A Day in November

Liverpool, present day. A group of six friends, two of which are also siblings and around whom the story is built. Marlene and Art ("Art") are both struggling in their own ways, Marlene with repeated suicide attempts and Artin with a heroin addiction. Since the people in the story are also in a semi-successful band (they've just attained a deal with a real record label), music is somewhat the seventh protagonist in this play; I use it to create atmosphere and steer the dialogue rather compulsively; most of the scenes simply wouldn't work without the music. Since almost no one in this disastrous group is capable of communicating their needs and pain, music is their language and only way to make themselves heard. Especially Marlene and Artin are dependent on it. Mainly rock and blues rock from the 60s to the 90s. There's also John, Marlene and Art's grandfather who is just such a wise, understanding sweetheart. The story follows Art and Marlene's relationship as it deteriorates due to their respective personal problems and their simultaneous longing for something that may have never been there in the first place. A kind of closeness you associate with childhood friends and boundless carefreeness associated with childhood. The other protagonists are Harry, a bit hot-headed and at times physically violent, but at heart a sad sweetheart; he's Art's best friend and shares a flat with him. They've known each other since they were teenagers. He's the lead singer and very committed to the band; it's his whole life, which does unnerve his bandmates from time to time; especially Marlene and Artin, who aren't as unconditionally passionate. We've got Lisa and Amanda, also in the band, the latter the designated mother hen who tells everyone to stay hydrated and cut back on the snow. Lisa is a wild child with a tiny alcohol problem, but always in a good spirit, up for some mischief and a laugh and generally a carefree punk through and through. There's Pascal, Marlene's ex-teacher-gone-painter with whom she embarks on a surprisingly working love affair. I'd say it is a rather depressing story, going nowhere in particular really -- hence the title; every day is kind of like the one before, there is no general direction forwards or backwards, it all seems like one bleak endless day in november when the streets are glistening with rain and it's cold and the lights are out and you're waiting around for December and Christmas and a better hopeful time, but you know it's not going to come around and even if it does -- when has it never not been a disappointment compared to what you'd hoped for? Nevertheless there's a lot of humour in this one, it's actually rather light and funny, oftentimes philosophical too, with a myriad of nods and bows to musical and cineastic anecdotes and history.