLEAR HE CANNOT SEE WHERE HE IS WALKING, YET HE STILL MAKES IT OVER TO THE AUDIENCE, ALMOST BY GOOD LUCK THAN ANYTHING ELSE. FOLLOWING THE PATTERN, OF THE THREE PREVIOUS CHRACTERS, HE THEN STOPS AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE ALSO AND SAYS)

C:

I am darkness.

(C FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(D’S HEAD RAISED. LIKE D, HE HAS SOLD MOVEMENT BUT ALTHOUGH D, IT IS CLEAR FROM HIS WALKING, HE IS NOT BLIND AND CAN SEE PERFECTLY STILL. HE TAKES A POSITION IN THE CENTRE OF THE 4 OTHER CHARACTERS FACING THE AUDIENCE AND THEN SPEAKS)

D:

I am hope.

(LIGHTS GOES DOWN)

(WHEN THE LIGHTS COME UP. THE ORDER THE CHARACTERS WERE SITTING IN HAS CHANGED AGAIN AND THE CHARACTERS WERE SAT IN THE FOLLOWING POSITION):

E                                                                 A

                                       D

C                                                                 B

(THERE IS NO MOVEMENT UNTIL A HEARTBEAT START. D LOOKS UP FIRST LIKE A PUPPET. A CHARACTER GETS UP ALMOST DRUNKEN AND STEPS OVER TO THE AUDIENCE. HE LOOKS AT ONE OF THE AUDIENCE AT RANDOM AND THEN SAYS)

D:

I am love.

(D FREEZES, HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(E RAISES HIS HEAD. STORMS AS IF IN A TEMPTER OR A RAGE TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE. LIKE A, HE STOPS ALMOST AT RANDOM AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE AND SAYS)

E:

I am rage

(E FREEZES. HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(A RAISES HIS HEAD. LOOKS AROUND NERVOUSKY, AS IF FRIGHTENED OR ON EDGE AND STILL LOOKS UNEASY STEPS TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE, AND LIKE THE PREVIOUS TWO CHARACERS, STOPS AT SOMEBODY AT COMPLETE RANDOM)

A:

I am fear

(A FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(B’S HEAD RAISES. NO DISJOINTMENT OR ANYTHING. MOVEMENT IS SOLID, BUT AS HE BEGINS TO START WALKING, IT IS CLEAR HE CANNOT SEE WHERE HE IS WALKING, YET HE STILL MAKES IT OVER TO THE AUDIENCE, ALMOST BY GOOD LUCK THAN ANYTHING ELSE. FOLLOWING THE PATTERN, OF THE THREE PREVIOUS CHRACTERS, HE THEN STOPS AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE ALSO AND SAYS)

B:

I am darkness.

(B FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(C’S HEAD RAISED. LIKE D, HE HAS SOLD MOVEMENT BUT ALTHOUGH D, IT IS CLEAR FROM HIS WALKING, HE IS NOT BLIND AND CAN SEE PERFECTLY STILL. HE TAKES A POSITION IN THE CENTRE OF THE 4 OTHER CHARACTERS FACING THE AUDIENCE AND THEN SPEAKS)

C:

I am hope.

(LIGHTS GOES DOWN)

(WHEN THE LIGHTS COME UP. THE ORDER THE CHARACTERS WERE SITTING IN HAS CHANGED AGAIN AND THE CHARACTERS WERE SAT IN THE FOLLOWING POSITION):

D                                                                E

                                       C

B                                                                 A

(THERE IS NO MOVEMENT UNTIL A HEARTBEAT START. C LOOKS UP FIRST LIKE A PUPPET. C GETS UP ALMOST DRUNKEN AND STEPS OVER TO THE AUDIENCE. HE LOOKS AT ONE OF THE AUDIENCE AT RANDOM AND THEN SAYS)

C:

I am love.

(C FREEZES, HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(D RAISES HIS HEAD. STORMS AS IF IN A TEMPTER OR A RAGE TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE. LIKE A, HE STOPS ALMOST AT RANDOM AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE AND SAYS)

D:

I am rage

(D FREEZES. HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(E RAISES HIS HEAD. LOOKS AROUND NERVOUSKY, AS IF FRIGHTENED OR ON EDGE AND STILL LOOKS UNEASY STEPS TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE, AND LIKE THE PREVIOUS TWO CHARACERS, STOPS AT SOMEBODY AT COMPLETE RANDOM)

E:

I am fear

(E FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(A’S HEAD RAISES. NO DISJOINTMENT OR ANYTHING. MOVEMENT IS SOLID, BUT AS HE BEGINS TO START WALKING, IT IS CLEAR HE CANNOT SEE WHERE HE IS WALKING, YET HE STILL MAKES IT OVER TO THE AUDIENCE, ALMOST BY GOOD LUCK THAN ANYTHING ELSE. FOLLOWING THE PATTERN, OF THE THREE PREVIOUS CHRACTERS, HE THEN STOPS AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE ALSO AND SAYS)

A:

I am darkness.

(A FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(B’S HEAD RAISED. LIKE D, HE HAS SOLD MOVEMENT BUT ALTHOUGH D, IT IS CLEAR FROM HIS WALKING, HE IS NOT BLIND AND CAN SEE PERFECTLY STILL. HE TAKES A POSITION IN THE CENTRE OF THE 4 OTHER CHARACTERS FACING THE AUDIENCE AND THEN SPEAKS)

B:

I am hope.

(LIGHTS GOES DOWN)

(WHEN THE LIGHTS COME UP. THE ORDER THE CHARACTERS WERE SITTING IN HAS CHANGED AGAIN AND THE CHARACTERS WERE SAT IN THE FOLLOWING POSITION):

C                                                                 D

                                       B

A                                                                 E

(THERE IS NO MOVEMENT UNTIL A HEARTBEAT START. b LOOKS UP FIRST LIKE A PUPPET AND GETS UP ALMOST DRUNKEN AND STEPS OVER TO THE AUDIENCE. HE LOOKS AT ONE OF THE AUDIENCE AT RANDOM AND THEN SAYS)

B:

I am love.

(B FREEZES, HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(C RAISES HIS HEAD. STORMS AS IF IN A TEMPTER OR A RAGE TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE. LIKE A, HE STOPS ALMOST AT RANDOM AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE AND SAYS)

C:

I am rage

(C FREEZES. HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(D RAISES HIS HEAD. LOOKS AROUND NERVOUSLY, AS IF FRIGHTENED OR ON EDGE AND STILL LOOKS UNEASY STEPS TOWARDS THE AUDIENCE, AND LIKE THE PREVIOUS TWO CHARACERS, STOPS AT SOMEBODY AT COMPLETE RANDOM)

D:

I am fear

(D FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(E’S HEAD RAISES. NO DISJOINTMENT OR ANYTHING. MOVEMENT IS SOLID, BUT AS HE BEGINS TO START WALKING, IT IS CLEAR HE CANNOT SEE WHERE HE IS WALKING, YET HE STILL MAKES IT OVER TO THE AUDIENCE, ALMOST BY GOOD LUCK THAN ANYTHING ELSE. FOLLOWING THE PATTERN, OF THE THREE PREVIOUS CHRACTERS, HE THEN STOPS AT A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE ALSO AND SAYS)

E:

I am darkness.

(E FREEZES – HEAD GOES DOWN LIKE A PUPPET TAKEN OFF THE STRING)

(PAUSE)

(B’S HEAD RAISED. LIKE D, HE HAS SOLD MOVEMENT BUT ALTHOUGH D, IT IS CLEAR FROM HIS WALKING, HE IS NOT BLIND AND CAN SEE PERFECTLY STILL. HE TAKES A POSITION IN THE CENTRE OF THE 4 OTHER CHARACTERS FACING THE AUDIENCE AND THEN SPEAKS)

B:

I am hope.

(LIGHTS GOES DOWN)

(WHEN THE LIGHTS COMES BACK UP, THE CHARACTERS LINED UP LIKE THIS AND THE HEARTBEAT STARTS STRAIGHT UP)

B                                              C

                    A

D                                             E

(THE CHARACTERS ALL SIT ONE UP AFTER THE AFTER AND SAY)

E:

I am everyman

(PAUSE)

D:

I am everyman

C:

I am everyman

B:

I am everyman

A:

I am everyman

(HEARTBEAT FLATLINES)

(LIGHT GOES DOWN)