Playscript

Playscript

by

Zach Bloom

Setting

Peking 1901

An old traditional Chinese house with a large sweeping roof of green tiles. The interior had wooden bamboo furniture, intricately carved and screens with paper walls. The area would have been a grand one. There would have been the smell of tea, the sound of murmuring of diplomats in the background can be heard.

Characters

Chao Lei, the main protagonist. He is a calm, collective man who does not show his feelings, he is highly regarded by his fellow countrymen. He is always seen drinking tea. He is known to snap at times.

Mr Cecil Cavendish, an English monster, he doesn’t care for people’s feelings, he only has country and his ideas in his sights. He is lean and tall with a moustache with bony fingers. His character is like a fly, an irritant and he feels the Chinese need to pay for what they did to his country.

Scene One

[The land was ravaged with soot. A group of English and Chinese officials enter a house and murmurs fill the room. The tension was suffocating the room. It was called the silence of death. Who was going to make the first move? The walls were decorated by hand with perfect symmetry. Then a man appeared, his body twitching, his legs trickled into the chair]

Cavendish Lei have you and your men made up your mind? [he scoffed afterwards and stared him down in the eye] go on then take a seat.

Lei [with a blank face pulls up a chair] I don't like being talked to like that. I would respect you like you should respect me.

Cavendish [he rolls his eyes and says in a sarcastic voice] I didn't know that you would take it so personally. [He straightens his back to tower over Mr Lei and shows that he is better than him.] We are not here to argue, let's carry on [pause] so you will be prohibited from holding weapons in Shanghai.

[Chao Lei’s face looks in despair, he takes his tea pot and then starts to pour, keeping eye contact with Cavendish. He won't let him get one up on him]

Lei we have agreed that yes [sigh] that we will handover our arms in Shanghai. Mr Cavendish we have one request, that we want our people to feel safe, we need the British to agree on the security of the people in Shanghai.

Cavendish [murmurs] I don't give two hoots about the people in Shanghai

Lei [disgustedly says] What was that? Mr Cavendish, I wish that you wouldn't say that about our people.

Cavendish So I think we need to get on to another point now. [his bony fingers grasping onto the pen, he does a tick on his list. His grin starts to grow and grow] [he says in a menacing voice] I think that you and your country should pay off what you have done to our proud nation. We want you to declare the departure of your Dowager and accept that this war was your fault.

Lei I will need a minute to talk with my people.

[Mr Lei walks away, knuckles clenching, trying to maintain a calm exterior.]

[Mr Lei exits stage left.]

[Mr Cavendish looks at the transparent delicately decorated paper wall, Mr Lei was in the room with officials. You can see the outline of the heated conservation unfolding like a shadow puppet show. The smell of tea was still in the air and then the puppets went quiet.]

[Mr Lei enters stage right]

Lei We have made our decision [one tear of sweat ran down his face]. We will accept that it was our fault for the Boxer Rebellion [he raises his voice] but we will never, ever let our Empress go.

Cavendish [in an evil smirking voice] I don’t think it is a choice Lei. Your country has brought great shame to the world and for that, I want your Dowager to pay. [in an aggressive voice] I know what the Dowager means to the people, she is the hope to the people, she keeps this country together. [pause] Lei, I don’t think you have a choice, it is this or we raise the war reparations enough to cripple your nation. That will teach your country for interfering in Western politics.

Lei [in an assertive voice] Mr Cavendish I wish you would treat our Empress Dowager with respect, call her Empress Dowager please, not Dowager. I call your King by his rightful title to show respect. Mr Cavendish, I understand your pleas but right now I do not have the power or responsibility to agree to these terms. You ask too much of a man like me, you think I have more power than I do. I ask only for time to speak with higher officials.

[Mr Cavendish has Mr Lei right where he wants him. His eyes light up, every second of this he is enjoying. His bony back straightens as the devil reincarnates in his body]

Cavendish NO! I will not let you have this time, you have had more than enough time Lei. [Mr Cavendish cackles at the idea, every second of this is heaven for Mr Cavendish]

Lei [his voice has an edge to it, his exterior changes, his body shows tension, his smile has gone] Mr Cavendish, all I have done is show you respect throughout your disrespectful antics and even now you still show me disrespect, I have had enough. [Mr Lei puts his tea cup away]

Cavendish [the anger is rising in his voice] Oh I will give you time, time for you to renounce your Dowager, she can turn your people into an antiquated rabble of peasants with fists who think they can take on the might of the British. A woman is not fit to lead, a woman’s place is to serve man.

[Mr Lei’s brain starts snapping, he sprints towards Cavendish like a bull, knuckles clenched, he grabs hold of Mr Cavendish’s coat, the rage diffusing out of him filling the room. Cavendish's eyes glint with victory, his smile grows and Mr Lei sees Satan reincarnate before him and realises too late what he has done. Mr Lei’s body starts to fall down to the ground, the shame of losing his temper rushing through his body]

Lei [tears start trickling down from his eyes] IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME? To be on my knees begging before you [sniff sniff]

Cavendish [in a jubilant tone] Mr Lei is this how you act to me, rushing at me like a mad man? This is no place to be doing this, never ever in my career have I been treated like this, the disrespect! The Dowager is in our hands now. I wish you could think about this Lei, contemplate what you have done, the consequence of your actions.

[Mr Cavendish with a smirk on his face slowly exits with a triumphant cackle.]

Lei [in a depressing tone] it was in my hands. [Mr Lei’s body slumps to the floor in defeat]

[the curtains slowly close on Mr Lei]