The History of Mary Prince (2nd Draft)

BATTERSEA WRITERS’ GROUP SCRIPT REPORT


TITLE: The History of Mary Prince (2nd Draft)
WRITER: Jason Young
FORMAT: Screenplay
DATE: Wednesday 2nd August 2006
READER: Mary Prince read by Asha, Susannah Strickland read by Sarah Edwardson; Thomas Pringle read by Rod Newman; Lilia read by Laura Juzenaite; Sarah read by Holly Clark; Mr. Dathan/Captain Johnson/Mr. Baker/Master Dickey read by Justin Melican; Narrated by Danni Brook.

SUMMARY
Set in 1831 in London, it is the story of a runaway slave woman who dictates her history in order to give momentum to the Abolition of Slavery Bill.

SYNOPSIS
When twenty-something Susannah Strickland is instructed by his boss, Thomas Pringle, to notate the history of a runaway slave woman by the name of Mary Prince, she is almost dismissive of the task.

As Strickland learns more and more about Prince’s experiences on plantations in the British Caribbean, she becomes more sympathetic towards Prince’s situation. She discusses it in more detail with her boss, and begins to change her aspirations for the future.

An emotional connection between the two women is born when Prince describes in detail how she was subjected to sexual abuse by her masters. Strickland places herself in that scenario, and full empathy towards Prince ensues.

The manuscript of Prince’s history is complete, and Strickland apologises to her for the misery that people of her class and race have subjected her to. They are both equals: Prince, liberated from her past as a slave; Strickland, on a new road to observing and documenting life in the British colonies.

CHARACTERISATION AND DIALOGUE
A very powerful story, but heavy on the monologue. Is this a radio play or a screenplay?

Susannah is drawn closer to Mary over the course of the story. She has no idea of what’s going on in plantation life, and Mary is her first contact with slavery. Thomas deliberately allows her to write down Mary’s history so that she can see a slave and glean an eye-witness account of plantation life. Up until this moment, Susannah’s interest in abolishing slavery has been purely academic without reality behind it. To a certain degree, she doesn’t even believe what Mary says.

Mary comes across as de-sensitised to pain. She hardly mentions her marriage, or any object of affection, except for her mother. Did she love her husband? More should be made of the relationship between Lilia and Mary. She seems to care for her fellow slaves. Is she a deliverer?

CONCLUSIONS
The monologue needs to be broken up into visual elements to make it less heavy.