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@00359293 Writing For Performance Assignment 1

1000 word script, 250-500 word self assessment and Bibliography

1000 word script

Self assessment

Bibliography

By student: @00359293

@00359293

Writing for Performance Assignment 1

Semester 1

Academic year 2015-2016

Tutor: Louise Page

1



SCENE 1

Lorraine’s living room. A sofa and opposite two armchairs a coffee table between them with magazines scattered on it. Sat on the sofa with her legs tucked at the side is Lorraine a woman in her early fifties. She has short black hair and looks rundown. Opposite her is Ellen also in her early fifties with long hair. Both have cups of tea.

LORRAINE

How’d you get here? Dint walk did ya?

ELLEN

Yeah.

LORRAINE

Couldn’t Ray give you a lift?

ELLEN

I don’t like to ask when he’s been at work all night.

LORRAINE

It’s a long way to come in the cold on your own.

ELLEN

I’m alright don’t worry about it.

LORRAINE

He should’ve given ya a lift, you would’ve had to give him one.

ELLEN

It’s ok! I’m here now, where are kids?

LORRAINE

John’s took em out for day.

ELLEN

Bothered again is he?

LORRAINE

El, Johns a lot of things but he loves his kids.

ELLEN

If he loved em that much why’d he…

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LORRAINE

El! I don’t want to sit talking about John all day.

(SILENCE)

ELLEN

Hey, are you going to that? (Hands leaflet to Lorraine)

LORRAINE

ABBA night? What’s Trish put that on for?

ELLEN

Trish?

LORRAINE

Uncoates, it is at The Dragon? Yeah look.

ELLEN

Trish don’t own Dragon n’more.

LORRAINE

Since when?

ELLEN

Course! You not know! She up and left a month? Two months a go!

LORRAINE

God, I never thought she’d let that place go.

ELLEN

Spur of the moment, met some Irish bloke at singles night, ‘fell in love’ and buggered off with him to Ireland!

LORRAINE

Fancy that! Ireland. Who’s this bloke then?

ELLEN

I’m a bit worried for her to be honest Lorraine.

LORRAINE

Why?

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ELLEN

Nobody knows him! She’s left all she knows, sold all she’s got, put her house on market and moved to another country with a bloke she’s known five minutes!

LORRAINE

Good on her for trying something new! I’m not saying it will work out for her, least she’s got the guts to do it, an adventure, not settling for life as it is. Good on her for not being content with being bored and unhappy…

ELLEN

Things will brighten up. Starting with this ABBA night!

LORRAINE

When’s that again?

ELLEN

The fourteenth. Please come it’ll be fun.

LORRAIEN

(Looks down, sips tea) We’ll see.

Lorraine sees Ellen check her watch.

LORRAINE

Keeping you from something?

ELLEN

No don’t be silly I’m fine, think it’s had it!

(Doorbell)

LORRAINE

Not be a minute. (LORRAINE leaves)

SCENE 2

SARAH, a woman in her mid thirties wearing a police uniform with blonde hair in a ponytail, walks in. She sits down next to Ellen.

SARAH

Ellen, you alright?

ELLEN

I was, then you turned up.

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SARAH

Pleasant.

LORRAINE

(Shouting off stage) Biscuit, Sarah?

SARAH

No thanks!

ELLEN

Watching ya figure?

SARAH

Trying.

ELLEN

Dunno why? You’ve got her husband for that haven’t you? (Checks watch)

SARAH

How’s Ray? Hope you’ve told him you’ve had a biscuit?

ELLEN

Why would I do that? (They stand up)

SARAH

Probably same reason your looking at your watch, what times your curfew?

ELLEN

Bitch! I told you to stay out of our business.

LORRAINE re-enters with tea and sets it on the table.

ELLEN

I can’t believe you let her in here, after what she’s done to me, after what she’s done to you!

LORRAINE

What about what she’s done for me?

ELLEN

Only cos she had to!

LORRAINE

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She didn’t have to do anything.

ELLEN

Why’s she here?

SARAH

I’m guessing the same reason you are!

ELLEN

Don’t talk to me slapper!

LORRAINE

Stop it! Just stop it! (Cries)

ELLEN and SARAH look at each other. Ellen points to her as if it’s her fault.

SARAH

Sorry.

LORRAINE

I don’t need this, it has to stop.

ELLEN

I’m sorry, but I don’t like her being here.

LORRAINE

I know we’ve both had problems with Sarah but that’s done now. I can’t live the rest of my life like this, (Stumbles to the armrest) I haven’t got time.

ELLEN

What ya talking about?

LORRAINE

That’s why I got you here today. I need to tell you.

ELLEN

Tell us what? Is it the treatments?

SARAH

If you’re worried about anything we can see the doctor.

ELLEN

6



We can all go with you, are you in pain?

LORRAINE

I’m fine girls. It’s just…

ELLEN

We’ll take you to the doctor, be feeling normal again soon, won’t you, ready for that ABBA night, eh!

LORRAINE

I can’t El, I don’t have time, don’t have time for anything.

SARAH

What do you mean?

LORRAINE

I’m dying girls.

ELLEN

No. no! The treatments, the operation, the bone marrow. (Turns to Sarah) You said you were a match!

LORRAINE

She is she was! It’s not worked; well it has but only to delay it.

Ellen, her hands to her face. Sarah, hand over mouth. Lorraine hugs Ellen and brings Sarah in.

LORRAINE

Listen, I’ve got weeks, maybe days. I can’t leave knowing that two people who have given me everything can’t get along. My kids can’t have their Mum’s best friend and their Dads girlfriend hating each other. They’re gonna want answers, I might not have time to provide them all.

ELLEN

Lorraine, you can’t...

LORRAINE

I were never gonna beat it… but I’ve managed to buy a chance, to die knowing that you pair won’t be at blows, that my girls will have women to look up to and be proud of. Whatever you think of her El, she saved my life, she might save yours too. Sarah, I’m not big enough to be able to forgive you and John, but I won’t forget what you’ve done for me when you didn’t need to. The kids love ya, both of you. You need to stop all this now, please.

7



SARAH

I’ll do my best.

LORRAINE

(Nods) We gave it a good go dint we?

SARAH

We did.

Self Assessment

8



I decided to write a script based around three female leads, all connected with a strange

dynamic to their relationship. One of the leads (Lorraine) is about to tell them she is dying

from a terminal illness. In his foreword to his 1959 play Sweet Bird of Youth Tennessee

Williams (2010) writes; “I can't expose a human weakness on the stage unless I know it

through having it myself.” I used my own experience of seeing someone struggle with telling

family and friends of an illness and combined it with advice from the Macmillan Cancer

Support (2012) webpage. This helped find a balance between what I knew and experiences

others may have had. I wanted to write something people could relate to. Their advice was to;

“try finding a quiet setting, breaking the news gradually.” I settled on it being in one of the

characters living room. I created it as a play because of the openness of a stage would make

the audience feel as if they were in this conversation.

In Colder than Here (2005) Laura Wade’s strong opening leaves you with no

clue why there is tension between Myra and Jenna but the dialogue is real and familiar. Wade

is concealing something which keeps our attention but she also provides characters who are

‘real’, that’s what I have tried to create in my script. I turned to Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a

Hot Tin Roof (2009) because I knew it featured a character with a terminal illness. I was

inspired by how other characters stories unravel because of ‘Big Daddy’s’ impending death.

That’s why I incorporated suggestions about Ellen’s controlling husband and Sally’s

relationship with John.

In the article for the Guardian, author Ben Meyers (2011) writes; “names are

important; A name can set the tone.” I chose names of strong female leads from popular

films, Lorraine after ‘Lol’ from This is England (2006) , Ellen after Ripley from Alien (1979)

and Sarah after Sarah Connor from the Terminator (1984).

I am happy with the piece; despite several drafts my idea has been solid enough

that I have not had to tamper with it. The only things that have changed are its structure and

cutting of unneeded saggy dialogue. What is left is a few surprising moments for the audience

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along with some tense moments and genuinely emotional points which I hope translate. In the

future I would like to pursue this further and flesh out the rest of the play around it exploring

each of the characters in more depth.

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