Ian buckley

For AWL reading:

Liz – Teresa Jennings

Alan – Robert Blackwood

 

Subsequently presented at Barons Court Theatre by RedNeedle Productions March 9-29th 2015, with following cast:

LIZ LEWIS - Mary Drake

ALAN BARR - Daniel Lillie

 

Synopsis:

 

Liz and Alan chance to meet at the school fete of the primary school Liz where Liz works when Alan’s fire brigade station are invited to participate. They fall in love, their love grows apace and as they become closer, their pasts hang more and more heavily...

 

Liz Lewis                      40 - works in             school office

Alan Barr                      31 - fire-fighter, local station

 

Time: the present

Style: the play weaves monologues with naturalistic scenes

Note on chronology: Liz is 40 and Alan 31 at the point where the play begins. They first met four years prior to this. The main events they recall in their monologues and 'remembered' scenes span a period of 8  years.

 

Extract Synopsis: Liz and Alan have fallen in love and  are now living together. Liz is pregnant. Out of the blue, Alan is arrested and imprisoned, accused of a truly wicked crime.

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This extract sees Liz visiting Alan in prison. They’re both  working feverishly to prove Alan’s innocence...

 

Place: a prison visiting area

 

Extract:

 

INTO ALAN'S MONOLOGUE

 

ALAN:               …I didn't know at first the girl who'd been raped and murdered was Liz's daughter. The reason I didn't was, though the girls' first names were the same, their surnames weren't. Liz's is Lewis, the dead girl's was Grant. When Liz told me her daughter used her father's name and that was Grant… (HE TRAILS OFF INTO THOUGHT) That was tough - the toughest since Mum and Dad died...

 

OUT OF ALAN'S MONOLOGUE INTO LIZ'S

 

LIZ:                    …The visits were weird. I'd sit there looking at him, wondering…then forcing myself not to.

 

OUT OF LIZ'S MONOLOGUE INTO ALAN'S

 

 

ALAN:               It was awesome. Liz was with me. She had faith in me. She kept pushing me, questioning me… 

 

 

OUT OF ALAN'S MONOLOGUE INTO SCENE AS REMEMBERED BY ALAN

 

PRISON VISITS ROOM

 

LIZ AND ALAN SEATED AS BEFORE

 

LIZ:                    …Jean says they've checked and double checked. There's no mistake.

 

ALAN:               What d'you expect? They're not going to admit it are they.

 

LIZ:                    When Jean told me that, I started to think, how could your…your…get on Amy without you knowing?

 

ALAN:               It's not worth thinking about…

 

LIZ:                    D'you want to prove you're innocent?

 

ALAN:               Of course I do.

 

LIZ:                    Then it is, it is worth it! I've got a theory. Someone planted it.

 

ALAN:               My sperm?

 

LIZ:                    It's the only way.

 

ALAN:               A pervert who wants to murder a young woman'll do anything. You worked out how?

 

LIZ:                    You were having sex with a girl. One of the ones you told me about, that used to hang round the station. The murderer was watching. He saw where you put your used durex - in a bin or something. He waited till you went then he took it. Now he could murder any girl and you'd get the blame.

 

ALAN:               That's…what a diabolical bastard. To think of something like that

 

LIZ:                    Is that what you did?

 

ALAN:               (STARTLED BY QUESTION) Is what what I did?

 

LIZ:                    Used a Durex when you slept with girls?

 

ALAN:               Yes I did. For their sake as well as mine. I always took precautions.

 

LIZ:                    …There's one thing that doesn't fit.

 

ALAN:               What?

 

LIZ:                    They've only found your sperm. If my theory's right, there'd be yours and his.

 

ALAN:               You're right. How then? How could that work…? (THINKS) Mm...yes…yes… say this man only murdered Amy? I mean say he didn't have sex with her, say that wasn't his thing. Then he used my sperm to confuse the police?

 

LIZ:                    It’s possible I suppose.

 

ALAN:               More than. Be perfect for a bastard like that. (AS IF IT'S JUST COME TO HIM) Hold on…thought of another way. Don't go mad at me alright...I'm just supposing…

 

LIZ:                    Say it please.

 

ALAN:               Just…well just say I had sex with Amy…

 

LIZ:                    Uhhhh.

 

CLAPS HER HANDS OVER HER EARS

 

ALAN:               I'm just supposing. Hear me out.

 

LIZ TAKES HER HANDS AWAY

 

LIZ:                    Quickly then.

 

ALAN:               Say Amy and me were intimate then later that day someone - another person - murdered her.

 

LIZ:                    Why would they?

 

ALAN:               A boyfriend say?

 

LIZ:                    She didn't have one.

 

ALAN:               A boy who thought he was her boyfriend then?

 

LIZ:                    She had friends who were boys - she didn't have a boyfriend.

 

ALAN:               All you need is one of these friends  who're boys to think he's her boyfriend - that's all you need. He finds out she's slept with someone, he'd feel betrayed.

 

LIZ:                    You said you never met Amy.

 

ALAN:               There were so many girls hanging round Liz…I don’t remember every name.

 

LIZ:                    You could have sex with my daughter and not remember her name?

 

ALAN:               I'm not saying I did. I'm saying if…

 

LIZ:                    Amy didn't sleep around.

 

ALAN:               She probably didn't but who would know? What does any parent know about their kid? What did my mum and dad know about me? How I was with my mates? Not a lot and thank god cos I don't think they'd've approved of some of it. 

 

 

OUT OF SCENE AS REMEMBERED BY LIZ INTO ALAN'S MONOLOGUE

 

ALAN:               Liz believed me. I saw the doubt go from her eyes. That made me feel good. My life was worth Jack shit if I didn't have Liz. I had the feeling I was winning...

 

OUT OF ALAN'S MONOLOGUE, INTO LIZ'S MONOLOGUE

 

 

LIZ:                    I wanted to believe him, I really did but something was nagging away - making me question, making me doubt, making me worry…  

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END OF EXTRACT