Something Underground in Your Ear‪.‬ JBrown

A short interview (April 2019) with Isabella McCarthy Sommerville about her (then) upcoming performances of Betsy: Wisdom of A Brighton Whore which was a sell out in Btn Fringe 2019 https://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/betsy-wisdom-of-a-brighton-whore/

Phone Interview (not a great phone line) with Sian Kenyon on Wandsworth Radio on 19th June 2018
About "Happy Hour" (playing The Bread and Roses Theatre 26-29 June) http://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/licence/

Interviews with Paul Levy of Fringe Review
Jonathan Brown talks about You Can't Watch This Play
http://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/fool/

and Sarah Hickingbottom talks about "The Women Who Conceived the Play"

An interview by Paul Levy (of Fringe Review) with Jonathan Brown at 2014 Brighton Fringe (May), talking about Smoking Ban, The Last Lunch, Betsy Wisdom of a Brighton Whore and SU in general.

Audio clip of key scene, Illegitimate, Target
http://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/i-refugee-working-title/
With Adam Sabatti (Saif)
Jonathan Brown (Mohammed)

Script from scene:
ACT I SCENE 16


SAIF: (IN ISOLATED LIGHTING) And what are you going to do... with what I tell you?

LIGHTING CHANGE REVEALS INTERIOR. UNDETERMINED TIME OF DAY. THE INTERROGATION ROOM AGAIN.

MOHAMMED: (ENTERS) Nothing much. Make a few notes. Assess your progress. We won't even record the conversation.

SAIF: You're not wired?

MOHAMMED: I promise. The notes are just to aid my memory. I see quite a few people a week. It's good not to....

SAIF: Mix us up.

MOHAMMED: No.

SAIF: We're all alike.

MOHAMMED: Some stories are painfully similar.

SILENCE.

SAIF: I can believe that.

SILENCE.

MOHAMMED: Have you heard of an organisation called IBC?

SAIF: IBC?

MOHAMMED: Iraqi Body Count. They.... they keep a tally... of the dead since 2003.

SAIF: Why would I have?

MOHAMMED: (PAUSE) You're an Iraqi aren't you.

SAIF: Says who?

MOHAMMED: Well your interesting “papers” say you're Saif and that you're a Syrian, but we all know that's not true.... don't we.

SILENCE.

MOHAMMED: So let's imagine you are Iraqi, and a disgruntled one at that, then you might also be... a Sunni?

SAIF: (LAUGHS) This is the sum of your training? Stabbing around in the dark?

MOHAMMED: You are not a Sunni?

SAIF: I am a simple Muslim. I love my country.

MOHAMMED: Your people were persecuted. After the war began. After Saddam was removed.

SAIF: My people?

MOHAMMED: The Sunnis

SAIF: I never said I was a Sunni.

SILENCE.

MOHAMMED: You are Shia then?

SILENCE.

SAIF: It's a guessing game isn't it. Like... Russian Roulette these days.

SILENCE.

MOHAMMED: I know one thing. You're not ISIS.

SAIF: More of your high-level training?

MOHAMMED: ISIS fighters... they're far more... they have no qualms. They tell it as it is, and are proud of what they do. No hiding.

SILENCE.

You're not ISIS.

SILENCE.

Where did you get all that money?

SILENCE.

SAIF: Friends.

MOHAMMED: I should have such friends! Why were you trying so hard to get to Italy. Why not go the Turkey route?

SAIF: That's better. How did you know about that?

MOHAMMED: Just answer.

SAIF: Look. I'm a Syrian refugee. We wanted into the Shengan zone quickly. Not to go through all those non-eu countries.

MOHAMMED: But that's not all is it?

SAIF: I don't know what you mean.

MOHAMMED: You should delete stuff from your phone. It's a very nice phone.

SAIF: No headphone jack though!

MOHAMMED: Well we're all sheep. I've got one too. What can you do? We're all followers of the great Apple in the sky. One God huh!?

SAIF: One God.

MOHAMMED: So... tell me... who..... is she? (SHOWS HIM A PICTURE ON THE PHONE).

SAIF: Her? Oh... she's nothing. Some girl I met.

MOHAMMED: She looks... in love.

SAIF: She might have been. I was um.... (BECOMES VISIBLY EMOTIONAL).

SILENCE.

MOHAMMED: You ok?

SAIF: Yes. I'm fine.

MOHAMMED: Water?

SAIF DRINKS.

MOHAMMED: Who is she?

SAIF: Like I said... she's no one. Are you a councillor or a cop?

MOHAMMED: A councillor. Honestly. I'm sorry. We... I was just curious.

SAIF: Can I have my phone back now.

MOHAMMED: Sorry. No can do. There was something else. On your phone.

SAIF: What?

MOHAMMED: This. (SHOWS IT AGAIN).

A short description of the process of getting new play Illegitimate, Target "to market"
More info http://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/i-refugee-working-title/