Monologue Research

MUSWELL HILL by Torben Betts

Synopsis:
One night in January 2010 and an earthquake in Haiti leaves around a hundred thousand people dead and almost two million homeless. Meanwhile, somewhere in a leafy North London suburb, a group of six individuals convene over avocado and prawns, followed by a monkfish stew. They struggle with worries over their mortgages, their mobile phone tariffs, their Facebook friends, their careers, their love lives, their diets, their alcohol intake, their holiday plans and whether or not any of them will be able to make any lasting impression on history.

The play is set in 2012 and was first performed at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond, 8 February 2012.

Playwright
Torben Betts, born 10 February 1968 in Stamford, Lincolnshire. He attended the University of Liverpool where he read English Literature & English Language, and originally trained to become an actor, but later change course to begin writing plays. He said that part of the reason for this transition was the difficulty he faced as an actor without an agent and that playwriting allowed him to "exercise all my instincts as an actor without actually having to live the life". In 1999 Alan Ayckbourn invited him to be the resident dramatist at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre.

Setting the Scene:

Mat and Jess are having a dinner party at their fashionably decorated home in Muswell Hill. So far, Karen and Simon have arrived. Karen is Jess's slightly-depressed single friend; Simon is an old university friend of Mat's, also single. ANNIE, Jess's younger sister arrives late. This monologue is her arrival speech: she has just taken some cocaine and so frequently wipes her nose with the back of her hand. Tony arrives soon after, invited by ANNIE. ANNIE (23) and Tony (60) are having an affair: in fact, Annie believes they are engaged (although Tony is already married with children). He works in a drama school and seduced Annie with the idea that she could become an actress.

The Monologue

ANNIE
Oh my god I’m so sorry I’m late I had to stay behind at work for an hour and then I set off to get here and I got as far as the tube station and then I realised I’d left my bag with my purse and my phone and my Oyster card at the reception desk can you believe it and so I had to traipse all the way back to work but when I got there the girl who’d taken over from me had handed the bag into security so I had to go down to the basement where the security office is and I had to speak to this woman there who doesn’t like me at all and I had to ask her for my stuff back but she said I had to prove my identity before she’d hand over the bag even though she knows perfectly well who I am as I’ve been working there for two months and anyway like I say she made me wait for ages on purpose so she could have her little bit of power over me but then in the end this old guy who is head of security who I think fancies me a bit he told her off for being such a jobsworth and he let me have my stuff back and then I ran back to the tube and I know I should have called on the way but there was no power left on my phone as it’d been on all day and I hadn’t been able to charge it up but anyway I’m here now aren’t I and oh my god your kitchen I forgot how gorgeous it is it’s like something out of a magazine…

…

It really is like something out of Hello and is this a bread-maker I see before me my God I’d die to have a place half as nice as this but anyway I’m talking too much now I know I’m just a bit nervous so I’ll stop now I’m sorry I’m just a bit I just need to simmer down

JULIUS CAESAR by William Shakespeare
Synopsis:
It is a tragedy and was written in 1599. It portrays the 44BC conspiracy against the Roman dictator Julius Caesar; his assassination and the fefeat of the conspirators at the Battle of Philippi. It is based on true events from Roman history which also includes Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra. Despite the title, Julius Caesar is not the most visible character in it's action as he only appears in five scenes. 

Playwright:

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. His works including some collaborations consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems and a few other verses. He was born on 26th April 1564 and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. He married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18 and he had three children with her who are Susanna and twins Hamnet and Judith. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later.

Setting the Scene:
Portia, wife of Brutus is plotting to kill Julius Caesar. She's in the garden of her house in Rome and it's set in 44BC. Her husband Brutus is also there and the young servant Lucius is asleep nearby. Her husband Brutus has crept from their bed and left her alone. Portia finds him and pleads with him to tell her the cause of his strange behaviour.

The Monologue:

PORTIA

Y’ave ungently, Brutus,

stole from my bed; and yesternight at supper

You suddenly arose and walk’d about,

Musing and sighing, with your arms across,

and when I ask’d you what the matter was,

you star’d upon me with ungentle looks.

I urg’d you further, then you scratch’d your head,

And too impatiently stamp’d with your foot.

Yet I insisted; yet you answer’d not,

But, with an angry wafture of your hand,

Gave sign for me to leave you. So I did,

Fearing to strengthen that impatience

Which seem’d too much enkindled, and withal

Hoping it was but an effect of humour,
Which sometime hath his hour with every man.

It will not let you eat, nor talk, nor sleep,

And could it work so much upon your shape

As it hath much prevail’d your condition,
I should not know you, Brutus. Dear my lord,

Make me acquainted with your cause of grief.