Makers Diary: New She Text for Nikki

The new performance structure requires another ‘she’ text and another scene. I spent last night looking back over some of our early devising sessions and wrote the new she text for Nikki incorporating some of that material; I also wrote a new scene. Here they are:

SHE Text 2

Before you all leave and head for home, I want to say a few words about HER.

She is always late
She never misses a trick
She is a dastardly, sexual predator
She takes two sugars in her tea but only one in coffee
She often lies without good reason
She needs to make him love her
She is always silent when she is angry
She doesn’t own a car and wouldn’t know how to drive one if she did
She never really loved him anyway
She tears the labels off bottles of bud
She never wears a watch
On Monday she always feels she should wear black to the mourn the passed on weekend
She goes to the seaside for the shells and she puts them in an old cigar box
She can never just sit still
She smokes too much when she’s on the phone to her
Sometimes her wee smells like sugar puffs, which always make her smile
She has a way of making women feel as special as her lover when she flashes them that look
She’s petrified of birds
She never, never hesitates
She has big sultry eyes and uses them as a weapon
She hates baths and prefers to shower
She has been known to use sex as currency
She has a magic pillow full of feathers that helps her sleep
She never can say no, well not when it matters
She always expects too much from others and is perpetually disappointed
She’s never been on a plane
She had vivid night terrors when she is stressed
She wishes that she were special
She wishes that she were special

Pause

I know you have all known her or been touched by her in one way or another, so I would like to offer up the floor and if there is anything anyone would like to say about her, then please step up now

New Scene (scene 3)

HIM: Cascading through the skylight, the moon danced across her cheek, reflecting in her green eyes as she spun. Seductive and lilting to the melody. Meandering and weaving like lazy beasts through the brush, the glowing candles cast their reflections on the flock wall paper. Her laugh melting into the air like liquid chocolate, rich and smooth. God I want her. (beat) Her scent radiating, washing over me as I let myself fall into her. Her, she, my lover, mother to be. Bare toes pushing off the carpet as she spun, whirling, infecting me with her pleasure. God I want her.

HER: They danced. Tight to one another, rhythmic flesh on flesh, becoming whole with the ambience of the moment. He leant in, brushing her neck with his lips, pushing her hair back from her face. He tipped his head and closed his eyes in readiness of his lips on hers.

SHE: There’s something I need to tell you.

HIM: Shhh

HER: He kissed her, long, deep and full-bodied.

(They kiss for a long while. Once they stop she whispers in his ear and the kissing turns to a struggle. She is trying to cling to him and he is trying to push her away. He pushes her hard onto the floor…there is a very long pause as they both catch their breaths and she gets up.)

Standing there before him, eyes wide, so vulnerable and broken.
Tears making their blue grey mascara trickle across her high flushed cheeks; gracing the edge of her lips and then absorbing into her collar.
Her, she, gasping, rasping in a whisper she extends her hand towards him and pleads.

HIM: “Don’t go” she begged as I threw my eyes to the floor avoiding her watery gaze. I couldn’t answer, couldn’t look. Her, she; that swelling dark welt spreading around her left eye.

SHE: Look at me

(She extends her hand to touch his but can’t reach.)

Look at me when I am talking to you.
(Pause)
If you walk out that door its over. Do you hear me? If you leave were through.
(Pause)
Are you fucking hearing me?
You can’t even bear the sight of me can you? Can you?
Say something, anything, don’t just stand there. Fuck.

Please.

HER: Her hand still extended, she stood rooted to the floor, shaking, her body shuddering, frail and needing; racked with silent weeping. Her eyes boring into the top of his head, willing him to her.

HIM: I couldn’t move, keeping my eyes on my shifting naked, bloody feet. Shards of green glass and thin maroon liquid adorning the floor in a crystal carpet of rubble. But still I can’t face her. Her, she, that malignant swelling flesh around her wide, wet eye.

SHE: Say something, don’t just ignore me, I can’t bear it.
(Pause)
Look at me
(Long pause)
Christ, what the fuck do you want me to say.
Say something. Speak, yell, anything please.
(Pause)
I’m sorry.

HER: She stepped forward, only a little, tentative, rocking into movement. The crystal green glass sheen crunching under her weight, pressing into her soles releasing scarlet bubbles onto her milky skin. She touched his hand, a brush with her fingers but she didn’t take hold.

SHE: It doesn’t matter. This doesn’t matter.
Please don’t do this.

HIM: I drew away, her cold, delicate long fingers churning my stomach.
I swung my body clumsily to the side, retching, heaving and I vomited. Once, twice; my puke spreading out amongst the glass blood and shallow maroon lake.

SHE: Please baby, I…

HER: She dropped to her knees and wailed, wretched, lost and broken, yowling her pain to the vaulted ceiling; her floral print dress stretched tight across her bump, her unborn flesh. She laid her hands flat, palms to the floor as she wept.

HIM: I wiped my mouth on my sleeve, took a shallow breath, bile burning in my nostrils. I stood upright and put my back to her. Her, she, my lover, mother to be and that, (beat) that black puffy wet eye. I began to make for the door, slowly, lumbering, so heavy and sore.

SHE: Go on then, piss off, that’s it fuck off. Just like you always do.
Useless fucking cunt (beat) get out.

HER: As he moved to the door, she leapt up, lunged at his back, holding him to her, to her body, to her bump.

HIM: I was stuck

SHE: I didn’t mean it, don’t leave. Please (beat) please, shit, don’t go. Fuck, you know I, I mean, fuck, fuck. You can’t I need you, we need you.

HER: she held him to her, clinging, her limbs wrapped about his sore, bleeding body, her head resting, no! Nestling in his damp sweaty hair.

SHE: Don’t go! Don’t leave me.
Oh god, don’t leave us.

HER: She flailed and clung as he wrenched at her limbs.
She flailed and clung, her, she, his lover, mother to be.
Her, she, his lover, mother to be.

SHE: (Screams)