MICKEY. I’d gone by then. I was back home.
BABY. Back home?
MICKEY. They said wait. (Pause.) They said if I went home I’d get… we’d get the club. We could keep the club.
BABY. We?
MICKEY. That I could keep the club.
BABY. Did you go to them?
Pause.
MICKEY. Baby, this is a new time for both of us –
BABY. A new time. A new time. (Pause.) I like that Mickey. You have a very pleasant way with words.
MICKEY. Are you sure he’s dead?
BABY. Who?
MICKEY. Mr Ross. Because if he isn’t…
BABY. Mickey, he’s got his yellow hair parted right down between his eyes. And it’s a hell of a schlep. And I think if he is coming he’s going to need a jolly good lie-down first.
MICKEY. Baby, I don’t know what to do.
BABY (copying). Baby I don’t know what to do.
MICKEY. I don’t know what to do.
BABY. I don’t know what to do.
MICKEY. Baby I’m sorry.
Pause. BABY approaches MICKEY.
BABY. Sometimes when I wake up I feel totally not there. I feel completely numb. And I think, ‘Come on. Come alive. Feel it. Like you used to.’ But I’m numb. I lie there, and my mind spins on nothing. I hear people next door, in the next one along, fighting or laughing and I can’t feel their… pain or nothing.
Pause.
Woke up this afternoon, I just knew it was going to be one of those days. Beautiful, sunny, but one you’re just not there for. Sorry Mickey.
Enter SWEETS and POTTS.
SWEETS. Mickey?
BABY. All right Sweets?
SWEETS. Mickey, we’ve got a problem.
BABY. What’s that then?
SWEETS. Something’s happened.
MICKEY (quietly). I’m dead.
BABY. What’s the problem then?
SWEETS. Well, Silver Johnny said Mickey was round Mr Ross’s Saturday night.
MICKEY. I’m sorry.
POTTS. Mickey, what have you done? It was you. It was you, you cunt. This whole thing. Fucking head cold. You cunt.
SWEETS. It’s not true is it Mickey? It’s because he’s been hanging upside down so long.
BABY. They’re really rocking in Boston…
Enter SKINNY.
SKINNY. Relax. It’s bullcrap. I know it’s bullcrap.
SWEETS. I told you.
POTTS. How?
SKINNY. Little cunt’s twiced us all wants to blame someone else. It’s bullcrap.
SWEETS. What happened Mickey?
SKINNY. Mickey’s done nothing. Bastard’s been hanging upside down for two hours he’s gone back to front. And I’ll prove it. I’ll prove it. Because Mickey was at home and then he came here. He was ill. He was ill then he came here. Anyone listens to some little fuck ditched us all in the lurch is a sissy. I believe Mickey. (To BABY.) Shut your fucking mouth, Jew. You don’t belong here. You’ve got no place here. None of us want you. You’re nasty and you lie. We’ve all had enough. Take your lies somewhere else.
BABY walks across the room with the Derringer, puts it to SKINNY’s head and fires once.
Oww. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What did you do that for?
Blood pours from the side of SKINNY’s head.
What did you do that for?
POTTS. Skinny…
SWEETS. Skinny…
SKINNY. I’m shot in the head. I’ve been shot in the head…
POTTS. It’s only the Derringer…
SKINNY. Right in the fucking head.
POTTS. It’s only the Derringer.
SKINNY. What do you mean it’s only the Derringer? I’m shot. Look at all this blood.
POTTS. Help him. Call a doctor.
SWEETS. We can’t. We can’t.
SKINNY. Call a doctor. I might die.
SWEETS. It’s only the… It’s only a little hole.
SKINNY. What did you do that for? I wasn’t doing anything. I was only trying to help. You twat. You didn’t have to… Look. Look at all this fucking blood.
MICKEY. Skinny sit down.
SWEETS. Sit down.
SKINNY. Look. I’ve got… I’ve fucked up my new trousers. I’ve got blood on my new trousers.
MICKEY. Try to relax. Get a towel.
SWEETS. Sid take your shirt off.
SKINNY. Fucking great. What if I die eh? Did you think of that? What if I die. How much blood do you have to lose before you die?
POTTS. You’ve got to lose pints of the stuff. You’ll be fine.
SKINNY. Look, I’ve lost, look. Mickey. That’s about a pint right there. Have I got any on my back?
POTTS. Your back’s fine. Your back’s fine.
SKINNY. My teeth have all gone loose. Look. Feel. He’s unshipped all my fucking teeth.
MICKEY. Sit down. You’re all right.
SKINNY. Feel. My teeth have gone wiggly.
POTTS. Sit down.
SKINNY. How much do you have to lose Mickey. How much do you have to lose Mickey. Mickey? How much blood do you have to lose before that’s it?
SKINNY dies. POTTS has just taken his shirt off.
POTTS. Skinny…
Pause.
SWEETS. Skinny. Skinny. Sid, I think he’s gone.
POTTS. Baby, I think he’s gone.
MICKEY falls to his knees to his knees next to SKINNY’s body.
MICKEY. No. No. No! No! No! No!!!
SWEETS. Skinny? Skinny?
MICKEY. Skinny!!!
POTTS. Is he breathing.
MICKEY. No. No. No…
SWEETS. He might still be alive. Is he breathing?
POTTS. He’s stopped.
SWEETS. He might still be…
SILVER JOHNNY appears on the stairs.
Skinny. For fuck’s sake Skinny…
POTTS. Try to keep him warm.
SWEETS. I think he’s gone.
Pause.
MICKEY. No. No. No.
Pause.
I’m sorry. I’m sorry Luke. I’m sorry. I’m really really…
Pause. MICKEY is hunched over SKINNY’s body. POTTS stands above them. He kicks MICKEY in the stomach.
SWEETS. Mickey. I thought you loved us. I thought you were my friend.
POTTS. Let’s get out of here.
Exit SWEETS and POTTS. Pause. SILVER JOHNNY comes down the stairs. MICKEY lies on the floor, panting. BABY watches him. SILVER JOHNNY comes into the middle of the room. He watches BABY.
BABY. Are you all right?
SILVER JOHNNY. Yeah. Yes I am.
BABY. You sure? (Pause.) Are you dizzy?
SILVER JOHNNY. No. I’m fine.
BABY. That’s good.
SILVER JOHNNY. I opened the windows.
BABY. I can smell the dawn. Is the sun out?
SILVER JOHNNY. It’s getting hot. Out in the street. There’s people.
BABY. Good. Good. (Pause.) That’s good. Do you want to go out there.
SILVER JOHNNY. What?
BABY. Out in the street. Get a nice cool drink. Walk around. It’s lovely out this time. It’s my favourite time of the day. Before anything happens.
SILVER JOHNNY. Okay.
BABY. Good. Good. Let’s do that.
BABY slips out of the silver jacket and leaves it on the floor. Exit BABY and SILVER JOHNNY into the light. MICKEY lies on the floor. Music.
The End.
JEZ BUTTERWORTH
Mojo (1995), The Night Heron (2002), The Winterling (2006), Jerusalem (2009) and The River (2012) were all premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London. Jerusalem transferred to the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End in 2010, the Music Box Theatre, New York, in 2011, and back to the Apollo later in 2011. Parlour Song was premiered at the Atlantic Theater, New York, in 2008, and at the Almeida Theatre, London, in 2009. Mojo won the George Devine Award, the Olivier Award for Best Comedy and the Writers’ Guild, Critics’ Circle and Evening Standard Awards for Most Promising
Playwright. It was revived at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End in 2013. Jerusalem won the Best Play Award at the Critics’ Circle, Evening Standard and WhatsOnStage.com Awards, and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. Jez wrote and directed the film adaptation of Mojo (1998) starring Ian Hart and Harold Pinter, and Birthday Girl (2002) starring Nicole Kidman and Ben Chaplin, and co-wrote and produced Fair Game (2010) starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts. In 2007 he was awarded the E.M. Forster Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
A Nick Hern Book
Mojo first published in Great Britain as a paperback original in 1995 by Nick Hern Books Limited, The Glasshouse, 49a Goldhawk Road, London W12 8QP
This revised edition published in 2013
Reprinted with further revisions in 2013
This ebook edition first published in 2013
Mojo copyright © 1995, 1996, 2013 Jez Butterworth
Jez Butterworth has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work
Cover image: AKA
Cover design: Ned Hoste, 2H
Typeset by Country Setting, Kingsdown, Kent
ISBN 978 1 78001 274 2 (ebook edition)
ISBN 978 1 84842 363 3 (print edition)
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Amateur Performing Rights Applications for performance, including readings and excerpts, by amateurs in English throughout the world should be addressed to the Performing Rights Manager, Nick Hern Books, The Glasshouse, 49a Goldhawk Road, London W12 8QP, tel +44 (0)20 8749 4953, e-mail [email protected], except as follows:
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