OUR TURN by Niall Murphy - Tiny Plays for a Brighter Future

Ten Tiny Plays, consisting of just 600 words, have been shortlisted as part of the Tiny Plays for a Brighter Future challenge, a partnership between ESB and Fishamble: The New Play Company, which was launched in February 2021. The challenge invited writers to imagine what a brighter energy future means to them, and to capture that in a 600-word play. Over 350 submissions were received, and the shortlisted plays were selected by an independent panel of judges. ​

Our Turn by Niall Murphy


Lights up. Three people are sitting on chairs facing the audience, upstage, in a formation that appears to be a car. MAN, 60s, is holding a steering wheel. WOMAN, 40s sits next to him. GIRL, 14, sits behind.

We hear the sound effects of a car motor and see the moving conveyor belt of a road projected in front of them.

Girl: Was that not our turn?

Man: No no. This is the way we’ve always gone.

Woman: (To MAN) God forbid you’d give anything new a go.

Man: Excuse me!

He pauses, then nods towards an imaginary dashboard.

Man: Sure I’ve a Bluetooth stereo, don’t I?

MAN and GIRL laugh.

The lights go down. We hear a thud.
---
The lights come up. The ‘car’ has moved downstage, along the projected road. WOMAN fans herself with a folded map.

Girl: Was that not our turn?

MAN nods downstage.

Man: Ah… this way’s better. More… reliable.

WOMAN turns to GIRL.

Woman: It is easier, this way. But we’ll turn off soon, don’t worry.

Girl takes a phone out of her pocket, and starts tapping the screen.

Girl: The maps say to turn off as soon as possible.

Man: Hah! Don’t mind them maps!

Woman: I am sweltering.

GIRL looks out the window, head in her hands, and sighs.

Girl: All the signs are saying turn off now.

Woman: I know love, we just need to go a bit further, and then we’ll turn off.

Lights go down. Thud.
---
Lights up again. The ‘car’ has moved further downstage.

Man: Going to pull in up here.

MAN nods downstage.

Woman: What for?

Man: Petrol.

Lights go down. Thud.
---
Lights up. The car is closer to the edge of the stage, but MAN is gone. They’re static and the road isn’t moving.

Girl: Is he coming back?

WOMAN looks across the driver’s seat through the imaginary window, worried expression on her face. She pauses, then scoots across to the driver’s seat and picks up the steering wheel. We hear the engine, and the road projection begins to move.

Girl: Are we going on without him?

WOMAN doesn’t answer.

Lights go down. Thud.
---
Lights up. The car is nearing edge of the stage. WOMAN is still driving. GIRL sits in passenger seat.

Girl: (In a resigned tone, barely looking up) I think that was our turn.

Woman: I know. I’m sorry, okay? It’s not that easy. We don’t know where any of these turns go!

Girl: (Sitting up, annoyed, pointing downstage) And do we know where this one goes? Where it ends?

Woman doesn’t answer.

Girl: Are you going to get out somewhere along here, like he did?

WOMAN doesn’t respond immediately, sighs and answers quietly.

Woman: I don’t know.

Girl: Okay. So if your stop is along here, you can just… hop out. And I’ll head on and just… hope we haven’t missed the last turn.

Lights go down. Thud.
---
Lights up. We hear a swirling wind. The four seats that make up the car are right at the edge of the stage. WOMAN and GIRL are now standing either side of the car, at the edge of the stage. They both look out, hands over eyes, towards the audience.

After a time, they look at each other for a moment. Slowly, they walk around behind the car, and stand facing each other again. WOMAN gives GIRL a set of keys. GIRL looks at them in her hand. Then, they each slowly walk back around to the opposite sides of the car, and get in.
GIRL picks up the steering wheel.


Niall is a writer of short stories, advertising copy, one (tiny) play, and many, many emails. When not writing or – let’s be honest – staring into space, he enjoys a dip in the sea and watching the birds in his garden. He lives in Glenageary, Co. Dublin with his wife, Ali.
Twitter: @niallfromdublin
Instagram: @niallskipmurphy

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