Brothers Wreck Read online

  Playwright’s Biography

  Jada is a Larrakia, Bardi, Wadaman and Yanuwa performer from the Top End of Australia.

  She graduated in 2006 from the Adelaide Centre for the Arts and in 2007 won the Adelaide Critics’ Circle Award for Best Emerging Artist for What I Heard About Iraq (Holden St. Theatre). Jada has appeared on stage in Frost/Nixon and The Birthday Party for MTC, Second to None (Vitalstatistix and Kurruru Performing Arts), Cat (Windmill Performing Arts), Yibiyung (Company B/Malthouse), Wulamanayuwi And The Seven Pamanui (Darwin Festival), The Green Sheep (Cate Fowler) and several national and international tours of Saltbush (Insight Arts). Jada was Assistant Director of Windmill Baby for Company B and she has also participated in creative development projects for Melbourne Workers’ Theatre, Arena Theatre, Real TV and STCSA. In 2013 she appeared in This Heaven (Company B, Belvoir), Hipbone Sticking Out (YijilaYala/Big hART) and won the Balnaves Foundation Indigenous Playwrights Award. In 2014 she played Goneril in the national tour of The Shadow King for Malthouse, her play Brothers Wreck is being performed by Company B, Belvoir and she was appointed Associate Artist at Belvoir. Jada appeared in the feature film Red Hill and on television in Rush Series III, Redfern Now, Wentworth and the upcoming Wentworth II. Jada is also an accomplished musician and painter of contemporary Indigenous art.

  for Teina, Temeka,

  Rokiah, Taituha,

  Jarrod, James and Slade

  Weight, weight, O heavy weight,

  This stormy night I meet my fate,

  A squall, a wall, a sky of water,

  A minute more till heaven’s gates.

  And there amongst this troubled sea,

  My brother’s hand stretched out for me.

  Could I be some use to you?

  This little boat tossed through and through.

  Still tie me to my brother’s bow,

  This night will end, I know not how.

  Book of Sorrows Black

  Jada Alberts

  FIRST PRODUCTION

  Brothers Wreck was first produced by Belvoir at Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, on 28 May 2014, with the following cast:

  DAVID

  Cramer Cain

  PETRA

  Lisa Flanagan

  ADELE

  Rarriwuy Hick

  RUBEN

  Hunter Page-Lochard

  JARROD

  Bjorn Stewart

  Director, Leah Purcell

  Set and Costume Designer, Dale Ferguson

  Lighting Designer, Luiz Pampolha

  Composer and Sound Designer, Brendan O’Brien

  Stage Manager, Luke McGettigan

  Assistant Stage Manager, Keiren Smith

  CHARACTER

  RUBEN, early 20s, seemingly untouchable, Ruben is impulsive, quick-witted and sometimes aggressive. He thinks he’s figured out the world and his place in it. Ruben’s mum died when he was young so he was raised by one of his aunties, Adele’s mum.

  ADELE, mid 20s, Ruben’s cousin and sister. Adele is dedicated, sure of herself, mostly calm and always loyal. She has a tendency to worry.

  JARROD, mid 20s, Adele’s boyfriend. He’s cheeky, thoughtful and quietly confident. Good with his hands, Jarrod loves to make or fix things, mostly engines.

  DAVID, late 30s, Ruben’s counsellor. David is a former teacher who has worked in the Darwin area most of his life.

  PETRA, 40s, the youngest of three sisters, Petra is Adele and Ruben’s aunty.

  SETTING

  A space of a Darwin home—we can’t tell if its indoors or outdoors. Possibly under a house on stilts, maybe a big verandah. Somewhere, there is a door that leads somewhere else—it has both a screen door and a solid door behind it.

  Next to the screen door is a window, open louvres.

  There’s a table and chairs to sit at and a kitchenette somewhere, a place to make cups of tea and a sink. A ceiling fan spins slowly.

  NOTES

  The first scene takes place six months earlier than the present.

  A forward slash (/) indicates overlapping dialogue.

  This play went to press before the end of rehearsals and may differ from the play as performed.

  SCENE ONE

  Six months ago. Dawn. August, during the build-up.

  RUBEN is sitting in the hallway, against a wall. ADELE enters, dressed in basketball shorts and a singlet. She’s just woken up. She sees RUBEN.

  ADELE: You’re up early.

  She crosses to the table and takes a cigarette and lighter from a packet. She puts the cigarette in her mouth but doesn’t light it. She goes to the kitchen and boils the kettle.

  Jesus, this heat is killin me.

  She waits for the kettle to boil, makes a tea. Milky, two sugars.

  You slept?

  She heads outside with her tea and cigarette.

  Why you sittin there, weirdo?

  As ADELE exits, RUBEN attempts to say something to her, nothing comes out. ADELE gets outside and we hear her mug hit the ground. She stumbles back inside, shocked, stunned.

  Joe! Jarrod, Jarrod, Jarrod! Jarrooood!

  JARROD: [offstage] Whaaat?

  ADELE: Joe, he’s… hurry! Hurry!

  ADELE looks at RUBEN.

  JARROD: [offstage] What?

  ADELE: Jarroood!

  JARROD: [offstage] I’m up, what?!

  JARROD enters.

  ADELE: Hurry—

  ADELE rushes outside, JARROD follows behind her.

  JARROD: What’s going /

  ADELE: Help me lift him—

  JARROD: No, no, no, Joe—

  ADELE: Get a knife. [Beat.] Knife, Jarrod!

  JARROD enters running. He goes to the kitchen, grabs a large knife and runs back outside.

  Hurry!

  We hear a plastic chair dragged, repositioned. JARROD stands on it and tries to cut his friend Joe out of a makeshift noose.

  JARROD: It’s not working. Fuck… the sinkers—

  ADELE: I can’t hold him—

  JARROD: Knife’s blunt… [He drops the knife.] Fuck!

  ADELE: [calling to RUBEN] Ruben?! Grab another knife!

  JARROD runs in, grabs another knife, runs out again.

  I can’t hold / him!

  JARROD: I’ve got him, I’ve got him!

  They swap position. We hear JARROD lift Joe’s body. ADELE stands on the plastic chair. Sounds of a knife cutting through net.

  Hurry, Del.

  ADELE: It’s not cutting!

  JARROD: Ruben!

  ADELE: Fuuuuck!

  JARROD: Can you untie it?

  ADELE: I don’t know.

  JARROD: Try.

  Beat.

  ADELE: My hands.

  JARROD: You can do it.

  ADELE: It’s tangled.

  JARROD: Give it a sec.

  ADELE: I’m making it worse. Fuck!

  The second knife drops to the ground.

  Oh my God, I can’t…

  ADELE is crying.

  JARROD: Ruben! [To ADELE] Oi, it’s okay—

  ADELE: It’s not fucking okay—

  JARROD: / Ruben!

  ADELE: I gotta get down—

  JARROD: Lift him, / I’ll try—

  ADELE: [sobbing] Get him down, Jarrod, get him down —

  JARROD: RUBEN!

  ADELE: Get him down, get him down—

  JARROD walks into the house and looks at RUBEN.

  [Crying] God… Jooooe!

  RUBEN’s broken in the corner, hiding his head. JARROD leaves him, goes back outside.

  JARROD: Come inside, Del.

  ADELE: No, no, I won’t—

  JARROD: Come inside, / bub, now.

  ADELE: No, no—

  JARROD: There’s nothing / we can do—

  A
DELE: Get him down, Jarrod, get him… Put me down, arsehole!

  JARROD enters carrying ADELE over his shoulder.

  JARROD: Stop, Del—

  ADELE: Put me down!

  JARROD puts ADELE down, stands in her way, blocking her.

  JARROD: There’s nothing we can do—

  ADELE: I won’t leave him out there alone.

  JARROD: He’s gone, bub.

  ADELE: I’m not leaving him!

  ADELE tries to get past JARROD. He holds her, restrains her, but she manages to make ground towards the door.

  JARROD: Ruben—

  ADELE: Move, / don’t leave him—

  JARROD: Shut the door!

  ADELE: Joey! / Joe!

  JARROD: / Ruben!

  RUBEN stands.

  ADELE: Fucking / move!

  JARROD: Shut the door, Ruben!

  ADELE: Let me / go!

  RUBEN rushes towards the door.

  JARROD: Ruben, SHUT THE FUCKING DOOR!

  RUBEN finally slams the door shut.

  SCENE TWO

  Six months later. It’s April, the beginning of the dry season.

  RUBEN sits outside his old house, Balnba Road, iPod on, white earpieces in his ears. We hear the track as he would: ‘Rule the World’ by Jimblah. He stands under a street lamp looking at the old house. He has a cap on backwards and a can of Southern Comfort in one hand, a cigarette in the other.

  RUBEN mumbles a chorus to himself then takes one earpiece out. As he sings he takes a full can of Southern Comfort.

  RUBEN: Brother.

  He opens it, pours it on the ground.

  SCENE THREE

  RUBEN in David’s office. Counselling session nine. DAVID is holding a document, a copy of Ruben’s statement to police taken the morning Joe died.

  RUBEN: I don’t live there no more.

  DAVID: I’m just reading what it says.

  RUBEN: Yeah, well it’s wrong.

  DAVID: It’s where it happened, Ruben, that’s why it’s in here.

  RUBEN: Don’t make it less wrong, I don’t live there. It’s not my address.

  DAVID: Alright, I got it. Not your address. [Pause.] Balnba Road. That’s a Larrakia word, isn’t it? What’s it mean?

  RUBEN: You askin the wrong blackfella. [Beat.] Don’t you mob believe in air con?

  DAVID: Ants got to the wiring. You want a glass of water?

  RUBEN: Whole of Darwin’s on flood watch, mate, I don’t need water.

  DAVID: Can’t handle the heat? [Pause.] So your statement then. [Beat.] It’s your ninth session. I don’t wanna push you, mate, but we have to / talk about what happened with—

  RUBEN: Go on then, read it out loud.

  DAVID: If you don’t want me to read it, I won’t read it.

  RUBEN: Whatever, dude, you do whatever, talk whatever you wanna talk.

  Pause.

  DAVID: This gonna play out like the first eight?

  RUBEN: Had a pretty shitty day, who know’s, maybe you’re in for a show.

  DAVID: So let’s do tomorrow instead then. Morning or afternoon?

  RUBEN: You’ve bored me shitless enough today, no way I’m comin back tomorrow to start again.

  Silence.

  ‘I don’t wanna push ya, mate.’ Yes ya bloody do. [Beat.] Big hero, aren’t ya? Helpin out the slum dogs.

  DAVID: Slum dogs?

  RUBEN: Palmerston. Everyone’s some kinda dog out there. Got the sly dogs, the copper dogs, mad dogs, the stray dogs, the slum dogs, every kinda dog you can think of. I’m surprised you haven’t been out there, picked yourself up a pup.

  DAVID: And you reckon I talk shit?

  Pause.

  RUBEN: So we talk then, no more bullshit.

  DAVID: Fine with me.

  Beat.

  RUBEN: So where you live? Where’d you grow up? Wait, let me guess, Callum Bay.

  DAVID: Stuart Park.

  RUBEN: I can see that. I can see that. So, what, private school then? [Beat.] Don’t be shame. You get born into some nice little cosy-arse family, they gonna send you off to Sacred Heart or Saint whoever—don’t be shame, good for you, Stuart Park.

  DAVID: You don’t know what you’re talkin about.

  RUBEN: You had choices, that’s all I’m sayin. You never had to slum it. [Beat.] We used to have these shitty old books about space. The universe and whatever. Mum’d read ’em just before bed. I’d have these weird-arse cartoon dreams where I’d bounce around on fluffy white clouds, take a trip to Mars, go anywhere. Be whatever. Poor little black boy from the arse-end of the earth, dreamin like he’s white and rich. It’s bullshit, of course, but no-one tells ya that, do they? They don’t tell you shit till you’re 15 and then it’s, ‘Why haven’t you got a job yet, why haven’t you made somethin of yourself, why you so friggin lazy, Ruben, where have ya been? You wanna stick to something for once, Ruben, you better sort yourself out, boy, ’cause rent don’t pay for itself.’ [Beat.] How many jobs you had, Stuart Park?

  DAVID: My name’s David.

  RUBEN: Count yourself lucky you got the suburb, bro, where I come from you’re only ever as good as the street you live on. How many jobs?

  DAVID: A few.

  RUBEN: Well, jobs aren’t shit, really, are they? I mean unless you’re a theoretical physicist, a cosmologist… Kanye. [Beat.] Not really jobs but, ay? ’Cause I’ve had jobs. Mad Harry’s. Was boring as hell, didn’t rock up, got fired. Worked on the mines for a bit, was rollin in it. Bought a car with the moneys.

  One of my uncles going off every time I saw him, ‘You’ve sold your soul to the devil, boy!’ Says ya can’t be a black man and work for the dogs rippin up your homelands. Mum says, ‘Don’t worry ’bout him, he’ll be after a loan next week’. [Beat.] Money’s a hassle, not worth it. More money you got, more you lose.

  DAVID: Maybe you haven’t found the right one yet. Good job should be something you enjoy doing, something you care about.

  RUBEN: That why you do it, ’cause you care? [Beat.] My sister says you used to be Mr Stuart Park.

  DAVID: I was, yeah.

  RUBEN: You don’t teach anymore but?

  DAVID: No.

  RUBEN: Why not? [Pause.] It’s cool. I already know.

  DAVID: Not here to talk about me.

  RUBEN: Fair enough. [Beat.] Taste of your own medicine right there, huh. [Beat.] Well, while you’re care-ing your way across Darwin, Mother Teresa, rest of the world just wants to make a quick buck. It don’t take an astronaut to figure that one out. Bugger it, I say. Rather be poor, hang out with my family.

  Beat.

  DAVID: You don’t get bored?

  RUBEN: Shit no, there’s plenty to do round here. Go fishing, hunt down parts for the Front Yard Challenge. Wish someone would’ve paid me to do that, I was good at that. Sometimes I come round to thinkin ’bout gettin another job. Nah, fuck it! Back in line at Centrelink, spend up big on my basics card. I sleep too much, don’t sleep enough, drive around, spend whole days just drivin people round. Settin traps at low tide, skint till payday, couldn’t care less. Iced coffee for breakfast, chillin out mostly, Xbox, Southern Comfort for lunch, bummin smokes, drivin bush, fishtails on Dick Ward Drive, firecrackers at three in the mornin, holy shit, Jah, this is Darwin, man, it’s the fuckin life!

  RUBEN laughs at himself, gets his rollies out from his pocket and begins to roll.

  DAVID: What’s the ‘front yard challenge’?

  RUBEN: Tinny. Little four-man boat us boys found.

  RUBEN lights his cigarette.

  DAVID: I’d prefer if you didn’t smoke in here.

  RUBEN exhales smoke towards DAVID.

  Brother, you can’t smoke in here.

  DAVID takes the cigarette from RUBEN’s mouth. He stubs the lit end on a piece of paper trying to put it out.

  RUBEN: Oi, they don’t grow on trees, you know.

  DAVID: Actually, they do. What about your dad? Let’s talk about him, sounds like he’s had an interesting life.

&
nbsp; RUBEN: What, from his criminal record? I wouldn’t bloody know, I’m just his kid. Stop squashing that smoke, would ya? Give it back.

  DAVID hands back the extinguished cigarette.

  Been doing some research, have we?

  DAVID: It’s my job.

  RUBEN: Well, you’re barkin up the wrong tree, Nancy Drew, that bloke don’t mean shit to me. Yeah, he knows how to make an appearance when it suits him, drop by like he never left. I’ll never forget seein’ the bloke at Mum’s funeral, dressed in a flash suit. I was seven but I remember. ‘Wow, that’s my dad, he looks like a nice bloke. He’s gonna look after me now, ’cause that’s what dads do.’ I was a delusional little bugger, I’ll give ya that. [Beat.] I don’t want nuthin to do with him. He doesn’t give a shit, why should I? I can count on one hand how many times that bloke’s asked me a question.

  DAVID: How many times is that?

  Beat.

  RUBEN: [smiling] Oo… smooth. Hit a sore spot. You can have that round.

  DAVID: It’s not a game, Ruben.

  RUBEN: Oh come on, I’m givin you that one, take it. So what have we covered so far? Got the Dad issues, check. Mum passed away, check. Aunty had to raise me, check. No / father figure…

  DAVID: Ruben—

  RUBEN: Shit, I’m gonna break down! But that’s alright ’cause you can fix me, ay, tell me everything’s gonna be / alright.

  DAVID: That’s enough, mate,

  RUBEN: [laughing] What? Isn’t this what you want? You want me to talk and I’m talking! This is all the bad shit, Mr Stuart Park. Help me, Mr Stuart Park, please, you’re my only hope! That what you wanna hear? DAVID: That’s a lot of bullshit for someone who just agreed to cut the bullshit. [Beat.] You finished?

  RUBEN: Yeah. I think I am.

  DAVID: Why’d you hit the copper? [Pause.] Why’d you hit the copper, Ruben? [Pause.] Did he say something about Joe?

  RUBEN: Time’s up, I reckon.

  DAVID: No, it’s not.

  RUBEN: I gotta roll, brother, we can save this poxy conversation for another time. Catch ya later, Stuart Park.

  RUBEN exits.

  SCENE FOUR