The Invisible Woman Page #3

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DICKENS (CONT’D)

Now Maria, Mrs Ternan you know

everyone from our previous

rehearsals..

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 11.

MRS TERNAN:

Yes..Yes..I remember..Some familiar

faces. I remember.

DICKENS:

Miss Ellen may I introduce you to

our family of actors-

MR EGG[early 40’s]MR LEMON [mid 40’s] and MISS SABINE [early

30’s]smiling and shaking hands, surrounding MRS TERNAN, NELLY

and MARIA.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Mr Lemon, Mr Egg, Miss Sabine...Mr

Berger, our brilliant young

composer-

MR BERGER [mid 20’s] amongst the SWELL of welcoming actors-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Mr Evans, Mr Piggot..I would like

to introduce you to our author Mr

Collins-

DICKENS looks beyond, eyes searching with wry irritation-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

But as ever he is late..And of

course some of my own family-

MAMEY DICKENS [17 yrs] and KATEY DICKENS [16 yrs] DICKENS’

eldest daughters and GEORGINA HOGARTH [early/mid 30’s]

CATHERINE’s SISTER close by-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

My daughters Mamey, Katey and my

sister in law Miss Georgina

Hogarth. And here is-

DICKENS rounding up four boys FRANK [13 yrs], ALFRED[12 yrs],

SYDNEY [10 yrs] HENRY DICKENS [8 yrs] tapping their heads

with percussive aplomb on every name-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Frank(

tap)

Alfred(

tap)

Sydney

(tap)

Henry....

(tap)

Where is youngest boy-?

EDWARD ‘PLORN’ DICKENS [5 yrs] nervously peers out from

behind DICKENS, DICKENS mock searching behind his coat tails.

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DICKENS (CONT’D)

Plorn. Don’t hide there.

DICKENS at once scoops PLORN up in his arms, smiling. NELLY

watching enchanted, the names and faces already a blur.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

And that is it..I think..And..of

course, my wife-

Beyond, CATHERINE DICKENS [early 40’s] DICKENS’ wife, heavy

and swollen seated someway off. NELLY looks over, their eyes

briefly meeting.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Now I suggest maybe in half an

hour..Is that enough time ladies to

settle your bonnets..? - I would

like to rehearse-

DICKENS just seeing-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

...but without our author-

WILKIE COLLINS[mid 30’s] DICKENS colleague and friend running

towards him, from across the hall, tripping over his bags,

with fashionable aplomb-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Mr Collins..Who is at last here!

Why is it I am waiting for you,

Wilkie? Why must you always be

late?

COLLINS in smiling greeting, embracing DICKENS

COLLINS:

Because it irritates you, Charles,

and it amuses me to see you in bad

temper!

LAUGHTER-

11 INT. STAGE. FREE TRADE HALL. LONDON. 1857. DAY. 11

The SET and THEATRE now fully installed. A few STAGE HANDS

finishing off small bits of carpentry and adjusting set. The

set now lit with oil lamps.

The ACTORS wait on stage, finding their positions. NELLY

amongst them, ushered by MRS TERNAN into place.

Downstage, to one side, DICKENS and WILKIE in whispered

debate-

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COLLINS:

I cannot see a scene we can afford

to lose, Charles.

DICKENS pen in hand, mapping out potential cuts on a page of

the script-

DICKENS:

But it is too long. And it will

bore if it is too long. It was too

long in London and it will be too

long in Manchester. Though it pains

me... Wilkie-

DICKENS hands the script back to COLLINS, offering him a look

at his suggested cuts, his gaze direct.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Cut.Cut.Cut.

COLLINS throws his hands up exasperated but concedes, scoring

ferociously through the text with his pencil.

COLLINS:

It is done! It is done!

(hushed)

You may tell Mr Egg he has lost his

last soliloquy.

DICKENS:

(hushed)

You must do it. As author I shall

not deny you that.

COLLINS:

You are insufferable.

DICKENS scribbles more on the script, then hands it once more

back to COLLINS.

DICKENS:

And here..And here..

COLLINS:

Butcher!

DICKENS smiles, walks to centre stage to address the company

of ACTORS

DICKENS:

Now everyone please be careful.Our

little theatre is not yet

complete-

DICKENS nods to MR STANFIELD giving a finishing touch to the

set, paintbrush in hand.

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 14.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

And as we are rehearsing Miss Ellen

in today let us be considerate. I

am keen to review the last act,

just the final entry of Wardour and

Aldersly so places friends.

(directing MARIA)

Maria, if we could have you

over there.

DICKENS gently positions MARIA, moving back across the

stage-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

And-?

DICKENS’ eyes graze over NELLY mildly lost, awaiting

direction.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

We have the ladies in a group

over here. Miss Ellen..Mrs

Ternan.

MRS TERNAN:

Just over here, Nelly dearest. Mr

Dickens may I suggest the women are

positioned a little further

upstage?

DICKENS:

Yes..Let us have you here.

MRS TERNAN:

Thank you.

MRS TERNAN nods to NELLY to follow her, taking their

positions in a small cluster close by.

MARIA:

Should I stand a little wider?

DICKENS:

Yes, very good, Maria..But

not too far, for it is your

face and not mine that will

be holding the attention of

our audience I feel sure.

LAUGHTER-

DICKENS (CONT’D)

Where’s Collins?

COLLINS looks up, from his script, both actor and writer,

hurrying onto the stage.

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 15.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

I will need you standing close to

the rear if I am to carry you in,

Wilkie. You’re ready?

COLLINS:

(hurrying off)

No..Yes..Yes.

COLLINS disappears behind a flat, then puts his head

back around-

COLLINS (CONT’D)

Should you not come? I cannot

carry myself.

NELLY smiles, enjoying the banter as DICKENS disappears off

to the side of the wings.

DICKENS:

Of course..yes..Yes.

(pointing to CHARLEY)

Charley, there, relax the arms. A

little less stiff.

CHARLEY nods, taking his place, DICKENS disappearing once

more off stage.

MUTTERINGS and THEN

NELLY looking down at her part on sides of paper in her hand.

NELLY:

(aside to MRS TERNAN)

Do I speak after the gun?

SUDDENLY DICKENS enters carrying COLLINS -

MARIA:

Frank!..Frank!!

MARIA raises her hands to her face, looking suitably

alarmed.

DICKENS:

Then my line...Saved, Saved for

you!

COLLINS:

Don’t you put me down here?

DICKENS releases COLLINS, MARIA now cradling COLLINS in

her arms.

DICKENS:

He’s footsore and weary, Clara.

But I have saved him..And so

on..and so on..

Blue Revisions dated 11th June 2012 16.

DICKENS gestures for MR LEMON to step forward.

DICKENS (CONT’D)

(pointing)

Yes, there very good. Then your

line Wilkie-

COLLINS looks up as all crowd around him.

COLLINS:

Where is Wardour?! Help him!

Never mind me!

DICKENS already on the floor now, in dying pose.

DICKENS:

(to MR LEMON)

Mark, this is when you see me.

MR LEMON falls at DICKENS feet.

MR LEMON:

Wardour! Dear Wardour! Old friend

whom I have wronged, remember and

forgive me.

DICKENS:

Very good. You are forgiven.

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