A Tough Task by Robin Medina

ACT I SCENE I
The play starts in a dingy, rundown warehouse in North London. DALTON sitting on a fold out chair, across the room from him is a man tied with rope to another fold out chair, bruised and gagged with a sock and duct tape.



Enter CLIPS and SAMIR

DALTON: Fam, what took you man so long? (Hits fists with both of them)

CLIPS: What you on? You belled us and we came straight here, bruv.

DALTON: I belled you man an hour ago, cuz. Where the fuck were you man?

SAMIR: My yard, init.

DALTON: Your yard? You live fifteen minutes away on train, bruv.

SAMIR: I know, bruv. It’s my yard you know?

DALTON: So what took you man so long, you dickheads?

CLIPS: There was traffic, init.

DALTON: Traffic on a fucking train?

SAMIR: D, chill, man. We’re here now, init.

DALTON: You should’ve got here sooner, bruv, were you sucking Clips’ dick or suttin? Fuck sakes, bruv.

CLIPS: D, allow it, the mandem all know that’s your sister’s job. (Laughing with Samir)

DALTON: Ha, ha, ha. Keep making wack jokes and I’ll give that yout the strap and tie you to that chair, bruv. Come, man.

ALL THREE characters walk over to the tied up victim, TERRY

SAMIR: Who’s this breddah, fam?

DALTON: Terry suttin, dunno his full name like that.

CLIPS: Where’s he from?

DALTON: Round here init.

CLIPS: Never seen the breh before.

SAMIR: So wagwarn why’s man here anyways?

DALTON: He owes Bennett like twelve bags, init. He’s taking mad long to pay so Bennett’s man napped him and left him here.

CLIPS: So why are we here, bruv? Why didn’t they finish him?

DALTON: Bennett’s giving us a chance to move up, init. So we got 48 hours to get the twelve bags off him.

CLIPS: Oi, how the fuck are we supposed to get twelve bags off a guy tied to a chair in his boxers, man. Big man ting, Bennett always has us on some nonsense.

SAMIR: Fuck that, what does Bennett even want us to do if we can’t get the ps?

DALTON: We dead him, init. (TERRY begins to moan and scream muffled, but the boys ignore it for now)
CLIPS: Oi, bruv let’s just fucking light man up now, man. Who’s got time, about 48 hours, man? Bennett is moving drunk, like mandem ain’t got lives.

SAMIR: Real talk, bruv.

CLIPS: D, you’re a dunce for agreeing to this, as well, bruv.

DALTON: Why you man chatting like you actually have lives, cuz? All you man do is bun and play Fifa, bruv, shut up.

CLIPS: D, don’t even talk like that bruv, I’m supposed to be beating that Nora ting tonight, man.

SAMIR: Nora? What that ting from Brunel with the back?

CLIPS: Yeah, bruv, that ting, with the long hair and that.

SAMIR: Shit… yeah, D, you can’t even bump like that, this Nora ting is different, fam. She has like twenny k followers on insta.

DALTON: Man’s not tryna get Bennett mad just so this dickhead can go get his piece wet, chill with that, cuz. (TERRY continues to moan)

CLIPS: Fam, someone tell this prick to shut up, bruv! (CLIPS strikes TERRY)

SAMIR: D, give him the tool, man. Let him dead him.

DALTON: Mandem, chill, man.

CLIPS: Nah, D, you chill, man. I’m belling Bennett and telling man –

DALTON: Telling man what?! You’re gonna tell the biggest G in north, what? You can’t be asked for this job cah you wanna beat some Brunel ting? Allow it, Thomas, man’’

CLIPS: D, what have I done told you about using my government, man?

DALTON: Then stop waffling, cuz. You know we gotta do whatever he says.

CLIPS: Bruv, come we just fucking this breddah, man.

SAMIR: Nah, Clips, fuck it. D’s right, init. Do this Bennett’s way.

DALTON: Yes, bruv. Bennett’s way. Did you man even give man a chance to explain that Bennett says we can split the ps.

CLIPS: What? He’s letting us split the twelve bags?

DALTON: Yes, bruv, if you man weren’t chatting so much shit I would’ve had the chance to fucking explain.

SAMIR: Four bags each? Can’t lie that’s sounding healthy, still.

CLIPS: Mandem, nah, man. I need to go beat this Nora ting, man.

DALTON: Oi, fuck this Nora yat, man.

CLIPS: That’s what I’m tryna do, you dickhead.

DALTON: Stop being a prick, bruv. Why can’t you beat tomorrow?

CLIPS: Her parents ain’t at yard for tonight, tonight only, bruv. You think I’m a savage like Samir to be beating tings in parks and that. (SAMIR punches CLIPS on his arm as CLIPS laughs)
DALTON: My g, you are getting four bags off this job if it goes to plan, when that happens just book a hotel or suttin, bruv, stop pissing man off.

CLIPS: Fuck it. (CLIPS walks over to TERRY removes duct tape from his mouth)
TERRY: Listen, tell Bennett –

CLIPS: Oi, shut up, man! I’m tryna beat a ting tonight, init. Tell us where you’re keeping the ps so we can spin out bruv.

SAMIR: Clips, chill, man.

DALTON: Fuck this, lemme get the ps off this guy, man. Clips, move for a sec. (DALTON withdraws pistol from his waist, approaches TERRY and squats down so he is face to face with him)

TERRY: Listen, look, I have Bennett -

DALTON: Shh… shh. I’m talking here, big man. I don’t even wanna dead you, but these man feel different, you get me?

TERRY: I have his money, it’s in my safe at home.

DALTON: That don’t work for us, we need the ps here, b.

TERRY: I can give you the combination, there’s thirteen grand in there, Bennett can have the lot. (SAMIR pulls out his mobile phone)

DALTON: Yo, take this down. What’s the combo, cuz?

TERRY: 0161.

CLIPS: And your address, fam?

TERRY: N8 9DG, number 28.

SAMIR: Oi, you pussy. You live with anyone?

TERRY: I live alone, I’ll be just as surprised as you if there’s someone there.

SAMIR: How am I getting in, fam?

TERRY: My keys, there in my jeans over there. Look just tell Bennett to allow me, man. Please!

CLIPS: Oi what, you’re a big man you know, begging man and that. Shut up, man.

DALTON: Clips, chill, chill.

SAMIR: I got all the shit down, should I go grab the ps?

DALTON: Yeah do that, cuz.

CLIPS: I’ll go with him.

DALTON: You think I’m gonna let you go? Sam works better alone bruv, you’re a distraction.

CLIPS: D, fuck off anyways, man. always tryna call shots.

SAMIR: He's got a point, Clips, can't even lie. It'll be a quick ting though, fam.

DALTON: Exactly, fam. Listen to your boy.

CLIPS: Whatever, man. 

SAMIR: Yeah, yeah this guy’s yard is local still, I’ll be back in like half an hour. (SAMIR goes over to Terry and rummages through his removed clothes on the floor for keys, and finds them in his jeans pocket)

These will make it easier, init. Catch you man in a bit. D, ima bell you when I land there.


DALTON: Yeah, go quick fam, keep your head down, mind out for fed.