All About 'Abigail's Party' Page #7

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my hair done, whatever, the money is there.

But apart from that, it's just boring.

Know what I mean?

- I think that comes from being married, though.

- Do you?

- The fun wears off.

- Yeah.

- (ANGE) Everything all right down there?

- I think so.

- How many's at the party, then?

- I didn't stop to count them!

This is my glass.

- It's all right, is it?

- Yes!

Oh, I'm sorry, Sue. Yes.

Yes, I went in and had a few words with them.

Everything seems to be all right.

Where's Tony got to?

You'd better ask him when he gets back.

- Did you see Abigail?

- I certainly did.

- Is she all right?

- I think so.

- Where is he?

- I don't know. I'm not his keeper!

- Did you talk to her?

- I asked her to turn the music down, yes.

- He's stayed at the party!

- Was she upset?

I don't think so.

He's probably being raped, Ange,

by a load of 15-year-old schoolgirls!

- Lucky them!

- Listen, I'll tell you something,

at least they had a bit of taste -

they didn't pick him!

I hope he's being a bit more enthusiastic

than when I leap on him!

- Is he one of those?

- Yes, he turns over!

- I've met those before!

- That's enough, Beverly!

- Christ, Laurence, as soon as I enjoy myself...

- Can't you see you're embarrassing Sue?

- I'm sorry, Sue. I didn't mean to embarrass you.

- That's all right.

Sue, it was only a little joke.

- Sue's not been feeling too good, anyway.

- What's the problem, Sue?

- She's been vomiting!

- Thank you, Beverly! Sue can speak for herself.

She's had a few too many gin and tonics,

and you've not had any tea, have you?

- No.

- Hasn't she, Ange?

- No.

- Like one of these?

Laurence, she doesn't want that

on an empty stomach!

- A sandwich, would you like a sandwich?

- She doesn't want a sandwich!

Well, I want a sandwich!

- Do you want a sandwich, yes or no?

- No! Thank you.

OK, fine!

I hope it chokes you!

What did you say, Beverly?

- Oh, my God! I'm gonna get stabbed!

- Don't tempt me!

Well, go on, then, do it!

Laurence, would you please

go back in the kitchen

and finish making

your little sandwich, all right?

- Sure you don't want a sandwich, Sue?

- Yes, thank you.

Fine.

(DOORBELL)

- Everything all right?

- What do you mean?

- I wondered where you'd got to.

- I wondered where YOU'D got to.

Come in.

What's that for?

I'm making a sandwich. Go in.

- Where have you been?

- Southend.

- Did you enjoy yourself?

- Wonderful.

Where have you been?

Laurence has been back ages.

- It's OK. Nothing to worry about.

- Good. Not too rowdy?

- No.

- Thank you.

- Like a drink?

- Please.

- What would you like?

- Light ale, please.

- A little Bacardi to go with it?

- No, thanks.

- Are you sure?

- Yeah.

- Are you all right?

- Yeah.

Great.

- Was Abigail all right?

- I think so.

- You saw her?

- I didn't see her, but I think she's OK.

- Tone?

- Ta.

- Your shirt's wet.

- What is it?

- Nothing.

- It's soaking wet.

- What were you doing?

- Nothing! Get off!

Bumped into somebody accidentally.

Nothing to worry about.

- Want to sit down, Tone?

- Ta.

Laurence didn't come back

with his shirt all wet, did he?

I don't think you two have been to the same party!

'Course we have! What are you talking about?

- Lay off her, Tone. She's only having a joke.

- See what I mean?

- What?

- Are you all right, Sue?

- Yes, but I think I should see Abigail myself.

- No. Sue, please don't go down there.

Listen to me, Sue. You know what Abigail's like.

She'll only shout at you and make you upset.

Please, Sue, sit down.

Sue, Tony has only just come back.

- It was all right, wasn't it?

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- Nothing to worry about.

- Are you sure?

- Yeah.

Yeah.

Now, come on, Sue. Sit down.

That's it!

Tell you what I'll do.

I'll put a little record on for us all, eh?

Then we can all have a listen to that.

Now, let's see what we've got.

Ooh, I'll tell you what, Sue.

Do you like Tom Jones?

- He's all right.

- He's great, isn't he? Do you like him, Ange?

- Yes.

- Yeah, he's fabulous!

Now, we'll put this on for Sue.

Is Abigail always having parties?

- No.

- Oh.

- Ready, Ange?

- Mmm.

(MUSIC:
"IT'S NOT UNUSUAL")

Oh, isn't he great?

I won't be a sec, I'm just going to the toilet.

#... to be loved by anyone

# It's not unusual to have fun with anyone

# But when I see you hanging about with anyone

# It's not unusual to see me cry

# I wanna die

# It's not unusual to go out at any time

# But when I see you out and about

it's such a... #

(BARELY AUDIBLE)

- That's better. Now we can hear ourselves think.

- Do you want to sit here?

- No, thanks.

- Come on!

- No, thanks.

- Steady!

Seen a few changes

since you've been here, Sue?

Not really, no.

Come on, Sue.

Surely you must have seen some changes.

New houses on the other side of Raven's Way.

Yes, the houses. But what about people?

What about them?

The class of people.

Don't you think that's changed?

- Not really, no.

- The tone of the area, don't you feel it's altered?

- Not particularly.

- You don't think it's gone down?

No.

And you, Tony, come on!

- What do you think, eh?

- I wouldn't know, would I?

Oh, no, of course not.

- You've just moved in, haven't you?

- Yes.

- Yeah.

- Yeah.

- A drink?

- No, thank you.

- Angela?

- Mmm, please!

- It's more mixed, that's all.

- Mixed?

Yes, I suppose you could say it was mixed.

- More cosmopolitan.

- Nothing wrong with that.

- Oh, you don't think so?

- No.

Well, that's a matter of opinion.

- Would you like another drink?

- I'm on soda water.

- Fine. Would you like more soda water?

- Thank you.

We like to keep our guests happy.

- Do you read, Tony?

- Sometimes.

- Sue?

- Thank you.

- And just what do you read?

- All sorts.

"All sorts."

- You know Shakespeare?

- Not personally.

- I read it at school.

- At school.

- Well, I have the complete works here.

- They're a lovely set, aren't they?

Yes, they are very well bound.

- They're embossed in gold.

- Mmm, really nice.

Sue...

Very nice.

Part of our heritage.

'Course, they're not something

you can actually read.

- Your house is a lot older than ours.

- Yes.

- Sue, 1936, yes?

- I'm not sure. I know it was built before the war.

- I thought so.

- (ANGE) There's nothing wrong with an old house.

There's some quite nice ones.

I like old and I like new.

I like the Tudor houses...

- All right, Sue?

- Fine, thanks.

- You don't feel sick again?

- No.

- No?

- It's settling.

- (LAURENCE AND ANGE CONVERSE)

- All right, Tone?

Yes, thank you.

- Great.

- Do you know the Belvedere Hotel?

- Yes, I do.

- Originally on that site stood a Tudor mansion.

- Did there?

- The official residence...

- Another drink?

- Ta.

...They owned...

- Angela, another drink?

I've seen to the drinks, thank you, Beverly.

Sorry, it's just that I can't hear

through two brick walls.

Yes, it was all part of the Belvedere Estate.

Laurence, would you turn that record UP, please?

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