The Iron Lady Page #5

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Ladies and gentleman may we welcome

our newcomer, Miss Ellen who is

helping us in our hour of need.

(to NELLY)

We wish your sister Frances well.

Is it the Haymarket or Phoenix we

have lost her to?

NELLY:

The Haymarket. She is so sad not to

be here.

MRS TERNAN:

But Nelly will give you a wonderful

performance-

DICKENS:

I have no doubt.

DICKENS smiles, the MEMBERS of the company on the approach,

welcoming. DICKENS, in a spiral of energy, enthusiastically

enjoying the performance of these introductions-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Now Maria, Mrs Ternan you know

everyone from our previous

rehearsals..

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 11.

MRS TERNAN:

Yes..Yes..I remember..Some familiar

faces. I remember.

DICKENS:

Miss Ellen may I introduce you to

our family of actors-

MR EGG[early 40’s]MR LEMON [mid 40’s] and MISS SABINE [early

30’s]smiling and shaking hands, surrounding MRS TERNAN, NELLY

and MARIA.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Mr Lemon, Mr Egg, Miss Sabine...Mr

Berger, our brilliant young

composer-

MR BERGER [mid 20’s] amongst the SWELL of welcoming actors-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Mr Evans, Mr Piggot..I would like

to introduce you to our author Mr

Collins-

DICKENS looks beyond, eyes searching with wry irritation-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

But as ever he is late..And of

course some of my own family-

MAMEY DICKENS [17 yrs] and KATEY DICKENS [16 yrs] DICKENS’

eldest daughters and GEORGINA HOGARTH [early/mid 30’s]

CATHERINE’s SISTER close by-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

My daughters Mamey, Katey and my

sister in law Miss Georgina

Hogarth. And here is-

DICKENS rounding up four boys FRANK [13 yrs], ALFRED[12 yrs],

SYDNEY [10 yrs] HENRY DICKENS [8 yrs] tapping their heads

with percussive aplomb on every name-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Frank(

tap)

Alfred(

tap)

Sydney

(tap)

Henry....

(tap)

Where is youngest boy-?

EDWARD ‘PLORN’ DICKENS [5 yrs] nervously peers out from

behind DICKENS, DICKENS mock searching behind his coat tails.

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 12.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Plorn. Don’t hide there.

DICKENS at once scoops PLORN up in his arms, smiling. NELLY

watching enchanted, the names and faces already a blur.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

And that is it..I think..And..of

course, my wife-

Beyond, CATHERINE DICKENS [early 40’s] DICKENS’ wife, heavy

and swollen seated someway off. NELLY looks over, their eyes

briefly meeting.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Now I suggest maybe in half an

hour..Is that enough time ladies to

settle your bonnets..? - I would

like to rehearse-

DICKENS just seeing-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

...but without our author-

WILKIE COLLINS[mid 30’s] DICKENS colleague and friend running

towards him, from across the hall, tripping over his bags,

with fashionable aplomb-

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