(This was the fourth play I wrote and was part of a 48 H theater experiment where the play was based on two draws of items to define character and two draws of items to describe backdrop for situation. I drew 1. BigFoot and 2. A secret in character’s past and for the situation I drew 1. Aquarium and 2. handcuffs. The play had to be written in 24 hours but I only got 3 hours to do it as I was very busy that weekend and the directing – which I did myself as my play was quite wacky and lacked the right instructions as we had a 2000 wordcount restriction initially – had to happen over 24 hours too with actors selected by random draw and not chosen by the director. A fantastic human experiment )
Cast: MACK, ROWLAND, TOBY, NAYAL
Setting: Underground cellar with giant aquarium in the middle and stairs on the side
Time: Indistinct
START
Confined cellar space with a giant aquarium in the middle. Time indistinct
Voices in the dark comprising that of MACK, a young skinhead, TOBY, a mentally challenged young man, NAYAL, a girl in her twenties who looks like she has just been beaten up.
Away from this huddled group is ROWLAND, a young philippino lying handcuffed in front of the aquarium
NAYAL: Please, I don’t want to do this. Please don’t do this
MACK: Shut ya trap and get the lights back on
NAYAL: Please Mack, please. I promise I will stay indoors. I’ll never go out again if that’s what you want
MACK: (SOUNDING MURDEROUS) I said shut ya trap and get em lights on. Now!
TOBY: (WHIMPERING) I say Mack. Don’t do bad Nayal Mack. Don’t correct her face. She all ok Mack, please. She ok with face Mack
LX1: LIGHTS UP ON MACK TOBY AND NAYAL
LX2: SPOTLIGHT ON ROWLAND
Lights come up on MACK and TOBY who is holding MACK’s sleeve with one hand and wiping muck of his face with another. They are standing a few feet away from ROWLAND who is on the ground, bleeding from gashes in his face. NAYAL is walking back towards them trying to avoid looking at ROWLAND.
MACK: (SHAKING OFF TOBY AND WALKING BACK AND FORTH) Stop whimpering like a baby and get him up right now. I’ll show him how I crush roaches like him. Clean them up and then crush them. Just let them all understand what it is like to mess around with my sister. And you (POINTS FINGER TOWARDS NAYAL) you better get that slut paint off your face or I will thump it off like dad thumped momma’s face until she came off her high horses and knew where her place was
NAYAL: (CRYING AND WIPING MAKE-UP OFF HER FACE) I’m sorry Mack. I promise I’ll behave. Just don’t hurt him –
MACK: What did you say? You having feelings for this roach ay Nayal? I knew dad should never have taken you in with us, you and your prostitute mother.
NAYAL: She was your mother too!
MACK: (MOVING TOWARDS NAYAL THREATENINGLY) I said shut ya trap. You speak again, you’re going in the tub with your roach boyfriend here.
LX3: LIGHTS UP ON THE FULL STAGE
ROWLAND: (ADDRESSING NAYAL) Please help me. Nayal, don’t let him do this, please. Nayal
NAYAL keeps her head away from ROWLAND and scurries towards the wall near the stairs
MACK: (WITH A LAST UGLY LOOK AT NAYAL BEFORE TURNING BACK TO TOBY) Move it. Pick him up under the armpits (TOBY OBLIGES BUT ROWLAND IS RESISTING)
TOBY: Please Mack, I can no do it alone. Toby can no hold Rowland. Rowland slipping. Rowland biting Toby (YOWLS AS ROWLAND RESISTS AND BITES HIM AGAIN. ADDRESSING ROWLAND). Why you bite Toby? Toby put you to wash. Clean you up. Then if you good wash, stay quiet, Big Foot come. Big Foot only come when good wash. Mack, help Toby…
MACK: Ask Nayal to help you-
NAYAL: (OVERLAPPING) No! Please no
TOBY: (OVERLAPPING) No! No good
MACK: (OVER THE TOP) Shut ya traps!
NAYAL: Don’t ask me to do that. I can’t! I can’t! I helped you bring him down here but I won’t do more.
TOBY: You says girls ain’t cut for them boy things Mack. I need you. Help Toby Mack. Mack help Toby
MACK: (SNARLING) Fine, I’ll help you. What use you are to me, huh? A big guy like you. All these years with me you ain’t learnt nothing. All those roaches crushed. I told you how to do it but you ain’t got no light up there and you ain’t freaking made for your bulk. (GOES TOWARDS TOBY AND TAPS ON HIS HEAD) It’s in there that you ain’t made for this (POINTS TOWARDS TOBY’S HUGE BODY) You’re huge but useless. Soft. Remember Nick?
Projector: BigFoot Sliding Downhill Projector 0
TOBY: Please no say about Nick when Nayal here. Please Mack. She like Toby. If you say for Nick Nayal she no like Toby no more
MACK: Ain’t this a plan! Toby and Nayal. You got the hots for her big fella? (SNICKERING) Nayal and Toby. The prostitute and Dumbo
NAYAL: (OVERLAPPING) I’m not a prostitute
TOBY: (OVERLAPPING) Toby is Dumbo.
MACK: You’re a slut like momma been. You ain’t got one minute alone and ya shooting off with some fella around the block
NAYAL: I’m not. I only had one boyfriend before Rowland.
TOBY: Toby is Dumbo. Big Foot come and Toby fly high like Dumbo. Toby fly high (CLAPS HANDS EXCITEDLY)
NAYAL: There was only Nick. (PAUSES AS SHE RECOLLECTS) What was that you and Toby said about Nick?
CUTTING OFF TOBY WHO WAS ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING. TOBY STARTS WHIMPERING AGAIN
MACK: Nothing! (ADDRESSING TOBY) Pick him up under them arms. I’ll take them legs (THEY GO BACK TO ROWLAND AGAIN, PICKING HIM UP AND AS ROWLAND RESISTS) I should have got them cuffs on his feet too. Would be easier to hold him tight (LAUGHS A WICKED CRAZY LAUGH) Would be funny, could swing the yellow sausage right into the water (LAUGHS AGAIN AND TURNS TOWARDS TOBY) What d’ya think big fella? Will this one go down quick or will we need Big Foot for him too
NAYAL: Toby, what did you say about Nick?
TOBY PAUSES. HIS BACK TENSE
NAYAL: (PLEADING) Toby…Please. Tell me you didn’t…
TOBY SLOWLY LETS GO OF ROWLAND WHO SLIDES TO THE FLOOR HURTING HIS HEAD AND STARTS CRYING FOR HELP AGAIN. MACK STARTS SWEARING UNDER HIS BREATH AS HE TRIES TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OVER ROWLAND WHO IS TRYING TO KICK FREE. TOBY INCHES TOWARDS NAYAL
TOBY: (OVERLAPPING) Nayal like Toby. Toby no do nothing
NAYAL: (OVERLAPPING) Toby please. What happened to Nick?
ROWLAND: (OVERLAPPING) Help me…
MACK: (OVER THE TOP AND TRYING TO PIN DOWN ROWLAND) Toby, get your ass back here right now!
NAYAL: Toby?
TOBY: Nayal like Toby? Nayal no stop like Toby? I say for Nick if Nayal promise
MACK: Toby, shut ya trap and come help me with the roach!
NAYAL: I promise.
MACK: She’s a liar
NAYAL: I swear I like Toby. I will always like Toby. Forever.
MACK: (SNARLING AT NAYAL) Beat it. Get out of here woman!
TOBY: (SQUARING SHOULDERS AND ALMOST GROWLING AT MACK) Toby no like Mack. Mack no want Nayal like Toby forever.
NAYAL: That’s right Toby, Mack does not want us to be together
MACK: (LOOKING AT NAYAL IN DISBELIEF) You think you gonna control that thing? I been handling him for years before you turning up on our doorstep with your slut momma. Dad took his dad into business and then gave me Toby when I got ready. I learnt fast (WINKS AT NAYAL). I trained him damn well and business was good. He knows who to obey. (LOOKS BACK AT TOBY) Toby, remember, if Mack angry with Toby, Toby get no Big Foot. Toby no fly like Dumbo (LOOKS BACK AT NAYAL) I’ll sort you out later on, trying to turn my tools against me (TURNING BACK TOWARDS TOBY) Toby, Nayal no like Toby. She make believe like momma make believe with dad, remember? Woman no good. Woman no good for Toby. Nayal no good for Toby.
NAYAL: Don’t listen to him Toby. Nayal like Toby. Mack no like Toby. Mack no want Toby and Nayal happy (SHE GOES UP TO TOBY AND GIVES HIM A KISS ON THE CHEEK. TOBY TOUCHES HIS CHEEK, MARVELING AT THE FEELING) Nayal give many kiss to Toby but Toby need to stop Mack correct face Nayal
TOBY: Nayal like Toby Mack. Mack no correct face Nayal
MACK: What? You giving me orders big fella? (LOUDER) You giving me orders?
TOBY: (SUBDUED) No, Mack. Toby quiet. Toby listen. Toby want to fly. Toby want Big Foot.
NAYAL: Toby, please. Nayal like Toby forever. Nayal take Toby Big Foot
MACK: Shut ya trap slut
NAYAL: I won’t ever shut up again. You have no right over me. You will never lay a finger on me again.
MACK: (RISING TO HIS FEET AND LETTING GO OF ROWLAND’S) You think y’all can threaten me? You think you can tell me what to do you slut!
MACK RAISES HAND TO HIT NAYAL BUT TOBY COMES IN BETWEEN THEM SHIELDING NAYAL WITH HIS BODY
TOBY: Mack no shout Nayal. Nayal good. Nayal like Toby
MACK: She’s playing you Dumbo. She’s lying
NAYAL: I’m not Toby. Nayal like Toby.
MACK LUNGES AT NAYAL BUT TOBY PUSHES HIM OFF SENDING HIM REELING.
SFX1: BigFoot sound 1
HIS HEAD HITS THE AQUARIUM BEHIND. THERE IS A SOUND OF A LARGE CRACKING. MACK FALLS TO THE GROUND SLOWLY. BLOOD FLOWS FROM HIS HEAD ONTO THE GROUND. TOBY STARTS GOING AROUND IN CIRCLES, FEVERISHLY SAYING
TOBY: Blood. Oh no Blood. Too much. We can no wash clean. Mack can no help. Mack have blood now. Mack no bring Big Foot. Toby can no wash Mack alone. Toby can no fly without Mack. Mack like Nick now. Nobody pay for Nick. Nobody pay for Mack. Toby no get candy. Toby no fly. Big Foot no come. Nayal. Please. Bring Big Foot. Toby can no fly.
NAYAL: What pay? Who did not pay for Nick? What are you talking about?
TOBY: When Toby wash and Big Foot come, Toby fly. Then small man pay. Small man pay Mack. Mack give Toby candy. Toby fly like Dumbo then eat candy. Toby want candy. Toby want big foot. Toby want Mack.
TOBY GOES TOWARDS MACK’S LIFELESS BODY AND STARTS SHAKING IT, SCREAMING REPEATEDLY
TOBY: Mack. I be good, Mack. Please Mack. Speak Mack (TAKES MACK’S HAND AND HITS HIMSELF WITH IT) Toby sit quiet Mack. Toby listen. Please Mack, Toby want to fly. Toby want Big Foot.
NAYAL: Calm down Toby. Nayal bring Big Foot. Nayal make Toby fly.
TOBY: (INSTANTLY CALMING DOWN, RUNS TOWARDS NAYAL) Nayal promise? Nayal bring Big Foot? Nayal make Toby fly?
NAYAL: Yes, Nayal make Toby fly but where is this Big Foot.
TOBY RUSHES TOWARDS A CORNER AND UNCOVERS SOMETHING WITH A GLEEFUL FACE
TOBY: (WITH A THEATRICAL POSE) Like Mack say, Tada. Big Foot time
Projector: BigFoot Sliding Downhill Projector 1
NAYAL: This crawler with the crane on it? That’s Big Foot?
TOBY NODS HAPPILY
NAYAL: So you want me to hoist you up on this crane and then you fly? (TOBY NODS AGAIN) Fly where?
TOBY: Over the bowl Nayal! You ain’t go nothing here (COPIES MACK’S GESTURE EARLIER) but you no have big bulk. Nayal small bulk. Toby like Nayal bulk. First over the bowl then inside. After wash, Toby hold all inside bowl. Toby hold on bowl wall and Mack make pictures. Mack give pictures and small man give money. Now Mack no move. Mack no give candy. Nayal give Toby candy?
NAYAL: Sure Toby, don’t worry. Nayal will take care of you but first remove Rowland’s handcuffs and clean him up (AS TOBY IS ABOUT TO DRAG HIM TOWARDS THE AQUARIUM AGAIN, SHE REALISES AND SCREAMS) No, not that clean him up. No wash Toby. Toby no wash Rowland.
TOBY: Nayal, Mack say wash Rowland. Wash him then Big Foot come. No small man come with money for candy but Toby need to wash Rowland.
Nayal: (GETTING INTO CRAWLER AND STARTING IT) Okay, let’s move this crawler and lift this horrid aquarium to break it. We’ll wash Mack first. He’s dead but we can wash and bury him.
TOBY: Mack dead. Nick dead. Toby wash Nick. Mack take pictures. Now Toby wash Mack
NAYAL CLIMBS OFF THE CRAWLER
NAYAL: What did you say? Mack killed Nick and took pictures. The sick ba-
Projector: BigFoot Sliding Downhill Projector 3
SFX3: BigFoot sound 3
LX4: LIGHTS OFF ON STAGE. BLUE LIGHTS ON
TOBY: Nayal! Big Foot sliding. Big Foot sliding downhill. Nayal move
TOBY PUSHES NAYAL OUT OF THE WAY AND FALLS DOWN. SOUND OF TOBY WHIMPERING
TOBY: Toby no fly. Toby fall. Big Foot crush Toby…
Lights go out.
LX5: BLACKOUT
Video of BigFoot Sliding Downhill played during the first 48H festival in Dubai
