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Drama Scripts
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Can the canary still sing?
By MikeMorris
11 August 2006
Can The Canary Still Sing?
 

ANNOUNCER:  Friday Theatre
            (MUSIC and keep under:)
             We present Ken Stott and John Hannah
             as William and Albert McHugh and Robbie
             Coltrane as Andy Douglas in Can The Canary                             
              Still Sing? a play for radio.
                Can the Canary Still Sing?
            (BRING UP MUSIC THEN CROSSFADE TO NOISES OF
            ECHOING,CRUNCHING FOOTSTEPS AND TWO MEN    
            TALKING. TWO CANARIES ARE TWITTERING. 
            THE FOOTSTEPS AND VOICES GROW LOUDER.
            THE VOICES CAN NOW BE HEARD.)
WILLIAM     ……And if the seam is thick, we follow it, shoring up
              as we go. ‘Course,if it’s not too thick, sometimes we  
              can get at it by lying on our back and hacking it
              out. That’s where you come in, son.
              You drag and shovel the coal back to the wagons. Then
              the young ones push the wagons back to unload just
              like you’ve seen them.
ALBERT      That’s no’ a job I would like, fayther.
WILLIAM    It’s a job you’d a been put to, son if you’d
           been here and not on grandad’s farm. The farm
           is much healthier I grant you but the pit can
           earn you more shillings. And that’s what we
           need now,son. Now, put the birds down there
           and we’ll see what’s what.
ALBERT     There we are, my wee fellows,time to stop.
           (NOISE OF CAGES BEING PUT DOWN. BIRD NOISES)
           Why do you call them all Dandy, fayther.?
WILLIAM    Because their yellow breasts remind me of
           dandelions and I shorten that to Dandy.
           Them little fellows can save your life
           you know. Treat ‘em right, treat ‘em right.
           Aye, it’s as I thought, I’ll get this out
           on ma back. We’ll no have to shore. That’ll
           save us a couple a hours. 
           (SOUND OF WILLIAM LYING DOWN,GRUNTS,BOOTS
           SCRAPING ETC. THEN SOUND OF MINER’S PICK
           CHIPPING AT COAL)
 

 

           Come on my beauty, let’s see if you can come
           Out in one piece.
           (SOUND OF EFFORT, STRAINING AND AT LAST SOUND
           OF COAL DROPPING)
           There we go, you shift that lot, Albert.
ALBERT     Right,let me at it.
           (SOUND OF SHOVEL SCRAPING, SHOVELLING OF COAL)
WILLIAM    Good lad,now for some more.We’ll shift a ton
           ourselves the day!
          (SOUND OF WILLIAM HACKING COAL,PIECES DROPPING)        
           ALBERT SHOVELLING)
          (FADEOUT TO SOUND OF FRANTIC WORK)
          (FADE IN TO SLOW WORK RATE,LABOURED BREATHING)      
ALBERT     Can we no have a wee rest,now,fayther?
WILLIAM    Just clear that last bit and we’ll have a
           drink o’ cold tea.
           (SOUND OF SCRAPING AND SHOVELLING)
WILLIAM    Good lad, here have a drink,son.
            (SOUND OF BOTH MEN DRINKING)
ALBERT     Well, you’ve almost dug your own tunnel
           and sloping down.
WILLIAM    Yes, that’s the way the seam ran right enough.    
           Aye, we’ve no done sae bad. Pass me Dandy,I’ll
           take him this time, there might be gas at the
           bottom.(SOUND OF CANARIES) Thanks.(SOUND OF
           WILLIAM GOING DOWN TUNNEL.VOICE ECHOES.)
           You know ,son, I think I’ve come far enough
           without shoring, that roof near the entrance
           looks a ……….
           (SOUND OF EARTH GROANING AND CREAKING.THEN,,,)
           A TERRIFIC CRASH OF ROCKS AND RUBBLE)
           (COUGHING AND CHOKING FROM ALBERT)
ALBERT     Fayther, fayther(COUGHING) I canna see for
           dust. Where are you? Where are you?
           Oh God,Heaven help us! The entrance has fell.
           The tunnel’s blocked. Fayther, fayther!
           (SOUND OF ALBERT SCRABBLING AT THE ROCKS)
           It’s no use! I canna do it. I need help!
           (SOUND OF ALBERT RUNNING AND SHOUTING)
 

           Help! Help! I need help! Please, someone!
           Anyone there! Oh please help us!
           (SOUND, FAINT AT FIRST OF ANOTHER VOICE
           SOUND BECOMES LOUDER OF FOOTSTEPS RUNNING
           TOWARDS ALBERT. VOICE BECOMES CLEARER)
ANDY       Whoa, hold up there.Who’s that? Who’re you?
ALBERT     Oh please mister, help us.It’s me fayther.
           The rocks fell and he’s behind it. Please!
           Help us!
           (SOUND OF THE TWO MEN RUNNING BACK)
ANDY       I know you now. You’re Wullie McHugh’s lad.
           Just started down today,I heard.
           This it? Take your candle off your hat and
           hold it lower.Right, it’s these large ones
           causing the trouble but it’s the smaller
           ones jamming the big ones in. We’ll not shift
           the big ones till these are out of the way.
           Come on start with the top ones and take it
           slow,son. Too fast and more might come down.
           (FADEOUT TO SOUNDS OF ROCKS BEING MOVED)
           (FADEIN TO GRUNTS,HARD BREATHING AND SOBS
           FROM ALBERT)
ALBERT     It’s no good. Fayther thought there was gas
           in there, we’ll be too late even if we do
           shift this lot. He’ll be dead. I brought him
           bad luck. My first day and he dies.
ANDY       Shut up, son, save your breath for shifting
           those stones. Right,get me that shovel.
ALBERT     You can’t shovel that out it’s too big.
ANDY       I know that. I’ll use it as a lever. If I can
           wedge it between the wall and the stone and
           slowly lever it out we might have a chance.
           But you have the worst job. You have to scrape
           all the little stones out from under. With
           your fingers. Otherwise they’ll stop the big
           one from moving.
ALBERT     Don’t worry about me, I’ll do it.
ANDY       Well, try and watch your fingers.
 

 
           (SOUND OF ANDY STRAINING AS HE PULLS ON THE
           SHOVEL. SOUND OF ROCK MOVING VERY SLOWLY.
           SOUND OF ALBERT STIFLING PAIN FROM ROCK.)
ANDY       Only a bit more now ,son, hold on.
           (SOUND OF LOUD EXHALATION OF BREATH AS SHOVEL
           SPRINGS FREE AND ROCK MOVES)
           Give me that candle, I think I can see to the
           Other side. Quick lad, quick. (SOUND OF ANDY  
           CLIMBING OVER ROCKS TO SEE INTO TUNNEL)
ALBERT     What can you see! My fayther! Is he all right?
           For God’s sake!
           (SOUND OF ANDY CHUCKLING THEN LAUGHING.
ANDY       He’s fine! He’s just rubbing his head. He must
           have been knocked out by a falling stone but
           he’s fine. Maybe the canary woke him up! It’s
           singing its little head off!         
                   
                                    
              
                                               

Reviews
Canary Worth..
Written by gerardconnolly (1186 comments posted) 24th August 2006
A second glance. 
 
Hello Mike.  
 
I didn't realise you were over here too. And this certainly doesn't deserve to be ignored. In fact I thought it well worth its place here. Crisp and to the point. Good conclusion as well. Somehow I thought it might be worth making more of it. I know I said the same about the men in the boat ballad. But I do think you have a witty take on life's foibles, like Woody. It's a nice-- and sure touch. Make more os it. 
 
Slan!
Lovely and Touching
Written by mishmish (389 comments posted) 27th August 2006
Hi Mike 
 
This is really, really good...As soon as I found it was about miners I had to read it, as my father when he was young was a miner in Scotland, and he told me many stories about, as a boy, the canary was so vital...a real indicator of life or death. 
 
Heading up with the well known names at the start enabled me to play this in my mind, it was just lovely. 
 
By the way, has this been run on radio with those actors ??? I hope so, 'cause it's certainly good enough... 
 
Well done and best wishes 
 
mish x
Like father, like son...
Written by woody44 (761 comments posted) 1st September 2006
Another good read Mike. I grew up in a mining area, now all but defunct of course, and I visited many collieries during my working life although I only ever went down a pit once. You brought the coalface vividly to life and I was rooting for the boy`s father right up to the satisfying end. Again well done. 
 
happy writing 
woody
Can the canary still sing?
Written by MikeMorris (106 comments posted) 1st September 2006
Thank you mishmash, for your kind words. No this piece, like all my others, is just for fun. I hope I haven't given the impression that it has been published. I used those names because they are Scottish actors I happen to admire.Thanks again though for your review. 
Thanks woody, for your comments. Someone like yourself taking the time to write a review is a great encouragement to us. 
Thanks again, mishmash and woody. 
Mike

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