“Being in a Darren O'Donnell play is like going over to his house for a dinner party and having intense conversations about politics and art and then smoking a big joint, turning off the lights and putting on music.”
Greg MacArthur, author of The Toxic Bus Incident
pppeeeaaaccceee, is a vast, imaginative and mesmerizing glide through Life and Power. The play is set in Ephemeral; three people firmly floating chat—in O’Donnell’s inimitable rapid-fire style—about the revolution. Which revolution? Good question. A gently aggressive meditation, pppeeeaaaccceee examines our being, asks us what we’re doing and reminds us that there are monsters in here.
With numerous photos and with contributions by the actors, technical staff and producer, pppeeeaaaccceee is more than just a play script—it is a document of the process of creating such a remarkable piece of alternative drama. This edition also includes O’Donnell’s manifesto on theatre, ‘Even a Broken Clock Occasionally Tells the Correct Time.’
Peace. Say it slow, stretch it out, make it last forever.
Critical Praise for pppeeeaaaccceee
“A skilful blend of philisophical thoughtfulness and theatricality—an elegiac mood rules here, tempered by irony and subtle humour.”
— Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine
Excerpt
Maiko: Since the revolution songs are permitted only two notes, no lyrics and cannot exceed five seconds.
Ngozi: Currently the top five are, starting at number five,
Greg: I love this song.
Ngozi: Empty Nothing Hopeless Boredom’s It’s Never Been Better.
Maiko: (Sings two notes.)
Ngozi: Number four is Free Money’s Luckily You’re Not Here, In Case You Hadn’t Noticed.
Greg: It goes like this: (sings two notes)
Ngozi: Number three is another one from Empty Nothing Hopeless Boredom.
Maiko: It’s a big hit.
Greg: It’s been on the charts for a couple of years now.
Maiko: It’s called. I’m the Original Idiot.
Greg: (sings two notes)
Ngozi: Number two, a song by Shit-List, has been tainted by a legal wrangle with Empty Nothing Hopeless Boredom.
Greg: You’ll notice it sounds very similar to I’m the Original Idiot.
Maiko: (sings the same two notes)
Greg: It’s called No, I Am.
Ngozi; And a new addition at number one, up from last week’s position of number 4 is the title track from The Amnesiacs eponymous album, I Can’t Remember Last Second, Let Alone Last Week, Let Alone your First Name.
Maiko: It’s goes a something like this.
All: (they all sing two notes together)
Greg: It’s very cool.
Maiko: You want to hear it again?
All: (they all sing two notes)
Ngozi: That’s enough singing.
Maiko: Yes, you gotta to be careful.
Greg: Before you know it, some creep is going to come along start charging a cover.
Ngozi: Don’t worry, though, in the event that happens, we’ll put you on the guest list.
Maiko: Before the revolution, I was always on the guest list.
Greg: Me too.
Ngozi: I was on the guest list so much, I stopped paying rent on my apartment.
Maiko: Some guest lists were so big, developers starting building condos on them.
Greg: There were a lot of problems with those condos.
Ngozi: True.