when chaplin met gandhi - tslbooks.uk€¦ · johnny song (warehouse theatre) when chaplin met...

WHEN CHAPLIN MET GANDHI

A Play

James Kenworth

TSL Drama

First published in Great Britain in 2016By TSL Publications, Rickmansworth

Copyright © 2012 and 2016 James Kenworth

ISBN / 978-1-911070-32-0

The right of James Kenworth to be identified as the playwright/authorof this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with theUK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly inthe public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to actualpersons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by anymeans without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor beotherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that inwhich it is published and without a similar condition being imposed onthe subsequent buyer.

Rights of performance

Rights of performance for this play is controlled by TSL Publications(tslbooks.uk/Drama) which issues a performing licence on payment ofa fee and subject to a number of conditions (specified ontslbooks.uk/Drama). This play is fully protected under the CopyrightLaws of the British Commonwealth of Nations, the United States ofAmerica and all countries of the Berne and Universal Copyright Con-ventions. All rights, including stage, Motion Picture, Radio, Television,Public Reading and Translation into Foreign Languages are strictlyreserved. It is an infringement of the Copyright to give any performanceor public reading of this play before the fee has been paid and the licenceissued. The Royalty Fee is subject to contract and subject to variation atthe sole discretion of TSL Publications. In Territories Overseas the feesquoted may not apply. A fee will be quoted on application to TSLPublications.


~ 3 ~

This play is dedicated tomy Mother and my Grandmother,

who read stories so well and gave me a love of language thatwas for life.

The author would like to thankProdeepta Das,

for making the play happen at Kingsley Hall,and

The Royal Docks Trust,for their continued support of his writing.

A Splotch of Red: Keir Hardie in West Ham (CommunityLinks/Newham Libraries)

Dementia’s Journey (London tour)

Revolution Farm (Newham City Farm)

When Chaplin Met Gandhi (Kingsley Hall)

The Last Story in the World (Soho Theatre)

Gob (LIFT Festival, Pleasance Theatre, HarrogateTheatre, King’s Head Theatre)

Everybody’s World (London tour)

Polar Bears (Underbelly, Edinburgh Fringe)

Johnny Song (Warehouse Theatre)


~ 5 ~

Founder of Kingsley Hall

Muriel’s co-worker at Kingsley Hall

Leader of the Indian independencemovement

Artist and editor of The New Yorker, goodfriend of Chaplin

English comic actor and director of thesilent film era

Bow resident

Mrs Simmonds’ son

Charlie’s Father, Husband of MrsSimmonds

British politician and statesman

Gandhi’s secretary

A GP, the first Indian mayor of London,and friend of Gandhi

Chaplin’s wife and daughter of EugeneO’Neill

Movie Director, Kid, East End crowds, Reporter, Schoolchildren,Press Reporter, Press Photographers


~ 6 ~

When Chaplin Met Gandhi was first performed at Kingsley Hall,Bow, London on 8th August 2012. The cast was as follows:

Mark Oosterveen

Divian Ladwa

Pip Mayo

Marcus Ellard, ,

,

Jenny Leveton

(children of Bow, Canning Town locals, ensemble)

Gracia Cathonia Dacia Dixon

Dwaynica Greaves Demii Horsley

Kristin Shury Jade Ward-McFarlane

Gideon Adomako Nikolas Rayhaan Uddin

Eghosa Osagiede Joanna Simos

Odinelsah Mendes (Didi) Rebecca James

Tyler Wheelan Shanice Antoine

Matthew Xia

Laura Cordery

Ciaran Cunningham


~ 7 ~

Scene One La Brea Avenue, California, Charlie Chaplin’shouse, 1948

Scene Two Kingsley Hall, Bow, East London 1931

Scene Three Kingsley Hall

Scene Four A suite in The Carlton Hotel

Scene Five The balcony of Kingsley Hall

Scene Six The sitting room, Kingsley Hall

Scene Seven A cell, or small room, Kingsley Hall rooftop

Scene Eight Kingsley Hall

Scene Nine Chartwell, the family home of Winston Churchill

Scene Ten Sitting room, a house in Bow

Scene Eleven Three Mills Lane, Bow

Scene Twelve Kingsley Hall

Scene Thirteen The house of Dr Katial, Canning Town

Scene Fourteen La Brea Avenue, California, Charlie Chaplin’shouse, 1948

Scene Fifteen Kingsley Hall, 1931

Scene Sixteen The Greenway, Bow, 2012

The play lasts approximately 75 minutes


~ 8 ~


~ 9 ~

La Brea Avenue, California, house, 1948.is fuming over a scurrilous article about him in Hollywood’s lead-ing gossip mag, ’Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood’. His wife doesher best to ignore him and mixes drinks.

She’s at it again, Oona.

Hmm?

I said, she’s at it again.

Who’s at it again?

Hedda Hopper. Who else?

Why do you persist in reading that trash, Charlie?

Because she’s out to get me.

She’s out to give you a hernia, darling … and I thinkshe’s succeeding.

(passing her the newspaper) Read …

Do I have to? (reading) ‘Charlie Chaplin, at his pressinterview in New York, needed his former mouth-piece, Jerry Giesler, to supply his answers. Chaplin'sdidn't seem good enough. He was always better insilent pictures than in talkies’.

Putting the paper down. scowls.

Well, honestly Charlie, it’s pretty mild … I mean, con-sidering the other things the cow’s said …

The other things …?

Yes Charlie, you know what I mean, your private life …

Which of course is my business.


~ 10 ~

Not when your private life is syndicated to a hundreddifferent newspapers throughout America.

She’s hell-bent on destroying my career.

I’ve told you, it’s not her you should be worryingabout – it’s that mad Committee that’s after you.

Screw the House Un-American Activities!

Why do you make so much noise about it? Keepschtum and don’t make unnecessary enemies.

Just because I called our Russian allies brave, andconsider them just as human as anyone else, I’mlabelled a bloody communist. They helped us win thewar for God’s sake. (Pause) I am not a bloody commu-nist!

Nor am I, nor is Rock Hudson for all I care, but forGod’s sake, Charlie, the more fuss you make, themore you give these bastards reason to attack you.

No I won’t be intimated by these bullies – I’ve over-come far worse obstacles in my childhood – theyforget that – even when I was in the orphanage, whenI was roaming the streets trying to find enough to eatto keep alive, even then I thought of myself as thegreatest actor in the world. I belong here, America isthe world’s greatest democracy … this is nothing butfanaticism …

Charlie ….

When I used the word ‘comrades’ in a speech, youknow what the Immigration Department asked me –they asked me what did I mean by that word …?

Charlie please …

The telephone rings. answers. Shocked, he turns to

… The Little Leader is dead …

What?


~ 11 ~

Gandhi … he’s been assassinated … shot dead …

Fade.


~ 12 ~


~ 13 ~

Kingsley Hall, Bow, East London 1931. and her co-workerread from their voluminous public correspondence regard-

ing Gandhi’s impending visit to Kingsley Hall. lets out asharp gasp.

What is it?

Beat.

Annie?

It’s filth, Miss.

beckons to to hand over the letter.

I’d rather not Miss.

Annie …

reluctantly hands over the letter.

(Reading) ‘How any British woman can contemplatehaving a naked nigger in her house passes my com-prehension.’

Awful. Just awful.

And here’s another. (Reading) ‘Repent! How can youentertain an old devil like Gandhi! What can you bethinking about – an Englishwoman … Black peopleshould know their place.’

Aren’t you shocked?

No. In fact I’m rather pleased.

Muriel! How can you be pleased?

It means, Annie, the whole of Britain is talking abouthim.


~ 14 ~

Yes – saying the most terrible things.

Oh Annie, you’ve read the newspaper articles haven’tyou? They know nothing about him – absolutely noth-ing. Look (picking up a newspaper) – goats!

Goats?

Yes, goats – we’re going to have goats on the roof ofKingsley Hall. Did you know that?

Oh … are we?

(Reading) ‘Kingsley Hall is currently preparing for Gan-dhi’s visit by arranging a herd of goats for the specialuse of the Mahatma to be stabled on the roof ofKingsley Hall. It is understood that the Mahatma likesto watch his goat being milked.’ But this is my favour-ite. (picking up another newspaper and reading) ‘TheSS Rajputana is carrying to London a ton of mud fromthe sacred Ganges so that the Hindu leaders can makeidols for the comfort of believers during their sojournin London.’ There you have it, Annie. As far as thegreat British public are concerned, all they knowabout him is that he generally goes about half-nakedand drinks goat’s milk.

Beat.

What a surprise they’re going to get … eh?

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