SYNOPSIS

‘Old’ Miles is on his regular trip to a quiet corner of his local cemetery, to visit the cenotaph and to remember. ‘Young’ Jo is only passing through and will be content to not ‘get done’ for just being there.

The story provides a glimpse into a brief meeting which arrived from nowhere but yet, could lead to somewhere. Where taking the time to chat, to explain and to understand without judgement can open doors which should never have been allowed to close.

It illustrates that innocence is not the reserve of any particular age and appreciating what winning and losing really mean, can bring prizes beyond expectation: it can bring understanding.

'The Cenotaph' is a brief and gentle story of age, encounters and new friendships.

DESCRIPTION:

Running Time: Approx 20 minutes.
Cast: Miles: 50+ and Jo: Under 16. Jo can be any gender, though shown as male simply for ease of writing.
Period: Present day. 
Staging: Any space would be adequate. 
Setting: A bench or two chairs to represent one. A projection of a cenotaph if desired, though not essential.
 
NB: There is no reason why both roles could not be taken by younger performers i.e., a school production.
It provides lots of opportunities to explore themes. Some examples (in no order) might be:
  • The role of storytelling in helping us understand different generations.
  • Do we ever really learn lessons from history?
  • Does the past have a realistic role in influencing the future?
  • The nature and importance of storytelling within a historical context.
  • What is 'Remembrance' and does it have a role in understanding the past AND the present?
  • Does the concept of 'Remembrance' still have a place and purpose in our current age?
  • What is the role of religion and faith during war/conflict. Does it assist in the recovery from them?
  • Dramatising the past: how do we take the pages of history and turn them into the pages of a script?
  • How much discussion about the past do we really have with older people? What value does such have?
  • How do we make theatre educational and entertaining?
NB: Please be aware that this play features in the published collection 'The Next Ten Plays.'
 
The script for this play is available by clicking on the button below. It is supplied at cost for £5 inc P&P.