Paul Kenny

Prompt: It happened at the Christmas Party - From Episode 04

It happened at the Christmas party. The omicron outbreak and the fact we were back on Zoom giving some of us a false sense of security. That and the fact most of us were already half-cut before we'd even logged on. The pop quiz didn't help. The men, on edge, anxious, competing. Steven, correct but overly adamant that Careless Whisper was not a George Michael solo single. Mark, digging in, suggesting that in reality, all Wham songs were essentially solo efforts given that Ridgley did sod all on any of them. Neither budge until allowed to share the point. Faces kept. Dominating and dictating the space. 

Maybe if it had been an actual office party, we'd have noticed sooner. Read the room. Challenged, calmed. But we didn't. And so suddenly Rebecca says- 'I've had his lap thrown in mine and now it's only fair that you all see what I've just had to'. Tom senses what's coming as she lifts her phone and turns the screen towards her laptop camera. He quickly disappears but a small part of him remains on show. Blurred at first, but obvious. The women cringe and look away. The men laugh and stare. Dominating and dictating the space. 

Paul Kenny has written ‘Shared’ for wireless theatre starring Rula Lenska and Jenny Runacre, won a British Radio Award for the audio drama ‘A Mother’s Love’ produced by Cornucopia Radio and his most recent audio drama ‘Classless’ premiered as part of Pete McKee’s ‘This Class Works’ festival in Sheffield. Follow him on twitter @kenny251164