Gunnar Germundson (Norway)
Kim playing
Kim leker
PETROL STATION EVENING
KIM, a boy with red hair, lies asleep under a sign reading ”Petrol”.
Kim is lying on a blanket and has a pillow under his head.
JON calls in the distance.
JON
Kim!
The darkness thickens.
A torch comes on.
DAG walks past Kim, the torch in his hand.
Dag fails to notice Kim despite sweeping the area with the beam of light.
Dag is just about old enough to work as a guard. He is wearing a black jacket with “Guard” written in white on the back. The letters seem somewhat home-made. (This role, incidentally, may be played by a girl.)
Dag paces across the petrol station forecourt.
Dag defines a boundary line using a piece of chalk. Owing to the darkness, the chalk line is not very clearly seen.
Dag puts the torch down at the edge of the forecourt so that the beam of light shines along the chalk line.
Dag walks up and down alongside the beam of light on the side closest to Kim.
JON again calls in the distance.
JON
Kim!
Kim awakes and gets up in the dark without DAG being aware of him.
Kim rolls his pillow into the blanket.
With the pack under his arm, Kim walks over towards DAG who is looking in the opposite direction.
KIM
Hi!
Dag starts, jumps over to the other side of the beam of light, turns and raises his arms ready to strike out.
Kim now stands exactly where DAG stood previously.
KIM
Has anything happened?
DAG
Where did you come from?
KIM
What are you standing here for?
DAG
I asked you where you came from!
KIM
I asked first.
DAG
I’m securing the area!
KIM
Oh?
DAG
I work for the petrol station.
I asked you where you came from!?
KIM
I’ve been here for hours.
DAG
So what have you been doing here for hours?
KIM
Having a kip.
DAG
Get out of here!
KIM
What?
DAG
Find somewhere else to kip!
KIM
No-one said it wasn’t ok…
DAG
Wasn’t ok!
KIM
…to have a kip here.
DAG
Not!
Kim begins to walk along his side of the beam of light; Dag tracks him on the other side.
KIM
There’s no sign against it.
DAG
It’s not OK! Get it?
Kim
I don’t see a sign saying ”No Kipping” anywhere.
DAG
Enough bullshit!
KIM
Are you just playing?
Or are you for real?
DAG
You’re on a forbidden area!
Kim turns abruptly and makes off in the other direction alongside the beam of light.
Dag follows.
KIM
You were looking the other way.
Making sure no-one got in.
But I’m already in.
DAG
Yes! And it’s not allowed.
KIM
But you’re standing on the other side of the boundary.
DAG
Go home!
KIM
I haven’t got a home.
DAG
You don’t look particularly homeless!
KIM
You should turn off your torch.
You’ll lose your night vision.
May be that’s why
you don’t know
which way to look?
Kim blocks the light and the boundary disappears.
DAG
Go home or
go anywhere you like!
Get a life!
Find something else to do
with your summer holiday!
Kim walks with one foot either side of the beam of light.
KIM
But! Which way am I allowed to go?
Dag grabs Kim.
JON has come closer; calls again.
JON
Kim!
Dag releases Kim and turns towards the voice.
Kim runs off and hides in the dark.
Dag takes a pace backwards, across the beam of light.
Dag now stands where he first stood.
JON, older than Kim, but with the same red hair, enters walking towards Dag.
Jon and Dag stand opposite each other on either side of the beam of light.
DAG
Sorry. Closed.
JON
I’m looking for a boy.
With hair like mine. Kim.
My name’s Jon and I’m his brother.
What’s your name?
DAG
My name’s Dag.
And you can’t look here.
JON
Go on, watchman Dag, just a little peek?
Please?
Kim likes the smell of petrol.
Jon peers after Kim, tries to cross the beam of light but Dag blocks his way.
Dag
Sorry pal!
Move back!
It’s my job
to watch this boundary.
Jon begins walking alongside the beam of light; Dag tracks him on the other side.
JON
It’s my job to look for Kim.
DAG
Are you deaf!?
JOn
I have to look where I think Kim is.
DAG
Do you mean that I shouldn’t
do my job?
JON
You do yours
and I’ll do mine.
DAG
Exactly!
Dag puffs up his chest and suddenly pushes it into Jon so he falls over backwards.
DAG
You’ll still be doing your job
if you search on your side
of the boundary!
Kim sneaks over to the torch and suddenly spins it round.
While the light is spinning, Kim, with his blanket and pillow under his arm, runs past Jon who is still on the ground.
Jon sees Kim and leaps to his feet.
Jon follows after Kim.
Dag stops the torch spinning and turns it off.
…
(Written for DUS, the Norwegian version of the British program “Connect”)
Kim doesn’t like his new home; he’s got the smallest room and a new mother who doesn’t trust him. Kim, wanting to punish his father for dragging him away from the life he knew, sleeps outside at night and refuses to come home for dinner. Everyone in Kim’s vicinity has a summer job: His step-sister Becky is looking after Kim’s new-born half-brother while his big brother Jon is getting paid for looking after Kim. Kim won’t accept his big brother’s playing dad in his father’s absence and won’t be caught. In the end, he gets tired of running away and hiding. To protect himself and raise his status, Kim employs a watchman…
Rightholder:
Performances:
Cast:
M: 6
F: 6