failure project

Yolanda Mercy

FAILURE

PROJECT

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production Details

Writer’s Note

Thank-yous

Characters

Rules of the Script

Original Set Information

failure project

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

failure project was first performed at Summerhall on 1 August 2024 as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The cast was as follows:

Voice-overs are pre-recorded by Yolanda Mercy.

With special thanks to Joseph Barnes Phillips, Thais Wizenberg and Michael Magambo (for additional ad-libs/support).

This is for us. ‘We gon’ be alright’

Writer’s Note

This is a play written for writer-performers. Those multi- hyphenates who want to get on stage and share a story that means something to them, and hopefully resonates with an audience. So make this play your own. The words sound like how you’d actually speak, with a little bit of poeticness to it. That’s intentional. This play is meant to feel real, ’cause I can’t pretend these things don’t happen and won’t still happen. I’ve written this to be honest, so don’t change my words – I’ve spent SO much time working on this script but I give you creative licence to finesse it. Make it your own. Embody it, and make it something that you love performing (as much as I do).

I love a good ‘…’ during sections of dialogue, which means find space to get into the character, play, make your audience laugh (or cry) use this play as a platform to showcase you… ’cause I think you’re pretty awesome for wanting to perform failure project.

Yolanda Mercy

July 2024

Thank-yous

Obvs my mum, sis, dad… My family and friends for supporting me. Joseph Barnes-Phillips and Jules Haworth for collaborating with me. Summerhall for debuting the play. Tom Forster for believing in me. Waitrose for the sponsorship. Nick Hern Books team for bringing me into the NHB family. And to you for picking up this playtext.

Characters

ADE, early thirties

LEANNE, early thirties

MUM, mid-fifties

DAD, late fifties

JESSICA, late twenties

TOBI (voice-over), early thirties

EMILY, early thirties

STRANGER (voice-over), early thirties

LU, mid-twenties

DENISE, mid-twenties

OTHER BLACK GIRL, mid-thirties

TING, mid-thirties

LOTTIE (voice-over), early thirties

NURSE (voice-over), mid-fifties

COMMENTS (voice-over), ageless

SIRI (voice-over), thirties

Rules of the Script

An ellipsis (…) denotes a moment for the actor to play with (see Writer’s Note above for more info, hun).

Gaps between the lines are to replace Beat. Meaning, allow yourself to find moments to let the words land.

Original Set Information

A row of stemmed roses lay on the stage floor.

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

Pre-Show

The preshow is upbeat. At the three-minute call there’s a voice-over from ADE and SIRI.

ADE Hey friend, it’s me Ade Adeyomi… I know you’ve just arrived at the theatre, you’re all sweaty, need to go for a pee, or you’re tryna get a quick bevvy… or let’s be real – you’re checking to see if the boy you fancy is watching your Insta stories? Yeah, I know. Even though he hasn’t responded to your messages