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A Short Play
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12 August 2010 at 18:22
The Last Night
Character's
Mary
George
The Stranger
The Scene
It is a cold Autumn night November 8 1888 Whitechappel in the East End of London. George is sitting waiting for Mary it is late. He is worried.
Mary suddenly appears. She is a little drunk and maudlin
Mary: Waiting for me again?
George: I could be. Where have you been so late?
Mary: Oh Georgie you know better than to ask
George: Why do you do it girl? Now of all times?
Mary: I've no other choice Georgie
George: You could spend less at the Pub
Mary(a little annoyed): You're no saint yourself
George: We're two of a kind girl.
Mary: Oh it will be grand tomorrow. All the fine clothes ,the horses. You know I used to ride in a carriage. I could have lived the grand life, if I'd wanted to.
George(teasing): Tomorrow? What's tomorrow?
Mary: Georgie! You should be ashamed of yourself. You know full well it's the Lord Mayors Show.
George (laughing) All right steady on girl. I know.
Mary: I want to be there early so I get a good spot.
George: We could go together if you like.
Mary: I suppose we could. I hope it will be a fine day. I want the sun to shine all day.
George: I could meet you in the morning call for you . We could walk together.
Mary: I did ride in a carriage you know. A lot round here don't believe me but when I first came to London I lived a very different life.
George: Who's that, over there? Do you know him?
Mary: I don't know. I've seen him a few times though.
George: Where have you seen him?
Mary: Just around Georgie just around.
George: He's not one of your (pause) acquaintances then.
Mary: No George .He is not one of my acquaintances.
George: I'm sorry.
Mary: You should have seen me when I had those fine dresses. Made especially for me they were by a fine Dressmaker. It's ever such a fuss they go to. Kept sticking pins in me! Then they told me off for not standing still. Fancy that!
George: So what happened to these fine dresses then?
Mary(hesitantly): Well we had a bit of a disagreement the Landlady and me and she wouldn't give them back. She kept my trunk with all my fine things! She was a bad woman George. I made a mistake there.
George: Never mind. Fine dresses aren't everything. I've seen those fine ladies as you call them all trussed up in their finery but they don't look any the better for it.
Mary: No. They don't. You're quite right Georgie. They think themselves so grand. Used to look down on me they did when I lived there.
George: Have you seen Joe?
Mary: Not for a while.
They sit together silently for a few moments
Mary: Look up at the stars Georgie, aren't they beautiful I could sit here and watch them all night. Do you ever wonder what's up there?
George: Up there? No. I've enough problems down here.
Mary: Oh Georgie I don't think you've got an imagination at all.
George: That man's still there.
Mary: It's not what you're thinking George. I told you I don't know him.
George: But you've seen him?
Mary: Yes. I've seen him around.
George: Do you think he's following you?Mary(startled):No, I don't think so, I hadn't thought.
George: He's been there a good while now. He's waiting for something.
Mary: Georgie stop it you're scaring me. You know I've got to go back out.
George: You don't have to.
Mary: I haven't any money Georgie.I've got to. The rent's so far behind now.
George: How far?
Mary: Weeks Georgie weeks.
George: You drank it didn't you
Mary: Don't scold George. I get enough of that as it is.
George: Why don't you give up the drink.
Mary: Look around you George. That's why.
George: Drink'll be your undoing Mary.
Mary: It's a bit late now. I'm undone.
George: Oh Mary it doesn't have to be like this
Mary: Oh Georgie I know you're sweet on me but we've neither of us any money.
George: I'll get work soon.
Mary: You say that all the time.
George: We could leave here go to the country.
Mary: And do what? We wouldn't be any better off there than here.
George: We could own a pub.
(Mary shoves George gently)
Mary: You'll never make the Halls with jokes like that.
George: And I suppose you could do better.
Mary: Sure I could. I wanted to go on the stage. I'd be grand I would. You've heard me sing I'm as good as any of them.
George: You're not bad.
Mary: Not bad indeed! I've been told I could be a professional.George: By that Landlord of yours no doubt. What's he been filling your head with.
Mary: He knows people who work in the Halls. He says if I want to he can talk to them. Put in a good word for me.
George: He's having you on Mary.
Mary: He is not. He knows talent when he sees it.
George: I didn't say you had no talent. It's that Landlord that worries me.
Mary: He's all right
George: Will you look at that. He's moved closer
Mary: What?
George: That man. He's over there now.
Mary: Oh George stop it. You really are scaring me now.
George: He's almost close enough to hear us.
Mary: He's probably waiting for somebody.
George: I don't like it. I'm sure he's looking over at us.
Mary: Oh Georgie don't, there are always people around here
George: If he comes any closer I'm going to see what he's about.
Mary: Let's not talk about it .Do you believe in ghosts Georie?
George: Ghosts? I don't know I've never met one.
Mary: Oh Georgie be serious.
George: I'll try (sits up with serious look on his face) There is that serious enough?
Mary: Sometimes Idont know why I bother with you.
George: Because I'm very good company and charming with it (winks at her)
Mary: When I was a little girl I used to see people. People that other people couldn't see.Maybe he's one of those people.
George: He looks solid enough to me and why can we both see him if you're the one who sees ghosts?
Mary: Maybe he wants us both to see him.
George: Oh Mary I do love you, you know that.
Mary: Yes I know.
(She gets up)
Mary: Well I'd best get on my way. Come and meet me at ten and we'll walk together to see the Lord Mayors Show. It'll be grand.
(Mary walks off into the darkness)
The End
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12 August 2010 at 18:22
The Last Night
Character's
Mary
George
The Stranger
The Scene
It is a cold Autumn night November 8 1888 Whitechappel in the East End of London. George is sitting waiting for Mary it is late. He is worried.
Mary suddenly appears. She is a little drunk and maudlin
Mary: Waiting for me again?
George: I could be. Where have you been so late?
Mary: Oh Georgie you know better than to ask
George: Why do you do it girl? Now of all times?
Mary: I've no other choice Georgie
George: You could spend less at the Pub
Mary(a little annoyed): You're no saint yourself
George: We're two of a kind girl.
Mary: Oh it will be grand tomorrow. All the fine clothes ,the horses. You know I used to ride in a carriage. I could have lived the grand life, if I'd wanted to.
George(teasing): Tomorrow? What's tomorrow?
Mary: Georgie! You should be ashamed of yourself. You know full well it's the Lord Mayors Show.
George (laughing) All right steady on girl. I know.
Mary: I want to be there early so I get a good spot.
George: We could go together if you like.
Mary: I suppose we could. I hope it will be a fine day. I want the sun to shine all day.
George: I could meet you in the morning call for you . We could walk together.
Mary: I did ride in a carriage you know. A lot round here don't believe me but when I first came to London I lived a very different life.
George: Who's that, over there? Do you know him?
Mary: I don't know. I've seen him a few times though.
George: Where have you seen him?
Mary: Just around Georgie just around.
George: He's not one of your (pause) acquaintances then.
Mary: No George .He is not one of my acquaintances.
George: I'm sorry.
Mary: You should have seen me when I had those fine dresses. Made especially for me they were by a fine Dressmaker. It's ever such a fuss they go to. Kept sticking pins in me! Then they told me off for not standing still. Fancy that!
George: So what happened to these fine dresses then?
Mary(hesitantly): Well we had a bit of a disagreement the Landlady and me and she wouldn't give them back. She kept my trunk with all my fine things! She was a bad woman George. I made a mistake there.
George: Never mind. Fine dresses aren't everything. I've seen those fine ladies as you call them all trussed up in their finery but they don't look any the better for it.
Mary: No. They don't. You're quite right Georgie. They think themselves so grand. Used to look down on me they did when I lived there.
George: Have you seen Joe?
Mary: Not for a while.
They sit together silently for a few moments
Mary: Look up at the stars Georgie, aren't they beautiful I could sit here and watch them all night. Do you ever wonder what's up there?
George: Up there? No. I've enough problems down here.
Mary: Oh Georgie I don't think you've got an imagination at all.
George: That man's still there.
Mary: It's not what you're thinking George. I told you I don't know him.
George: But you've seen him?
Mary: Yes. I've seen him around.
George: Do you think he's following you?Mary(startled):No, I don't think so, I hadn't thought.
George: He's been there a good while now. He's waiting for something.
Mary: Georgie stop it you're scaring me. You know I've got to go back out.
George: You don't have to.
Mary: I haven't any money Georgie.I've got to. The rent's so far behind now.
George: How far?
Mary: Weeks Georgie weeks.
George: You drank it didn't you
Mary: Don't scold George. I get enough of that as it is.
George: Why don't you give up the drink.
Mary: Look around you George. That's why.
George: Drink'll be your undoing Mary.
Mary: It's a bit late now. I'm undone.
George: Oh Mary it doesn't have to be like this
Mary: Oh Georgie I know you're sweet on me but we've neither of us any money.
George: I'll get work soon.
Mary: You say that all the time.
George: We could leave here go to the country.
Mary: And do what? We wouldn't be any better off there than here.
George: We could own a pub.
(Mary shoves George gently)
Mary: You'll never make the Halls with jokes like that.
George: And I suppose you could do better.
Mary: Sure I could. I wanted to go on the stage. I'd be grand I would. You've heard me sing I'm as good as any of them.
George: You're not bad.
Mary: Not bad indeed! I've been told I could be a professional.George: By that Landlord of yours no doubt. What's he been filling your head with.
Mary: He knows people who work in the Halls. He says if I want to he can talk to them. Put in a good word for me.
George: He's having you on Mary.
Mary: He is not. He knows talent when he sees it.
George: I didn't say you had no talent. It's that Landlord that worries me.
Mary: He's all right
George: Will you look at that. He's moved closer
Mary: What?
George: That man. He's over there now.
Mary: Oh George stop it. You really are scaring me now.
George: He's almost close enough to hear us.
Mary: He's probably waiting for somebody.
George: I don't like it. I'm sure he's looking over at us.
Mary: Oh Georgie don't, there are always people around here
George: If he comes any closer I'm going to see what he's about.
Mary: Let's not talk about it .Do you believe in ghosts Georie?
George: Ghosts? I don't know I've never met one.
Mary: Oh Georgie be serious.
George: I'll try (sits up with serious look on his face) There is that serious enough?
Mary: Sometimes Idont know why I bother with you.
George: Because I'm very good company and charming with it (winks at her)
Mary: When I was a little girl I used to see people. People that other people couldn't see.Maybe he's one of those people.
George: He looks solid enough to me and why can we both see him if you're the one who sees ghosts?
Mary: Maybe he wants us both to see him.
George: Oh Mary I do love you, you know that.
Mary: Yes I know.
(She gets up)
Mary: Well I'd best get on my way. Come and meet me at ten and we'll walk together to see the Lord Mayors Show. It'll be grand.
(Mary walks off into the darkness)
The End
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