On Blueberry Hill

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On Blueberry Hill Page 6

by Sebastian Barry


  Our plan, you see. That’s what’s going to happen next.

  He assumes the position of Fats Domino, as if at the piano, a little crouched, his body swung sideways, looking out, smiling broadly, head tilted back, and pretending to play the notes. He sings the first verse of ‘Blueberry Hill’:

  ‘I found my freedom …’ (etc.)

  Now the piano starts to come in faintly, then clearer, then louder. PJ starts to dance a seventies dance with some aplomb.

  He sings the second verse.

  Then full band, tremendously. PJ really quite a good dancer.

  The third and fourth verses.

  Music fades, PJ and Christy look at each other, laughing, really laughing.

  Almost hysterical with laughter, they hold on to each other. Suddenly no sound, just them together in a fast embrace.

  Dark.

  End.

  About the Author

  Sebastian Barry was born in 1955 and educated at Catholic University School and Trinity College, Dublin. For his plays he has won a number of awards, including a Critics’ Circle Award and Lloyd’s Private Banking Playwright of the Year. For his novels he has been awarded the Costa Book of the Year Award (twice), the Walter Scott Prize (twice), the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and has been twice shortlisted for the Booker Prize. He has honorary doctorates from the Open University, NUI Galway, and the University of East Anglia.

  By the Same Author

  also by Sebastian Barry from Faber

  plays

  BOSS GRADY’S BOYS

  PRAYERS OF SHERKIN

  WHITE WOMAN STREET

  THE ONLY TRUE HISTORY OF LIZZIE FINN

  THE STEWARD OF CHRISTENDOM

  OUR LADY OF SLIGO

  HINTERLAND

  FRED AND JANE

  WHISTLING PSYCHE

  THE PRIDE OF PARNELL STREET

  DALLAS SWEETMAN

  TALES OF BALLYCUMBER

  ANDERSEN’S ENGLISH

  fiction

  THE WHEREABOUTS OF ENEAS MCNULTY

  ANNIE DUNNE

  A LONG LONG WAY

  THE SECRET SCRIPTURE

  ON CANAAN’S SIDE

  THE TEMPORARY GENTLEMAN

  DAYS WITHOUT END

  poetry

  THE WATER-COLOURIST

  FANNY HAWKE GOES TO THE MAINLAND FOREVER

  Copyright

  First published in 2017

  by Faber and Faber Ltd

  Bloomsbury House

  74–77 Great Russell Street

  London WC1B 3DA

  This ebook edition first published in 2017

  All rights reserved

  Copyright © Sebastian Barry, 2017

  The right of Sebastian Barry to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  All rights whatsoever in this work, amateur or professional, are strictly reserved. Applications for permission for any use whatsoever, including performance rights, must be made in advance, prior to any such proposed use, to 42management, First Floor, 8 Flitcroft Street, London WC2H 8DL

  No performance may be given unless a licence has first been obtained

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly

  ISBN 978–0–571–34293–8

 

 

 


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