The Dressmaker Page #7

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Why not your own mother?

Mother...

That's right. Something smart.

Suitable for entertaining.

And I want you to eat, Myrtle.

I met your father when I was 20.

I was very naive.

You don't remember him

coming to the house?

- No.

- Oh. (CHUCKLES)

Well, I wasn't naive enough

to marry him.

He didn't talk to you much.

You weren't a son, you know?

I thought he'd just leave us in peace.

Marigold.

Her father was the shire president,

and when he died,

he left all his money to her.

Well, Evan just...

swept her off her feet.

Poor Marigold.

He, um...

He had you sent away to hurt me.

I came back...

- I came back...

- For me.

'Cause you thought I needed you.

But really, it was you that needed me.

ELSBETH:
Oh! You've put on

a lovely spread, Molly.

And you've decorated!

MOLLY:
Cocktail snacks

and cucumber sandwiches cut real thin.

It's the Dungatar social committee.

Do you remember

the summer eisteddfod?

Dungatar is doing Macbeth.

And they want you to do

the costumes. Poor old Una.

No, Una's been cast as Lady Macbeth.

She can't possibly be both

lead actress and seamstress.

MOLLY:
Of course not.

Cocktail snack?

Myrtle, the town will never forget.

But they might forgive

if you were to win us the eisteddfod.

- ELSBETH:
Trudy's the director.

- Who?

Me. Oh, everyone calls me Trudy now.

We have some ideas

about what we want.

Thank you, Trudy.

This is baroque.

Well, it is Shakespeare.

You have heard of him?

"Double, double toil and trouble,."

"Fire burn, and cauldron bubble."

"Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the cauldron boil and bake!"

Oh, plays are such fun.

They bring out the best and the worst

in people, don't you think?

So it's... all settled, then!

No.

Hmm.

She means it'll cost you.

Cash. Up front.

Or you will just have to wait

another year...

I'd rather die than make one costume

for those vile idiots!

How could you...

How could you invite them up here?!

- They left you to rot!

- But I'm still alive.

They sent me away from you.

But now you're back.

Stop it.

Stop it. Stop it.

Stop it.

(TILLY SOBS)

It nearly killed me

when they sent you away.

But I ended up hoping

you'd never come back

to this dreadful place.

You were better off away from here.

You would have been stuck

hiding with me on the top of this hill

if you hadn't been sent away.

But instead, you can create.

You can... transform people.

That's very powerful.

Use it.

Use it against them.

I have a plan, Myrtle.

Oh! You're looking lovely, Molly.

You're blind, Irma.

No. She does work magic, my girl.

But she needs money

to get started again.

That's why this letter

has got to get to Winyerp.

If I take it to the post office,

the bastards won't send it.

And go easy on them cakes, Irma.

I made them a little bit stronger

than she would have.

She's young, you know?

She doesn't understand pain

like we do.

Goodbye, old friend.

Oh!

(SQUAWKING)

(BREATH ES HEAVILY)

(BREATHES RAPIDLY)

MURIEL:
Molly?

' Molly! " Ooh!"

MURIEL:
Oh. Alvin!

God. She must have broken

something when she fell.

Can we give her anything

for the pain?

You can't do anything for a stroke.

It's God's will.

But... but she's in pain!

She'll be in a coma soon

and she'll be dead by morning.

You vile old man!

It's alright.

Mum? Oh, God.

Mum. Mum, it's alright.

It's alright, Mum.

It's alright.

Oh, God.

Poor Molly.

(MUSIC BLARES)

(YELLING)

FARRAT:
(DRUNKENLY)

Alright, I'll change it.

- (MUSIC STOPS)

- Don't upset yourself, Till.

TILLY:
She would have hated

that one. She would have hated it.

FARRAT:
(SINGS) And now

you're going to tell your missus

When you get home

Who you were with last night...

Oh, you don't like it? I'll take it off.

All these... songs...

are corruptive and pornographic.

No wonder poor Molly got into trouble.

It's all the fault of...

of persuasive popular song

and... and a lecher.

There'll be no more...

(SOBS)

There'll be no more... singing.

Molly's dead, they're alive,

and I have to suffer!

(BEULAH SCREAMS)

Now, Beulah...

the conductor will make

an announcement

when you reach Melbourne,

where a nurse will take you

to the sanatorium.

I mean... specialist.

Beulah says she tripped

dumping rubbish at the tip,

but Prudence reckons

she'd been drinking.

And Gert... l mean Trudy says...

Drunkenness is a sin!

And God has punished her.

Irma, the cushion!

Argh! I can't stop!

Argh!

(SPLASH!)

Are you OK, Mrs A?! Love?

Mmm. Mm.

It was her!

Her on the hill!

I know this smell!

It's hashish!

I'm telling Mayor Pettyman!

Tilly drugged Mrs A.

She is going to jail for this!

(KNOCKING)

Tilly Dunnage?

We received your letter.

- My letter?

- And we accept.

Ace...

Accept what?

Your rather extravagant terms,

but you are the best.

- "Winyerp Drama Club..."

- That's us!

We want you

to make our costumes.

Oh.

And isn't that your signature?

Uh...

"Tilly Dunnage,

beloved daughter of..."

Oh.

(SIGHS)

Horry, wouldn't you be

more comfortable in uniform?

No. I've always hated slum.

But I adore marijuana cakes

and hash lamingtons,

which I... bake

and unlawfully supply

to my fellow dope fiends.

In addition to my drug dealing,

I'm also guilty of perversion,

which I hope these signed

personal sketches...

- TILLY:
Sergeant Farrat!

- ..will make abundantly clear.

Oh, my God!

Tilly, it seems fate has

caught up with me at last.

But... but... you didn't do anything.

Yes, I did.

To you, 25 years ago.

Perhaps I can finally make it right.

I'm glad to have met you,

Tilly Dunnage.

You've enriched my life beyond words.

Come on, Horry.

But...

French marigolds.

What do you want?

To tell you a story.

Pet?

Pet. (SIGHS)

Are you ill?

I was ill, Evan.

You were making me ill.

But Tilly Dunnage has cured me.

You followed Molly here

and used her.

Just like you used me.

You've had lots of affairs,

haven't you, Evan?

She murdered Stewart.

Did you know that?

Your new friend.

You mean Tilly,

your daughter,

murdered your son?

If it weren't for him, I would never

have had to marry you.

You're a monster!

Fall down, Marigold. Faint.

Eh? Have one of your

bloody headache fits!

You stole all my money!

You're unstable.

You're drug-dependent.

And the doctor knows all about you.

- Certifiable.

- That's right.

And I could have you committed

any time I want!

(SCREAMS)

Jesus!

Oh! Oh!

Marigold, this is very wrong!

Yes. But I'm unstable.

Everybody knows that.

Just like they know about you

and Una Pleasance.

Oh, God!

They'll understand completely...

Oh, please, just...

eventually.

Please! I'm sorry!

I'm sorry! Please, Marigold, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry!

Not as sorry as I am.

Oh, f***.

Whose idea were these

stupid f***ing costumes?

How dare you?!

You're just a common...

She knows exactly

what you think she is.

Trudy, control your cast.

- Oh, shut up!

- Gertrude...

- Trudy!

- Trudy.

Or I'll tell everybody

what you're really like!

WOMAN:
Oh, here they come.

TRUDY:
Elsbeth, you are fired!

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