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Carrion

The play 'Carrion' by Isaac Byrne features two main characters, Jules and Goldie, who struggle with their self-worth while dealing with the haunting presence of two dead figures, Dead One and Dead Two. As they attempt to enjoy a picnic, the dead characters taunt them, reflecting their insecurities, but ultimately Jules and Goldie find strength in each other, leading to a violent confrontation with the dead. The play concludes with Jules and Goldie celebrating their bond and newfound freedom, despite the gruesome acts they committed to overcome their inner demons.

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Isaac Byrne
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
130 views10 pages

Carrion

The play 'Carrion' by Isaac Byrne features two main characters, Jules and Goldie, who struggle with their self-worth while dealing with the haunting presence of two dead figures, Dead One and Dead Two. As they attempt to enjoy a picnic, the dead characters taunt them, reflecting their insecurities, but ultimately Jules and Goldie find strength in each other, leading to a violent confrontation with the dead. The play concludes with Jules and Goldie celebrating their bond and newfound freedom, despite the gruesome acts they committed to overcome their inner demons.

Uploaded by

Isaac Byrne
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Carrion

By Isaac Byrne

I of II
Characters:

Jules—any gender, close in age to Goldie

Goldie—any gender, close in age to Jules

Dead One–any age, any gender. Dead and rotting.

Dead Too–any age any gender. Dead and rotting.

II of II
Lights up on a blank stage.

Jules enters carrying Dead One on their back and a


bag in their hands. It’s a struggle.

Jules opens their bag and pulls out a blanket of


some kind. Dead One makes this very difficult.

JULES
Ooof.

DEAD ONE
Fat. Out of shape.

Jules pulls food out of the bag and tries to set up a


picnic. Dead One keeps making this very difficult by
knocking things over, restricting Jules’ movement,
and generally doing whatever they can to make all
of this a challenge.

DEAD ONE
You’re doing it wrong. That looks gross. That’s not how you should set that up. You’re
incompetent. How are you so bad at this? This would be easier if you weren’t so fat. Bad.
Inadequate. You’re dumb.

Jules looks in the bag for something to drink.

DEAD ONE
You didn’t bring anything to drink. That’s bad for digestion. You’re gonna get fatter now. Gonna
choke. Alone. Sad and Alone. Idiot. No one will love you now.

Jules looks defeated.

JULES
Stupid.

Goldie enters dragging Dead Too and carrying a


bag. Goldie is barely able to get onstage before
collapsing. Dead Too crawls on top of them.

GOLDIE
Ack.

1 of 8
DEAD TOO
You suck at this.

Goldie opens the bag from this position and from


the bag pulls out a blanket, a bottle of wine, and
two glasses. Dead Too makes all of this very
difficult by swatting, smothering, and doing
whatever they can

DEAD TOO
Terrible. Terrible. Dumb. Wrong. Bad bad. Embarrassing. Total shit.

Goldie, with Dead Too still on top of them, pulls out


a corkscrew and somehow opens the bottle of wine.
It’s a struggle.

DEAD TOO
You’re a drunk. Everyone knows it. You forgot food didn’t you? Disgusting and careless. You’re
gonna get sloppy drunk, starve, and die. Alone. Dumb and alone. Hungover and bloated. Gross.

Goldie looks defeated.

GOLDIE
Worthless.

Jules looks over at Goldie.

DEAD ONE
Don’t. You’re fat and stupid.

Jules repeatedly tries to say something but Dead


One covers their mouth, chokes them, and finally
stuffs food in their mouth to prevent them from
talking.

JULES
(Coughing with food in their mouth) Hi.

Goldie notices Jules. Jules is ashamed. Goldie


waves.

DEAD TOO
You’re a drunken slut and they’ll never love you.

2 of 8
Goldie takes a drink. Dead Too makes them cough
and spill it all over themselves. Goldie is mortified.

Jules finds a napkin. They stand up and bring it


over to Goldie.

Goldie takes the napkin.

GOLDIE
Thank you.

Dead One crawls over behind Jules and hisses at


Dead Too.

Dead Too growls back.

JULES
Would you like some food?

GOLDIE
Okay.

Jules brings over some food.

GOLDIE
Would you like a drink?

JULES
Thanks.

Goldie pours a drink and hands Jules a glass.

Dead One and Dead Too are still growling and


hissing. They start to circle Jules and Goldie like
two threatened predators.

Goldie and Jules sit and eat and drink while this
happens. They have a lovely picnic together,
laughing, helping each other, gentle sweet
flirtations building between them. They do their best
to ignore Dead One and Dead Too.

3 of 8
DEAD ONE
No good. No Good. No Good. No good. NOT GOOD. FAT FAT!

DEAD TOO
Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. VERY BAD. SLUT SLUT!

Jules and Goldie are now feeding each other. It’s


very Lady and Tramp. Dead One and Dead Too
have moved behind them respectively. Jules and
Goldie are about to kiss…

Dead One and Dead Two look like they’re about to


attack, but instead they suddenly start singing a
beautiful mournful wordless song.

DEAD ONE
(Singing) Ahhhhhhhh ahhh ahhhh ahh ahhhhhhhaaaahhhh

DEAD TOO
(Singing) Ahhhhhhhh ahhh ahhhh ahh ahhhhhhhaaaahhhh

Jules and Goldie stand up and start to waltz to the


song.

Dead One and Dead Two circle them singing the


music. Sometimes Dead One and Dead Two make
Jules and Goldie do a dance move—a spin, a dip, or
push them closer together.

Just as Jules and Goldie are again about to kiss…

Dead One and Dead Two attack each other. It’s


violent and weird. They’re rolling around on the
floor wrestling….Or is it dry humping…?

Each attack on Dead One seems to hurt Jules.

Each attack on Dead Too seems to hurt Goldie.

DEAD ONE
(Overlapping) DUMB. STUPID. WORTHLESS. INADEQUATE. NOT GOOD. SO DUMB.
CAN’T. BE. LOVED. CANT CHANGE. WILL DISAPPOINT. STUPID FAT.

4 of 8
DEAD TOO
(Overlapping) BAD. SO BAD. VERY BAD. WORTHLESS. NOT WORTHY. UNABLE. TO.
LOVE. CANT CHANGE. WILL RUIN EVERYTHING. BROKEN SLUT.

Jules and Goldie just sit and look sadly and with
disappointment at each other.

JULES
I thought…

GOLDIE
I wanted…

JULES
No.

GOLDIE
Can’t.

Jules and Goldie turn away from each other. Dead


One and Dead Too are still fighting around them.
Fight still looks almost sexual, but it’s definitely
even more violent now.

Jules very sadly starts to sing a wordless song.


Their singing is very quiet and shaky. It’s similar to
the earlier song but different somehow.

JULES
(Singing) Ahhhhhhhh ahhh ahhhh ahh ahhhhhhhooooooohhhh

Goldie listens to Jules. They too join in with a quiet


shaky voice.

GOLDIE
(Singing) Ahhhhhhhh ahhh ahhhh ahh ahhhhhhhooooooohhhh

Their hands find each other.

They turn and face each other.

They stand. Holding hands. Their voices get


stronger.

5 of 8
Dead One and Dead Too stop fighting and turn
toward them.

DEAD ONE
NO! NOT ENOUGH! TOO FAT!!

DEAD TOO
NO! SO STUPID!! TOO BROKEN!!

Jules and Goldie stop singing.

JULES
That’s not who you are.

GOLDIE
You’re not that person.

Jules and Goldie kiss.

Dead One and Dead Too gasp loudly.

Jules and Goldie look at the Dead, at then each


other, and then nod. They go to their bags and pull
out knives.

They grab Dead One and Dead Too and drag them
back on to their blankets.

DEAD ONE AND DEAD TOO


Wait wait waitNOOOOOOO!!!!

Jules and Goldie stab Dead One and Dead Too


repeatedly. It’s a very bloody and very violent act all
around done with almost callous cruelty by Jules
and Goldie as Dead One and Dead Too try to
escape and pitifully beg for mercy. Finally,
FINALLY, it is done. The Dead can no longer move
or try to fight back. But they are still clinging onto
life, quietly gurgling and twitching.

DEAD ONE
Well Shit.

6 of 8
DEAD TOO
Goddammit.

Jules and Goldie stand up and face each other. They


grab their bags. They hold hands like they’re going
to leave but they’re too sad. They seem almost
unable to move.

JULES
Wait.

GOLDIE
Hold on.

They pull out their knives again and go back to


Dead One and Dead Too respectively.

JULES
They had a good heart. Deep down.

Jules starts to carve Dead One’s heart out of their


chest. It’s bloody work. Jules has to search a bit.
Other organs may have to come out as Jules tries to
find it. Dead One is still alive during this, gurgling
in protest.

GOLDIE
They had such wonderful hands. They taught me so much.

Goldie saws off Dead Too’s hands. Takes a while.


Blood gets everywhere. Dead Too is also very much
alive and gurgling protests during this amputation.

Jules and Goldie maybe take one or two other body


parts from Dead One and Dead Too.

JULES
(Quietly to Dead One) You didn’t mean to. But you did.

GOLDIE
(Gently to Dead Too) You hurt. But you helped too.

7 of 8
They turn to face each other, covered in blood and
body parts.

Jules and Goldie wrap the still twitching and


gurgling Dead up in the blankets and roll them
offstage.

Jules and Goldie come back to the now bare stage.


They are still covered in gore.

They smile ridiculously big smiles at each other.

They start to sing the song again. They dance


around the stage, sometimes coming together to kiss
or tickle. They play and laugh as they sing with
glorious childlike joy and freedom.

Lights slowly fade.

End of play

8 of 8

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