Amphetamine: A Ghost Story

Act 1
Scene 1
A man sits in a chair, his back to a large open window. He is beautifully dressed, but his clothes are torn and his tie is askew. There are bruises and abrasions on his hands and face. The curtains are blowing in the wind. There is a flicker of lightning. A streetlight casts shadows on the walls. What is happening here? Who is the ghost? This cryptic ghost story explores themes of love, crime and music.

GHOST
There's safety in numbers, so let's have some numbers.
Pope Benedict IX was eleven years old on his ascension to the throne of St Peter. At Nishapur, in 1221, Genghis Khan killed 1,748,000 people in a single hour. The orgasm of a pig lasts thirty minutes.
Thirty minutes. Can you believe it?
(Pauses.)
Oh yes, I may be dead, but I'm smart.
(Pauses. Winces. Struggles with his words.)
They say at dawn you can move between the worlds. The clubs close. Morning rides through on his pale police horse. Linger too long and you can be trapped.
(Electronic music wells up from below. He smiles.)
In London, before dawn, you can always hear the sound of distant house music.

WARNING: this play contains bad language, violence and drug references, and is therefore indistinguishable from the long, strange ride we call everyday life.

Groucho Jones was a club promoter in the 90s, and has the neuroses to prove it.