Michael Peterssen
Radio Drama / Play
May, 2008
This piece will capture the intricacies and utterly unique adventures of one
mentally-different man, Michael Peterssen. The entire piece is solely about his
unique and quite strange journey throughout one day/night, or over several
perhaps? And also his struggle.
Taking the reader/listener inside his head, getting a sly look into his most eerie
and even haunting thoughts. Michael either has a personality disorder or has
completely lost ‘touch’ with reality, and the outside world he was once a part of,
by years of solid isolation. He’s been through all the stages; the frustration, the
anger, the bouts of rage, the unshakable loneliness, the despair, the anxiety and
depression. Until... SNAP! He reaches a no-return point where all his thoughts
are bankrupt of all soundness.
So if I decide to go with the latter, then it will be his twisted conscience that he is
colliding with throughout, and trying to dodge. His conscience being the second
major character.
Or, if I instead go with the plot that Michael has a personality disorder then it
will not be his conscience speaking, but of course... his ‘other him’.
There is going to be plenty of sneaky twists throughout. It is going to get
somewhat confusing in places. I imagine his conscience or other him to speak in
Old English. ‘Thou will surrender to ye’
That sort of Old English.
One twist I am going to explore is when I introduce the third character/voice.
He will either be the ‘friend’ or the ‘conscience’ of his conscience! Or, he could
be a secretive and so far smothered side to his personality. Having only been
unearthed by Michaels present goings on. The further the piece develops the
more Michaels conscience/other him develops – creeping out of the brain-works!
Bit by bit, uncovering his multi-flavoured personality. I imagine the third
character/voice to speak in absolute snobbish English. But contrary to what one
might think, he is actually quite down-to-earth. Believing in equality, diversity
and democracy. And often quoting lines previously spoken by the noted Sir
Winston Churchill. More on that shortly.
So lets explore the characters!
Michael Peterssen
Michael is average looking, pale skin, some freckles on cheek bones, dark brown
hair (always conditioned), always brushing it to one side. He is slight in build.
His nose points a little. His teeth in perfect condition, in structure and colour –
he is proud of this. Often jumping out on random people with his teeth showing
like a ‘vampire’, and his hands outstretched and fingers pointing crookedly.
Always accompanied by a childish hiss.
To him this is not childish... he just has times of complete humorous
disconnection. He likes to call them, My Little Moments.
Always particualr about the clothes he wears. Tuesdays and Thursdays must
match that of office-based formality; shirt and pants etc. Twice a week wearing
his pin-striped pants. Then there’s his old-styled shoes he likes to wear...
…something like that…! Or maybe a snazzy shoe?!
I think these would look great on a character like Michael. I can just picture him
joyously waddling down a rainy over-cast High Street – strutting his shoes and
randomly ‘hissing’ at unsuspecting people.
Michael almost always has a cheeky-humorous smirk fixed to his face – giving
slight clue to the wonder in thought that he harbours. Life is never dull for him.
Michaels father was American, dieing when he was three. His father was in the
army, ranking quite impressively. Michael likes to think of him as The Captain or
something like that. Michael often speaks in an American accent, or he tries to at
least, bless.
Inside believing he should be right there in the action... in the ‘big yellow-taxiaction city’. Where his father grew up, in New York City.
Michale holds only one photograph of him, handed to him by his jaded mother.
The picture is in black and white, it is of his father, dressed in a light suit with a
white shirt and dark tie. His hair brushed to the side and back. Looking rather
cool. He is hanging out of a car, driving one of these cars - (1957 cadillac sedan
de villle, 1935 Buick Series 40 , 1965 Pontiac GTO) Or other suitable car from
New York during the 1950’s – 60’s. I’m yet to do more research as to discover
exactly what cars where driven by young men during that time in NYC. The
picture shows his father immersed in endless streams of New York City cabs,
those striking sun-flower coloured beasts! Although they’re not so... burly, are
they? So through the eyes of a child, a child with one rich personality, can you
see where the phrase ‘big yellow-taxi-action-city’ came from?
This is all Michael knows of his father. He was cool, he was smart, and he was
good looking. He lived in the big yellow-taxi-action city. Aka New York. In
Michaels mind, the one place to be, that being the only thing that reflects the real
world. NYC… being THE place to be.
Michaels Conscience / Other Him
At first I want a degree of mystery about this character. I think this will engage
the listener/reader more. Maybe? Therefore, I will not describe his features. I
will not describe his life, not that he has one anyway - strictly speaking! The way
I develop/emphasise him is by him simply airing his opinions, as he has a
different one to that of Michaels, and always. He is a major part to the
play/piece; therefore his personality/disposition is well accented. He will very
quickly paint vivid pictures of himself within the mind of the listener/reader.
Also, his Shakespearian/Medieval accent will invoke an instant image in ones
mind.
I imagine him to look… a bit… nutty…
Like this dude. Crazy wavy hair, a moustache (maybe), old
style clothing. And hey, the skull gives a clue to his
mischievousness!
But he will obviously not be in cartoon form… although he could be… if you
imagined him that way…… right?
Right?
The Third Character!
Well, he’s posh. I imagine him to have grey hair, short. Quite curled and
thinning a little. He wears a suit jacket, dark red/ruby (crimson even). He wears
a tie, but unkempt. He smokes. And is rather quirky, with a blasé attitude.
Always throwing up random ideas. When Michaels conscience/other him is
being difficult or a little too naughty, then he speaks up. He is level-headed, and
compassionate. He addresses himself simply as ‘Leonard’, after Sir Winston
Leonard Spencer-Churchill. Did you know that Winston was a big fan of reading
the work of Author HG Wells? Leonard knows this and often quotes lines from
his fictional work, just like Churchill did. For example, always telling Michael to
not give-in to ’the annoying voice’ (his conscience/other him). And of course, ‘no
matter what, no matter how great the problem may seem… never…give…up Michael’. I
imagine him to look a little like this…
But more… unkempt. He holds a general attitude that reminds me of someone
who has had a few too many tipples! But not in a drunken and unconcerned
way.
I firstly imagined this piece to simply be a Radio Play/Drama. I now realise that
there is much room for development – I therefore imagine it as a short film?
David J. Hatch