THE HAPPY CHAT BENCH.
A SHORT PLAY.
A WORK IN PROGRESS.
KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR PROGRESS.
IF YOU WISH TO DO SO....
Scene.
A Happy to chat bench on a sea front Promenade.
A man aged around 25 sits on the bench.
(Bench Man) B.M.
He has a bag at his side.
He is looking at his phone.
People pass.
Dog walkers
Joggers.
Cyclists.
Another man approaches the bench .
He is aged around 60.
Promenade Man. (P.M.)
P.M.stops at the bench.
"Hello there. Do you want to chat ?"
B.M.
"Pardon?"
P.M points to the sign affixed to the back of the bench.
"The happy to chat bench."
B.M.
"Ah l saw the sign. I just thought that it was an in memory of sign."
P.M.
"It is."
B.M.turns towards the sign to check.
P.M.
"In memory of conversation.
It's all mobile phones now.
Unsocial media l call it."
He sits down on the bench.
B.M..slides mobile phone into top pocket of his coat as though caught cheating in a school exam.
P.M.
"You local?
You don't sound local."
B.M.
"No. I'm from Whitby."
P.M.
" A southerner!"
B.M.
"Not really."
P.M.
"Whitby is south of here, so southerner it is."
B.M.
"If you say so. "
P.M
"I'm Geoff, what's your name?"
B.M.
"Taylor."
P.M
"No. Your first name."
B.M.
"That is my first name."
Taylor.
Taylor Graham."
P.M.
"Complicated.
Last name is a first name and first name is a last.
How come you came to Seaton then?"
B.M.
"It's a project for college.
P.M.
"What project?
What are you studying?"
B.M.
"Photography.
I'm doing something about North East seaside towns.
The beaches.
The people who visit the beaches.
P.M
" You mean like the different characters?"
B.M.
"Sort of.."
P.M.
"God.
Plenty of them here.
B.M
"Good, that what l'm after."
A young lad( Y.L.) on a bike, stutters to a halt just in front of them.
P.M.
You haven't got any brakes on that bike!"
Y.L.
"I have, but l took them off.
They kept making a noise."
The young lad sets off on his bike with a wobble then gone.
