In Which Marco Adonis is interviewed for the Job.

Lights come up on a room with a couch, or perhaps two armchairs. They look plush and
comfortable.

MARCO ADONIS is sitting very upright on one of them. He looks as if he is right out of the
pages of Vogue.

He is nervous, fiddling with his satchel. BHAVIK enters with a clipboard.

BHAVIK Mr. Adonis?

MARCO Yes, that’s me.

BHAVIK Great, sorry to have kept you waiting, you know how it is.

MARCO I do, yes. No worries at all. I think I was early.

BHAVIK Have you been offered something to drink?

MARCO Don’t worry, I’ve hydrated on white tears.

He laughs. Bhavik doesn’t. It’s awkward.

BHAVIK Right.

He makes a note on his clipboard.

BHAVIK How was your trip?

MARCO It was good, thanks, bit of a long flight up from the Mother City –

BHAVIK Long? It’s two hours.

MARCO We had a delay at Cape Town International, so –

BHAVIK Which airline did you fly?

MARCO SAA, of course.

BHAVIK Strange, I didn’t receive any reports of delays from Cape Town on SAA today.

MARCO I flew in last night.

BHAVIK Ah, we had a thunderstorm on this side so that must’ve been it.

MARCO Ya, must’ve.

Bhavik makes another note.

BHAVIK Your CV is quite impressive.

MARCO Thanks, I – uh – I’ve worked very hard since graduating to get to where I am
today.

BHAVIK You must forgive me, I’m not very clued up on the whole social media thing,
so you’ll have to treat me like a layman.

MARCO Of course, sure, I mean, it’s very simple. Have you seen my channel?

BHAVIK On the YouTube?

MARCO Yes.

BHAVIK I have, yes.

MARCO Basically, I make these video clips and post them online so people can see
them. If I go to an event, or have an opinion on something, or have a product
that I need to punt, that’s what I do.

BHAVIK And you find this to be rewarding?

MARCO I do. It puts to use my love of performing, the media and interacting with
people.

BHAVIK Right. Now, regarding this particular event, why do you think you’d be a good
fit?

MARCO Well, as you can see on my CV, I’ve hosted many very prestigious corporate
events and public events in the past, so I’m probably the most experienced
young emcee that you’ll find. I also have a very large youth following, so I’ll
attract a non-political demographic. The youth don’t want longwinded talkie
talkie nonsense, they want excitement and pizazz.

BHAVIK And you think you have pizazz?

MARCO I do. Not only that, but I have an extensive knowledge of music, television and
fashion, so I can provide insight into a whole range of topics that might arise.

BHAVIK And politics?

MARCO What about politics?

BHAVIK What’s your political standpoint?

MARCO Are you asking for receipts?

BHAVIK I’m sorry, what?

MARCO Receipts. You know, evidence of my political involvement. Struggle

credentials. Stuff like that.
BHAVIK No, I’m simply asking for your personal standpoint.

MARCO I was a student at UCT in 2015, so that should tell you all you need to know.

BHAVIK There were a lot of students at UCT in 2015.

MARCO I marched for Rhodes to fall, I marched for Afrophobia to fall, I marched for
Fees to fall –

BHAVIK And Zuma?

MARCO What about him?

BHAVIK Did you march for him to fall too?

MARCO I thought about it, but then I saw there were white people doing yoga outside
parly and I was like nah fam.

BHAVIK Right.

MARCO I refuse to stand beside my oppressor, even if our outcomes are the same.

BHAVIK Refuse?

MARCO Exactly. No white woman doing surya namaskar is going to remove a corrupt
president.

BHAVIK Interesting. But you do believe him to be corrupt?

MARCO He was, ya. But now we’ve got a real president. A whole black womxn.

BHAVIK Is that how you say it? With the x?

MARCO Tbh, I’m not sure. You spell it like that so I guess you have to say it.

BHAVIK Alright, I’ll remember that. He makes a note.

BHAVIK So, Mr. Adonis, the Supreme Cadre is a big fan.

MARCO Really?

BHAVIK Yes, in fact, she’s the reason we invited you to interview, she’s followed you
since the very beginning.

MARCO That’s amazing, I’m a big fan of hers too.

BHAVIK Tell me about this video titled ‘Supreme Baedre’.

MARCO Oh…

BHAVIK In this video you impersonate the Supreme Cadre.

MARCO That was before she was elected.

BHAVIK Right, but it’s still a crime.

MARCO Now, yes, but technically it wasn’t then.

BHAVIK Why not just remove it?

MARCO It was completely complimentary. I was only saying how much of a bae the
Supreme Cadre is, and how amazed I am that someone hasn’t bae’d her
already.

BHAVIK The Supreme Cadre doesn’t need to be “bae’d”, as you say.

MARCO No, no, of course not. She’s an independent womxn.

BHAVIK Remove it.

Pause.

MARCO I’m sorry?

BHAVIK You’re going to have to remove the video. If you were to get this job, which
I’m not saying you are, but if you are, you’re going to have to remove the
video from the YouTube.

MARCO It’s just YouTube.

BHAVIK What?

MARCO Not The YouTube. Just YouTube.

BHAVIK It doesn’t really matter, does it?

MARCO Well, the company is called YouTube. It’s like calling Facebook, The
Facebook, or Snapchat, The Snapchat.

BHAVIK I don’t really see how it’s different, but you’re going to have to forgive me
because honestly, I don’t care.

MARCO Oh.

BHAVIK Delete the video.

MARCO And if I don’t?

BHAVIK You’re going to be held for questioning and eventually charged for
defamation, slander, and treason.

MARCO Treason?
BHAVIK A word against your leader is a word against your country.

MARCO Right, yes. May I ask, has the Supreme Cadre seen the video?

BHAVIK Yes, she has.

MARCO And?

BHAVIK And she loves it, she thinks you’re hilarious, but Mr. Adonis, you must
understand that there is a level of interaction with the media which we are not
going to tolerate. We cannot allow satirical images, such as the one that
you’ve created, of our Supreme Cadre to go out into the world. It would give
the wrong impression of the kind of womxn she is. Do you think the Supreme
Cadre became the leader of this country to make people laugh? No, she
wants to make people free, and truly free. Not the latte version, the espresso
version.

MARCO I don’t think I get the analogy –

BHAVIK So for you to be ridiculing her one moment and being put on international
television as the face of this historic moment, it sends the wrong message,
you know?

MARCO Sure.

BHAVIK It’s an argument which pertains to the narrative of the current moment and
how future generations will view us in years to come. You don’t want history
students in 100 years to look back at you and call you a sell-out, or askari, or
a contradiction, do you?

MARCO God no.

BHAVIK Then delete the video.

Pause.

MARCO If I do, will I get this job?

BHAVIK Mr. Adonis, I am speaking on the supposition that you’ve already got it.

MARCO But you just said that I don’t necessarily have it.

BHAVIK Don’t think about what I just said, think about what I’m saying now. I’m saying
you’ve got the job, if you delete the video.

MARCO It is the video with the most hits online.

BHAVIK This job will get you more hits than you have on all of your videos combined.

MARCO Hectic.
BHAVIK I’ll send you a contract once I see that the video has been deleted.

MARCO Can I think about it?

BHAVIK Of course you can, take all the time you need. Until the video is removed,
you’re to remain in this room.

MARCO Remain?

BHAVIK Until the video is removed you’re detained for questioning.

MARCO I’m sorry?

BHAVIK I thought I spoke quite clearly earlier. The video is slanderous and
defamatory. We will seek legal action if it remains online.

MARCO No, wait –

BHAVIK Let my secretary know what your decision is. The contract is on my desk,
ready and waiting.

BHAVIK exits. MARCO is left confused. As BHAVIK leaves, the sound of a large bolt being
closed is heard.

MARCO is locked in.