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An Interview With Gadarfi (misspelled)

by Reggie Adams 

Posted: 25 January 2014
Word Count: 18129
Summary: A personal journey of discovery through the eyes of the struggling journalist and family man Bellamy Johan. It's full of drama, frustrations, comedy moments, emotional pains and panic but also one that asks us to question everything we know in matters of geo-politics, global media and the inner workings of global capitalism, our money system, and our notion of democracy. It delivers these big ideas through some very personable conversations between realistic characters.


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Content Warning
This piece and/or subsequent comments may contain strong language.


Updated: 23-Jan-2014
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 AN INTERVIEW WITH GADARFI (MISSPELLED)
 
by
 
Reggie Adams
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reggie Adams
07856 249 248
reggiereggie66@hotmail.com
CAST
 
Stage Actor 1
Bellamy Johan An aging reporter in his late 50’s
(middle class, middle aged, loosely based on Jeremy Bowen)
 
Stage Actor 2
Eric the neighbor Londoner of Arab origin 40/50’s
Tariq the cousin Arab origin
Gadarfi Made up to look like Gaddafi
 
Stage Actor 3
Wife of Bellamy Late 30’s civil servant/housewife
Editor Red headed Rabecah Brooks style
Air Stewardess Smart stewardess uniform
Bint Arabian hotel receptionist
Female Guard Military uniformed /Arabian

Stage Actor 4
Gudbrand Norwegian businessman (twat)
Joe Steegle World Bank executive (yank)
Hooded Soldier All in black plus hood
Rebel Soldier unmatching uniform/scarf
 
 
Screen Actor 1
Amelia University student 18

Screen Actor 2
Ashton Hacktivist Nerd 16

Screen Actor 3
William Wacky Nerd 13
 
 
 
 
 
 
ACT I CONSPIRACY SCENE 1a – Outside house (façade)
 
THERE ARE TWO SCREENS ABOVE THE STAGE
REPRESENTING THE TV OR LAPTOP SEEN BY THE
STAGE ACTORS (O/H)
 
O/H – AN INTERVIEW WITH GADARFI (MISSPELLED)
THIS IS A DRAMATISATION OF WORLD AFFAIRS
ANY SIMILARITY BETWEEN THIS PLAY AND REAL LIFE EVENTS OR PEOPLE IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL
FEBRUARY 2011
 
OUTSIDE PARTIAL FAÇADE OF TWO HOUSES SEPARATED BY A PICKET FENCE. MAIN CHARACTER BELLAMY IS OUTSIDE LOOKING UP AT THE WINDOW WHILE HIS CLOTHES ARE ON THE FLOOR AROUND THE STAGE AND ALSO IN THE FRONT ROW OF AUDIENCE. HIS WIFE IS AT THE WINDOW OF THE LEFT SIDE HOUSE

WIFE: (screaming as throwing more clothes out of window)
I’ve had it, I’m sick and tired
BELLAMY: How do you think I feel?
WIFE: Not tired at least, you do nothing, you’re not working, you’re not paying anything, you’re doing nothing
BELLAMY: I’m working on things, I’m researching and looking for the right story, you know that
WIFE: You been saying that for too long now ( continues throwing things out) you always have the big plans but you do nothing about them, you’re ambitious for your daughter, get her into MIT so she can go to the other side of the world and now you can’t pay, what happened to you?
BELLAMY: I’ll sort something out, can we just talk about this, look just stop
(saying as he is picking up clothes, more clothes hit him)
WIFE: No more of this ‘we can work it out’ bullshit, you mean I can work it out, its my money that has been working it out…do you job, go out and do your job
BELLAMY: I’m doing my job, its just not been happening for me, times are changing, I’m not getting the big articles, I’m trying
WIFE: you are not trying hard enough, you have rested on your laurels for years now, when I met you were at the top of your game and it’s been a slow ride down ever since
BELLAMY: so what does that tell you?
WIFE: Ooohhh! (infuriated) yeah, its all me, I’m not being inspiring enough. Well here…here’s your inspiration (throws suitcase)
BELLAMY: (knocked down, gets to his knees, pleading)
I’m trying but you know what these new breed of editors are like
WIFE: oh what’s that? What ARE they like? Enthusiastic? Not cynical and jaded, not sitting around waiting for the world to come to them ?
ERIC: (Enters stage left, stops when he sees Bellamy and clothes, looks at the audience, awkwardly passes, embarrassingly raises eyebrows at audience, goes past, clocks underpants strewn across his bushes, enters his house next door)
WIFE: Remember Venezuala? Did that story come to you? No, you travelled across the world to get it, you camped outside the government offices just to get a 5 minute interview. Those were your glory days. But since you have just sat on your laurels. You have lost your spark. You have stopped living, stopped trying. You wanted to be part of the revolution, you wanted us to be part of the change
BELLAMY: you’re a bloody civil servant for gods sake
WIFE: that’s because I bloody have to be, I’m the one who is paying for all this, for this, for this, for this…’ (throwing more things). I’ll do my job, now you go do your job
BELLAMY: oh, you’re beginning to sound like my boss, have you been talking?
WIFE: oh yes, we have been talking, talking about what will get you back into action, talking about the man who used to jump into any conflict that was going.
BELLAMY: but I’ve done my time
WIFE: NO you haven’t. this is still your time, only you’ve lost your balls.
BELLAMY: oh I see, really? Is that it? Well you were the last one that was kicking them around
WIFE: Wife: go do your job…you have children, be responsible, your sons need to see their Dad working, you need to show them what a work ethic looks like
BELLAMY: oh really? Genius, and how do I do that? Anymore great ideas?
WIFE: This is my idea. You go, do your job or don’t come back You have a better idea? No? no, never have any ideas any more
BELLAMY: Oh, I see, so what, you’ve decided I’m a useless father AND a useless husband, is that it? A group decision, a majority vote, is that it then? Is that what its come to ? A bloody conspiracy?
WIFE: here’s your conspiracy, (shows him the finger, closes window)
BELLAMY: is that it...(frustrated at the conversation being closed he shouts through the letterbox)…A fucking conspiracy

LIGHTS OFF
O/H – ACT I…………CONSPIRACY
LIGHTS ON
 
BELLAMY: (still on his knees, he gathers the rest of his things with his back to the audience and stuffs them into his suitcase and across his shoulder, he crawls round to face the audience and stops as he catches them looking at him, he gets on his feet, emabarraessed)
Ah! sorry about the noise, um, just a little tiff you understand, Sorry Mrs Knowle, could I….? (gestures to pass his clothes that were thrown into the audience and placed down the sides and along the front)
BELLAMY: Thank you, sorry about that, thank you
ERIC: (appears at his door with a mug of tea, he coughs as he holds up his Y-fronts that had landed on his shrubbery Bellamy turns to see him) these yours?
BELLAMY: yeah, sorry, (he reaches out for his pants, dragging his case behind him)
ERIC: Always took you for a boxer shorts man, …you alright?
BELLAMY: just a bit of a tiff, you know (sad and hopeless)
ERIC: cuum on, I made you a cuppa tea (stands aside as Belamy drags himself inside slowly, head down, just as he turns to go inside he takes a double look at the audience, gives them a funny stare)
All right, shows over (mumbles on way back) nosey buggers (shuts door)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ACT I SCENE 1b Inside Neighbor Eric’s house

FRONT FAÇADE OF HOUSE SLIDES BACK TO REVEAL ERIS’S LOUNGE AND OPEN PLAN KITCHEN
BELLAMY: (standing with head and shoulders down in the middle of the room where his host had left him, deep in self pity)
ERIC: (Eric brings him a mug of tea) cuuuum on, this shit happens sometimes (he goes to move a newspaper off the armchair)
BELLAMY: (stands the same with the addition of his tea, still with his suitcase held by its corner)
ERIC: it aint the end of the world, chin up, you just got to keep in there, I’m sure you’ll sort things out, ( he takes his case and guides him to the armchair)
BELLAMY: (Bellamy strolls over like he’s wet himself)
ERIC: (sighs and shakes his head) Blimey, you got it bad, hey?
Things’ll pick up, don’t choo worry, you’ve seen me struggling aint cha? look mate, you’re welcome to chill out here as long as ya like, sleep ere on the couch if ya need to, take as long as ya need
BELLAMY: (looks up, tearful) thanks, sorry, I don’t mean to…..(gets tearful) its just all falling apart
ERIC: eere cum on, it aint as bad as all that (comforting him), you’ll bounce back, its just a phase
BELLAMY: this has been a ten year phase, no Eric, I’m loosing it, I’m becoming so useless, I’ve lost my edge in my work, I can’t keep the money coming in, I can’t afford anything that the kids need, its falling apart for me
ERIC: come on, you’ll get it back, you’ll see, look how I was when I first got here, you bounce back, that’s whatcha do. I was gutted when I lost everything in the move from Lubya. I felt like I had my heart ripped out. But you adapt and ya move on, you’ll see, you’ll adapt, you’ll get your fire back. Look..(shows him a picture from the side)
that’s a picture of back in Lubya, we had everything, look, its like a palace, we lost it all when the Americans started bombing, just gotta feel lucky that we weren’t blown up as well, you just appreciate what you do have and you move on. That’s what you have to do. You got great kids, you might be able to patch things up with ya wife (Bellamy scoffs), you still got a job as a journalist, right?
BELLAMY: barely
ERIC: that’s a great job, and your in there, top of your game, you just gotta bounce back mate, cum on, chin up
BELLAMY: yeah, thank’s Eric, I appreciate that
ERIC: you’ll be alright
BELLAMY: yeah
ERIC: ere! stick the telly on, settle down, make some calls, sort yourself out, make yourself at home. I’m going get washed up, elp ya self to anything, awright?(Eric puts the TV on)
BELLAMY: (looks at Eric) thanks, Eric
ERIC: you see its all kicking off again over there, they won’t leave the place alone, you see, you think you got it bad, look at the upheaval there (they watch the news, that’s coming on the backscreen)
 
O/H News from start of Libya crisis
 
ERIC: look, that’s about 20 miles from where we used to live, I tell ya they won’t leave that country alone, as long as they got oil and they want to pump it and sell it without being dictated to they’ll be in trouble. You know how many times they’ve tried to mess around with that country? See, you think you got problems, imagine living in a place like that that has the rest of the world trying to get in there and mess it up, sending spies, trying to organize military coups, just slating the country all over the press (picks up the newspaper, slaps the back of his hand on it), let that be an example, they always bounce back
BELLAMY: not sure if they’re going to bounce back on this one. They don’t want to live under a dictatorship, bit like me (laughs)
ERIC: I tell ya, people have got it all wrong about the place, don’t be fooled mate, it aint what you think there. You just don’t get to hear about the place. You think that it’s the Lubyian people who want to overrun the country? How many days in did the US, the Uk and France synchronise their call for a regime change? They were alright buying their oil while it was going cheap, running up a multi-billion dollar tab.
BELLAMY: what you don’t think it’s part of the Arab Springs?
ERIC: Look, there is some of that, some young people are a bit restless, but not on the kind of scale that is able to overrun things. Look..
(points to the TV and the flags) that’s the El-senussi flag, from the  monarchy that finished in the early 70’s, that family has been working with the US government for years trying to get back in there with US backing. He still goes round calling himself the Prince of Lubya. That’s what this is about. They were all at the UAE arms fare couple of months ago, Clinton, Sarcose, Hage, Cameron, Blair, the El-senussi family, all of them that want this regime change and then all the businesses that want to strip that country bare. What were they all doing at an arms fare? Telecoms, energy companies, water utility companies, bloody parasites, what interests have they got at the arms fare?
BELLAMY: so you are backing the dictator Gadarfi
ERIC: blimey mate, I thought you were the journalist. You gotta look past all the propoganda mate. I was raised in that country. That aint no dictatorship. They have more democracy than you’ll ever know
BELLAMY: what? (scoffing but curious)
ERIC: mate, you have to do your research (starts looking for a book)
It’s bollocks all this colonel dictator shit, he’s a bloody old man, he was running things in the early 70’s, saved the country from colonialism, he’s a bloody hero as far as I can see
BELLAMY: you think you might be a little bit bias?
ERIC: biased as in ‘I know the place and you only know what’s fed to you on the news?’Mate, you got to get yourself out there, get to know what’s going on, blow this propaganda out the water. (finds book and hands it to Bellamy) Look at this
BELLAMY: ‘The Green Book’ – Gadarfi? What he does a bit of gardening on the side? Is that my angle
ERIC: no, ya ponce, (playfully tries to hit him with the book, they laugh)
Av a read a this, that’ll sort out your thinking, I’ll give ya bleedin dictator(starts flicking through, Eric looks back at the TV) look, bleedin brand new flags everywhere, you think they smuggled in 50,000 ex-royalty flags but didn’t smuggle in any weapons with them? Look, look at those guys, are they still protestors when they’re carrying guns? Listen, the narrative is still all about the police and army firing on innocent protestors but the pictures are of armed rebels. Look at that, blokes in long beards, you think Gadarfi put up with those religious fanatics? This is all bollocks mate (switches news stations). There’s not a single news outlet that is questioning this whole story. This is your next big story mate. I tell ya. ‘
BELLAMY: (sits forward with interest)
ERIC: ‘They want him out, at any cost, and they’re prepared to fuck up that country to get what they want. Look ask yourself some questions – how is it that every news outlet is using the same phrases ‘dictator, colonel,………’ How come the US owes the country so much cash? And where are they going to find that cash now after the liquidity crash? Look at the oil you’ve been buying in Euros and look what happened to Sadam when he tried to avoid selling oil in dollars. Look at who this Interim Council is made up of, foreign backed businessmen, religious leaders, all the outcasts, all the people that haven’t been able to get their filthy ‘ands on the countries resources under the Jamahiriya.
BELLAMY: Jama what?
ERIC: you gotta do your research mate, I ain’t doin it for ya…but I’ll tell you this. This is the real news. This would be propa journalism if you actually printed a little bit of the truth. I tell you mate. Someone like you could blow this thing apart. You got the kudos, you got the rep, people would listen to you.
BELLAMY: well, I don’t know, its been some time since I was the toast of the town on news scoops
ERIC: well, whatever, if you wanted a bounce back this would be it. Blow this thing apart. And I’ll tell ya, if you were up for it, I’d getcha in there too. My cousin is there, he’s got his ear to the ground, and his missus, they know all the right people. If you want a scoop, I’d get you in there mate. …I’m taking a bath…you think it over
BELLAMY: (Bellamy takes out his laptop and takes control of the TV remotes)
 
O/H SHOWS SCREEN OF LAPTOP DOING SEARCHES
PICTURES, SENTANCES ALL RELATED TO TOPIC
ARMS FAIR PICTURES IN UAE. MEETINGS WITH BLAIR. ADDRESSES TO AFRICAN UNION AND UN
 
SCREEN GETS INTERUPTED WITH A SKYPE CALL
IT READS ‘BOYS’ AS INCOMING CALL. HE ACCEPTS
AND THE SCREEN SHOWS HIS SONS
ASHTON: Hi Dad, you alright (embarrassed like),
BELLAMY: yeah (embarrassed)
ASHTON: we heard all the commotion (smiles)
WILLIAM: so did all the neighbourhood I think (Says as he pokes his head into the webcam view, Ashton pushes him out)
BELLAMY: yeah, sorry you had to witness that, me and your mum are just going through a rough patch
WILLIAM: Daddy, where are you?
BELLAMY: I’m only next door at Eric’s he invited me in for a cup of tea
ASHTON: Mum’s really mad with you Dad, we’re not taking any chances, we’re hatching down here, we daren’t go downstairs (smiles)
WILLIAM: (puts his toy army helmet on and bites biscuit) yep, we’re staying at base camp where its safe
BELLAMY: (laughs) ah sorry guys, I know I was meant to take you out, but you know I have been short for work
WILLIAM: yes Daddy we know what the argument was about (leans in) and so did the neighbourhood for that matter, they heard the whole thing…’it’s a fucking conspiracy’
BELLAMY: William, mind your language
WILLIAM: (William puts his head into screenshot) oh but it wasn’y MY language Daddy it was YOUR language, I was merely quoting you
BELLAMY: smart arse (mumbles to himself), are you guys going to be alright for a while, while I sort myself out?
ASHTON: yeah, we’ll be alright Dad, don’t worry, …..Amelia said she’s a bit short of cash though,
BELLAMY: yeah, I know, I will have to speak to her
ASHTON: I could send her my bitcoins if you want
BELLAMY: no, no, I’ll sort it out, whatever bitcoins are
ASHTON: their a form of alternative currency, I’ve been mining for them
BELLAMY: can they buy a university education then?
WILLIAM: ooh ooh, Amelia’s just come online now Daddy

O/H AMELIA COMES ONLINE AND REPLACES THE TV SCREEN SIDE OF THE OVERHEAD PROJECTOR SPACE
AMELIA: hi guys, hi Dadio
BELLAMY: hello darling
WILLIAM: hi
ASHTON: hi
AMELIA: oh Dadio its so cool here, I found some new friends, we found a place to rent, we joined the Occupy movement and listen we’re going to a rally tomorrow in Wall Street
BELLAMY: oh, you be careful honey, don’t get into any revolutions or anything
ASHTON: oh, how come she gets to go to all the cool places?
WILLIAM: er, that’ll be because you’re only 15 Ashton (ashton digs William) ahh
BELLAMY: don’t hurt your brother Ashton
AMELIA: We are going to a lecture on Tuesday for Noam Chomsky, you remember Dadio, he’s that guy I really like
WILLIAM: oooh Amelia likes a guy (does quote fingers)
AMELIA: shut your face rugrat (William carries on mocking her)
He’s, like, 80 years old
BELLAMY: your starting to sound like an American already Amelia, you have that neck wobble thing going on
ASHTON: yeah, I noticed that ‘Like, don’t even go there girlfriend’ (does the movement and the actions)
WILLIAM: (William stops to look round) yes Ashton, but you did that a little too well, (turns to the camera) I think you might have something to worry about there Daddy (points to Ashton, Ashton slaps his helmet) ooowwww
BELLAMY: Ashton! stop hitting your brother
AMELIA: No, you know, he wrote that book ‘Manufacturing Consent’
BELLAMY: ah yes, you lent it to me didn’t you, it’s next on my reading list right after….(looks at The Green Book)
AMELIA: but all the things he was saying, people are starting to realize what’s going on, Dadio you should get into this Occupy thing, the world is changing and there’s going to be a revolution and everything
WILLIAM: can we join the revolution? (fires his toy ray gun) go on, we’ll be back before teatime
ASHTON: seriously though Dad, I’d like to go to America. You know David’s brother Josh. He’s in America now, he’s making $2,000 a week and I’m a better hacker than he is
WILLIAM: ooh how much is that? (annoying, hyper, won’t shut up)
BELLAMY: Ashton you shouldn’t be hacking, what have I told you? I spoke to you about this
ASHTON: no no, its nothing illegal, he’s doing it for the government there. They have hired loads of people to do it for some campaign the CIA are doing in Africa. All he does is send emails written in Arabic that he can’t even read. There’s thousands of them all doing the same thing from a massive base in Williamsburg just outside Washington
WILLIAM: Williamsburger??? (pops his head into camera shot) Did you say ‘William’s Burger’? My burger? I have a town named after my ..burger?
ASHTON: no, twatface, (slaps his helmet again)
BELLAMY: come on now boys (Bellamy gets a text)
ASHTON: no, it’s a town practically owned by the CIA
WILLIAM: ooh ooh like own Roswell?
ASHTON: no, a real thing not a conspiracy theory thing Nutter
WILLIAM: because you know what they do in Roswell (brings blow up alien into camera view) …come and work for us in WIlliamsburger earn thousands (in alien voice)…we want you to work in WIlliamsburger (uses ET finger on hand)
ASHTON: Twat (as he hits his helmet with a noise making frying pan)
BELLAMY: look boys, I have to go, you be good to each other boys please, (a little pre-occupied looking at his smartphone, then) hang in there for me, ok? I gotta go
ASHTON: yeah, ok Dadio
WILLIAM: signing off of great illustrious one
(they start fighting with blow up aliens as the screen goes down)
AMELIA: so Dadio….I’m getting a little low on funds
BELLAMY: yes darling, I need to speak to you about that, things are really tight here
AMELIA: oh Daaad, I have to go to Boston for that lecture, you know, the Noam Chomski one
BELLAMY: I know honey, I will get something out as soon as I can
Its really tight for me here
AMELIA: I’m going to get my bank statement, wait…(goes away from screen)
BELLAMY: oh darling I have to take this call, DARLING!! Huh!
 
O/H SHE GOES AWAY FROM SCREEN BUT LEAVES THE CAMERA OPEN. ANOTHER SKYPE CALL COMES IN ON THE OTHER SCREEN
 
EDITOR: Oi you, are you avoiding me? I just tried to call you. You can play online but you can’t pick up your phone for your work?
BELLAMY: no, no, I was just on another skype call
EDITOR: I’ve been calling you all day
BELLAMY: (sheepishly) yeah, I know, I had some family matters to deal with
EDITOR: Look Bellamy, I need you on the ball ready to take a story
BELLAMY: yes, yes, I know, I was just…
EDITOR: so what have you got for me?
BELLAMY: I have just been working on something, I….
EDITOR: Bellamy you’ve been giving me that line for weeks, now what have you got, otherwise I cannot justify keeping you on retainer, what? You think you’re the special shit?
BELLAMY: no, no, its something big, I…
EDITOR: well, what is it
BELLAMY: well it need to pan out a little
EDITOR: Bellamy, I’ve been doing this long enough to know when someone’s blowing smoke up my arse
BELLAMY: No, No I’m not blowing, ..no, no, certainly not there, no….
EDITOR: Bellamy you are the last of the dinosaurs, have you got anything? Otherwise I tell you, you are a dying specie, its been some years Bellamy, you cannot rest on one scoop you had in Venezuela in the 70’s
BELLAMY: 80’s
EDITOR: whatever (the corrections angers her) you know what, if you haven’t got anything Bellamy or we’re through here, we’re not in the feeding of dinosaur business, you shit or you get off the pot
BELLAMY: yes, lovely metophor
EDITOR: (the sarcasm angers her) Ok, Bellamy, are we through here? Because there’s some younger blood that wants your column space
BELLAMY: no, no, I’ve got something
EDITOR: what?
BELLAMY: it’s big, it’s really big
EDITOR: well shit it out, what is it?
BELLAMY: it’s, about….(looks around), it’s world changing (looks at books) its…its…Well, its, about how much we know about what’s really going on in the world, what we get to hear about other places, how governments have their own story to tell
EDITOR: are you shitting me?
BELLAMY: no, no, I’m not sh….no, not that, no
EDITOR: you want to write about conspiracy? On my time? What are we OnfoWars? Democracy Now? Are you fucking kidding me? You want to send this media outlet to the fringe? What else have got? Elvis in a supermarket, a yeti on the moon?
ERIC: (enters a lighted part of the room and looks at Bellamy)
BELLAMY:  no, no, it’s a real story ( he looks at Eric)…its Lubya
EDITOR: what? ….You want to go over there? (she sits up, very keen)
BELLAMY: I have some contacts
ERIC: (Eric nods…mouths ‘yes’)
EDITOR: you fucking what? If you’ve got the shit on Lubya then your back in the game oldtimer, none of this conspiracy crap, just the real shit
BELLAMY: yes, this is the real….the real shit (hangs up on Editor)
ERIC: yes, YES, go my son (Eric is excited)
BELLAMY: you said you have a contact in Lubya?
 
STAGE LIGHTS COME UP FULLY
 
ERIC: (Eric comes round counter into the light and you realize he is wearing a ladies bathrobe and furry slippers)
(He goes to pick him up, but Bellamy backs off)
BELLAMY: no no, are you dressed for dinner? (Eric ignores)
ERIC: you see, my son, that was the bounce (dances around, looks funny), you’re going all the way with this one matie ( Bellamy winces away, funny moment, Eric puts some ‘Jump’ music on, they dance around – until…scratch record)
AMELIA: Dad??? Is that Eric from next door? Comedy moment
BELLAMY: oh yes, we were just…..(moves the computer and sits)
ERIC: (Eric leans over to get phone, Bellamy winces)
AMELIA: have you got anything to tell me Dad?
BELLAMY: no, no, we were just …..celebrating, I think I may be able to get that money across to you after all darling
AMELIA: yey! all right…but ….don’t do anything I wouldn’t do…but at the same time….whatever you have to do to get the money Dadio (smiles), ask no questions
ERIC: Look, this is my cousin Tareq
BELLAMY: haha, looks just like you, only more hair
ERIC: no, that’s his wife (funny moment)
BELLAMY: (they laugh) no, I got that
ERIC: That’s his Bint, she used to be my Bint
BELLAMY: no, don’t say that, she looks nice
ERIC: no, Bint, her name, is Bint, it’s a popular name in Lubya, she works in one of the best Hotels
BELLAMY: oh, right
ERIC: this is the kind of ‘fucking conspiracy’ you need ( they laugh, Amelia comes back)
AMELIA: so Dad, you there, this is what I need for the next month
(holds up a sign with $2,245, Eric leans in to see)
ERIC: Ouch, its all about the money
BELLAMY: Ok, hang on honey (she leaves sign in view of camera)
 
O/H SKYPE CALL COMES IN FROM EDITOR
 
EDITOR: Right, your booked on the next flight out to Lubya, club class, so get your arse into gear, go get a taxi, go get that story, make some money, revive your career, and bring me back some content, content means viewers, viewers means advertisers, advertisers means money, money for me, this business and a little for you too, get it?
BELLAMY: yeah, I get it……….(looks at the audience)   Capitalism
 
LIGHTS OUT
O/H ‘CAPITALISM’ REMAINS ON OVERHEAD
FOLLOWED BY ‘ACT 2’
WHILE NEXT SCENE IS SET SLID ON
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ACT II SCENE 1 - AEROPLANE
 
THE SCENE IS AN AEROPLANE ISLE 1ST CLASS
 
BELLAMY: (looking a bit more together, carrying the same suitcase)
STEWARDESS: Mr Johan, you’ve been upgraded, this way sir (shows seat)
GUDBRAND: (is busy working away at seat, rises his eyes, acknowledges)
BELLAMY: oh that’s nice, by who?
STEWARDESS: I’m not sure sir, it just came up on the computer at the front desk
BELLAMY: well, thank you
STEWARDESS: you’re welcome sir (goes off)
BELLAMY: (he sets his things down) Hi there,
GUDBRAND: (he stops his work and puts his pen down)
Gutrand Ostronge, Norwegian Oil & Gas
BELLAMY: Bellamy Johan, IBC News
GUDBRAND:    Nice to meet you Bellamy, on your way to Lubya too?
BELLAMY: Yes, as a matter of fact
GUDBRAND:    I hear the weather is good his time of year (silly laugh)
BELLAMY: Looks like everyone is looking forward to the weather too
GUDBRAND:    yes, its bright skies, believe me, and just when we thought that winter had settled in for good
BELLAMY: (laughs at first but then more curious)
but isn’t Lubyan Oil nationalized?
GUDBRAND: today yes, yes it is, but things are changing as we speak.
And when you say nationalized you mean belonging to the government, well today we can ask ‘which government’
BELLAMY: oh really? You think the new regime will privatize?
GUDBRAND: well you could say, I’m banking on it (silly laugh)
BELLAMY: (looks around) it’s funny but I was expecting to see more journalists, I don’t see a single one
GUDBRAND: no, (silly laugh) is that a bad thing? No, just the usual speculators
BELLAMY: excuse me (looks confused)
GUDBRAND: you have telecoms industry (points to other seats), water utility, building contractors, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, plastics, (haha) they love the warmer weather too, but not the journalists I see, except you, you must be the special shit?
BELLAMY: (looking around until shocked by the choice of words) yes, I suppose I must be the special…yes
GUDBRAND: well, I hope you make your scoop,…(thinks).. your poop scoop (silly laugh)
BELLAMY: yeah (faked laugh)
(opens laptop and his boys skype call him)
 
O/H SKYPE CALL FROM BOYS REPLACES ONE SIDE OF THE ‘WELCOME TO PAN-AFRICAN AIRLINES’ SIGN
STEWARDESS: (starts preparing for the safety demonstration)
WILLIAM: Hi Dadio, how’s first class (Ashton shushes him)
BELLAMY: tell me this wasn’t you Ashton, (speaking under his breath), what have I told you about this hacking business before? It’s serious fraud, you can’t do things like this
WILLIAM: (makes a yikes face as Ashton gives him a stare)
any good films Dadio (changing the subject)
BELLAMY: (still shaking his head)……not sure yet, we haven’t taken off
WILLIAM: lets hope its not snakes on a plane haha  …
ASHTON: No, Flight of the Concorde (they laugh), Alive
WILLIAM: Uncharted, Castaway,
ASHTON: Black Hawk Down
WILLIAM: Er, no..that was a helicopter crash, but don’t worry Daddy
I’m sure nothing will happen to you
BELLAMY: Oh, Thaaanks (sarcastically)
WILLIAM: statistically speaking, its still the safest way to travel
(Ashton grabs his arm, they move back from camera)
WILLIAM: oh yes Daddy we wanted to give you some safety advice
(they both do the routine at the same time the stewardess is doing the routine)
WILLIAM/ASHTON: ‘for safety purposes please be advised to find the
emergency exits are here, here, here and (bum to camera) here (they laugh and do a high 5)
BELLAMY: you boys are so cheeky
STEWARDESS: Sir, we are ready for take off
BELLAMY: ok….boys, I have to go, love you
WILLIAM/ASHTON: love you too Dadio, (waves in camera)
STEWARDESS: Sir!(as Gudtrand, on phone, holds up finger to wait for a minute in a rude way)
BELLAMY: (raises eyebrows with stewardess, puts on News on back of seat in front)
 
NEWS COMES ON TOP SCREEN AFTER FLICKING AROUND FROM FAULTY TOWERS, MEN BEHAVING BADLY, PICTURE OF PLANE, HE SETTLES ON NEWS….
NATIONAL COALITION IN PARIS TALKS, NEWS OF INTERIM GOVERNMENT, HAGUE/SARCOZY/H CLINTON/CLIPS
SYNCRONISED ‘DICTATOR COLONEL GADARFI’
 
STAGE GOES DARK FOR SCENE CHANGE WHILE NEWS CONTINUES PLAYING
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ACT II SCENE 2 TAXI STAND, THE AIRPORT, LUBYA
 
BELLAMY: (enters stage left pulling suitcase, sees Tareq with sign from other side of stage, raises his hand and waves)
TAREQ: (waiting with ‘Mr Bellamy’ sign, picking his nose or something funny, sees Bellamy, waves, smiles, looks over people, walks, trips over (imaginary) cases, blames other people)
Mr Bellamy?
BELLAMY: (as they find each other) you have to be Tareq, you look just like your cousin, wow, that’s amazing
TAREQ: Yes, did he tell you, people could not tell us apart when we were young, Tell me, how is my cousin?
BELLAMY: He’s doing well, he lives in a nice part of London, nice house
TAREQ: ah, I miss him, it is such a shame what happened to him and his family here. No need for it. Come on, jump in
BELLAMY: this is it? (They come to a wreck of a car)
TAREQ: it might not be anything to look at but it’ll get you where you want to go (laughs, likeable character), right, tour of the city then we have a lovely hotel for you, and my wife, she works there, she has a lovely room for you
BELLAMY: lovely, (gives him case, he goes to swing it into the trunk) Wait
(Bellamy takes out his laptop, then Tareq throws it in the trunk)
TAREQ: (he closes the lid and goes to walk away as Bellamy gets in, the trunk pops up, he slams it down, it pops up, he slams it down, it pops up so he jumps and swears and shouts and hammers it down until Bellamy looks back out of the car and Tareq turns with all smiles as if nothing happened, covering it up, he gets in and drives,
Swearing at people out of the window)
Soooo, welcome to my happy country (all calm and smile)
BELLAMY: Thank you Tareq (all smiles)
TAREQ: you know, I talk onskype to my cousin every week. We are like brothers you know. When we were young it was as if we were two sides of the same person. Now he is there it feels like two parallel outcomes have come from the one life. You know?
BELLAMY: yes, I see what you mean
TAREQ: when he lost his house and faily here he was sad, he was sad when he arrived in London and had all the trouble, with the racists you know? So he wished he had stayed. Then I try to tell him but never mind you have the McDonalds, you know, yum yum, haha, but this did not console him.
Now it is he who consoles me, it is my country that is turning to shit. We have had many good years, despite the US attacks and the CIA operations to destroy us. You know the US bombed us because they thought it was a Lubyian who bombed a nightclub. Without a trial, no court case, no evidence, not trying to find who did it, they just started bombing a whole country like a terrorist. Why do that? How can they do a thing like this as the world watches? How is it they have managed to get their people to hate us so much?
BELLAMY: I can’t answer that
TAREQ: you like, the pop music? The Madonna and the Micheal Jackson
BELLAMY: Well, I’m more of a Beatles and Stones kind of guy but yeah
TAREQ: ok, I don’t have, but I have Ibn Muharutaka Shakti, he’s my favourite (plays and dances, funny)
 
MUSIC PLAYS LOUDLY AS WE ARE SHOWN ALL THE SIGHTS OF MODER LIBYA
BELLAMY: wow! what’s this place
TAREQ: this is the Brega Man Made River, it is the biggest fresh water project in the world, it comes from underwater springs, its fresh sweet mineral water for our hoes and our farms
BELLAMY: wow, it massive, I have never heard of it
TAREQ: yes , there are lot of good things you do not hear about this country, I know this from my Cousin. This brings fossil water free to every home in this half of the country. And for the small farms and fruit groves
BELLAMY: its free
TAREQ: yes, its one of our nationalized industries, its free, like our apartment
BELLAMY: your apartment?
TAREQ: yes, when you get married here the government gives you an apartment, its free, and look here, these are the fruit groves
BELLAMY: wow
TAREQ: yes, this is the system here,……and this here, this is one of our may assembly halls. Here is where any representative can come from our community and demand answers to specific questions and the government staff have to find the answer. We have a Direct Democracy here overseen by the General People’s Committee. This allows direct participation of all adults. We can discuss the real issues directly and without representatives like you have in Europe and the US. Because that system becomes corrupted very quickly, I am right me old mate? (Lubyan accent trying to sound cockney)(keeps looking in the mirror)
BELLAMY: ah yes, I have the book, I really should give it a read
TAREQ: yes, the Green Book, we have all studies it at school here. Cor blimey yes
BELLAMY: It’s uncanny, like I know you already
TAREQ: My cousin, he teaches me to speak like the cockney, are ya alright mate? Ahs it goin geeza? Lubly jubly, you like? Yes?
(looks in mirror, more music)
……(AND SOON) and…we are here
BELLAMY: wow, this is nice
TAREQ: I will get your case, you will get to meet my wife, she is working on the reception today
 
(They get out the car with case) - - next scene
 
 
 
ACT  II SCENE 3 – Hotel Lobby (and open plan bar)
 
BELLAMY: (enters with jacket and laptop, looking around above)
TAREQ: (comedy entrance with case)
BINT: (see Tareq, shakes head, then looks to Bellamy)
Mr Johan I can presume, its so nice to meet you, welcome to The Ramada
BELLAMY: oh hi, you must be Bint, I saw your picture at Eric’s
BINT: that’s right, how is my cousin in law? (show him signing in book)
BELLAMY: He’s doing well (answers while signing in)
BINT: such a shame what happened to his family, still, he has …bounseed back, right? Ah, he is such a sweetheart
TAREQ: hey! Stop being sweet on my cousin (as he drops case off)
BINT: ah, don’t be jealous my love, you know I married the best one
(Bint tickles Tareq under the chin and he looks shy)
BELLAMY: (checking in all this time, Bint checks and gives him keys but she holds the keys as he tries to take them
BINT: (she comes closer to speak under her breath) listen, Eric has told me everything, I have secured some meetings for you with top sources but we must be careful, ok?
BELLAMY: yes, of course, and thank you, I need to work on an angle, I was hoping to get an interview with one of the rebel coalition, I understand some are staying in this hotel
BINT: yes, they are piranhas
BELLAMY: why? The way they finish off the breakfast bar haha? (laughs but quickly realizes she is not laughing)
BINT: the way they feed on the ownership of this country, try to steal its resources and this nations industries. You need to get the real story, Listen (she comes closer) my cousin works in security for Gadarfi, I think I can get you an interview with someone over that side, to tell you the real story not what the western media are putting out, but we must be careful, the rebels are going door to door here, they are shooting people on site, no trial no witnesses nothing, it’s a breakdown of law. I will make sure you see all sides of this conflict
BELLAMY: well, don’t go doing anything dangerous
BINT: its more dangerous not to try to do anything, if these rebels take over its more danger for the whole country
BELLAMY: look whatever you can get me I will really appreciate
JOE: (enters lobby)
BINT: I will get word to you soon about the details but just be ready to move, Tareq will be ready to drive you too
(Then she talks louder when she sees Joe)
This is the key to your room Mr Johan, room 120 please enjoy your stay with Ramada Hotels
BELLAMY:      Thank you, (goes to walk away) erm, how do I get online?
BINT: all the information is on here, actually all of Lubya is online, its free here. You really have to learn more about Lubya don’t you?
BELLAMY:      yes, don’t worry I’ll do my research, Thank you
BINT: Thank you Mr Johan and please enjoy your stay, now sir how can I help you
JOE: Joe Steegle, I have a reservation (Bint goes to the computer)
 
BELLAMY:      (goes over to sit in the hotel lobby near the bar, TV screens
are on in the background showing the scenes, Bellamy opens his laptop)
 
O/H SHOWING AN UPDATE OF THE CONFLICT
WHILE BELLAMY MAKES A SKYPE CALL
 
AMELIA: er! (still asleep)
BELLAMY:      oh sorry darling, did I wake you,
AMELIA: its ok, did you get there ok?
BELLAMY:      yeah, its all ok, I’ll let you sleep and call you later
AMELIA: no, its ok Dadio, I miss our little chats (smile), I was meant to be writing an essay and I just fell asleep. (yauns)
And I’m worried. I saw it on the news. There is a war going on over there. I spoke to mum and she’s worried for you Dad. She was mad at you but now she’s worried that you have taken a big risk, please stay safe
BELLAMY:      It’s ok, I’m away from all the fighting, just trying to get an
interview with the opposition, and tonight I get the impression that I’m getting an interview with the other side
AMELIA: but Dad, please be careful, how can you just travel over to the other side?
BELLAMY:      Its ok, I have good contacts here. Eric’s cousin lives here
and his wife is the receptionist here and is very well connected
AMELIA: Eric? Eric from next door?
BELLAMY:      yes, and his cousin looks the spitting image of him, its like
Eric2 (they laugh)
AMELIA: but dad please be careful
BELLAMY:      its ok darling
AMELIA: Oh Dad, I read about Gadarfi today, did you know that he wrote a book on political philosophy?
BELLAMY:      yes, The Green Book, Eric lent me his English version
AMELIA: yeah, and he has this idea of a democracy of the people, a direct democracy but its not like communism, its like a third way
BELLAMY:      yes, I need to swat up on it, I’ll read it, I have it here, (shows it)
AMELIA: I was thinking of telling some of the Occupy guys here about it but then I didn’t want to be frowned upon, you know, they would say ‘why ae you telling us about a book from an evil dictator?’ Americans hate him, he’s like Hitler here.
BELLAMY:      its funny but apart from some people with guns people love
him here, like truly, they’re not just told to like him, ya know?
AMELIA: perhaps I could write him into the paper I have to write for my
first assignment. (Boys come online)
ASHTON: hey Dadio
WILLIAM: hi Daddy, Hi Amelia
AMELIA: Hi Ash, Hi Rugrat, guess what, Dad’s in Africa interviewing
dictators
WILLIAM: yeah we know
ASHTON: wait, you’re interviewing Gadarfi?
BELLAMY:      well there’s a possibility, but keep it quiet
(looks around, moves laptop)
WILLIAM: cool, ask him if he wants to take over the world (evil laugh)
AMELIA: (laughs) no ask him who controls the world
ASHTON: no, ask him if he has to be a Bielderberg before he runs a country
WILLIAM: no, ask him if he’s half man and half alien lizard
(does lizard tongue)
WIFE: (goes past in the background with laundry pile)
  boys you need to tidy your room (she looks on screen)
WILLIAM: ok, just talking to Dad (awkward silence falls)
ASHTON: perhaps we better go, talk later then, be careful out there
BELLAMY:      yes, will do, bye guys
WILLIAM: bye Daddy
(as the computer closes you can hear his wife say ‘where is he’)
AMELIA: so, Dadio, I’ve been reading all my course books, God, its so interesting, you can see how, like, the US have been manipulating the media and controlling countries by doing special undercover operations with the CIA and that. I read about Edward Bernays, who was Freud’s nephew, who the Americans hired to do PR for government instead of marketing for big business and how, like, it’s the same kind of thing, and like, how Henry Kissinger organized military coups of South American countries and that and how they would twist everything around so that they got their way, God, there’s so much, and its country after country. Next I’m reading this (Shows him book Rogue States)
BELLAMY:      oh that’s good. I witnessed how US foreign policy influenced
the situation in Venezuela actually
AMELIA: yes, Mum told me last night
BELLAMY:      she did?
AMELIA: yeah, she told me it’s why she fell in love with you because you idealistic and you wanted to save the world
BELLAMY:      really, she said this last night?
AMELIA: she said she loves you too much, yuk! There’s hope for you yet
BELLAMY:      really?
AMELIA: oh and you know I’ve joined the Occupy movement too
BELLAMY:      yeah, how’s that? don’t go getting arrested, will you
AMELIA: its ok, I’m only going to see what its all about. I’m going to start a blog about the whole social change and that and I’m going to see if I can get some sort of credits for as far as my writing exercises
BELLAMY:      that’s a good idea
AMELIA: yes, well, it means I can write an essay with all the information backed up and then I could do a blog about the subject. I’m doing one now about the 3Vs
BELLAMY:      what’s that then?
AMELIA: like where a government of a regime has to make out that there is a terrible villain and that the villain is victimizing one group of people and if this story is achieved then the regime will look like the victorious hero if they sort it out. So in any war or conflict the objective of the propaganda is to highlight the villainy of the opposition and in how much danger the victims are in, then people will support the victor going in and sorting it out, did that make sense
BELLAMY:      yes, I think so, so like the US and UK governments now are
determined to make Gadarfi look bad and then they are doing everything they can to make it look like there are victims of this person so that they will get support to be victorious
AMELIA: yes, that’s it, so Julius Ceasar did it when he wrote about himself to the Romans, Britain did it in the second world war to Hitler and Thatcher did it to look victorious by going to help the victims in the Falklands from the villainous Argentinians.
BELLAMY:      I see, sounds like an interesting course
AMELIA: yes, it really is, you can see how governments are organizing their
spin and PR, you can see what happened in world history and how the media plays its part in the whole campaign, its just sooo interesting the Falklands from the villainous Argentinians.
BELLAMY:      sounds great, money well spent then
AMELIA: well, money that hasn’t yet been spent Dadio, need a bit of a top up
BELLAMY:      yes, I know, I am in the process of sorting that out just as soon as I
get my advance
AMELIA: I know Dadio, whenever you’re ready, I know you’re trying. Don’t
forget I have that Chomsky lecture to go see in Boston about framed linguistics
BELLAMY:      about what?
AMELIA: framed linguistics, its what the US governments and their spin
doctors are doing to design the way they speak in order to make people think a certain way, they sychronise how they say things too so that people hear the same thing from different sources so that they believe the narrative, oh, its so interesting, I love being here, thank you Dadio, its like a dream come true
BELLAMY:      you’re welcome darling, anything for my little girl
AMELIA: (big smile)
BELLAMY:      I better let you get on with it then. I have o prepare for tomorrow,
my big day
AMELIA: ok Dadio, good luck then
BELLAMY:      thanks, speak soon then, love you
AMELIA: yeah, love you bye
BINT: (comes over and whispers) It’s on, tomorrow at 10am, you have an interview in Tripoli, Tareq will pick you up and get you across the frontline, you will meet my cousin Aisha
BELLAMY: ok, (deep  breath) this is it then
 
MAIN THEME MUSIC, LIGHTS FADE,
 
ACT III SCENE 1
 
BELLAMY: Hello, you must be Aisha
AISHA: Yes, but inside this room you must refer to me simple as Luitenant
BELLAMY: Ok, anything else I should know
AISHA: Yes, you need just refer to him as Mr Gadarfi, please don’t be disrespectful, he is giving his time freely. If he does not understand a word he will turn to me and I will translate otherwise he will speak to you in English. We have a camera set up already and you will have a copy of the recording. Good luck My Johan
BELLAMY: Thank you (pause as if he is heading into the abyss, then enter)
 
ENTER WHAT LOOKS LIKE A TENT WITH CHAIRS
 
BELLAMY: Good afternoon Mr. Gadarfi, thank you for agreeing to this interview
GADARFI: Ok, ok
AISHA: We will first get the recording levels (very serious)
BELLAMY: yes, testing, one, two, three
AISHA: that’s good, all clear then, ready when you are (she sits down too)
BELLAMY: Thank you…….I’m here with Mr Momar Gadarfi, Good afternoon to
you Mr Gadarfi, I want to start by asking you, in your own words, what is the nature of this crisis in Lubya?
GADARFI: (Nods, at first then breaths heavily, pauses to consider response)
There is an attack on Lubya……..this is clear. So far it has been with a few groups of armed men in the towns surrounding Benghazi. These are Gaida terrorists….
BELLAMY: Gaida?
AISHA: Al Qaida
BELLAMY: ok
GADARFI: We estimated that in these outbreaks, maybe 5 or 6 outbursts,
there were 100 to 150 casualties in the first month of fighting.
BELLAMY: 150?
GADARFI: I know the world’s media said it was 1000’s, some said 6,000. Things should not have been blown out of proportion. Al Gaida are here to take advantage of what has been happening in the Arab Springs as the western media is calling it.
BELLAMY: Would you call it that? A move for democracy?
GADARFI: No. It is nothing of this kind. This is a fiction designed by the media. The truth is that it is Al Gaida and what started with a handful of fundamentalists. We have had this problem before. They took up weapons to start their violence to kill police, to kill soldiers, weapons were stolen, but it is a small town in the Sahara. The world has been given a totally unreasonable presentation of what has happened. There are bigger issues that make this story important. This is what you need to know. …(drinks coffee)…When the west had a financial crash many young men returned to Lubya as they lost their jobs in the west. It was a sudden change. These young ambitious men are restless. They want their lives to change quickly and when it doesn’t they get frustrated with the ways of steady people. These men are susseptable to crisis. They are the internet generation and so their worldview is influenced directly by this …(converses with translator)…Social Media. Our internet came alive with misinformation about a revolution going on. It was a distortion of the truth and exaggeration. The internet was telling these young people the country was in chaos but here in Tripoli people did not see it. Only in the small towns could people believe it. Then Al Gaida started their death squads in Bengahzi. Your western media did not report this. All the media were saying the Lubyain army was killing the people. Nobody believed this but people were worried when they saw the Al Gaida with their guns
BELLAMY: What was the response of the authorities?
GADARFI: The authorities went to intercept these terrorists. They found they were also fighting these young people who were not with the long beards. As more military responded so more people worried that it was the army who were making the trouble. But more sinister than this is what we found out about this internet activity – (signals to translator at computer, overhead zeros in on Williamsburg) – Of all the sources for this internet activity thousands were coming from the US, from Williamsburger
BELLAMY: (has a flashback to son saying Williamsburger)
GADARFI: Now we started to piece together what was in fact happening. We looked at the news reports from the US, UK and France. We saw thousands of the El senussi flag, you know this country has not used this flag since the revolution in 1969 yet here were these brand new flags, thousands of them. If knew that if they could smuggle in these flags then they could smuggle heavy weapons, people, anything. There was something bigger going on here. This was planned revolution just like the US Gene Sharp teaches. It was US style. (Gerald has flashback to daughters books) Then the intelligence came together. We heard that the Idris El Sensussi had met with Hilary Clinton at the Whitehouse weeks before. We knew a plot had been disgust at the UAE arms fair attended by Cameron, Sarkozy, Hague, Clinton all these players not just arms but big business players from all industry groups. Why were they all there? Then we studied the media look – (show clips) – They say the Lubyain army are firing at civilians but the film being showed as they report this lie is a film of armed rebels, some with beards, some just young men. They showed these rebels with wounds in hospital as civilians but yes without their guns they can become civilians when they choose to. We had to try to stop this escalation of violence. These foreign leaders were talking about invasion or bombing. We knew we had to stop the violence and then appeal to the world for calm. The internet was still alive with misinformation so we had the idea to stop the service to the internet for most users we could do this from Western Lubya where things were still quiet. But this was a really big mistake. When we closed down the internet in a way it created more of a problem. People came onto the street to find out more information. The Arab TV were also giving false information but then most Lubyan people know this is possible, without the internet people had no way to confirm for themselves the truth. People came to the streets to know what was happening. As they came so too came the police to help control the crowds and maintain order but this made people worry more and people began to panic. I mean what would you do in London if you had armed attackers that you needed to fight and all the media told people it was the breakdown of society? Instead they could have interview people on the streets of Green Square who had come out in support of the September 1st revolution and of the Lubyan Nation. We are just asking the world to open its eyes.
BELLAMY: people were also seeing foreign mercenaries fighting for the authorities
GADARFI: Again, this is a distortion of the facts. Lubya is part of Africa and part of the Arab League. These are both ideas that I have been fully supporting. It means that we have these battalions The Pan African Legion and The Arab Islamic Legion. We are helping to train them as peacekeeping forces in Africa and the middle East so that the foreign colonial powers of capitalism do not have the excuse to force their way in just as they have done in Iraq and Afganistan. The world is often shown a distorted view of what is happening.
BELLAMY: So you blame the world media for whipping up the hysteria
GADARFI: this and the other elements, the smuggled arms and flags, the
internet plot from the US, the meetings of plotters with western allies, the Arab media owned by the gulf states playing their part. This has become classic US politics. We started to see this at work. The ….(converses with translator) Framed Linguistics
BELLAMY: yes, I’ve heard of this
GADARFI: In the same week all the world leaders who were in this plot used the same words to describe the situation. It was highly detailed and synchronized like they were playing their part in a play or a ….(converses) Pantomime for the children. They all describe the country being suppressed by ‘Dictator Colonel Gadarfi’. Now, One, I have not been a Colonel since the 70’s. This was my rank when my fellow military leaders and I led the September revolution against the El Senussi puppet monarchy set up by the Colonial powers. But by using this word they make people think of a military dictatorship. The main thing is they refuse to understand or speak of the style of Lubyan politics. There is no dictatorship here. IN 1976 power was handed over to the Lubyam people. The people’s assemblies were set up and the constitution came into effect. No, foreign news will ever report about the system of government in Lubya. They want to vilify me so that they can see the Lubyan people as victims who need saving
BELLAMY: yes, the classic 3 V’s
GADARFI: Yes, (loudly) I am glad you understand these things (points)
GADARFI: They never report the achievements this has produce for the Lubyan people because they do not want people to speak of a people’s democracy in the west. They do not want to see what people can achieve when they have the power.
BELLAMY: So, just to reiterate, you are not in a position of power? But we know you as a statesman, you attend world affairs as statesman and give speeches.
GADARFI: It’s an honorary title, In Britain who has the power? Queen Elizabeth?
BELLAMY: So those heads of state who are now asking you to stand down……?
GADARFI: I have no title, what do I step down from? For 40 years I have not
been the ruler. The authority is with the people. I am only a  (consults) …symbolic head of state. They love me, all my people they love me
BELLAMY: but surely it’s a dictatorship based on the fact that there is no voting for political parties
GADARFI: you don’t understand the system here
BELLAMY: well, I
GADARFI: don’t say it, no no, you don’t understand and so the world will not understand if you cannot show them. Where you live the parties rule, they take turns to be voted in but they are all from the political classes working for the same, the same (consults) vested interests. Here the people rule it is closer to democracy than you have in your own country, this is why they do not tell you of these things. That’s why they continue to portray me in this image so that you will never accept that it is a credible system of governance.
BELLAMY: but you clearly have an influence over the Lubyan people
GADARFI: I do, I helped bring the people out of suffering from the puppet monarchy of the colonial powers. I worked together with great men on the Lubyan constitution. It was the time of the cold war when the US and the USSR wanting to have our strategic position. But the Lubyan people did not want to be ruled by these colonialists any more, they deserved better. Nassar was working with the ideas of Islamic Socialism all over the middle east but this was too easily converted into fundamentalism. I authored the Green Book as a third way ahead for the Lubyan people.
BELLAMY: yes, I have it here
GADARFI: then you would be advised to read it, then you can ask me a more
serious question and look further than the surface
BELLAMY: I…I…
GADARFI: The colonial powers would never accept the independence of a nation, they always need a government that does not distribute its wealth or its decision making to its people because they would never agree with the terms of the colonial powers. For their interests they need a small group of people who they can but off. What is happening in Lubya now is not different from this story.
So, they try to gain power of this country but they cannot make every citizen of Lubya agree with them so they try to manipulate outside forces to gain their support. They have always tried this. They tried to invade before by specifically implicating me and the Lubyan people as a danger to others. They made a series of claims against Lybia, they say it was a Lubyan who shot the police woman in London, why? What would we gain from doing such a thing? If it was a Lubyan, what would we gain from denying it, no state is responsible for the actions of its citizens. In 1986 they accused Lubya of bombing a Berlin Nightclub full of US marines. Lubya had no connections to this at all. This is more likely to be an attack by the former USSR to provoke something not Lubya, again, what would we have to gain from it? So, without a trial, without evidence, they bomb us for these things. Again they implicated Lubya with the American airline bombing, where is the evidence, what is the motive? So, then they try to dismantle the work I have been doing in Africa. I founded the African Union in 1979 but all they do is discredit it and try to tear it down. These are nations who have formed the EU as an economic super power, why do they not accept the same for Africa? This is the colonialist mentality still evident. I formed the Pan African Legion so that Africa could resolve its own issues without being endebted to the colonialists and have their so called world bank move in on them. It is an instrument that keeps the peace just because these nations know it is there. When tensions explode in Sudan, Darfur or Mali we stepped in and kept the peace. When the poor of Africa feel compelled to make the journey to Europe across the Meditereanian to reclaim their stolen wealth, it is Lubya who prevents this migration. Lubya has played a crucial role in the peace of this region. I was the first to ban these Islamists groups with the long beards and who wrap their women in sacks. Al Gaida were banned here when the US were still paying them to be Mujadhadeen in Afganistan. Your Amnesty International were appealing to us to let them out of our prisons saying their human rights were being violated saying their fundamentalism and Islamic (consult) fascism should be protected as freedom of religion. These religious forces are also being negotiated with. The Muslim Brotherhood was also banned in Lubya but now they are back standing with the coalition because they have this network of support in the mosques and the fundamentalists who attend those mosques. It is all designed to gain support where they can at any cost. They are allowing these foreign powers to come in to take advantage of the Lubyan people.
BELLAMY: so you say what is happening in Lubya is the result of foreign powers wanting control of its resources?
GADARFI: I say, it is a conflation of these ‘vested interests’ yes, they have already helped set up a coalition of businessmen to take ownership of Lubya away from the Lubyan people. Look at these people, today Jabril Mamhoud, who is meant to be a possible alternative minister in a puppet government is having business meeting in Paris, who with? With politicians and military leaders? No, with companies who want to take ownership of Lubyan resources away from Lubyan, our utilities, our minerals, our crop seeds, our telecoms, all these things currently belong to the Lubyan people, if this coalition gained power they would make deals, sign contracts and sell it before the Lubyan public knew what had happened and then they would be in servitude to those who own these basic needs paying more and more to these cartel like monopolies just as you are in the UK and the rest of the world. The US have been gradually holding back more and more payments for Oil they have received. This is money belonging to the Lubyan people but now it is being offered as a prize to whoever will become a member of coalition rebel government. How can a nation behave in this way? Imagine you owe your tailor some money but instead of paying him you pay someone else to come and takeover his tailoring business by force. How can a government behave in this way? Take a good look at these coalition leaders, please, this would be real journalism, and has anybody done this so far? What happened to journalism? Are you prepare to be fed stories by the CIA and stay within the mainstream….The US have always dictated how much oil we produce and what we sell it for, we accept that the US petro dollar is the currency even though we would receive more money selling it in Euros to the Europeans directly we are not allowed to. As soon as Sadam Hussain did this they invaded.
BELLAMY: Did you say that the CIA have an influence over western media
GADARFI: I say, in certain global situations, they carefully design the narrative where they know that it is in the interests of the media owners and the media players to be compliant with the narrative. The media owner wants what will bring them the best returns on their investments, popularity, new contracts for further media ownership, the world leaders who are allied to the US will be players and compliant with the narrative to show they are one of the players on the world stage, journalists want to be invited into those circles where they might get the interview, if they ask the wrong questions then you can guarentee that they will not be invited back. Journalists in your position have to fall in line with editorial policy. This will not change under the system you have of wholly owned large private media companies. I only hope the internet will bring changes to how citizens gather their information in future.
BELLAMY: So, how do you see this going? I mean, what is the next stage for Lubya?
GADARFI: Well, the Lubyan authorities just need to clean out this trouble,
first city by city then house by house and person by person to cleanse this problem of Lubya (just then the female guard, stands up and indicates it’s the end)
BELLAMY: ah ok, so thank you Mr Gadarfi, its been a pleasure talking to you
GADARFI: and to you (he takes his hand but pulls him close) and please show the world what is happening here
BELLAMY: er, yes, yes I will (Gadarfi walks away, has words with the Aisha, Aisha comes back and fiddles with the camera, she takes a disc and hands it to Bellamy
AISHA: This is for you My Johan
BELLAMY: I will upload it straight to my news network platform.
(he puts it in his laptop and presses a few buttons)
AISHA: I recommend you do not stay here longer than ten minutes
BELLAMY: Thank you for your help Aisha
AISHA: We all do what we can and what we must (she leaves)
BELLAMY: (sits back deep in thought, sinks back into his chair, looks at his notes, does some writing, shakes his head in amazement)
 
LIGHTS DOWN
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ACT III SCENE 2 The Taxi Ride Home
 
TAREQ: (he is outside waiting by the car doing De Niro impressions in the wing mirror)…you looking at me? I don’t see anyone else here
BELLAMY: (has a big grin on his face as he approaches) We have to go
TAREQ: ok (runs round to get in car)
BELLAMY: Gets in car and they go
TAREQ: So, how did it go? Did you get an interview with someone important?
BELLAMY: Yes, I interviewed Gadarfi
TAREQ: What???? (slams on the breaks, Gerald flies forward) you interviewed Gadarfi???? The man the saviour of this country??? What?? Are you kidding me?? (repeats it again)
BELLAMY: Yes, it’s a world exclusive, I’ve just got a WORLD EXCLUSIVE, haha!, come on let’s take a drive
(Tariq, plays some music, dances, Gerald gets a call)
EDITOR: so, you got it, it looks good but I’ll have to go through it to see what we can use, but hey, congratulations
BELLAMY: you like it? I’d like to spend some time on a conclusion
EDITOR: nobody wants to listen to you Bellamy, just get what ever else you can get while you’re still there, while you’re still alive
BELLAMY: well, there’s a lot of points he brought up, I should follow up
BELLAMY: well, I was thinking of……hello (holds phone up) hello, hello
TAREQ: the boss is happy?
BELLAMY: yes, I think so, as happy as she ever gets, I think she knows a world renouned professional journalist when she speaks to one haha
TAREQ: haha! (Tariq puts loud Lubyan dancing music on and sings and dances while driving, they go past green flags, some clips of the interview go on overhead as the music blares out, Gerald leans out of the window as wind is in his hair, fade to end part 1 and go to intermission)
 
AS BELLAMY PUTS HIS HEAD OUT OF THE WINDOW A FAN BLOWS AIR INTO HIS FACE
LIGHTS OUT MUSIC CARRIES ON
 
O/H   ‘ INTERMISSION’
 
20min INTERMISSION
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ACT IV - MONEY SCENE 1  - Back at the Hotel Lobby
 
O/H TV OF THE PROGRESS OF THE CONFLICT
 
BINT: How are you? (smiling into his face)
BELLAMY: I thought I should settle my bill under the circumstances
BINT: let’s see, (Joe Steegle goes past, Bint sees him and calls)
Mr Steegle, your package has arrived (hands bootle shaped package)
JOE: oh, that’s my baby, come to pappa, thank you, I’ll get started, is it OK if I …?(points to the bar)
BINT: please, feel free Mr Steegle (as he walks away),
knock yourself out (sarcastically)(they giggle together)
Tariq said that you were happy with the interview (quietly)
BELLAMY: yes, but there’s more that needed to be said I think, but yes, it went well, and thank you, thank you so much (whisper)
BINT: Sorry but its cash only, I hope that’s OK, The International Settlement Bank has also entered the war, they are not recognizing our currency, this is money war (quieter)
BELLAMY: yes, I understand, I’ve been given my advance for the trip in US Dollars, is that ok? (takes it from his body belt)
BINT: that’ll do nicely sir, (smiles)
BELLAMY: and this is for you Bint (hands wad of cash from money belt)
BINT: oh no, I did not do it for the money
BELLAMY: go on take it
BINT: (she hesitates, then looks around before taking it straight to her pocket, but Joe sees it happening) ok, I will take it, this country is in trouble, we do not know what will happen next,
BELLAMY: This is a big story for the world,
BINT: yes, it is important you tell the world..(goes quiet)..oh....and hear this is for you
BELLAMY: what’s this?
BINT: your Hemoroid cream, you ordered it earlier
BELLAMY: no, not me
BINT: yes, see here, its on the computer, don’t be embarrassed
BELLAMY: no, really, it must be a mistake
BINT: no, how would it get on the computer
BELLAMY: I don’t know….but I have an idea
BINT: (smiles) so you don’t need it
BELLAMY: no, well, I’ll take it anyway (smiles) (goes to sit down)
 
JOE: ( at the bar drinking and turning TV channels and had been noticing the relationship with Bint)
hey, are you from England?
BELLAMY: yes, I am as a matter of fact
JOE: nice place, good people
hey, are you from England?
BELLAMY: thank you, yes, some of us at least (smiles)
JOE: yeah, although (walks over)…I couldn’t help noticing you have something going on with the receptionist eh? I couldn’t help notice that
BELLAMY: oh no, that was purely professional
JOE: Oh, I ‘m hearing you haha, money talks right? And you’re just getting a piece of the action
BELLAMY: oh no, I don’t mean….nothing like that
JOE: if you say so bud, I’m Joe Steegle, pleased to make your acquaintance
BELLAMY: and I’m Bellamy Johan from IBC News, the pleasures all mine sir
JOE: oh I love that British accent, come join me for a drink, man to man,
BELLAMY: Thanks, That’ll be lovely Joe, I could certainly do with a drink. I’ve just got to call home, is that ok? Then I’ll join you, give me a few minutes (opens his laptop)
JOE: ok, I’ll set em up (goes back to bar, upturns 2nd glass and pours)
 
BELLAMY: Hi darling, how’s it going?
AMELIA: hey Dadio, its all great thanks, oh and thank you for paying the Uni fees
BELLAMY: I haven’t been able to send anything yet, darling, I was going to say it would get to you in a week or so
AMELIA: what? Well, they said there is nothing to pay on the compute
(looks worried)
BELLAMY: Oh no, I hope this is not Ashton’s work again
AMELIA: Noooo, he wouldn’t………...would he?
BELLAMY: I’ll have to speak to him, but I’ve just completed my interview so they will release some money for me so I can pay things up now
AMELIA: ok, thanks Dadio, I saw the interview, well .. bits of it.
BELLAMY: I think they may have chopped it around a little
AMELIA: you looked a little bit scare though Dadio, is it true he’s a tyrant? They are saying he is going to ‘cleanse’ the country, they are thinking he is about to commit a genocide against his own people
BELLAMY: no, I don’t think he is like that, I think that might just be an image created by our government information services
AMELIA: really? But he is still controlling the army
BELLAMY: well, I am not sure if it works like that here
AMELIA: but he seemed to scare you
BELLAMY: well, I was a little bit intimidated, actually I was a little bit taken aback. He wasn’t at all what I expected, I sort of felt out of my depth intellectually
AMELIA: no, Dadio you were fine
BELLAMY: well, I felt I could have done my research a bit better, it’s a big story I think, there is more to the whole thing that people are not seeing, there are outside influences at play here, its like the whole thing has been coordinated beforehand, foreign governments, businessmen, puppet leader types, and the whole media story, its something people should know
AMELIA: well then get it out there
BELLAMY: I will, I’ll do a lot more on this when I get back. It’s funny, I was thinking of you in the interview (smiles)
AMELIA: why’s that?
BELLAMY: well, he was talking about all the things you had been mentioning to me about how revolutions are organized, about the 3 Vs, and about how the US plays geopolitics, just like you were talking about
AMELIA: well, I had just been reading Chomsky, people are only just beginning to find out how governments manipulate information to fool the people, it is definitely manufacturing consent
BELLAMY: yes, what I thought was just what young people like you said turns out to be a lot nearer the truth than people think
AMELIA: right, I’m going to write a blog about this Dadio, can I use some of what you said?
BELLAMY: yes of course, I’ll carry on doing my research and I’ll send you something
AMELIA: ok Dadio, ooh this is great, Let’s speak later then
BELLAMY: ok, darling, you take care
AMELIA: no, you take care, get back here in one piece
BELLAMY: oh don’t worry about me, take care sweetheart
 
O/H ENDS CALL TO AMELIA CALLS BOYS
 
WILLIAM: hey Dadio,
BELLAMY: hey William, I just want to speak to Ashton first
WILLIAM: u-oh!
ASHTON: hey, what’s up Dude?
BELLAMY: Don’t give me that, what did I tell you about the hacking? Have you been doing anything with Amelia’s Uni ?
ASHTON: Dad…
BELLAMY: what have I been telling you about hacking?
ASHTON: Dad, calm down, all I did was take out part of the billing process so they didn’t give her a bill this month, that’s all, you still have to pay it, I just bought you some time that’s all, I thought I was doing the right thing, I could have cleared the bill but I didn’t, I just wanted to help, there’s no harm done, Amelia doesn’t need to be worrying about the bill, she needs to focus on her work
BELLAMY: well, if they caught you then you would still be in trouble, it still doesn’t make it right
ASHTON: well, its not completely wrong is it? And it was right for us, for our family when we needed it (gets choked up) what’s more important
BELLAMY: OK, well this needs to be a bigger conversation when I get back
ASHTON: so when are you getting back, everyone’s worried
BELLAMY: I’m coming home soon (there is a pause and they look at each other)……and I suppose this hemoroid cream wasn’t anything to do with you was it? (holds up the Hem cream and they all smile)
WILLIAM: (bursts out laughing and hi fives Ashton)
you did it bro, (into camera) Operation Hemoroid, mission accomplished
ASHTON: that was just a personal challenge, to make sure you were still within my grasp Dad
BELLAMY: (shaking his head but smiling really) we are going to have serious words when I get back
ASHTON: well then get yourself back home safely first then Dad
BELLAMY: I will my lad
WIFE: (their mother calls them for dinner and comes in the room
dinner is ready, go wash your hands (she says to William)
ASHTON: see you later then Dad (raises eyebrows about is mum)
(the boys go and she stays)
BELLAMY: how are things
WIFE: hmm ok, I saw some of the interview, you have done well, the boys are very proud of you, they’ve been watching the repeats of the news all day,
BELLAMY: Yeah, I just had to tell Ashton off again about his hacking though
WIFE: yes, we need to talk to him about this, it sounds like he does to show what he can do to help
BELLAMY: but he needs to do the right thing
WIFE: Well, he needs his Dad here, he needs you to show him
BELLAMY: and you? Do you need me there?
(she pauses and looks down, holds one arms to cuddle, she’s sad, tears in her eyes, holds them back)
WIFE: I have to go,… there dinner is ready, you take care, we’ll talk when you get back (closes internet, starts to cry as lid closes - Gerald just sits for a while contemplating, closes his laptop)
 
O/H WHEN CALL IS FINISHED THE TV NEWS IS ON THE SCREEN ABOUT LIBYA
 
JOE: (Joe has been flicking the channels, he breaks the silence)
hey, thats you isn’t it?
BELLAMY: what is?
JOE: its you doing the interview
BELLAMY: er, yes, but keep it down
JOE: you crafty ole mule, how did you get  over there?
BELLAMY: oh I was lucky I guess, press pass and all that
JOE: and a bit of help from the staff?
BELLAMY: oh no, no, nothing like that
JOE: I saw quite a bit of money changing hands there bud
BELLAMY: Well, the International Settlement Bank has stopped doing business with the Lubyan currency, what’s that about
JOE: (moves in to whisper) oh don’t worry, your secrets safe with me, I’m just playin witcha, I’m not with the local police, I’m with the World Bank, although its bigger and more powerful than the police, I can tell you about settlement Bank, I can tell ya a whole lotta things, I’m not here to interigate you, I’m hear to interigate the other side, when we know for certain that they’ll get the job
BELLAMY: when they’ll get the job?
JOE: if they win, if they take over and boy, the way its looking, its in the bag
BELLAMY: yes, it doesn’t look good
JOE: noooo it looks very good, just not for this guy (points up at Gadarfi on screen)
BELLAMY: oh I see
JOE: poor bastard, I can tell you what’s happening….
(eats some bar nuts)……and its all about the money
Completely off the record though (hands his hand up)
BELLAMY: oh yes, completely off the record (presses record button and turns laptop round) it’s a big subject though
JOE: well son, it’s a big bottle (grins) – now I’m not talking about global finance or global economics, these things anyone can take a college degree and learn about but whatchoo won’t learn about, what people don’t teach, what people don’t talk about Hell! What people don’t even want to know is about Money – how it comes into being, who controls it, who creates it and when, and who gets to use it. You won’t see this on NBC, CNN or Bloomberg, this is what nobody talks about, and yet there’s not one of us who don’t need it and use it. Welcome to my world son., welcome to the jungle (raises his glass and they drink)
 
 
    o/h     MONEY
 
o/h John Maynard Keynes 1930 – ‘I feel like someone who has been forcing his way through the jungle…….But although my field of study is one which is being lectured upon in every University in the world, there exists, extraordinarily enough, no printed Treatise in any language – so far as I am aware – which deals systematically and thoroughly with the theory and facts of representative money as it exists in the modern world’
 
JOE: listen and learn bud……..people don’t ask ‘who creates all this money’. I don’t mean that money in your pocket, this is fiat currency, that’s only 2 or 3% of the money in the world today, everything else is electronic money.
Nobody seems to ask where it keeps coming from ‘why is there more and more money in the system each year’. Well, its just numbers in a computer. It comes into existence when you, me, big business mostly, takes a loan. It appears in your account when the private banks agree to it.
BELLAMY: but surely the bank has the deposits of its savers
JOE: ha, you think that covers it? The Banks traditionally needed to keep a ‘fractional reserve’ that is say one part in ten of the deposits with the central bank to cover if 10% of their customers decided to take their money back. It meant that they could lend 100 pound for every 10 pound in reserve. Now of course, what with interbank lending they can get round that. These days reserves amount to just over 1% of loans.
BELLAMY: so private banks just make money up?
JOE: effectively, yes.
BELLAMY: I find that hard to believe
JOE: well, you better believe it son, t
BELLAMY: banks make loans by creating money?
JOE: this is why nobody talks about it because if more people knew then people wouldn’t put up with it. Listen, imagine you take a loan, you can use it but it must be paid back, so it appears, it goes into the economy but then it has to disappear again as you repay that loan. The interest however, well that has to come from the wider economy, from the work you do or the profit you make. But just think, as that money disappears when is all the new money coming from in the wider economy? Well, that comes from more loans than the previous years, the difference between loan amounts from one year to the next is the interest paid. Where does that interest go? To the banks, to the owners of banks, to the finance industry, what does it get used for, well some small amount goes back into the economy as the shareholders and bank staff spend their money, you know, the bankers in the titty bars drinking champagne. Most of that money stays at that end of the economy though and goes into top end assets. Top end asset prices increase in value as a result which pushes them up beyond the reach of normal wage earners. Its only those who make money with money who come out ahead, everyone else is falling further behind. And so as long as this system is in place two things will inevitably happen 1) the wealth divide gets wider 2) the money system has to keep expanding and that means economies have to keep growing, more people have to be born and they need to consume more things, more resources have to be mined and more things made with them for the increasing population to buy and consume.
BELLAMY: so who is controlling the economy, our governments?
JOE: truth is they have little control over the money system, if the private banks don’t want a political party they can ruin the economy simply by holding back on giving loans, they decide to give more loans and the economy starts to pick up, and lets not forget that the same banks also manage funds so they know when the money supply is about to contract or about to expand
BELLAMY: this information is astounding, I can’t believe what I am hearing
JOE: I tell you it’s a racket and it’s a racket that is eating into this world
BELLAMY: and you’re happy to be part of it?
JOE: tell you the truth Gerald no, sure Mrs Steegle and I are happy that we’ve come out OK, I’ll retire soon in my luxury beach Condo in Malibu and then we’ll sit back and witness the collapse of the whole thing. It can only grow so far and maybe we are witnessing the limits of that growth.
BELLAMY: is that inevitable?
JOE: with the system we have got, yes, you cannot have exponential economic growth on a finite planet
BELLAMY: how long have we got?
JOE: well, there are always things that people are coming up with to carry on expanding, there are financial bubbles of one kind or another but sooner or later the fundamentals get realized and they burst. It also depends on the resources too. We have found all the low hanging fruit, the easy to pump oil, the surface minerals, now its all the deep sea, the deep mines, the fracking, the hard to get stuff, there’s increasing demand from a dwindling supply. Food too…and the fresh water, the fish in the sea you name it, its all getting consumed faster than it can resupply.
BELLAMY: and what are the World Bank doing about it
JOE: The World Bank is part of the problem not the solution. Tell me what do you think The World Bank is?
BELLAMY: well, I presumed it was a bank that worked for all the world’s governments
JOE: It’s a conglomeration fund established by the world’s private banking cartels and the IMF is similar racket made to do a similar job.
BELLAMY: so what are you doing here?
JOE: places like this are the last places in the world where the nation has not been privatized. The resources, the land, the businesses, utilities, telecoms all these things are owned by the state. If the World Bank can take over the money supply here then it can take a piece of that pie, that’s what it does.
BELLAMY: But it always sounds like its investing in development in 3rd world countries
JOE: yes, that’s the spin, that’s what it tells the world and nobody questions it, think about it, its not a charity, it works to make a profit, it does that by taking a piece of what is going on, it does that by making sure that there are as few owners in a country as possible, those few owners buy their private jet and pay their private armies while the rest of these countries are on the poverty line. Then those people will work 20 hour days for a few cents down a mine or picking fruit or canning food or something that gets shipped out into the wealthy countries and at every step of the way big finance is taking its cut, logistics, multinationals, distribution, the futures market, derivatives, all to get it to one lot of consumers who need this stuff.
BELLAMY: surely then this is the way of the world, how can it be improved upon
JOE: well, it can’t be as long as these institutions have their power, have their grip on the whole racket. It starts with the money supply, government regimes have to be bought off then big business moves in, it’s the same all over the world.
BELLAMY: Mr Steegle, I get the impression that you are not happy with your
job
JOE: I have seen too much. You wouldn’t believe the things I have seen. I have to go to countries where people are starving, in absolute poverty, disease, street violence, completely broken countries, chaos, then I have to sit down with some bloodthirsty psychopath who has just taken power with a what amounts gangsters in suits and military uniforms, these people have more money and power than they can handle, it sends them crazy, they cannot stop abusing people, then I have to sit down with them and teach them how the World Bank can be their pimp, can take a piece of what they have, a slice of everything if we can show them how to maximize on their control of everything.
BELLAMY: is that what you will do here with the coalition ?
JOE: that’s the plan, has been since the meeting at the UAE arms fair
BELLAMY: the arms fair?
JOE: yes, this one was a joint effort, government, banks, big business and yes, those wheelers and dealers in the art of war
BELLAMY: and Lubya is a worthy target?
JOE: let me tell you about this joker, Gadarfi, he’s one of the last people on the planet with his finger up to the New World Order, who does he think he is? He writes a book about politics and he thinks he can swim upstream.
BELLAMY: how do you mean?
JOE: this fuckwit was the head of the African Union and you know what he wanted to do? He wanted to kick the World Bank and IMF out of this continent. He was trying to get the African Nations to use a currency that was not based on debt, one tied to the Gold standard, you know actually money, actual real stuff (very drunk by now), if that happened then Africa could have not only owned their own money but then could have controlled their own economies based on their outpout, they could have formed an economic union bigger than the EU and what would that have done? Eh? I tell you. They would have started to dictate what price and in what currency they sold their own resources for. They could have switched the balance of economic power over night, it would have been Europe that wouldn’t have been able to feed itself, they import 40% of their food, almost half of that from Africa. That’s what this is all about, its about food, minerals, diamonds, gold, about ownership about control and most of all about Money! (bangs on the bar)
BELLAMY: Joe, this is clearly eating away at you
JOE: I know, I gotta get some rest, I think it’s the booze talking, I gotta clear my head
BELLAMY: Joe? Joe? (seems to have collapsed drunk, Gerald helps him up, lights dim, they rise again and Gerald is just seeing Joe off from his hotel room)
JOE: good night my friend from London, England, and remember – SsshhhhWe don’t wanna tell the whole world about it, Sshhhh, (Shouts) We don’t wanna tell the world
BELLAMY: ssshhh, yes, yes, you’re right, let’s keep it our little secret
BELLAMY: (Joe leaves and Bellamy enters his room, sets his laptop down and presses the STOP RECORDING button, places the mouse at the beginning and hears the first part of the conversation back ‘Welcome to my world…’
He props up the pillows and sits on the bed, he picks up The Green Book and stares at it for a while, it comes on the overhead projector, we hear Gadarfi’s voice as he reads it by lamp light – the headings from the book come on to the overhead projector)
 
O/H - THE GREEN BOOK – PART 1 –
THE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM OF DEMOCRACY
“Authority of the People”
 
  • The Instrument of Governing
  • Parliaments
  • The Party
  • Class
  • Plebiscites
  • Popular Conferences & People's Committees
  • The Law of Society
  • Who Supervises the Conduct of Society?
  • How Can Society Redirect its Course When Deviations From its Laws Occur?
  • The Press
 
GADARFI: ……The instrument of government is the prime political problem
confronting human communities…….
(Bellamy kicks off his shoes and settles into his pillow)
GADARFI: ……A parliament is originally founded to represent the people, but this in
itself is undemocratic as democracy means the authority of the people and not an authority acting on their behalf. The mere existence of a parliament means the absence of the people. True democracy exists only through the direct participation of the people, and not through the activity of their representatives. Parliaments have been a legal barrier between the people and the exercise of authority, excluding the masses from meaningful politics and monopolizing sovereignty in their place. People are left with only a facade of democracy, manifested in long queues to cast their election ballots.
(the light fades in the room but the voice continues in the dark)
GADARFI: …  The political party: The Political Party is a contemporary for of dictatorship. It is the modern instrument of dictatorial government.     
The party is the rule of a part over the whole. As a party is not an individual, it creates a superficial democracy by establishing assemblies, committees, and propaganda through its members. The party is not a democratic instrument because it is composed only of those people who have common interests, a common perception or a shared culture; or those who belong to the same region or share the same belief. They form a party to achieve their ends, impose their will, or extend the dominion of their beliefs, values, and interests to the society as a whole. A party's aim is to achieve power under the pretext of carrying out its program. Democratically, none of these parties should govern a whole people who constitute a diversity of interests, ideas, temperaments, regions and beliefs. The party is a dictatorial instrument of government that enables those with common outlooks or interests to rule the people as a whole. Within the community, the party represents a minority.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ACT V - FINAL ACT CRISIS
 
THERE IS A SINISTER HUMM -
THERE IS TOTAL DARKNESS THEN A TORCHLIGHT
COMES ON AND FLASHES ACROSS THE AUDIENCE
IN SILENCE. THEN ANOTHER TORCHLIGHT BEHIND THE  FIRST TORCHLIGHT. IT IS HELD BY A HOODED MILITARY GUNMAN. THEY SHINE AROUND THE STAGE UNTIL THEY COME ACROSS THE BELLAMY’S BED WHERE HE IS LYING ASLEEP WITH THE GREEN BOOK ON HIS CHEST AS HE WAS LEFT IN THE LAST SCENE. BOTH TORCHES FIX ON HIM.
HE SLOWLY STIRS THEN REALISES SOMEONE IS IN THE ROOM. TERRIFIED HE SHUFFLES UP THE BED
 
BELLAMY: Aahhh! Whose there (absolutely terrified, the military man moves forward clearly showing him holding a gun)
AISHA: Mr Johan, don’t be afraid, get your things and come with us, you have a second interview
BELLAMY: (Gerald scrambles in panic for his shoes, still visibly shaking, he gathers his laptop and stops as he picks up the book, the lights go out)
 
LIGHTS COME UP PARTIALLY IN A BOMBED OUT
BUILDING THAT RESEMBLES AN OFFICE
 
GADARFI: (he is pacing and anxious)
So much has happened. They have destroyed this country. It has been packaged and sold as a commodity. (He paces, then takes a seat)
BELLAMY: Mr Gadarfi, I can better understand now the situation here.
GADARFI: There is so much that the world still needs to know
BELLAMY: Yes, I would agree…completely
GADARFI: My apologies for this intrusion on your time but you have expressed an interest where others have not and so I want you to tell the world more about this situation.
BELLAMY: Yes, yes, I can certainly do that. I can tell the truth about Lubya
GADARFI: you are a good man,
BELLAMY: Shall we start recording another interview?
GADARFI: We can
BELLAMY: gets up to plug in microphone, set lighting and angle camera)
 Ok, we can start when you’re ready
GADARFI: I think it is important to start by saying that I am still here in Tripoli. Many reports have emerged that I have gone to South America but I am here to see things through and…inshallah….things will improve. As you know NATO has completely destroyed the infrastructure of government, policing, army, communications and so much more.
GADARFI: They have indiscriminately bombed places where civilians have also resided and have killed many. This must be reported.
They have supplied these rebel gangs with military hardware, with complex communication systems, with RPG’s, with heavy truck mounted gage machine guns. Qatar has collected oil and paid the rebel coalition for this oil and the US is making funds available to them from Lubyas previous oil revenues. With this they are paying for new local administration personnel of people who have agreed to support the new regime. They have bought and paid for people all the way from top to bottom. Humanitarian Aid has reached the East where the rebels have taken complete power while they hold sanctions over the west effectively starving them out unless they also fall. The coalition have negotiated deals to allow the outside contractors in to own or at least totally control the resources of the Lubyan people. In effect, over night they have replaced a system that used to belong to the people, where people owned their nation, with a system that feeds off the people to make a hierarchy of rich people who live off of the sweat of the masses. This has been a war of Cartel like Capitalism that has destroyed a People’s Socialism, this is the only way that this story can be told. I weep for my people. This has happened overnight and now, gradually, they will sink into a life of slavery to the money system.
BELLAMY: Mr Gadarfi, what will be your fate now, and that of your family?
GADARFI: I….I will die as my country dies. I will die within this bloody mess. They kill this country and they kill me.
BELLAMY: Surely Mr Gadarfi, it doesn’t have to be this way
GADARFI: do not worry yourself of my demise. Please just do what you need to do. It will not be easy for you. You must also remain alive to tell this story.
BELLAMY: Mr Gadarfi, can I ask what will happen to the monetary system if you are not here to protect it?
GADARFI: the money system will be taken over, just as all global money systems, by the World Bank, The International Monetary Fund and the International Settlement Bank. This is the private cartel that dominates the world today Lubya will no longer remain outside of that cartel, it is bigger than this small nation can stand up against. I tried and I succeeded for nearly 40 years but they have become too strong now and the people of the west are too weak to change things and too distracted to know better. This is the unbreakable cartel that will gradually take this world and its people into slavery. Please be the one who exposes this to the world, when they close one bank and open another here or when they talk about a development fund for Lubya. Please be the one to ask the world ‘why do they need this fund if they have gold and oil revenue’. Expose how they organize the money systems of innocent nations and innocent people who know nothing of these things. Expose the way that this basic information about money, the very thing that makes everything else move, is the least understood phenomenon in our world. There is a plot to keep people without knowledge of money. It is nothing more than our way of mutually evaluating how wet value the things around us, the things we want and the things we need but people need to pay attention to who owns that valuing system, who creates that money and what do we all pay for that money to be in existence in an endless cycle of debt.
BELLAMY: I am only just beginning to understand these things better now
GADARFI: yes, so tell others of your journey into the light, into ..(lost for words) wisdom. …And help them realize that it is the people who need to be brought closer to ownership of their lands and their resources without endless….(looking for word) profiteers who stand between people and their basic needs.
 
AN EXPLOSION HAPPENS OUTSIDE. THE GUARD STARTS TO RUN TOWARDS THE EXPLOSION AND THEN BACK TO GET GADARFI. GADARFI AND BELLAMY LOCK ARMS. GADARFI STARES INTENTLY AT BELLAMY WHILE THE GUARD PULLS AT GADARFI TO COME HIS WAY.
 
GADARFI: tell them (points at the audience) let them know the truth
BELLAMY: (looks towards the audience as Gadarfi is led away (exit right)– He then comes out of his stare as another explosion happens, he grapples with the camera and equipment desperately trying to download with his laptop. The noise increases and so does the chaos. A woman screams and runs through. A rebel guard enter stage left and starts pulling on filing cabinets and destroying pictures of Gadarfi and things. He gives orders out in Arabic.
BELLAMY: Gerald can be seen desperately uploading. The kids try to call him as he goes online. He calls his editor and they have an argument:
 
O/H HIS LAPTOP READS DOWNLOADING IT IS SLOW
A SKYPE CALL IS TRYING TO GET THROUGH
FROM ‘BOYS’ WHICH HE DOESN’T PICK UP

HE CALLS HIS EDITOR
 
BELLAMY: I’ve just sent another film over
EDITOR: I’m loading it up now, what is it, what have we got here?
BELLAMY: its another interview with Gadarfi
EDITOR: Its what? He’s still alive?
BELLAMY: people have got the wrong idea about what’s been going on here
EDITOR: oh, please, have you gone over to the other side now?
BELLAMY: this is an important story, we have to get it straight out there
EDITOR: are you kidding me? The war is over, he lost, Nato’s just been bombing the fuck out of the country, you wanna change the angle of the story Now?
BELLAMY: but they don’t know the real story, this has been a takeover by commercial interests
EDITOR: oh please, have you gone insane
BELLAMY: people need to know the truth
EDITOR: what truth? He’s a fucking saint now? A hero of the people now?
BELLAMY: he always was to the Lubyans
EDITOR: you had an opportunity there Gerard, don’t fuck up now
(bombs and explosions going off
shouting backwards and forwards continues-
More explosions and chaos ensue as he grapples with his computer
One big explosion and the signal from editor is lost
The explosions die down all is calm, he sits in silence for a minute while the skype call continues to ring seemingly louder and louder, eventually he answers it and its his boys playing around)
 
BELLAMY: boys I can’t talk now, theres a lot going on here…..
The boys sit up and Ashton comes closer to the computer screen to see better
BELLAMY: but I’ll be coming home as soon as I can get out of here. I have a big story
 
JUST THEN THERE IS ANOTHER EXPLOSION AND ROUND OF GUNFIRE. AN ARMY REBEL ENTERS THE BUILDING. HE SEES BELLAMY AND BELLAMY SEES HIM
 
BELLAMY:   boys, I gotta go
WILLIAM/ASHTON:  (they stare at the screen)
SOLDIER:   (he walks over and puts his gun to Bellamy’s head as  
   Bellamy cowers down wincing his face, the boys see this,
The soldier turns the screen round and the boys look      
Terrified)
WILLIAM:    Mum (cries at the camera and then runs out of the room) SOLDIER:    (closes laptop and puts it in his jacket)
 
EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY DARKNESS

O/H BOTH SCREENS SHOW CHAOS OF WAR, REBEL SOLDIERS, MIXED WITH HORRENDOUS CLIPS INCLUDING THE DEMISE OF GADARFI
 
THE LIGHTS COME BACK UP IN THE HOTEL
WHICH LOOKS WORST FOR WEAR, FURNITURE IS TURNED OVER AND WINDOWS ARE BROKEN
 
BINT: (is busy making arrangements, seemingly going from person to person helping)
GUDBRAND: Can’t you do something (shouts at Bint showing her mobile)
GUDBRAND: (he paces while shouting on the phone) What the hell do you mean? Get me back on that flight
BINT: (gets a bottle of water and a cloth, takes it to a man lying up against bar on the floor, lights come up a little and it is Bellamy)
Here, drink this (she opens the bottle for him and wipes his wounded head, she opens a first aid box and continues)
BELLAMY: (doesn’t say anything just continues shaking)
BINT: its ok, I have spoken to your wife and she is making all the arrangements to get you home. she will call back soon
GUDBRAND: ( pacing about in the background shouting on the phone)
What do you mean I have lost my booking, I am on 249, get me back on that flight. It is my seat, I bought it I paid for it. I don’t care what the computer says. This is my flight. 249. Last week I was booked on it, get me on it, get me on it, I don’t care, get me….(clearly hung up) hello…hello...aahhh! (storms off)
BINT: Here, hold this (cloth to his forehead wound)
TAREQ: Enters, with a mobile, gives it to Bint
BINT: (she brings it straight to Bellamy)
It’s your wife
BELLAMY: (he looks up and takes the phone)
WIFE: Bellamy (she can be seen at window from first scene)
BELLAMY: (heavy sigh) its so good to hear (relieved)
WIFE: oh dear, my love, what have they done to you (cries)
BELLAMY: (v. emotional) its all gone crazy over here
WIFE: I thought you were dead (cries again, tears come down her face)
BELLAMY: no, just this country has is dying, its all turned upside down
WIFE: my love, my love, I am so sorry….what I said, I didn’t mean for you to go there. I should not have caused you this trouble
BELLAMY: no, it was important that I came here, I need to…tell what’s happened here but now I am not sure if I have a career
WIFE: you have a wife and a family who needs you
BELLAMY: yes
WIFE: and of course you have a story to tell, your daughter is telling your story all over the internet, they are contacting her, they all want you to write for them now
BELLAMY: really?
WIFE: I’m bringing you home my love. I spoke to Eric. He has contacted some people at the checkpoint. Bint will give you a letter. Tariq will drive you soon and take you to the airport. Ashton managed to get a flight for you, flight 249, I don’t know how
BELLAMY: (laughs with tears)
WIFE: (she laughs with him) but we know, I won’t ask him how (tears and laughter) so we are all bringing you home….
BELLAMY: yes…I see…It’s a conspiracy
WIFE: yes (laughter and tears) this is your ‘fucking conspiracy’
(More tears and laughter)
 
FADE AND MUSIC
CURTAINS






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Comments by other Members



James Graham at 20:14 on 27 January 2014  Report this post
Hello Reggie - I've printed out your Act 1 meantime, and will respond. It might have been better to post this play in parts, three or even two parts, to make it easier to work with.

However, this pushed several buttons with me:
 

question everything we know in matters of geo-politics, global media and the inner workings of global capitalism, our money system, and our notion of democracy

so I'll be very interested to see how these themes are treated in your play.

James.

Alex29 at 18:48 on 28 January 2014  Report this post
Hi- I am sorry I haven't read a play since school days and would like to give it a go so I will try to read it  but it is a whole manuscript and as James said above - it might have been better to post this in Acts. The Whole Manuscript Group is a bit quiet I know at the moment...MC

Alex29 at 20:39 on 28 January 2014  Report this post
I am sorry I am so hopping mad! I read this and wrote a crit for you and the damn spell checker just froze and I have lost it It has wasted 2 hours of my time. If I calm down I will retype it.

Manusha at 21:00 on 28 January 2014  Report this post
Oh my goodness, MC, that must be so frustrating. It's hard work to repeat all your points again if your crit has been lost. This might not be the best time to give advice, but a tip I've learned is to type a crit into a word document and then paste it into the comment box. That way even if WW plays up you still have the copy of your crit and so can post it again.

Account Closed at 21:08 on 28 January 2014  Report this post
Is Reggie still here? You might want to check that he is still around before you spend ages retyping MC.

I say this because Naomi suggested he use the BBC Writers Room and, apart from posting this and signposting everyone to this, he hasn't taken part in anything else.

Apologies Reggie if you are around and do want critiques, but I don't want fellow members to spend their spare time reading and critiquing if you are not around to appreciate it.

NMott at 21:13 on 28 January 2014  Report this post
 

 Alex29 at 20:39 on 28 January 2014         
I am sorry I am so hopping mad! I read this and wrote a crit for you and the damn spell checker just froze and I have lost it It has wasted 2 hours of my time. If I calm down I will retype it. 


Always do it in Word or similar first, and copy & paste it into the message box, rather than straight into the message box on WW because you are liable to lose it, especially while David is still fiddling with the site. 






 

Alex29 at 21:59 on 28 January 2014  Report this post
I am too tired right now to reply to that I have been up a long time and I know you are trying to help. Horses and stable doors and all that jazz. Lessons learned. laugh  Thanks for letting me know he might not be about- It passed the time trying to remember what I wrote! Also my initial reaction was this was too much  for me tonight- very relevant to our discissions else where and am glad Naomi has redirected him. I wish this ewe would get on with it I have been up since 3am there are no stars to look at tonight. Yawn. Thanks MC.

Alex29 at 08:46 on 29 January 2014  Report this post
Hi Reggie- if you are still about for what it is worth this is roughly what all the fuss was about!
I read through this tonight between shouts from my lambing shed as I am on call.So forgive me as it is formed after one read through and it is already a re write for reasons mentioned above!
As I said I haven't read a play since I left school so thank you for giving me the opportunity now!
Firstly there are a few spelling errors which your spell checker may have missed- 'whose' being one of them. Further to that I am not particularly familiar with the punctuation requirements of play writing but only some of your speeches start with a capital letter and end with a full stop.
The early asides to the audience were not maintained through out the play so the possibility for extra humour and audience involvement was not maintained.
I struggled with you main character  as he tended to be up staged by the secondary characters - neighbour, taxi drive, contacts, Amelia, Gardarfie and Joe all having very long speeches of political information that they addressed to him - not the audience. He took no action much on this and was further drowned by the large screen activity which would also be distracting.
He was however engaged in the Skype sessions with his kids which provided some interaction and humour but did smack of 'Out Numbered' a little too much. The conversations with his kids were realistic but  the humour wasn't strong enough and even the Pile cream incident wasn't laugh out loud and in fact caused me mild confusion - however I still think the Skype sessions added more than they lost though and tied him in with a means of escape at the end.
Have you timed how long the secondary characters speeches are? You pack in a lot of flat political opinion a lot of which is second hand to the character and I felt this was mind numbing more you than them. I am aware of the real Gaddafii interview and I am aware that he spoke in this way. But your premise seems to be to want to highlight the sleight of hand that powerful self interest groups, politicians and the press operate and their tactics to achieve their goal - which can only be achieved by getting the masses to look away or through their sheer boredom of over or mis information. These are big valid themes and points to make through your main character and for me I am afraid he fails to make them.
At the end when the gunman gets hold of him I would have let him shoot him because the impression I have is that he is a washed up reporter who has gone off half cocked on a second hand story and that his glorious return will be unnoticed and unrewarded as he has already been superseded by his daughter. BUT in that Scene with the gunman this play suddenly comes alive with a jolt - brilliant! That scene shows that you can do this very  well and tie in all the visual media you have used through out to create a fantastic heart stopping moment.
I think you have a good idea here and I think you are more than capable of delivering a sharper  middle to it. Some of the others have said they think you have moved on to BBC Writing Room and I am sure that is good advice and that they can help you hone your talent for this. Thank you for posting and if we don't get an up date Good Luck with it. MC

Bunbry at 13:49 on 31 January 2014  Report this post
LOL! Great story

Manusha at 16:55 on 02 February 2014  Report this post
Ditto wot Nick said.


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