Character list:
— Radio
— Family 1
— Father
— Mother
— Little girl called Lily
— Family 2
— Man called Peter
— Woman called Madeline
— Family 3
— Man called Christopher
— Woman
— Younger man.
— Teacher called Eva
— School Children
— Ralph
— Gerhardt Braun (Gunslinger)
— Barman
— People in pub
— Fritz (Guy 1)
— Piter (Guy 2)
— Eva
— Sophie
— Lily
— Annabelle
— Criminals
— Criminal 1
— Criminal 2
— Person who gives officer phone.
— Police officer (Gestapo Schmitz)
— Police
ACT 1
SCENE 1
The stage is divided into three. In each of the thirds there sits a family going about their ordinary lives whilst listening to the radio.
Radio: Urgent broadcast. Hitler has invaded Belgium. We guess that there is only a...
One member from each family reaches to turn the radio off. Conversations commence across the room. Starting at different times and slowly fading off.
Family 1:
The father is sitting at a table reading a newspaper and a little girl and her mother are washing the dishes. At the sound of the broadcast the mother stops wiping her dish and the father puts down the newspaper and rushes to turn off the radio.
Little girl: Dad? Who's Hitler?
Father: You don't need to know — yet.
Little girl: Why? Please tell me. I'm all grown up, now, you know.
Father: Some things you still wouldn't understand.
Little girl: Like what? Tell me. Please. Mum. Make him tell me.
Mother: Lily! Listen to your father, and no talking back.
Lily: But —
Mother: Go and play upstairs.
Family 2:
Couple are lying in bed. Man rolls over to turn the radio off. Couple begin to speak in hushed tones, gradually growing louder and louder until shouting at one another.
Man: This is madness.
Woman: Peter. You cannot go to war, you're too old, and besides...
Peter: Besides what, Madeline? I won't let it happen again.
