One Chance Page #11

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JULZ (CONT’D)

What is he saying?

PAUL:

Nessun dorma. None shall sleep. Calaf has

been rejected by the woman he loves, a

princess.

Kisses him again as she starts removing her dress.

66.

JULZ:

What’s it always have to be a princess?

Why can’t checkout girls have great love

stories written about them?

(re:
her dress)

Give us a hand.

PAUL:

If she can guess his name by dawn, she

gets to call off the wedding and chop his

head off.

JULZ:

I like that bit.

PAUL:

(translating)

...my secret is hidden within me. None

will know my name. On your mouth I will

say it when the light shines.

She removes her undergarments and stands before him,

naked.

PAUL (CONT’D)

And my kiss will dissolve the silence

that makes you mine.

JULZ:

So kiss me.

PAUL:

I’ve never done this before.

She nods, knowingly, then helps him remove his shirt.

JULZ:

So what happens to them?

PAUL:

Well, she tortures all of his friends who

refuse to reveal his name, but when dawn

comes, he kisses her and she falls-

JULZ:

--madly in love with him.

She pulls him down onto the bed as we linger on the

gramophone and...

FADE TO BLACK.

67.

INT. BATH UNIVERSITY THEATER - DAY

Where an impressive Egyptian temple backdrops the stage

filled with PERFORMERS in ancient Egyptian and Ethiopian

costumes.

Paul appears at the center of the company, carrying his

own with great gusto.

The Choirmaster conducts the orchestra, very pleased with

what he hears. A pastiche of music from the opera plays

over...

INT. CAR PHONE WAREHOUSE - DAY

Paul hangs a poster for the opera in the front window,

indicating two weeks until the premiere. Welcomes a

CUSTOMER with a smile and spring in his step and begins

discussing various phone options.

EXT. PORT TALBOT - EVENING

Paul rides his bicycle home, arms spread wide as he belts

out a soaring high C5 note. A passing car honks in reply.

INT. PAUL & JULZ TINY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Where they sit over dinner, talking happily. She says

something flirty and he dives over the table to kiss her,

not a trace of shyness.

INT. BATH UNIVERSITY THEATER - DAY

Paul sings the aria Celeste Aida. A DIRECTOR offers him

some stage direction, which Paul executes beautifully. At

the end, he takes a deep breath, scratches his side.

INT. BACKSTAGE - DAY

Paul makes another attempt at stage makeup, but he’s still

hopelessly crap.

INT. RECORDING STUDIO - DAY

Where Paul and the other leads sing into microphones as

the Choirmaster and DIRECTOR huddle with an ENGINEER.

EXT. BATH UNIVERSITY THEATER - NIGHT

Paul leaves through the Artists’ Entrance, laughing with

his fellow performers.

He passes a flyer taped to a streetlight pole: “Two Days

To Premiere.”

68.

INT. CAR PHONE WAREHOUSE - DAY

Paul enters the empty store.

PAUL:

Hallo? Brad?

He hears sniffling in the back. Passes through the curtain

to-

INT. CAR PHONE WAREHOUSE, BACK ROOM - DAY

--find Braddon, dressed in full elfish wizard regalia

taking slugs from a bottle of bright green alcohol in

between chest-heaving sobs.

PAUL:

What’s happened?

BRADDON:

It’s over. I’m finished with the lot of

it.

PAUL:

Your ears are coming off?

BRADDON:

What? Oh.

Off Paul’s gesture, he pulls his half-hanging, pointy

elvish ears off and throws them in the trash.

PAUL:

Shall I leave you alone?

BRADDON:

So there I am, right in the heart of

Morgol Forest, having blasted my way

through an army of Hobgoblins using a

spectacular array of spellcraft. When

whom do I see with her tongue down the

throat of some bloody hippogriff?

PAUL:

Oh no.

BRADDON:

As if unicorns and hippogriffs could ever

be together. You can look it up, it’s

genetically impossible!

PAUL:

I believe you.

69.

BRADDON:

(offering the bottle)

Creme de Menthe?

PAUL:

The show opens tomorrow.

BRADDON:

Rejected again.

PAUL:

All right. Just a nip then.

He takes a small swig, wincing as it goes down, holds his

hand to his side which burns...

CUT TO:

INT. PAUL & JULZ TINY APARTMENT - NIGHT

Julz enters, wearing her pharmacy uniform.

JULZ:

Hal-oo? Radames? Wherefor art thou?

She sets some shopping bags down on the tiny kitchen

counter. Sees the television’s on, so he must be home...

JULZ (CONT’D)

Paul?

Suddenly, Paul emerges from the bathroom, doubled over and

clutching his side in enormous pain...

JULZ (CONT’D)

Oh my god.

PAUL:

Something’s wrong.

CUT TO:

INT. PRINCESS OF WALES HOSPITAL, EMERGENCY ROOM - NIGHT

The doors fly open as a team of EMS workers wheel Paul in

on a gurney with Julz following nervously behind them.

Dr. Thorpe is almost completely gray.

DR. THORPE

What’ve we got?

(recognizes Paul)

What, you again?

70.

PAUL:

Bloody Creme de Menthe.

EMS WORKER:

Lower abdominal pain. Fever. Nausea.

DR. THORPE

Appendix. Triage two, please.

(to Paul)

You might qualify for our frequent flier

membership.

INT. PRINCESS OF WALES HOSPITAL, WAITING ROOM - NIGHT

Where Julz waits with Yvonne as Dr. Thorpe enters.

DR. THORPE

Well, the good news is, it’s got nothing

to do with the Creme de Menthe.

JULZ:

And the not good news?

CUT TO:

INT. TRIAGE ROOM TWO - NIGHT

As Dr. Thorpe flips on a lightboard, revealing an x-ray of

Paul’s abdomen.

DR. THORPE

The appendix hasn’t ruptured, yet.

YVONNE:

Thank god.

DR. THORPE

Yes definitely, although it’ll have to

come out I’m afraid.

JULZ:

When?

DR. THORPE

How’s four o’clock suit you?

PAUL:

I can’t.

JULZ:

His opera opens tomorrow night.

DR. THORPE

Oh, fantastic. Which one?

71.

PAUL:

Aida.

DR. THORPE

Oh, is that the Madonna one? Wonderful

performance that. I’m afraid singing’s

quite out of the question.

PAUL:

I’m the lead. They’re counting on me.

DR. THORPE

An appendectomy is invasive surgery. If

we leave it in it’s sure to rupture and

he could die. Take it out and any great

effort, like singing for instance, you’re

liable to burst the stitches and cause

irreparable damage to the kidneys or

diaphragm.

PAUL:

How irreparable?

DR. THORPE

It’s possible that singing...wouldn’t be

possible.

YVONNE:

Well, that’s that then.

Paul and Julz exchange looks.

CUT TO:

EXT. BATH UNIVERSITY THEATER - NIGHT

Lit up with banners and posters displaying the names of

the cast including Paul.

INT. BATH UNIVERSITY THEATER, BACKSTAGE - NIGHT

Where Paul warms up his vocal chords while bathing them in

the output from a clothing steamer.

PAUL:

Neeee, nayyyy, nahhhh, noooo, nuuuu.

(up an octave)

Neeee, nayyyy, nahhhh, noooo, nuuuu.

He removes his shirt revealing an enormous post-surgical

bandage across his stomach.

72.

INT. BATH UNIVERSITY THEATER - NIGHT

As Julz, Yvonne and Roland take their seats.

ROLAND:

It’s right stupid, if you ask me.

YVONNE:

Do shut up, Roland. The least we can do

is support him, no matter how

insufferably daft he’s being.

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