(She finally turns around and is shocked to see him leaving): wait! Wait! (Running to him crying) don’t leave like this (she runs and embraces him) (kisses her son on the fore head): remember to write to me… you better go now (in anguish)
(Sounding reassuring) ill be fine and I will come back! I promise!
(Walks of stage)
Act One, Scene Two
Freeze frame 1: Two soldiers aiming guns at each other one on the left stage and the other on the right staged
Freeze frame 2: a man lying dead in another mans arms centre stage.
Freeze frame 3: a postman handing a letter to MS. PERN.
Act One, Scene Three
Starts from the last freeze frame and flows into action
(Handing a letter): Here you are Miss
(Taking the letter quickly): Thank you (starts to open it anxiously
While going to sit down on the large chair)
(Spins around and forms the new character of TOM PERN
Stays right staged)
(They both Talk in unison with their backs to each other TOM
uses a writing action and his mother a reading action)
“ All that that is left is to wait and work and hope”, “but I am
Coming back…” “Let it always be when and not if” (scene ends frozen.)
Roland’s Diary
20 September: Today one of my nightmares came true…Louis Belington was shot and died instantaneously he was only one gap away from me, and all I could do was just stand there terrified, my eyes were playing tricks I thought how could this atrocity happen before my eyes if only I had done something or acted sooner I might have saved him…its all just a bitter game of what if, I can still smell his blood on my hands I cant seem to wash it off … today i’ve found out that war isn’t for me I cant keep confronting death and I know I cant keep dodging it. I can feel it. I know i’m next to go; perhaps I should go and write my goodbye letters to other and Julie.
2 October: I received a letter from Julie today telling me that mother has been very ill for weeks and her condition is getting most awful. When I left I thought I would only me gambling my life but why didn’t I think about mother she always relied on me for help, and now she’s going to die well if everyone’s going then why should I bother to stay alive I don’t want to live any more i’ve seen to much my life’s never going to be the same.
Script
I’m going to write the script on the improvisation I did of positive a reason to leave home.
Act One, Scene One
A large sitting room. To the left of the stage a television that’s on against the wall a large 3 seated sofa centre back stage and on the right sided wall of the stage a door.
(A loud excited shout is heard)
(Entering hastily through the door): dad its here the mails arrived (now singing): ooh yeah the mail is here! Ooh yeah the mail is here
(Gets up from the sofa and quickly turns the television off): shut up and open It (in a breathless voice): come on quickly!!!
(Dramatically HENRY shields his eyes): nah dad I can’t look at it you read it.
(Shakes his head disapprovingly): blimey give it here you little nancy (he rips open the letter quickly and scans the writing for a few seconds, and in a slow hesitant voice he states): dear Mr. Henry wave we are… we are …. Blimey I cant seem to make out this word seem to be smudged
(Shouting furiously) DAAAD!!! (He runs over to his father and reads the letter with his father still in view to also read it): (in a stunned voice) we are pleased to inform you! YEEEEES!!! YEEEES!
(Henry and jimmy both start screaming in high pitched happy voices and jump around the room, they then catch a glimpse of each other and start to speak in over the top masculine voices)
Its good dad!
Yeah its good son! (Jabbing his son on the shoulder): oh Henry you bloody well deserve this you know i've never seen anyone work as hard as you have (in a serious tone): you’re a big man now (Henry stands straight and sticks his chest out)
And your going to be leaving very soon so i’ve got to tell you a few things (awkwardly) you know dad things first lesson never let anyone take advantage of you, cause people will try to when they see a fresh mugg number 2 work hard and keep your head down (HENRY takes this literally and looks down) and lesson 3 never ever and I mean never ever forget your old man!!! (Looks at Henry affectionately and laughs): all right nancy you better start packing then (HENRY runs out excitedly whilst JIMMY is left on stage and ends with a freeze)
It’s b
This is my diary entry from the father in the leaving home script
I t’s been my first night since Henry left for university. I Cant believe he’s grown up so much, I never thought I would say it… but he’s still like my little ‘Henners’, who I played footy with every Saturday … and now … now he’s his own man and I guess that’s what makes me his old man, huh, I just didn’t think I would feel so bloody lonely without him, in fact I reckoned it would be good for me to have my own space and time for myself maybe start pulling a few birds here and there, but with Margaret gone and now him the house suddenly seems too big, too hollow, I never realised how his bloody annoying music was such a comfort. There’s nothing I can do apart from start making my own life and I guess ill see him on the weekends… if only he knew how soft his old dad has become.
Monologue
This is my monologue of one of the workers on the Ben More
(Stops scrubbing) Finally done, huh, what a long day (sniggers) odd job man more like odd 12-job man. (Looking around says) my home now a lot more colder and cant say much about the company, bloody Scots, call me English dandy when they wear skirts, look at me I’m a daft idiot who’s talking to himself, ah well, I better get used to it I’m going to be here for a long while... At least another 8 months, until I step on the dry earth called Indonesia. Indonesia the place wear I’m going to make my fortune, fine rare marrot silk and exotic fruits, and then I’ll come back home with my pockets weighed down and no more ‘Tony get on with your work or you wont have any’ and no more desperate Tony who cant afford anything and is looked down on by everyone, I can say farewell to that Tony and get more acquainted with the Anthony i’ve been so longing to be, the, would you like anything Mr. Anthony Simmons or can I help you Mr. Anthony Simmons the Anthony who everyone wants to meet and make friends with … oh how I cant wait.
