ACT ONE SCENE ONE

Bernardo, Francisco, Horatio and Marcellus de der duty post. The ghost appear to dem. Di ghost no follo any of dem yan. Dem shock, con later gree to yan Hamlet di prince, wetin dem see.

(One big field for one area. Cold plenti no be small, Francisco just de strol for hin duty post, as e hear sound, hin body change)

BERNARDO

Who dey der?

FRANCISCO

Who be dat?

BERNARDO

(E enter)

Na you sef.

(E dey laugh)

FRANCISCO

Oga! You early o, for dis cro-cro.You quick for night duty!

BERNARDO

Na twelve, I comot for house, and na after twelve be dis.

FRANCISCO

Dis weather ehrn, just de beg senior man for up, mek hin reduce di a/c. Di cold too much.

BERNARDO

Na five cloth I kak. O bobs! Na freezer tins. See I de go di oda side. If you see Horatio and Marcellus, hep me troway salute giv dem.

(Dem begin hear sound of footstep)

FRANCISCO

Wait o! E be like say, I de hear one kain noise (comot hin cutlass) Guy! If you see say hin pass yor pawa, gbeace.

BERNARDO

No worry, i no go carry last.

(Horatio and Marcellus henta. Bernardo and Francisco wan begin fight dem)

MARCELLUS

Na me! na me! na me! Una wait! Na we Marcellus and Horatio!

HORATIO

Na we your broda and padi to oga pikin.

FRANCISCO

(Dem kip der cutlass)

Senior man bless una yafun yafun.

MARCELLUS

Na wa o! If to say, we be una enemy, na so una for just waste us jus like da.

FRANCISCO

Shuu! Wetin una de troway for maout? Marcellus, Horatio, una no go vex. Evri bodi de fear for area. Area don de hot. Tins get as e be. See, me wan reach backyard.

HORATIO

(E dey laugh)

No wahala. Sha de shadow your back, as you de go backyard. Backyard no de get open space for inside yard. You don try. Correct guy. We go see.

(Francisco comot)

MARCELLUS

Francisco de do like say e too de understand.

(To Bernardo)

How bodi?

HORATIO

E show?

BERNARDO

E show o. Da na why evri bodi de look back. Francisco de right. I just de look una as una maout de run.

MARCELLUS

We show, so da we fit see am togeda. So ghost dey dis area? I don dey hear am.

HORATIO

See ehrn, Una too de smoke and na di smoke de affect una so-tey, una de see winch. Di more una de smoke, di more winch una dey see.

BERNARDO

Bring yor mind down. Shebi na here all of us de. I no do duty again. Da winch or ghost we go see am. (E sidon for ground) Yesterday night wen di star show from da angle, (E stand up quick) one heavy light jus shine like say na halogen, de do wokowoko for eye. Evri wia con bright waaaaa (E still de describe am well) me and…(E shout) See! See! See! Di star wan comot, if you shadow well!

(Ghost enter)

MARCELLUS

See am! See am!

BERNARDO

Ovoko! You see? I no tell you. o boy! See di designers wey hin kak. Na confam china white.

MARCELLUS

Fool! (Slap am for back) You still de look hin Versace, see hin face!

BERNARDO

Na true o! Na carbon copy of our befor- befor King, wey kpeme da time.

MARCELLUS

Horatio, Horatio you don gbeace? (Look back) follow am yan na, shebi you fit yan dead bodi language.

BERNARDO

Di face sef de shake, I no fit see am well. I no ondastan again o!

HORATIO

I de fear. I swear guy, mek we comot.

BERNARDO

You see say di smoke wey we de smoke de hep us see ghost. Look, hin de find persin wey hin wan follow yan. Horatio na your shine be dis o! No allow anybodi take your shine o!

HORATIO

(Yan give di ghost) Hey! You! Wetin you de find for dis kain late hour wey evribodi de crash, you resemble awa befor-befor King. Wit di ortumokpo wey I get, I orda you mek you yan

(Ghost begin de go)

MARCELLUS

Horatio! Di winch don vex. Your own don don.

BERNARDO

Hin don de go!

HORATIO

(Still de follo di ghost yan)

Wia you tink say you de go. Wetin you de feel like sef? Na me Horatio de follo you yan man to man.

(Di ghost comot)

***

If you would like to experience the full play, check out the play reading of Oga Pikin (Hamlet in Pidgin) by Ogini Bernard on April 5 at 6 PM CT (US time) /April 5 at 7 PM (GMT -4 (Trinidad time)) / April 6 at 12 AM (UK time). It will be held in person in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and online via Zoom (meeting ID: 894 3958 2396).