Out of the Wings

Animales nocturnos (2001-2003), Juan Mayorga Ruano

Nocturnal : SCENE ONE , SCENE ONE excerpt 2 , SCENE FOUR , SCENE SEVEN

Nocturnal, translated by David Johnston

SCENE ONE

Edition

Mayorga, Juan. 2009. Nocturnal, trans. David Johnston. London, Oberon Books

p. 19

Context:

This is the beginning of the play. Short Man strikes up a conversation with Tall Man in a café. Tall Man does not recognise his neighbour.

Sample text

SHORT MAN:: Do you mind if I sit down?
TALL MAN:: I was just about to get the bill.
SHORT MAN:: Do you not recognise me? You don’t know who I am?
TALL MAN:: ?
SHORT MAN:: We see each other every day.
TALL MAN:: ?
SHORT MAN:: Every morning. On the stairs. I’m going out just as you get in.
TALL MAN:: Of course.
SHORT MAN:: ‘Morning’. Ring a bell?
TALL MAN:: It does now, yes.
SHORT MAN:: Though it sounds different at this time of the day, on a Sunday afternoon, than it does at six o’clock on a weekday morning.
TALL MAN:: I’m sorry … I didn’t recognise you.
SHORT MAN:: No need to be sorry. Perfectly fine. If you don’t mind, I will sit down. Perfectly fine. You get home, a shadow, and you pass another shadow on the stairs. ‘Morning’ you hear, and you say ‘Morning’ back. That’s all there is too it. Two shadows passing on the stairs.
TALL MAN:: No, you’re right.
SHORT MAN:: It can’t be easy. Working nights, I mean. Your whole life’s back to front.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation Nocturnal by David Johnston is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

SCENE ONE excerpt 2

Edition

Mayorga, Juan. 2009. Nocturnal, trans. David Johnston. London, Oberon Books

pp. 21-5

Context:

The conversation between Short Man and Tall Man is gradually becoming more sinister. Short Man then reveals he knows that Tall Man is an immigrant, and he sets out the conditions that will force his neighbour to become his friend.

Sample text

TALL MAN:

I don’t want to leave without knowing what we’re celebrating.

SHORT MAN:

Section 3754.

TALL MAN:

Sorry …

SHORT MAN:

You don’t know what it is?

TALL MAN:

Section 3754, you said?

SHORT MAN:

3754. More commonly called the Immigration Act. That’s what people call it.

TALL MAN:

I didn’t realise you were …

SHORT MAN:

I’m not. I’m not a foreigner.

TALL MAN:

In that case?

SHORT MAN:

But you are. A foreigner.

[…]

SHORT MAN:

You’re not foreign?

TALL MAN:

No. Do I look foreign?

SHORT MAN:

No.

TALL MAN:

I’ve nothing against them, as long as they don’t bring their problems to our door. I’ve known people of every hue and shade, good people. People who don’t come and tell you how to live in your own country. Unfortunately, there seems to be more and more of the other sort, who …

SHORT MAN:

There’s no need; that’s more than enough. I’ve got to hand it to you. Congratulations. Your accent is better than mine, and the way you use the language … the way you gesture, the way you move … Remarkable discipline. I admire people with self-control. Don’t worry, it’s not that you’ve done anything wrong, I never suspected anything, it was just a hunch. I made some enquiries, anyone can, you just need to put a little time into it. And I came up trumps. My hunch was right. You’ve no papers. You’re an illegal immigrant.

TALL MAN:

That’s not true.

SHORT MAN:

Then show them to me. Your papers.

[….]

TALL MAN:

This is a joke.

SHORT MAN:

I’m not very good with jokes. No, it’s not a joke. To put it crudely … well, if I were a crude sort of person, I could say, ‘I’ve got you by the balls’.

TALL MAN:

You are drunk.

SHORT MAN:

There’s no need for that. Am I not being respectful with you? I could insult you. I could have you on your knees …

TALL MAN:

What is it you want? Once and for all. Money?

SHORT MAN:

Money?

TALL MAN:

What is it you want?

SHORT MAN:

Nothing much.

TALL MAN:

What?

SHORT MAN:

I don’t know yet. Honestly, I don’t. For the time being, I just want you to have a drink with me. That’ll do for today. Tomorrow, who knows? I’ll think of something. But it’ll never be anything … dubious. I can promise you that. Nothing to do with sex, ever. You’re lucky it’s me. I’m not going to make you work for me or commit a crime or lay a finger on you. One day, I might ask for a bit of conversation, the next to go for a walk with me. Nothing terrible, nothing degrading.

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation Nocturnal by David Johnston is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

SCENE FOUR

Edition

Mayorga, Juan. 2009. Nocturnal, trans. David Johnston. London, Oberon Books

pp. 38-9

Context:

The ‘friendship’ between Tall Man and Short Man has become established. In this scene the men sit in the Nocturnal Creatures enclosure at a zoo. They face the audience and discuss the strangeness of the surroundings.

Sample text

The SHORT MAN and the TALL MAN are seated facing the audience. Occasionally their eyes move as though following the movement of something. Long silence.

SHORT MAN:

They look harmless, don’t they? But in the dark they can be dangerous.

Silence.

I wonder what they make of us. Just imagine how you would feel if people sat down to watch what you’re doing. How would you feel? I’m asking you.

TALL MAN:

There aren’t many people who do watch them.

SHORT MAN:

No, you’re right. Not that many people are interested in them. Very few people come in here and almost nobody stops to look. How long have we been here?

TALL MAN:

Half an hour?

SHORT MAN:

And nobody’s sat down to watch. Just us. The notice outside puts people off. ‘Nocturnals’. I don’t know what they imagine might be in here, but most people don’t come in. And the few that do, you can see they don’t like the dark.

TALL MAN:

No.

SHORT MAN:

This must be special glass, do you not think? They look sort of shiny. It must be special glass, special lighting too, so that you can see them in the dark without them being disturbed. But it’s true: people come in and then go out again, as if they’d seen something terrible. Did you hear what that old man said to the boy? ‘It’s creepy.’ Do you think it is … creepy?

Copyright

The above sample taken from the translation Nocturnal by David Johnston is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

SCENE SEVEN

Edition

Mayorga, Juan. 2009. Nocturnal, trans. David Johnston. London, Oberon Books

pp. 60-3

Context:

Tall Woman visits her husband at work. She finally learns that Tall Man is being exploited by Short Man. Tall Man tries to play down the seriousness of the blackmail.

Sample text

TALL WOMAN:

That man went into our bedroom. He touched our sheets.

Pause.

TALL MAN:

He knows I’m illegal.

TALL WOMAN:

Has he threatened you?

TALL MAN:

Do you remember that day you saw us in the café? He began talking to me about the law and …

TALL WOMAN:

So that’s what it was. I didn’t know what was going on. I should have gone in. I had the feeling something bad was going on, but I didn’t dare, I left you on your own. It must have been awful. Why didn’t you tell me?

TALL MAN:

I thought I could spare you this, now that things are going better for us. I thought it might just be some bad joke. Then when I realised he was serious …

TALL WOMAN:

Serious?

TALL MAN:

It still might be a bad joke.

TALL WOMAN:

Has he asked you … for anything? (Buzzer and the light in fifteen blinks.) Are you working for him?

TALL MAN:

He just wants … company, conversation.

TALL WOMAN:

We have to leave.

TALL MAN:

Not again. No.

TALL WOMAN:

What then?

TALL MAN:

I can deal with him.

TALL WOMAN:

Deal with him? How?

TALL MAN:

I’ve managed up to now. It hasn’t been too bad so far.

TALL WOMAN:

Not too bad?

TALL MAN:

It’s all so childish … you’d laugh if you saw us. Do you know what we were doing yesterday? Painting the figures of his train set. Little dolls!

TALL WOMAN:

We’ll go away. Tonight.

TALL MAN:

We’re going to let him drive us away? Now, when we’re finally …

TALL WOMAN:

Finally, what? A miserable flat and a shitty job. It doesn’t smell of cigarettes. It smells of old men’s piss.

TALL MAN:

It has its good side. It’s not always so busy. I can read. I can think.

TALL WOMAN:

If we were still there, you’d be ashamed …

[…]

TALL WOMAN:

I’d rather be reported on. The telephone rang earlier. It was him. He’ll call back. Tell him to go to the police.

TALL MAN:

Why make him so important? He’s not worth it. We’ve come through worse. You’re always saying it: we’re invincible as long as we keep our spirit intact.

TALL WOMAN:

And our dignity?

TALL MAN:

It’s an unpleasant game, nothing else. One more unpleasant game.

TALL WOMAN:

Do I know you? So many hardships, maybe they’ve confused us. We’ve looked after each other. Was it love? Maybe we’ve confused love with other things: solidarity, compassion …

TALL MAN:

Give me time. He’s changing, I’m changing him.

TALL WOMAN:

Now I understand why his wife looks so defeated. Because she can’t compete. No woman could, with a slave. Is that what you’ve chosen to be, his slave? I can’t stand by and watch that happen. I’m getting on a train tomorrow, whether you come or not.

Copyright