Rat is a play by Ade Slack.
CHARACTERS
DANIEL (38, M)
ALICE (15, F)
GEORGE (55, M)
NOAH (23, M)
CHRIS (44, M)
JANE (51, F)
SETTING
A farm building in Brundall, Norfolk. The space is empty but for some old tools, machinery and crates.
SCENES
ONLINE CHATROOM – INTERACTION 1
SCENE ONE – PREPARING THE STING
ONLINE CHATROOM – INTERACTION 2
SCENE TWO – THE MEET
ONLINE CHATROOM – INTERACTION 3
SCENE THREE – THE AFTERMATH
SCENE FOUR – THE SECOND MEET
NOTES ON THE TEXT
The online chatroom scenes are written to be portrayed on the internet. For example, in the first interaction scene, Daniel and Alice do not see each other.
/ Indicates an interruption
… Indicates a broken or unfinished thought
Online Chatroom – Interaction 1
(4th October 2017. A quiet kaleidoscope of online noises (voices, fragments of emails, status updates, beeps and pings) builds into a deafening mass of sound.
Suddenly nothing, a singular ping follows.
This is an online conversation, ALICE, a teenager and DANIEL, late 30’s, don’t physically interact or see each other, but both are present on the stage. ALICE wears slightly alternative clothing, skater-style/punk/grunge.)
DANIEL
You online?
ALICE
Who are you?
DANIEL
Daniel, we were messaging yesterday.
ALICE
Oh yeah, soz.
DANIEL
You online for long?
ALICE
No, can’t. Got school.
DANIEL
Doesn’t school start at 9? Won’t you be late?
ALICE
I’ve got a dentist appointment, Mum’s taking me to school after.
DANIEL
Oh, I bet you have nice teeth Alice.
ALICE
Ha.. I don’t know, I might need a brace, I’ll look awful.
DANIEL
Don’t worry, you’ll look great whatever, I promise.
ALICE
Thanks. You do remember I’m only 14?
DANIEL
Yeah, it’s OK.
ALICE
You alright then?
DANIEL
Yeah, better now I’ve spoken to you again.
ALICE
You don’t mean that.
DANIEL
I do, do you have to wear your uniform to the dentist?
ALICE
Yeah, we’re going straight to school after.
DANIEL
What’s it like?
ALICE
What? My uniform?
DANIEL
Yeah, do you have to wear a skirt or trousers?
ALICE
Trousers.
DANIEL
That’s a shame.
ALICE
Why’s that a shame?
DANIEL
I just think beautiful girls like you should wear skirts.
ALICE
It’s a bit cold, plus I don’t think Mum would let me.
DANIEL
You shouldn’t always do what your Mum says.
SCENE ONE – Preparing the Meet
(10th November 2017. A farm building in Brundall, Norfolk. The space is empty but for some old tools, machinery and some crates. A ladder is leaning against a wall. GEORGE, 50’s and NOAH, early 20’s, stand completely still.)
GEORGE
Stand still!
NOAH
Did you see it?
GEORGE
Just don’t move a muscle. It’s got to be here somewhere.
NOAH
It was bloody massive.
GEORGE
Quiet.
NOAH
(Whispering) What are you going to do?
(GEORGE and NOAH freeze – a few moments pass.)
GEORGE
It’s probably gone now. Have a quick look in the corner there.
NOAH
I am not lifting things up! It might… I don’t know.
GEORGE
Lets just hope it’s not a mother rat protecting her young ‘ey? Don’t want a whole family of them here.
NOAH
You think there might be more?
GEORGE
Who knows? We’re in a bleedin’ barn, there are probably rats everywhere.
NOAH
I don’t know, maybe we should be doing this is in the city somewhere.
GEORGE
Yeah, because there aren’t any rats in Norwich are there?
NOAH
It proper creeps me out.
GEORGE
I’ve read about this, it said something like you’re never more than six feet away from a rat. Did you know that?
NOAH
I didn’t want to know that.
GEORGE
Anyway, I can’t see it, can you?
NOAH
No, disgusting things aren’t they?
GEORGE
It’s not here, come on.
(GEORGE begins to climb the ladder.)
Noah, would you pass me that box?
NOAH
This one?
GEORGE
Yeah.
(NOAH passes the bird box up and GEORGE begins to fix it to the wall.)
NOAH
What would you have done if you’d have caught it?
GEORGE
I don’t know, probably stood on it and killed it.
NOAH
Makes me gag that.
GEORGE
(Positioning the Bird Box) Does this look alright to you?
NOAH
I suppose, do you think it’s normal to have a bird box in a barn?
GEORGE
Yeah? You can’t talk about normal anyway with what you’re wearing.
NOAH
Ey? If I’m going to be on camera then I’m going to make an effort.
GEORGE
There’s effort and then there’s an idiot wearing a tie like a tosspot. Thankfully we’ll have the NPAP hoodies so you can cover that up.
NOAH
Yeah suppose. How many are there?
GEORGE
What? Hoodies?
NOAH
No, cameras.
GEORGE
Three in total, plus Jane’s tablet.
NOAH
You’re not going to put another two bird boxes up are you? He’ll think he’s in a bloody aviary.
GEORGE
For fuck sakes Noah! No! I only need one up to hide the big camera, it’s too big to have out, has a decent mic on it. The other two are tiny, they just record image so can be hidden easily. I’ll put one up there and the other by the door.
NOAH
Right. (Struggling to think of another question.) How much charge do they have?
GEORGE
Enough, don’t you worry. This one can go for about 8 hours, the other two you operate by a remote so you can switch them on when you’re ready. They’re like home surveillance cameras, quite clever, I actually got them off eBay, they came from China.
NOAH
Nice. Do you think it’s a good idea?
GEORGE
What?
NOAH
This?
GEORGE
What do you mean?
NOAH
Well using this place, it’s a bit out the way. You know, he might not come.
GEORGE
After the last time, I think it’s genius. He’ll come don’t you worry, they always do. They’re like rats, after what they can get their grubby paws on?
NOAH
What did happen?
GEORGE
Ey?
NOAH
Last time. I wasn’t there was I?
GEORGE
Mm.
NOAH
Must have been big for you’s to start again.
GEORGE
It went wrong, that’s all you need to know. Just a load of old squit as they say around here.
NOAH
But why?
GEORGE
Just leave it.
NOAH
Fine you’re right. It’s just, I can’t be getting arrested myself, I don’t need that.
GEORGE
You won’t get arrested you muppet… you’re doing a good thing for once in your sad little life.
NOAH
Yeah, but you did.
GEORGE
Huh?
NOAH
Get arrested.
GEORGE
That was different. They go for people like me, I’m like a marked man, they think I’m some… I don’t know.
NOAH
And are you?
GEORGE
What do you think? I’m not a bad person, just think people have their place and this is mine.
NOAH
Yeah, guess that’s OK.
GEORGE
Right.
(Pause – GEORGE comes down from the ladder, and gives it NOAH.)
Here, take this. We need to test them.
(NOAH takes the ladder and places it by the door. GEORGE has an iPad and a computer. He uses them to check the cameras.)
NOAH
What was it like? When you were arrested?
GEORGE
You’re like a dog with a bone. It was just a waste of time.
NOAH
But what happened? Like did you get put in a cell or have to go to court or anything?
GEORGE
No course not! You’ve got to remember the trick with the police is you don’t give them anything. They need to prove you did whatever it is they’ve arrested you for. You know that. And the nonce was hardly going to press charges was he? He just wanted everyone to leave him alone so he can go and do his thing.
(A pause.)
NOAH
Yeah.
They didn’t arrest him though did they?
GEORGE
No.
NOAH
So we start again?
GEORGE
Yeah, they need us. Although you could say, we never really stopped.
NOAH
What?
GEORGE
Well we never took down the decoys. The police wanted us to take down our website and stop everything. But the profiles stayed the same.
NOAH
Right?
GEORGE
The paedophiles kept coming, they didn’t stop, they kept starting conversations with our ‘girls’ and so we carried on.
NOAH
How many?
GEORGE
How many what?
NOAH
How many people are we talking?
GEORGE
Mate, it’s everyday.
NOAH
God. I thought tonight was a one off, like a last one.
GEORGE
No, it’s different this time, bigger.
NOAH
You still in the chatrooms?
GEORGE
Not me personally, but we’re there, we haven’t stopped. I leave all that stuff to Chris and Jane to organise, I stick to the editing stuff and the actual meets.
NOAH
Well, good, that’s… good. I could probably help with the video editing, I’ve got the software, you could teach me how to do it.
GEORGE
No, I do the editing.
NOAH
Right.
(A pause.)
GEORGE
I used to edit videos with proper reel to reel tape, it’s just a thing I like to do. I don’t want or need anyone fussing around me. So whilst I appreciate the offer, you can kindly find something else to do.
NOAH
I see.
(GEORGE is adjusting the cameras.)
What are you doing?
GEORGE
Just making sure the cameras cover the room properly. We need to make sure we have full coverage. Here, you stand over there.
NOAH
Ok. Right. So who is doing the stuff in the chatrooms?
GEORGE
What?
NOAH
Like who’s being the underage girl? Is it Jane?
GEORGE
Jane? No. She’s working at that school in Norwich. She’s been a bit funny about things lately.
(A pause.)
Noah?
NOAH
Yeah, sorry was just thinking. Chris is using that girl you know isn’t he?
GEORGE
Alice? Yeah, she’s been around.
NOAH
She’s a bit young isn’t she?
GEORGE
She’s old enough. If she says she wants to help, then fair play to her. She’s more convincing than any of us. I can’t talk like a teenager can I? I don’t know what they’re saying half the time and the bloke would see it a mile away.
NOAH
Where did she come from this Alice? Does she do all the talking online?
GEORGE
Some of it, she has some help, Chris is there too. She’s not on her own because that wouldn’t be fair on her. It’s disgusting what some of them say and the pictures they send. It’s sick!
NOAH
And where’s she from?
GEORGE
Just a friend of a friend, she’s been doing some work at the Garage with Chris.
NOAH
At the Garage?
GEORGE
Yeah, think she’s doing a bit in the office, booking in the cars, taking payments, that kind of thing. Don’t think she’s doing any MOT’s yet.
NOAH
Right, he asked me to get some clothes this afternoon.
GEORGE
You what?
(NOAH fetches a bag.)
NOAH
Chris, said I had to go to the shops, girls shops. I knew it was going to be for her.
GEORGE
Fuck sake. What’s wrong with the clothes she’s wearing?
NOAH
That’s what I thought. I got a top, a skirt and a jumper, cost me thirty quid. Chris better give me the money back.
GEORGE
He will, if not I’ll sort you out.
NOAH
It feels a bit wrong don’t it? Do you know what I mean?
GEORGE
Look we needed to change some things, we had to.
NOAH
But how does having the decoy here make any difference? I feel we’re just giving the sicko what he wants.
GEORGE
I hope not! The issue we had before was the nonce said he was being set up, a victim of fraud, that there was no girl.
NOAH
So what did you do?
GEORGE
Well, we got a confession out of him.
NOAH
What? And that’s when the police arrived?
GEORGE
Something like that.
NOAH
But I still don’t get why having the decoy here will solve that?
GEORGE
The idea is we capture on camera the moment the dirty bastard meets the girl, what he says to her and if he tries anything. We need to hear him say he wants underage girls. It’s about collecting better evidence, a better case. It’s what Chris wants, a whole network of groups like ours. We’ll be able to “centrally co-ordinate our efforts” and be able to nab people from all over the country, maybe the whole of Europe. To do that we have to be the “leaders in this field”, and try things that others haven’t. You know using live decoys could be the next big development.
NOAH
It’s… I don’t know, don’t you think it’s a bit crazy? What about if it goes wrong?
GEORGE
It won’t, we’ve made sure of it. The cameras will pick up everything and we’ll be in the barn next door watching the whole thing. Soon as we’ve got enough, we move in and it’s a normal meet. Honestly, we’ve thought of everything, we went over everything.
NOAH
Yeah, that’s good. What if he goes into the wrong barn or something?
GEORGE
Alice will be waiting at the door. He’ll go straight to her, it’s what he’s after.
NOAH
I’m just worrying a bit, like this Alice, does she even know what she’s doing?
GEORGE
Chris has been working with her, he’ll be prepping her as we speak. You should be more excited about this. Tonight is going to be the best one yet.
NOAH
Mm, I guess. I mean, I am looking forward to it.
GEORGE
Then look like it a bit more. Here do you want a drink? Calm yourself down?
End of Extract.