Road to Glory

Duffield Neil

Description

A group of young villagers, some of them teenagers are persuaded to enlist in King Henry's army. They set sail from Southampton to claim the throne of France for England. Each has a different reason for going to war and their expectations vary, but none has any experience of fighting in a real battle.Combining fact and fantasy, the play takes us on a journey from the peace of rural England to the bloody battlefields of Agincourt in France, where the young villagers finally come face to face with the mightiest army in Europe. The reality is both shocking and brutal.What happens changes their lives forever.Ideal play for schools,colleges and youth theatres which questions the need for war and its consequences.Reviews of previous work"... an extraordinarily moving and effective play, so dramatic that, at times, it is almost assaulting."The Guardian"... this blazingly adventurous show."The Scotsman"... no doubting the show's mesmerising appeal to the imagination, which seized the audience with rapt delight."Daily Telegraph"... there is not a moment which isn't magical."Yorkshire Post"... a marvellous play, a complex dramatic story, challenging in both form and content"Times Educational SupplementAbout the authorNeil Duffield has written more than 50 plays which have been produced extensively throughout Britain and abroad. His playThe Lost Warrior,commissioned by the Dukes Lancaster, won the 2006 Arts Council of England Award for work which displays excellence, inspiration and innovation in children's theatre.Recent productions include:The Ugly Duckling(Sheffield Crucible andNottingham Playhouse 2007),Leopard(Sheffield Crucible 2007),The Hunchback ofNotre Dame(Dukes Theatre, Lancaster 2006).The Snow Queen(Watermill Theatre,Newbury 2006),The Firebird(Northumberland Theatre Company 2006),The Secret Garden(Helix Theatre Dublin 2005) andThe Emperor's New Clothes(Midlands Arts Centre, 2005).Neil is married to freelance theatre director Eileen Murphy and lives in Bolton.

Informations

• Publié par: Distributed By PublishDrive
• Date de parution: 28 février 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781906582814
• Langue: English

Extrait

Neil Duffield
Neil has written more than sixty plays and adaptations which have been staged extensively throughout Britain and abroad.
Other scripts include The Machine Stops (for York Theatre Royal), Brothers in Arms (Riding Lights Theatre Company), A Christmas Carol (Bolton Octagon Theatre); Twice upon a Time (Dundee Rep), Dancing in my Dreams (Oxfordshire Theatre Company); The Minotaur and Leopard (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield); The Emperor and the Nightingale and The Firebird (Dukes Theatre, Lancaster); The Secret Garden (Polka Theatre for Children); and Talking with Angels (Quicksilver Theatre, London).
His play The Lost Warrior (for The Dukes Theatre, Lancaster) won the Arts Council England Children’s Award in 2006 ‘for work which displays excellence, inspiration and innovation in children’s theatre.’
He is married to freelance theatre director Eileen Murphy and lives in Bolton.
First published in the UK in 2015 by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd
67 Grove Avenue, Twickenham, TW1 4HX
www.aurorametro.com [e-mail]
The Road to Glory © 2015 Neil Duffield
Cover image © 2015 Farrows Creative – Master Callum Hawkins
Production: Simon Smith
With many thanks to: Lucia Tunstall, Tracey Mulford, Ellen Cheshire, Fiona Kissane and Neil Gregory.
All rights are strictly reserved.
For rights enquiries including performing rights, contact the publisher: [e-mail]
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
In accordance with Section 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, Neil Duffield asserts his moral rights to be identified as the authors of the above work.
This paperback is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Printed in the UK by 4edge Limited. ISBN 978-1-906582-80-7
ebook conversion by Swift ProSys. ISBN 978-1-906582-81-4
The Road to Glory
by
Neil Duffield

AURORA METRO BOOKS
Opened in 2011 by actor and director Samuel West, The Berry Theatre is a 306 seat state-of-the-art venue offering an exciting programme of work for both audiences and participants.
Based in Hedge End, Hampshire, the theatre presents inspirational work for children and families.
Presenting the very best productions from across the UK, the venue brings a mixture of hand-picked new and classic stories to its audiences, with a world-class theatre, film and comedy programme offering something for everyone.
Alongside the theatre’s professional programme the venue runs a vibrant youth theatre and champions new writing through a range of workshops and performance platforms.
The Berry Theatre’s name comes from Hedge End’s own story – its famous strawberry-picking past.
www.theberrytheatre.co.uk
CONTENTS
THE ROAD TO GLORY
REHEARSAL IMAGES
The Road to Agincourt
The Road to Glory was commissioned as part of The Berry Theatre’s ‘Road to Agincourt’ project, a two year programme supported by the Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund marking the 600th commemorations of the Battle of Agincourt.
Year One focused on the Road to Agincourt and included the commission of three new productions: Across The Dark Water by Ben Musgrave, which toured historic sites in Hampshire recreating the events of the Southampton Plot to overthrow the King; The Road To Glory by Neil Duffield, and a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s thrilling Henry V performed by students from local secondary schools. These productions were supported by a travelling exhibition, guided walks, talks and events hosted by a variety of local partner organisations.
In partnership with Southampton University the second year of the programme commissioned an archaeological dig of the remains of Henry V’s flagship The Grace Dieu which now lays on the River Hamble. An online museum was created to house findings from the dig, and to provide an archive of all the interpretations and resources that were made during the project.
www.roadtoagincourt.co.uk
The Road to Glory
by Neil Duffield
A play about foreign wars and their effect on the young people who are sent out to fight them. Loosely based on the Battle of Agincourt, 1415.
Commissioned and first produced by The Berry Theatre, Hedge End.
The original production of The Road to Glory was performed at The Berry Theatre on the 30th and 31st October 2015 with the following cast: Anna Turner Klaudia Pacharew Alice Cook Anna Robinson Thomas Cooper Rowan Knox Langford James Fletcher Jake Hallman Margaret Turner Molly Dyer Edward Green Harvey Guenier Father Simon Janusz Swierczynski Lady Beatrice Shirley Charly Armstrong Robert Miller Lydia Johnstone King Faith Larkum Bishop Lucy McNulty William Foster Marianne Brabazon Agnes Wood Cassie Wicks French Noble/Prisoner Klaudia Zelazowska Messenger Connor Haynes
Creative Team Director Daniel Hill Designer Carl Davies Composer David Lewington Lighting Designer Shaun Hobbs Assistant Director Emily Edwards Technical Manager Tim Slater Stage Manager James Henderson Deputy Stage Manager Henry Anderson Assistant Stage Manager Leah Reeves Technician Ashton Partridge
For The Berry Theatre Artistic Director Owen Calvert-Lyons Executive Director Alan Wright
The Road to Glory
Cast size:
Flexible, male and female
Characters:
Chorus:
Flexible ages and numbers, male and female
James Fletcher:
Young adult
Alice Cook:
Young adult
Anna Turner:
Young adult
Margaret Turner:
Aged about twelve
Edward Green:
Aged about twelve
Thomas Cooper:
Adult
Father Simon:
Adult
Lady Beatrice Shirley:
Young adult
Robert Miller:
Adult
The King:
Young adult
Various other parts played by the Chorus
Songs:
The Cutty Wren (traditional)
The Swallow (original)
THE ROAD TO GLORY
by Neil Duffield
Set: Non-specific and multi-locational.
Costume: Not tied to any one period. A mixture of past and present.
Chorus: Numbers are flexible and may vary from scene to scene. Chorus members carry wooden staves which they use as bows, spears, lances, farm implements, banners, etc, as well as using them collectively to represent a pillory, a ship, etc.
Music/percussion (live or recorded) is used wherever appropriate to accompany songs, link scenes, and to add mood and atmosphere.
ACT ONE
Music. Lights up on the Chorus as farm workers, using their staves as scythes, pitchforks, etc, to gather in the harvest.
Straight into song.
Anna, Margaret and Thomas are among the harvesters. Thomas is attempting to teach Anna how to use a scythe – with little success. Margaret looks on.
CHORUS
‘Oh where are you going?’ said Milder to Moulder ‘Oh we may not tell you!’ said Festel to Fose ‘We’re off to the wood!’ said John the Red Nose ‘We’re off to the wood!’ said John the Red Nose ‘And what will you do there?’ said Milder to Moulder ‘Oh we may not tell you!’ said Festel to Fose ‘We’ll shoot the cutty wren!’ said John the Red Nose ‘We’ll shoot the cutty wren!’ said John the Red Nose ‘And who’ll get the spare ribs?’ said Milder to Moulder ‘Oh we may not tell you!’ said Festel to Fose ‘We’ll give them all to the poor,’ said John the Red Nose ‘We’ll give them all to the poor,’ said John the Red Nose.
Music underscores and work continues as the Chorus address the audience.
CHORUS
Imagine a time:
CHORUS
A time that is as much fantasy as it is fact.
CHORUS
As much present as it is past.
CHORUS
A time that is neither now nor then.
CHORUS
Imagine a village.
CHORUS
A village that is as much invented as it is real.
CHORUS
As much near by as it is far away.
CHORUS
A village that is neither here nor there.
CHORUS
In this imaginary time
CHORUS
and this imaginary village,
CHORUS
women are as men
CHORUS
and men are as women
CHORUS
We perform the same roles,
CHORUS
enjoy the same rights.
CHORUS
suffer the same burdens.
CHORUS
In this imaginary time
CHORUS
and this imaginary village,
CHORUS
truth floats like a mist on the sea,
CHORUS
and history is the driftwood of yesterday
CHORUS
washed up on the shores of today.
CHORUS
In this imaginary time
CHORUS
and this imaginary village,
CHORUS
the road to glory begins.
CHORUS
But we villagers have yet to set foot on that fateful path.
CHORUS
For the moment, our lives proceed as normal.
Music ends.
THOMAS (getting exasperated)
You’re cutting it too high, Anna. Look at all the waste. What’s the steward going to say when he sees that? You need to swing lower. The way I showed you.
CHORUS
Thomas Cooper.
CHORUS
A kindly man.
CHORUS
But not the most patient.
THOMAS
I don’t see what’s so difficult about it… Give me the scythe. (He demonstrates.) Swing to the side… Down… And back… That’s all there is to it.
Try again.
CHORUS
He’s been at it all morning.
Anna tries again with the same lack of success.
THOMAS
To the side… Down… And back. Swing, Anna. Swing!
ANNA
To the side… Down… And back.
CHORUS
Anna Turner.
CHORUS
A determined young woman.
CHORUS
But not the brightest.
THOMAS
Swing! Didn’t you hear me say it?! Swing!
Alice appears elsewhere on the set. She has a quiver of arrows over her shoulder and carries a bow along with a bulging sack. She stops for a moment to watch Anna’s efforts.
ALICE (to one of the Chorus)
It’s a waste of time. I don’t know why he bothers.
CHORUS (indicating the sack)
Rabbit stew tonight, is it?
ALICE
That’s for me to know and you to ponder.
CHORUS
Alice Cook.