1. Mercer Radio Show
An original transcript created by Ca1eb Knowles
Production Script
March L7 2OL6
@ 2OL6 Caleb Knowles
All rights reserved
Media - Radio Drama
2. 7ocltAots
3o
Sec:'
v
,0, I cl
1. (soulro or caa oa-vrNe past aNo pgopLs rALrrNe rN rHs
STREET TRjAr{SITIONS TO A QUTETER SETTTNG WHERE THERE
PAPERS AS THE BACKGROT'ND NOISE FADES OUT)
2. Bishop: (coughs, clears throat then sighs)
3. (PrroNE BEEPS WITrr MESSAGE)
@
i-n-
6. (SOU![D OF FOOTSEEPS IN THE TIAILVIAY FOLLOIIED BY A
KI'IOCK ON A DOOR)
7 . Bishop: come in
8. (pooR oPENS)
i 9. Bishop: nice to meet you, I'm Doctor Bishop
10. Mercer: Aedan Mercer, thanks for seeing me on
,* short notice
L2.
13.
, Bishop: it' s no trouble . Please, have a seat...
or lie down, whichever makes you comfortabl-e and
we'11 start as soon as possible
, Mercer: f'II sit
L4.
1trJ-J.
Bishop: (exhales whiLe saying) alright then...
(sour[p oF BoTH MEN srTTrNG porf,N)
Bishop: ok, give me one minute... (typing of
keys) Uhm... did you say your l-ast name was Mercer?
76.
71 .
18.
Mercer: (hums in agreement)
Bishop: strange...
Mercer: something wrong?
I am sorry but I don't seem to be
any of your files... no medical history,
location, not even your name...
able to find
no address
1.
3. 1. Mercer: We1I, f did book this appointment. You can
ask your front desk if you need proof
2. Bishop: No, it's fine f remember this appointment
being booked, I have it written in my memo... well,
it's probably just the computer, I'LI have a
technician look at it later.
3. Mercer: shall we start? I'm suddenly a bit rushed
for time
4. Bishop: yes, of
position where
point you feel
right ahead
course, feel free to sit in a
you are comfortable, and if at any
like you want to lie down, then go
but T'Il manage
l;o c* 5. Mercer: thanks,
6. Bishop: weII, if you're sure then we can begin. So,
what's been troubling you?
Zao Y^CAZ
1.
B.
9.
10
11
Mercer: well, I suppose you coul-d say that lately
I've been having work issues
Bishop: stress? Too much pressure?
Mercer: something like that
Bishop: well, what is it you do?
Mercer: weI1, T work for several employers...
it's a bit of a freelance line of work that involves
taking care of... problems for different people
Bi-shop: so... a prlvate investigator?
, Mercer: not exactly. My line of work is
actually less preferred than that of a law
enforcer's. And actually Iess lega1. And the
"problems" are other people themselves.
. Bishop: right... (c1ears throat) so what is your
actual occupation? What is it exactly that you do?
, Mercer: (sighs) honestly? Erom a young age I've
been trained in how to take the lives of others. No
matter who they are, who they worked for, if they
had a family or not, it made no difference. I've
been raised to kilf without remorse and not question
72
13
t,:
74
15
2
4. Bishop: (clears throat)
professional
um...
Mercer: you said to be honest
Bishop: (inhales/exhales) you're being serious?
Mercer: yeah
. Bishop: so... why exactly are you here?
Mercer: I said so earlier; lately f've been having
some issues following through on my work.
Bishop: and why do you think that is?
Mercer: no idea. I suppose it could be that I'm
slightty emotionally unstable from my childhood and
it's only just taking effect now. Maybe I just don't
want do kiII anymore. Honestly, I have no idea.
That's why I'm here.
why. My "occupatLon" is
1_t 1 T _ _-
Kltler-
that of a
_-_ I l
werr... L I
200*
1
2
3
4
5
6
1.
B.
z' 30 -'- ]-2.
13.
1A
certainly
old were
them actually
would be
you when you
Mercer:
actua11y. My
type. Not to
member... j ust
tt
survived" is
ZO0lho03 9. Bishop: ok, welt... nrry would you be emotionatly
unstable from your chil-dhood?
10. Mercer: can you be more specific?
11. Bishop: can you think of any situation which
might have maybe... traumatised you in some way? Did
you... lose anyone when you were young?
(A PAUSE THAT T.ASTS AROI ![D 3 SECOIIDS)
Mercer: (sighs) yeah kind of
Bishop: family member?
15 Mercer: family members, dll of
1G Blshop: oh, weII that
disturbj-ng for anyone... how
Iost them?
more or less the day I was born
parents weren't really the "parenting"
me anyway. To them I wasn't a family
some kid who lived with them. Actually
a better word to use. What I had
it was existing.wasn't living,
3
t1 .
5. 4
1 (c0-
/
1. Bishop: so you didn't see them as family members
e ither ?
2 . Mercer: no. I had no reason to. My father was too
proud and too ashamed of me and didn't hesitate to
show it. My mother was a good person but she was too
weak. She was Loo afraid of everything, and when my
father was ashamed of me, she was too scared to
think anything else for herself and avoided me for
as lonq as she could.
3. Bishop: so there was nobody at all?
4. Mercer: actually, f had a sister. She was my
family's pride and joy. She was a talented artist
and brought my family a lot of money so that's not
all too surprising. But she was the only one that
paid me any mind. The only one who tried to look
after me when my parents failed.
9.
ZOA m OOt
5 ' Bj-shop: but"' vou lost her?
6. (AI{OTHER PAUSE ABOUT 3 SECONpS LONG)
7. Mercer: yeah... she was gone first actually... then my
f ather... then my mother.
B. Bishop: do mind 1f I ask how?
Mercer: my sister was in a traffic collision and was
crushed before she hit the ground, my mother hung
herself, and I killed my father with a smashed glass
bottle.
_i i i r., 10. Bishop: oh... f 'm... sorry for your loss. How old
'. . ..) n were You?
, Mercer: I was nine and don't say "sorry". I
hate that word.
L2 Bishop: why is that?
13. Mercer: it's the only thing my mother would
say. She was always sorry for everything. That word
shows weakness. It shows that you have no will of
your own to defend yourself and others can just shit
on you as they please.
6. l-'-
fI
I 1. Bishop: So
lbb,- people from
psychotic.
2. Mercer: no. I'm not a psychopath. f'm fully aware of
what I'm doing. I know it's not the right thing to
do. But sometimes a problem can only end with death.
And the reason why I do it? Its because I don't know
how to do anything else. This is aII f know. And...
I'm good at it. But know this, Joshua Bishop; I
don't k111 without reason. There is always a reason
someone has to die.
3. Bishop: how did you know my first name? and what
reasons are you talking about?
4. Mercer: you'II find that I know a 1ot of things
about you Doctor Bishop. Probably more than you know
yourself.
5. Bishop: r- really?
5. Mercer: birth name Joshua Bishop, born 19th October
L960 in St Thomas's hospital, London England,
currently lives in 22 Addison Crescent, Kensington.
Graduated from Goldsmiths University of London in
l9B1 with degrees in Psychology and Psychotherapy.
Met spouse Mary Coleman in 7990, married in !996 and
became a fully trained psychiatrist in L991.
B. Mercer: f know that you're a psychiatrist by day,
but a child murderer by night and you keep your
victims chained up in a closet in the basement of
your home, and keep recordings of them screaming for
their parents while af1 of this time/ your wife is
none the wiser.
9. Bishop: wh... what are you talking about?
is that why you ki1l people? To prevent
looking down on you? That's... well- quite
10. Mercer: you know exactly what I'm talking
about. And that flush of red in your face and that
stream of sweat running across your forehead agrees
(qg,
"LW'44O0
{r. Bishop: hah, is there anything etse you know?
5f oo
I
j
l
l
I
5'u3o -
wit
psy
ner
h me. So let me ask you something. Who's the
chopath now?
Blshop: what... what do you want? Why
e?
are you
7. 6
Mercer: two reasons. I had an
session with you, and someone
for you to be investigated and
revealed truth.
appointment for a
paid a lot of money
kllled if rumour
6[oo --- 2. (SOITND OE' GUN BEEN PITLLED OUT)
Mercer: now take you damn finger away from that
panic button under your desk, put your hands flat on
the table and stand up. Now.
4. (CHATR rS PUSHED BACK AS BTSHOP STAI{DS Up)
5. Bishop: what... what happens now? You're going to kill
me? Where's your proof? You've just come in here,
made an accusation and pulled a gun on me ! You have
nothlng I You... you have shit !
5. Mercer: I didn't need to bring proof; the
constabulary are already at your house right now
t
'a tearing the place apart. And when they f ind that
closet in your basement, along with aII of those
recordinqs, they're gonna have aII the evidence they
need.
Bishop: shit...
Mc rr-e r eh ' 1_ indeed .Jlt! u,
Bishop: please... please don't do this, Iet them take
me in- I need... f need help
10. Mercer: how long do you
OC
I
)
ZO}Yn
e;so
11
72
Bishop: is
Mercer: no, there lsn't
Bishop13
after the other
A day? A week?
you myself and
inmates find
Not a chance.
get it out of
there any way
: we1l, who are you to
a living and you think
think you will last
out what you're in for?
Frankly I'd rather kiII
the way.
I can-
;udge me? You ki}l
that you're better
Tioa
people for
than me?
Mercer : I never said that, but the difference
and me is that I don't kill withoutbetween you
reason
. Bishop: so that's it. You're just going to kitl
me Iike... Can I... at least-
(er*i
^,,ud
sr^ ^-Lx,P
p"y
")
L4.
8. 7
ZCIo
/*
T
1
oo/ t. (crff cocKs, Musrc ArrD elfBrENT NorsE srops)
2. Mercer: no you cant. Goodbye Dr Bishop. Have
heIl.
3. (STLENCEp GI,N F]RES/ BOpy HrTS THE FLOOR)
fun in
