Prick Up Your Ears Page #4

This is his diary.

He keeps going into shorthand, you see.

It was a long time ago, dear.

I never got the diploma.

"Woke up late. Did not go to school.

Told Mom I felt sick.

"When she'd gone to work,

I listened to Housewives' Choice."

"Then went into Mom's bedroom...

"and arranged the dressing table mirrors...

"and had a lovely, long, slow...

"wink."

"Wink." You sure that's an "i"?

No, dear, Im not sure at all.

"Read all morning...

"but got another hard-on.

"Just putting soap on it when Mom came in.

"Said I thought I had a spot coming.

"Mom quiet all through meal."

I should think so.

Does he go on like this?

No, the early ones stopped

just when his life got interesting.

Sounds quite interesting already.

- Where's John?

- He's gone to Leicester to see the sister.

To look at the house

where Joe was brought up.

Hello.

Was this the Orton house?

Is this the...

- Im English. Ask me.

- Was this the house that Orton...

I hated that house.

There was no love in it.

No wonder he couldn't wait to get out.

In those days, if you were from Leicester

and wanted to be an actor...

you had to get rid of your accent.

Not that Mom knew anything

about the acting.

- She just wanted John to talk posh.

- You still call him John.

That was his name when we were little.

It was after he was famous, he was Joe.

- Mrs. Lambert?

- Madame Lambert.

- You are anxious to improve your diction?

- Yes, Madame Lambert.

What is your chosen field?

- I want to be an actor.

- Indeed.

Leicester has produced some fine actors.

Leicester is the hometown

of Richard Attenborough.

Tea.

Movement, elocution,

all these I can teach you.

The arts proper to the stage.

How to smoke a cigarette

with poise, elegance...

and, above all, conviction.

The powder compact

as a means of expression.

Go to any production in the West End...

and you will see these arts

brought to a pitch of perfection.

But all that is as nothing...

without the one essential requirement.

- I have the money.

- Money? Pish!

Im not speaking of money.

Im speaking of talent.

Judging by what you've read,

you have no talent.

No talent whatsoever.

- I still want to learn.

- Bravo!

No marks for talent.

Full marks for Dunkirk spirit.

Bloody plays.

Mom didn't have much of a horizon.

She'd have liked him a civil servant.

A suit every day of his life.

Next time, tell them

to provide you with a costume!

Using our bedspread. Wicked!

You'll clean it!

Coloring it with distemper.

Ruined, bloody ruined.

I bet Dirk Bogarde

didn't distemper his mother's bedspread!

Bloody disgusting.

And get some clothes on.

Walking around like Sambo.

Don't know where to look.

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