The People Next Door

The People Next Door was first performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, on 11 July 2003. The cast was as follows:

‘God’s name got taken in vain a lot that morning’

Art Spiegelman

In the Shadow of No Towers

Characters

NIGEL

MRS MAC

PHIL

MARCO

1.

A small housing association flat in modern-day Britain, not the tidiest place in the world. NIGEL BRUNSWICK is sitting in his comfy chair smoking drugs off a piece of tin foil. There is a mirror close to the side of his chair which acts as company for NIGEL when he is stoned and alone. It is safe to say that NIGEL and his mirror have had many long, soul-searching conversations late into many a night. NIGEL is a big lanky man of mixed, indeterminate race. He is scruffy and unkempt, looking older than he is, which is just the wrong side of twenty five. There is an aura of grunge about NIGEL, as if the hippy convoy drove off one night and left him sitting in this chair. By the side of his chair is a Tesco’s bag containing a few items of groceries that he might have meant to put away at one point but inevitably forgot. As the lights come up he is smoking, regarding himself in his mirror.

NIGEL. My name is Salif. Salif, bwa. That’ my name. Salif. That’ an African name bwa, Moslem name. Salif, meaning ‘ . . . ??’, well, I don’t know what it mean but that’ be my name now bwa. Salif. Oh sure, you saying – I know you. That ain’t no Salify bwa. I went to school with that bwa. That bwa his name be Nigel. Nah, nah, nah, nah, see – my name ain’t Nigel. My name Salif. And now Salif is hungry. Salif is gonna make his self some – (He digs in Tesco bag and pulls out a tin of Campbell’s Cream of Tomato soup. He looks quizzically at the soup.) – soup? Soup? Yeah bwa, soup. Why not? This be famous soup, bwa. This soup ’as ’ad its picture painted.

This ain’t no Nigel soup, bwa. This be Salif soup. Soup that’s fit for a king.

NIGEL gets up to put on his soup but is so stoned he has to correct his balance on standing up.

Now then, where that kitchen go?

Remembering where the kitchen is – it’s attached to the living room, the same room really – NIGEL goes to heat up his soup. A knock comes to the door.

Oh what? Bwa can’t even have hi’ soup in peace.

The knock again.

A’right, a’right, I’s coming. No need to get yo’ little panties all scrunch up.

This cracks NIGEL up. He stands laughing at what he said. The knock comes again. NIGEL goes to the door. He leans into the spy hole, apparently listening to it rather than looking through.

Who there?

An old woman’s voice comes through, frail, with a distinctive Scottish burr. This is MRS McCALLUM.

MRS MAC. Nigel? Are you in there?

NIGEL curses under his breath, cartoon style, then opens the door a crack.

NIGEL. Mrs McCallum. And how are you today?

MRS MAC. Somebody has been smoking in the stair.

NIGEL. I’m sorry. I mean – wha’?

MRS MAC. Somebody has been smoking in the stair.

NIGEL (taking look outside, left and right). What you mean? ‘Somebody been smoking in the stair’?

MRS MAC. Just what I say. Somebody’s been smoking in the stair. I found this. Look. (She brandishes a dog end, allowing NIGEL plenty of time to inspect it.) Now, I don’t mind smoking, Nigel, as well you know – I’m quite partial to the odd puff myself – but this is a nice stair, and we want to keep it that way. How can we keep it nice if people keep throwing their fag ends all over it. It makes a mockery of the entire cleaning process.

NIGEL. Ah, wait. Wait, wait, wait. Not guilty, see.

MRS MAC. Now nobody’s accusing anybody of anything Nigel, it’s just . . .

NIGEL runs inside to his ashtray and fishes out one of his own dog ends. He runs back, brandishing it.

NIGEL. Not guilty. See . . . Look.

MRS MAC. Look at what, Nigel?

NIGEL. At this. Look at this.

MRS MAC inspects what he is holding up.

MRS MAC. What is it? Oh. You roll your own.

NIGEL. Yes, Mrs McCallum, I do. I do roll my own.

MRS MAC. And you never . . .

NIGEL. No, Mrs McCallum, I never.

MRS MAC. So it can’t have been . . .

NIGEL. That’s what I’m saying Mrs McCallum. It can’t have been me. Not guilty see. Not me.

MRS MAC looks a little downhearted.

Hey, but listen . . . I’ll look out for him, eh? Whoever he is. I see anybody smoking round here I’ll tell them.

MRS MAC. I’m not fussing, Nigel. It’s just such a nice stair. We want to keep it that way.

NIGEL. That’s exactly what I’ll tell him, Mrs McCallum. Nice stair. Keep it, yeah?

MRS MAC. Oh well. Time for tea I suppose. Is it soup you’re having?

NIGEL. What? Yeah. Soup. Campbell’s Cream of Tomato. It’s ’ad its picture painted.

MRS MAC. I’m partial to a bit of soup myself, especially in this weather. Terrible the weather we’ve been having lately, isn’t it?

NIGEL. Isn’t it though? (His fingers imitate raindrops falling on his head.) Rain, rain, rain.

MRS MAC. Still, good for the tatties I should imagine.

NIGEL. Good for the . . . ? Yeah, okay Mrs McCallum. I’ll be seeing you now. Take care.

MRS MAC. Bye Nigel. And just you remember . . .

NIGEL. Yeah. Nice stair, keep it that way. Got it.

NIGEL finally gets the door shut. He puts his back against it to bar any further intruders. He smiles and punches the air, then begins to strut.

Hah! Not guilty. Not guilty, see. You don’t get me so easy, Mrs Mac. Roll-ups, see. Me only smoke roll-ups. That there evidence you got there, that be made in some factory, see. Do I look like a factory? Do I? These are what I smoke. These. No logos see, no logos. Hah! (Confused pause.) Okay. So what’s me doing? Soup, yeah.

NIGEL goes into the kitchen area to heat up his soup. A knock comes to the door.

Ah what? What now? Cyan’t a bwa get no soup roun’ here. (To the door.) I can’t come to the door right now Mrs McCallum. I’m cooking, see. Cooking.

The knock comes to the door again, this time more insistent.

Ah what . . . (Going towards the door.) I said I can’t come to the door right now, I’m . . .

As NIGEL opens the door a little the person on the other side of the door kicks it open, knocking NIGEL down.

(As he is propelled backwards.) Fucking hell. I’m cooking man. Can’t you see I’m cooking?

PHIL enters, looking around, his nose wrinkling with a slight contempt. PHIL is lean and fit and cocky, his wide-boy swagger screaming ‘top-dog’ at anyone who cares to listen. He wears an expensive suit beneath a long black raincoat and an open-necked shirt that suggests he might have had sex with someone he shouldn’t have had in the last ten minutes and was in such a hurry to get out before her old man got back he forgot to put his tie back on. Or at least that’s the look PHIL’s going for. NIGEL brushes himself off.

Hey! You can’t just do that man! You can’t just come pushing in here, just knocking me over. Who are you?

PHIL. Who are you, more to the point?

NIGEL. I’m the bloke who lives