For the performances at the Edinburgh Fringe with the action in amongst the audience, we need to create a show of constant movement, interaction and narrative structure. The Marines will also play the Navy and Gun Crew but to save confusion will be referred to in the script as ‘Marines’. Terry and Gary will also play these roles. To create the scenes we propose a ‘Central Scene Unit’ in the middle of the stage from the beginning. The unit appears to look like a crate of supplies, labelled and ready to be sent to the Falklands. Each side of the unit can turn and create a new scene and new setting for each letter. For instance, we start with the crate; it turns to become the barracks. The Table and chairs are stored inside the structure and are removed by the marines. Equipment is visible to indicate setting. Each changing scene will come out of this unit.   SCENE - OPENING Marines enter marching to music. Playing the Game – Picking teams. Gary enters, the others are sat in the audience as civilians, he points to them and they come to the stage and are given rugby shirts to wear. Eton Rifles is playing in background. SCENE April 1982. In barracks.- Central Scene Unit (CSU) is turned to reveal the barracks set. Table is placed in front and chairs slammed down. Smudge sits watching a light at the other side, not visible but clearly a television. Terry sits at the desk. TERRY Smudge, Hevor me et kolokken? SMUDGE What? TERRY Hevor me et kolokken? SMUDGE What are you on about? TERRY What time is it? SMUDGE Why didn’t you say that (PAUSE) five past. TERRY What’s the date? SMUDGE (EXASPERATED) The Second TERRY Of April? SMUDGE (NO REPLY) TERRY Of April, Smudge? SMUDGE (NO REPLY) TERRY (MUTTERS, THEN CLEARLY) Tosser. Dear mum, just a quick line to let you know I’m back. I swear this place gets colder every year. My Norwegian doesn’t get any better either; I can still only ask for beer, sex, and the toilet. Oh, and Hevor me et kolokken, or something, which means, What time is it? I’ll write next week, Terry. LIGHTS CROSS FADE SCENE On board a warship, in the relative calm of the Petty Officer’s Mess. There is a framed photograph of Thatcher on the bulkhead, sporting a pearl necklace. Over the ship’s tannoy can be heard; TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT Do you hear there, do you hear there, do you hear there? The ship’s Uckers final between the Tiffs and the Stokers will take place in the Galley at 19:30. Able Seaman Tasman report to the Crows Nest. That is all.” Marines enter dressing in Navy uniforms carrying Gary, cheering, laughing. Place him in the chair. Gary sits at a table; writing a letter. The CSU is turned to give the impression of the mess. The table is turned to the side and chairs slammed down. GARY Dear mum promised I’d write, sorry, it’s only a brief note but I knew you’d want to know straight away. Great news, I’ve been selected for the Field Gun Crew at the Royal Tournament. So, I’ll be getting off this rust bucket as soon as we land in GUZ. Know how pleased you’ll be, you’ll be able to travel down to London for the weekend, I’ll pay for you and Dad to stay in a nice hotel in Earls Court. (Cont’d) Marines exit GARY (Cont’d) Have you heard from Terry, is he going down South Let me know as soon as please, love, Gary. BLACK OUT. SCENE In Terry’s barracks Terry enters quickly crossing with Gary. Unit turns round to reveal Barracks. TERRY Mum, it’s OK, Gary’s mate can have my bed, as it turns out I can’t come home anyway, I’ve just been told my leave has been cancelled, typical pusser, they send you to Noggie Land from December to March and then cancel your leave on you without telling you why. I’ll try and ring next door at the weekend and ask her to give you a shout about 6, Terry Terry walks off then about turns and a Marine whispers to him. Marines enter with equipment loading up quickly ready to deploy- running back and forth quickly. SCENE Unit moves again to become the back of a truck, into which equipment is being passed. SFX of machinery can be heard. TERRY Mum, you won’t believe this. Forget everything I told you in my last letter (even though you won’t have got it yet) we’re being sent to the Falklands in the morning, can’t tell you any more than that, all hush, hush what. It feels like wartime (LAUGHS) at least the aerogrammes will be free this time, you can pick them up from the Post Office; there’s no excuse for not writing then. At least all that yomping around Dartmoor, in the middle of Winter dressed in flip-flops and Skivvies O.D. Green, with nothing to eat except, grass, cheese possessed and hard tack out of a Second World War, Rat Pack will have paid off. Some of the lads who’ve been on NP8901 down there before said it’s just like Dartmoor. Write soon, Terry. Marines finish loading the truck and start celebrating. Pints are passed around they crowd around the table. MARINE (Shouts) Fine girl you are! MARINES (singing) The girl I do adore! And still I live in hope to see The Holy Ground once more! Fine Girl you are! TERRY I see the storm arising I see it comin’ soon The sky it is so cloudy You can scarcely see the moon We’ll show these Argies hell of war And then return for more And still I live in hope to see The Holy ground once more. MARINES FINE GIRL YOU ARE! SCENE Changing rooms at Earls Court. CSU reveals showerheads. Marines strip and get in shower. GARY Hi Kid, how’s things He’s the man in the government responsible for matters pertaining to the Commonwealth of Nations and the UK's overseas territories and the promotion of British interests abroad. I shall, while I’m at it, remind you that while you may have the strength of a carthorse, and the speed of a racehorse, you, along with all your cabbage-hatted comrades, have the brains of a fucking rocking horse. Look after yourself kid, the Country is very proud of you, (BEAT) I’m not, I think you’re a dickhead. Marines dress in vests and shorts. SCENE On ship en-route to the Falklands, noise of interior of warship, various comings and goings. The BBC’s World Service is playing in the background. Owen, Have you got World Service VO CSU turns again back to the Warship Marines sit around playing Uckers, cleaning a weapon, doing menial tasks. They slowly get up and move around in a circle as Terry writes his letter. All movement happens in a slow rhythmic way. Too Blackwatch? What is the significance of this; it seems to me to be an arty deviation for arty deviation’s sake. TERRY Hi mum, you’ve probably heard anyway, but we’ve retaken South Georgia, some lads that I know from 42 were there, like Butch Cassidy, you remember Butch, he came up one Xmas, the aunty Jean scandal. You’ll probably get a stack of these all at once; I’ve no idea when they fly the mail off. I can’t tell you where I am either (nothing to do with secrets, I just don’t know). It feels like Play School here, I can only see out the round window and all I can see, is the sea. We’ve been stuck down on the Mess Deck almost from when we got on board. I don’t know whether it’s secrecy or cos it’s so cold and rough on deck. Things are dead boring, just playing cards and Uckers all day long (Uckers is a matelot version of Ludo) the ship is constantly noisy, not the lads, the ship itself. Even when everyone’s asleep, it’s like it’s alive and it’s stifling hot and not very nice to breath. You can’t smoke on the Mess Deck (two lads have just been Charged £100 each for being caught smoking) and you can’t smoke up top either, its minus forty or something and blowing a gale. I can’t seal this letter, as the censor has to read it first. I’ll probably write again tonight. P.S. I’m not even allowed to sign it. LIGHTS CROSS-FADE. SCENE Royal Tournament – Earls Court- London CSU turns around to wooden surface. Table turns around and gets turned into a bunk bed with bedding. Marines strip their clothes off. Roll over as if to sleep, roll over the other way, out of the bed and dress as Gun Crew and start to assemble the stage ready to do ‘trial runs’. Turn the unit round to create the Royal Tournament. Marines turn table on its side stage left, with the tabletop facing stage left, its legs pointing to stage right. They place the gun barrel (carpet roll tube) stood up behind it, along with the wheels. They place the wooden surface top on stage right. After the first half of Gary’s letter, they come together. GARY Mum, can you believe it’s taking them so long to get to the Falklands; it’s only off the top of Scotland. No, but seriously, when are they going to get there? Did you see the pictures of those cheeky Argie buggers; they’ll think so when we get down there. Gary joins in the set up of the Royal Tournament. GARY (Cont’d). Did trial runs today… Running the Gun Crew, marines jog on spot, standing around a leader in the middle, who psych’s them up, talking to them. They jump and crouch. MARINES: (lean in and jog, shout) 1, 2, 3 MARINE LEADER Switch on, get it in your minds, you’re not thinking yet are you, switch on. On three, standby MARINES: (lean in and jog, shout) 1, 2, 3 MARINE LEADER Good, right what you goin’ to do out there, achieve right? You’re goin’ to achieve. Standby MARINES: (lean in and jog, shout) 1, 2,3,4,5 MARINE LEADER Right come on! MARINES (SHOUT) COME ON!! Marines break up and take formation, march into the area, to music sound effects, movement from stage right across to left and back to right. Arms linked as if at the front of the Gun Crew. VOICE OVER In 1899 in support of the British Army, the Royal Navy landed guns from HMS Terrible and Powerful to help in the relief of the siege of Ladysmith. Transporting them first inland by rail and then drawn on makeshift carriages by oxen. For the final part of the journey, sailors from the Naval Brigade manhandled the guns over impossible terrain, carrying one of the 12 pounders for 2 miles after one of the wheels collapsed. SFX can be heard of the Tournament and audience. SFX of the guns going off and bugle sounding. The Marines take their positions stage left. On the starting shot run behind the table, grab the wheels and roll over the table and then lift the gun barrel. They run the table over so it’s facing left, legs pointing right. Two marines run with the wheels over to stage right. Two marines then run with the gun barrel. The first two marines now pick up the wooden surface and run with it to the overturned table and place it on top of it, so it creates a ramp. The second two marines will now return with the wheels. Before they set off one marine climbs on the shoulders of another who runs with the wheels on his arms across. He places him on the ramp. Getting off the shoulders, the marine takes the wheels and places them to the side of the table. The other marines now pick up the wooden surface lifting it away from the block and point it upwards at an angle of 35°. Two marines now vault the table again pick it up and carry it to stage right, placing it facing stage left (legs pointing right). Other marines run with the wooden surface place it on the table to create a ramp. Another marine runs up, climbing on the shoulders of another who is passed the gun barrel. GARY is then hit with the ‘hook and traveller’; marine drops gun barrel, scene falls apart. marines scrabble and clamber around as Gary is talking.