All in a Row

Alex Oates

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781350126077
• eBook ISBN: 9781350126091
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: British Drama

Laurence likes pizza.
Laurence is about to go to school.
Laurence thinks it's okay to wee on mummy's pillow. Like any couple, Tamora and Martin have big hopes and dreams. But when your child is autistic, non-verbal, and occasionally violent, ambitions can quickly become a pipe dream. In a household brimming with love, resentment and realisations, meet Tam, Martin and Laurence's carer Gary as they struggle to care for their beloved boy. On the night before social services finally intervenes, who is the victim here? Who was the traitor? And who do you blame when you can no longer cope? Inspired by his experiences working as a carer for over a decade, Alex Oates' new play is a kitchen sink comedy-drama filled with heart… and French Fancies.

Scene One

A living room in a modern flat. There is a big flat-screen TV upstage.

Gary enters with Laurence. Laurence is a puppet of an eleven-year-old autistic boy. Laurence jumps on to the sofa and starts bouncing; he makes shrieking happy sounds.

Gary Down. Laurence. Get down.

Laurence and Gary play for a little while; Laurence is super happy. Laurence leads Gary to the fridge and takes out a pizza.

Gary Pizza! Smart asking, you are so good. But can you remember, we already had two pizzas!

He puts the pizza back in the fridge.

How about we play with your Scrabble?

Laurence opens the fridge again and Gary shuts it laughing.

Gary Ok! Who wants a piggy back? Yeah, piggy back!

Laurence excitably climbs on Gary’s back or shoulders and they run around the flat a bit. Gary puts Laurence down after a while. Laurence heads straight back to the fridge.

Gary Ok, yeah, look I want to show you something.

He grabs a piece of paper and a marker pen and writes down a message for Laurence.

Gary See we have had dinner, pizza was dinner, Now it’s choosing, next bath, then bed. Yes. Choosing. No. Not pizza.

Tense moment when Laurence could head back to the fridge but instead leads Gary to the TV.

Gary Good boy! Well done!

Laurence hands an iPad to Gary.

Gary I know. Film. Can you say film? Laurence? Film. Fi-lm?

Laurence shows no interest in speaking and pushes the iPad towards Gary.

Gary Ok. Ok. One day.

He turns on the iPad and Finding Nemo begins to play. Laurence is ecstatic, jumping around before settling to watch it with Gary. At first the volume is way too loud.

Gary Too loud. Too loud.

Volume reduces.

Good boy. Well done.

Scene Two

Martin is in the space, lost in thought of what he’d like to say to Tamora if he had the courage.

Martin We’re in Richmond Park and he’s running ahead of me. I say running. He’s jumping, going for it. Jumping. I’m keeping up because you know. I don’t want. He can be. And his teeth are.

Well, I’m keeping up and I’m thinking about imprints. One of those fucking theories that you’d have read. Imprints. I’m thinking as I’m running after him. About imprints.

Tamora is giving a presentation to a group of young women at a technology college. She has a veneer of over-enthusiastic happiness but she’s actually distracted with thoughts of Laurence.

Tamora I was in a different country to him, my husband. Although at the time he wasn’t my husband. He was a potential husband, a glimmer of a husband, a hope, a lottery ticket of a husband.

He was working in Scotland. Away from home, from me and I thought about him. Often. This was before we could all Skype or Facetime on our phones. Of course I could call him if I wanted to but I didn’t particularly want to speak to him. I just wanted to feel his presence, I suppose, to be connected to another human being. To feel less alone.

Martin I’m scanning the park. What if those imprints we leave in time. Are like OHP paper. Every day another transparent sheet of plastic on top of the other still existing as like a memory of the place in a time frame or something. I don’t know I’m not a scientist but if I could just peel back a few years’ worth of sheets. Eleven years worth of sheets. Maybe. In the park, if a gust of wind just blew them away. (Beat.) And he’s bouncing now. And I see all of them out in the park. Every trigger. Ray Ban clad dentists walking designer dogs with perfect children following like ducks on a string. My stomach turns. I try to pity them. I try. But if I could remove just a few sheets, an inch of clear film to when you and I walked through this park. Not even to go back in time. Just to see you and to see me and to see that naive fucking hope. (Beat.) He keeps jumping.

Tamora That’s when I had the light bulb. What if I could hear, or see his heart beating? Just to know, he’s there. This was the genesis of Heart2Heart. (Pause.) My...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Cast, Creative & Production Team
• Contents
• Preface
• Dedication
• Characters
• Scene One
• Scene Two
• Scene Three
• eCopyright