ACT ONE
Prologue β Technique
ALECKY (voice-over). I feel like I should explain β what I'm doing with m-microphones anβ stuff like that β / just so that you know β
TESSA. Mmm β We did sort of / β a bit.
POPPY. Yeah β
Beat.
ALECKY (voice-over). Um (Beat.) β I, um (Beat.) β I kindof make (Beat.) β um (Beat.) β they're sortof documentary plays. (Pause.) But β I don't β film anything (Beat.) β I just record β hours and hours of-of β audio. (Pause.) Um (Beat.) β and I β edit it (Beat.) β and then, um (Beat.) β those (Beat.) β so (Beat.) β people's real words your real words β then become the words that the actors speak in the play β and they, they β hear β your voice β speaking β through earphones β and then they copy β exactly your intonation, accent β I'll describe β y'know β one was sat here, one was sat here, and whatever.
POPPY. Yeah.
ALECKY (voice-over). And it's β it's a really weird, kindof very true β obviously so so true to life, kindof thing β
TESSA. So you βave to be careful what you say β
They laugh.
Scene One β Happy Hookers
Mid-morning, 5th October 2006. SUZIE enters from the front door. TESSA is busy clearing away laundry that is sprawled over the backs of chairs.
SUZIE. Wow, this looks good. / (Pause.) This looks good β looks lovely.
TESSA. Oh God. I'm gettinβ there.
SUZIE. You been busy girly.
TESSA. Oh I try to be β
SUZIE. I got pressie.
Pause. TESSA unwraps two pale pink candles in glass candleholders.
TESSA. Ooh, good. (Pause.) Um β ooh, very nice (Beat.) β and, um (Beat.) β ooh, extra extra nice β I like β
SUZIE. One for each room.
TESSA. Thank you.
SUZIE. No it looks nice / (Beat.) β that green looks really nice.
TESSA. Do you like it? β It dint get done.
Pause.
SUZIE. Isn't it β gorgeous (Beat.) β Isn't it β I mean (Beat.) β Tessa has, um (Pause.) β sh, well she set all this out cuz it was all unfurnished when she came (Beat.) β and she's done all this, done all the decorating, got all the furniture in β
Beat.
TESSA. But the β the Chesterfield's s'posed to be coming. (Pause.) βE's late with them.
SUZIE. Anβ I'll, um (Beat.) β I'll put these in the room.
TESSA. Okay.
SUZIE. I need to take the plastic bit off is that all right β is that all right? / D'you like that?
TESSA. That's love-ly.
SUZIE. Oh, you've changed round in here β
TESSA. Yeah.
SUZIE. Oh fantast β oh that's better β
TESSA. Yeah s'a bit bigger, isn't it?
SUZIE. That's better.
TESSA. I thought I could try a / (Beat.) β I've got to clean outside.
SUZIE. Put those where you want.
Pause.
That is much better. (Pause.) Oh, it d- makes the room look a lot bigger β
TESSA. Doesn't β doesn't it.
SUZIE. I need to have to take some more pictures now you've changed the room around.
TESSA. Yeah.
SUZIE. It's c- although nobody actually lives here β it's to make it feel homely β
TESSA. Yeah β / they like it homely β
SUZIE. Anβ β anβ it's like β you're not β although a guy may only come here β for β like, a twen'y-minute hand job (Beat.) β he still gets the same atmosphere β and ambience β that everybody else has.
A phone rings.
TESSA (to audience). If anybody asks, you're the lady who does the phones, okay?
SUZIE. Jusβ say β jusβ say you're the maid.
Pause.
Tessa's done so well β I mean, there was nothing here. (Beat.) She rents it privately β so the guy just thinks that she lives here. (Beat.) So (Beat.) β it's β it's (Beat.) β I mean people are here every day. (Beat.) It's lived in, during the day, just not slept in overnight, normally β so β (Pause.) It's just so welcoming (Beat.) β it's lovely β
TESSA. I love nineteen-thirties, I love Art Deco, I'm very old-fashioned, I'm I'm sorry I am / I'm not modern β
SUZIE. Nah s'lovely / (Beat.) β it's homely β
TESSA. β these are far too modern β
SUZIE. Extra bits you've got look really nice β
TESSA. Well, this is it. (Beat.) This (Beat.) β I picked up from the Sally Army / (Beat.) β and, I'm β
SUZIE. I like that.
TESSA. β I'm gonna paint it white (Beat.) β and I've got some paper, Melrose, that matches / (Beat.) β I'll β in there β
SUZIE. I'll put β through there. (Pause.) β / That'll be nice β it'll be like a dressing room in here.
TESSA. Isn't it? (Beat.) β Isn't it (Beat.) β isn't it? So (Beat.) β anβ then get a li'le table anβ I got another chair β
Pause.
D'ya like that?
She points to a glass lampshade above.
SUZIE. That's lovely I was lookinβ at / that earlier.
TESSA. It's β glass (Beat.) β it's / (Beat.) β I thought it was plastic.
SUZIE. βOw'd you get it up there? β βOw'd you get it up there?
TESSA. Uuuuhhhh (Beat.) β with great difficulty.
SUZIE. Oh.
TESSA. I've got another one to go in the kitchen. (Beat.) β / Guess how much β
SUZIE. You've done loads β you've done / loads, here β
TESSA. β Guess how much (Beat.) β a gl-...