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by Shelagh Stephenson
Act One
reveals Vi 6
The drawer is open. She wears a green taffeta cocktail frock circa 1962. 7 She is sexy, immaculately made up, her hair
perfectly coiffed. She wears earrings and a matching necklace, and carries a clutch bag, from which she takes a cigarette
and lighter. 8 She lights up. The pool of light opens up to reveal the rest of the room in a dim, golden, unreal glow: a
bedroom, dominated by a double bed in which Mary lies, wearing a pair of sunglasses. She watches Vi. The room is
slightly old fashioned, with dressing-table and matching wardrobe. Some clothes are draped over a chair. There is a long
diagonal crack running across the wall behind the bed. An open suitcase lies on the floor, half unpacked, a half-full bottle of
whisky and a pile of books on the bedside table.
Mary What do you want?
10
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remembers her as concerned with her appearance as she is sitting at a dressing table.
8.
Mary remembers her mother as being attractive and always being made up. This could lead the audience to
think that Vi is a vain character
9. Mary remembers her mothers smoking habit.
10.
Vi indirectly accuses Mary by posing a question.
Vi Its closer.
Mary What is?
Vi The sea. Fifty yards closer. Itll take the house eventually. All gone without a trace. Nothing left. And all
the life that happened here, drowned, sunk. As if it had never been.
Mary Dyou remember a green tin box with chrysanthemums on it?
11
Vi No.
Mary It had papers in it. Its gone. Where is it?
Vi Ive no idea.
Mary What have you done with it?
12
Vi picks up some books from the bedside table and looks through the titles.
Vi Head Injuries and Short-Term Changes in Neural Behaviour .. . The Phenomenology of Memory ...Peripheral
Signalling of the Brain. 13
She puts them down.
Bloody hell, Mary. Whats wrong with Georgette Heyer?
14
Go to black. Fade up bedside lamp. Vi has gone. Mary is lying prostrate. She stirs and gets out of bed, goes to the
dressing-table, opens drawers, rifles through them. The phone rings.
Mary Hello? ...What time is it? ... I wouldnt be talking to you if I was, would I? Id be unconscious ...Where are
you? ...Jesus ...youre what? So will you want me to pick you up from the station? 15
The door opens and Teresa comes in.
Teresa Oh ..
16
17 18
11. The first vocal mention of memory in the play. The swift change of subject indicates that Mary may not
have been that appreciative of her mother and was not listening to her spiel.
12. A reverse situation of the situation that occurred above, except that Mary outrights states her question to
her mother.
13. A listing technique. She mentions three books. Three things are usually mentioned in literature when one
is listing things or being used as an example.
14. Georgette Heyer was an English historical romance and detective fiction writer. Lived from 1902 to
1974.
15. The first appearance of Marys sarcastic sense of humour. This shows that she is a snarky, intelligent
character.
16. Teresa makes her entrance. It is clear that she Mary and familiar with each other, otherwise
17. This indicates that Mary and Teresa are not particularly close.
18. A revelation. Teresa seemsto somewhat resent her sister for having an affair with a married man.
She flops back on the pillows. Looks at Teresa.
Why are you looking so awake?
Teresa Ive been up since quarter past five. Presumably hes leaving her at home, then.
Mary Youve got that slight edge in your voice. Like a blunt saw.
Teresa Im just asking
Mary Of course hes bloody leaving her at home. Shes gone to stay with her mother.
Teresa I thought she was ill.
Mary Maybe she went in an iron lung. Maybe she made a miracle recovery. I dont know. I didnt ask.
Teresa Wheres he going to sleep?
Mary What?
Teresa You cant sleep with him in that bed.
Mary Hes staying in a hotel.
Teresa I thought it might be something important.
Mary What?
Teresa The phone. Funeral directors or something.
Mary Weve done all that. Can I go back to sleep?
Teresa And wheres Catherine?
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Mary I'm surprised Dad didn't burst out of his coffin and punch you.
Teresa I didn't know it was in my bag.
Mary You could have turned it off. You didn't have to speak to them.
Teresa I didn't speak to them.
Mary You did. I heard you. You told them you were in a meeting.
Teresa You're imagining this. This is a completely false memory.
Mary All memories are false.
Teresa Mine aren't.
22
Teresa Oh, I see, mine are all false but yours aren't.
Mary That's not what I said.
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Teresa I dont know. Funeral arrangements. What colour coffin. Ive got a list somewhere.
Mary There should be a set form. Like those books on wedding etiquette. Sudden Death Etiquette. Lesson One. Breaking
the news. Phrases to avoid include: guess what?
Teresa Its quite tricky for you, being nice, isnt it?
Mary Sorry. I forgot. How are you feeling?
Teresa looks at her watch.
Teresa I was expecting him to phone an hour ago.
Catherine (off) Hi!
Mary Oh God.
Teresa In here.
Catherine bursts in, wrapped in layers of coats and scarves, laden with carrier bags. She divests herself as she speaks.
26
Catherine God, its bloody freezing out there. Its like Scott of the Antarctic, the cab was sliding all over the place and I
had one of those drivers who kept saying, have you been shopping, are you going somewhere nice? 27 And I said, yes,
actually, a funeral. My mothers. I thought, thatll shut him up, but it turns out he knew her. I forgot what its like up here.
Everyone knows the butchers daughters husbands mothers cat. And he got all upset, we had to pull over, so anyway I
invited him to the funeral 28 . Hes called Dougie. I bet he doesnt come. God, Ive got this really weird pain at the very
bottom of my stomach, here, look, just above my pubic bone. It keeps going sort of stab, twist, so either Ive got some sort
of cyst, but actually, God, I know what it is, I bet. I bet Im ovulating. Isnt that amazing? I can actually feel the egg being
released. Although, hang on, I dont think Im due to ovulate. You cant ovulate twice in the same month, can you? Its not
my appendix because I havent got one. Fuck. It must be PMT. In which case I think Ive got an ovarian cyst. 30
Silence.
29
Mary Dyou want us to take you to hospital or shall I whip it out now on the kitchen table?
Catherine Ill be fine.