Crossing Abbey Road

7/28/2019 Crossing Abbey Road

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CROSSING ABBEY ROAD

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ACT 1Scene 1

City of Westminster, London, England, 1961. 3:34pm. Two 17 year-old boys are in a lounge area with

orange shag carpet and inexpensive, fraying, ivory

armchairs. There are two wooden chairs are by thewall (SL) and theres a small table with an ashtrayin between them. Overall, the room is cheaply

furbished. PAUL (SR) is standing and smoking acigarette. He is wearing a narrowed black tie, faded

brown trench coat, and a white oxford shirt that hasbeen un-tucked, making him look a bit disheveled.

GEORGE (SF) looks similar, only he is sitting withone leg crossed, his shirt is blue with faded food

stains on the front, and his hair is relatively longer.

GEORGE(Runs a hand through his hair) Well, that was total shit, wasn't it?

PAUL

Eh. Depends on what you mean by shit, I guess. (Takes a drag of the cigarette) I honestlythink it was okay. I mean, Bob seemed to think it was ace.

GEORGE

(Aggravated) You really think it was (hesitates with aura of disdain) okay?

PAULI mean, come off it now, whatd you expect? There were only three of us.

PAUL ashes some of his cigarette in a makeshift

ashtray. He signs and examines the tip of thecigarette, his fingernails.

GEORGE

Yeah, exactly. Ill tell you, Im sick of bein alright and standard and such. (Sits back inchair) And I dont like bein three. No one likes three.

PAUL

Im just sayin it was alright. Not bad, not good. Alright.

GEORGEYeah, well, you think a lot of things are alright.

PAUL

(Stares a him somewhat surprised) Like what are you talkin about now?


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PAUL(Snorts at GEORGE without looking at him, examines something under his nails) What

makes you think people would ever want to shag you?

GEORGE

(Leans back and stretches out on the chair. Putting his hands behind his head he closeseyes while smiling) Besides my charm and good looks, you mean? My utterly crassability to seduce underage yet willing females.

PAUL

(Chuckles) A talent indeed.

GEORGE(Sighs, becomes a little more solemn and realizing why they are there) Well, I dun know

what were gonna do. That there (points behind him to a door) was a faithful cock up ifyou ask me. Were right back where we started. Jus great.

PAUL

(Raises hands in the air, almost incredulous) Oh stop for a bloody minute, will you? Bobsaid they had to listen to it first, then they would scribe it to the playback sheet. Good

things take time...Well, sort of good things do, at least.

GEORGE(Incredulously) Good?! How can you even say that was good? (Leaning in, looks at

him in disbelief). Cart, we dont even have a drummer for Marys sake.

GEORGE runs his left hand through his hair,visibly distraught. PAUL stands up and looks at the

ground, he starts walking and kicks his heels as hegoes, hands in his pockets.

PAUL

Bob suggested a studio drummeryou know, someone just for the recording then we canfind someone else later.

PAUL looks up at GEORGE, raises his eyebrow

and cocks his head

PAUL(Continues) Whatcha think about that?

GEORGE

(Rather aggressively) Thats bollocks and I wont do it Its money we dont have either.Besides, why would we want a studio drummer? Theyre just from crap dropped groups

that dont really give a damn about anything except for the pound they make(he istalking more to himself now). I-I dun know, I wish Pete hadnt left, much as we didnt


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like im. We got nothin and were headed to nothin if we cant get someone wholl staywith us, at least for a couple years. We cant go back to Germany. We cant really

go...anywhere. We need someone that can be apart of us, of you and me...and JOHNnySilvers too, of course. We need someone that wants...all that we do, yknow?

GEORGE is now looking worried and defeated, andreverts his gaze to the floor. PAUL, visibly bored,moves his head in a circle slowly while GEORGE

talks.

PAULListen, I was just makin a suggestion, a-kay? You dont need to get all (waves hands in

the air) philosophy on me. (PAUSEthen, more endearingly, quieter) Well findsomeone, alright?

PAUL sits down, leans over resting his elbows on

his knees, hands folded together.

PAUL(Continues) You know, Im thinkin of it, an I didnt even like Germany anyway. Food

was crap. Tottieseh. And the whole fire thing was a real dogs dinner. Im sorry mate,about that, by the way. We didnt mean to (looks ashamed, down at the floor).

GEORGE

Oh, its a-kay. I just (sighs) I just wish it wasnt so damn hard in London. Its too bighere. Too many buildings and too many people. Too much politics and bullshit and such.

Everyones got a damn stick up their arse.

PAUL folds his arms across his chest, leans back.

PAULWhat bout America? Heard its really nice. Like that one placeCaliforniathat right?

Heard its nothin like London. Wayyou knowcooler. (Turns to GEORGE and startstalking with his hands) And theyve got some type of revolution goin on or somethin.

And the beach too. I wanna be by the oceanreal warm. And American girlswhatdyou think bout goin there?

GEORGE leans forward in chair, shakes his head,

and rubs his left temple with his left hand, seemingstressed.

GEORGE

You dont get it. Were stuck here. Howre you, and me, and JOHNny Silvers gonna getto America in the first place, much less make it while we there? Especially with only

three.


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PAULOh come on. (Leaning back in the chair, putting his palms out facing upward, offering his

explanation) We got to Germany and did a-kay, didnt we? That was somewhere otherthan London, at least (folds his arms against his chest again).

GEORGE: Yeah, and then we got kicked out. By the authorities, and were not goinback anytime soon now that they officially know we arent of age. Which is jus shit. Idbe bloody surprised if we could get out of this country, much less London now. Cart, you

think because we played in a couple bars over in Germany, that we can get along alrightin America? Not to mention everyone in Hamburg was off their bloody rocker, probably

the only reason people ever liked us. (crosses his leg again, sits back)

PAULOh enough of your hubsobbing. People liked us all right whether they were drugged up or

not. Just because we dont have a drummer right this second doesnt mean we cantrecord. Weve got you (motions to GEORGE, right). Weve got me (motions to himself)

Weve got JOHNny Silvers (motions to the left, to the empty wooden chair). That soundslike a league and a half to me. And dont be so down now bout being three. I get along

swell enough with you chaps. Sides, Bob says hed help us.

GEORGENo way were goin to get a studio drummer though. I wont do it. We might as well get

my mum to play sticks for us. Say, dyou think itd be too awful to put off the recordingtil we find someone?

PAUL

Wait? (He furrows his eyebrows, shakes his head slowly) I dont want to wait. No, no.People gonna forget about us. Bob told us to take a break while he played back the track

and then hed let us do a second time round. (Points behind him with index fingeragitatedly) Now we gonna go back in there, and we gonna do it like we said we were. So

juts sit here, and we gonna wait for Silvers to get back, a-kay?

GEORGEWell dont get your head in a hole now. You know as well as I do its shit, and if Im

sayin I dont want to record it, theres not gonna be anyone out there that will want tolisten to it.

PAUL

(Sits up leans towards GEORGE) We finally have a chance to record, here in LONDONwhere absolutely nobody gets noticed EVER, and now you dont want to?! Well this is

just great. Bloody terrific (throws hands up and slouches back again).

GEORGE rests his elbow on his knee and hisforehead on his palm while listening to PAUL, then

looks at him.


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GEORGEGod you never listen, you know that? Of course I want to record the damn thing and you

know it. But you also know the records crap already and its going to be unless we getour act together and get a drummer. (Cocks his head and looks closer at PAUL) You

really wanna sound alright on our first record?

PAULWell, nono I dont. (Flicks the flame of the lighter while he talks) But I just want to do

the recording now. I know its bad timing an such without anyone for sticks but, really,what else are we spposed to do?

GEORGE

We can wait until we actually sound good! What an idea. Youre mad because it meansyoull have to go back to being a piss-poor schoolboy for a while.

PAUL

(Stands up angrily, looking at GEORGE) Oh, shut up! I would love to

Door opens SR. PAUL and GEORGE look over tosee JOHN walking in from stage left, briskly,

wearing gray pants and also an oxford shirt with atie. He has brown hair, a cigarette tucked behind his

ear, and his unbuttoned coat flaps as he walks.

JOHN(Cheerily) Hello boys! How goes it now?

GEORGE

(Grumbling) Well if it isnt chipper Johnny Silvers...

PAUL sits back down and crosses his arms again;legs stretched out and looking disgruntled, he sighs.

JOHN pulls one of the wooden chairs and straddlesit, facing GEORGE and PAUL, smiling broadly.

GEORGE

(Sourly, to JOHN) Well whats got you up, you nut?

PAUL(Motions to GEORGE with his thumb) Someones throwin a little fit here.

GEORGE

(To PAUL) Come off it already you dope. Whats got you Johnny?


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PAUL

(Genuinely interested now) And hes looking for people...to play with? For good, youmean?

GEORGE(Standing up slowly, in disbelief) I swear, if youre joking Johnny itll be the last word.

JOHN(Animatedly talking with his hands) No! Im not, not even a littleI promise. Hes

brilliant chaps! Just brilliant, and he wants to play with us! You have to meet im. (Looksat his watch) Hes at Connaughts right now and we can make in ten if we got a cab.

What dyou both say?

GEORGEI could use a drink bout now. And we could damn well use a drummer, boys. Got to go

tell Bob to hold up for a few days on the recording, and well go meet this chap.

GEORGE, PAUL, and JOHN start walking towardthe door (SR).

PAUL

Say, Silvers, what about him? Whats his name?

JOHN takes the cigarette from behind his ear, putsit in his mouth without lighting it.

JOHN

Hes a rather odd fellow. A little scrawny. Real nice though. Names Richard Starkis;they call him RingoRingo Starr for short.

GEORGE: (looks at JOHN, thoughtfully) Ringo--how strange.

PAUL

(Opening door) Sounds American, maybe? I like im already.

GEORGE, PAUL, and JOHN exit SR

SCENE END

Crossing Abbey Road

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