The Iron Lady

1 EXT. BEACH. MARGATE. KENT. DAY. 1885. 1

The STEADY FOOTFALL OF A WOMAN’s BOOTS, sinking in wet

sand-

The RISE and FALL of a WOMAN’s breath-

MRS GEORGE WHARTON ROBINSON aka ‘NELLY’, head down consumed

by thought, etching a line across the sand, like charcoal

on paper until-

NELLY stops looking out at the endless grey Margate

coastline beyond, eyes dark and lost in some deep troubled

distraction, a sense she has walked as far as the landscape

will let her-

Heart beating, chest rising, she stands until-

She turns, head down, once more walking, as she picks up

her pace-

The swoop and call of gulls, skimming the pier,

overhead.

2 INT. SCHOOL HALL. SCHOOLHOUSE. MARGATE. DAY. 1885. 2

A school hall-

On a raised stage, a YOUNG SCHOOL BOY in fake

moustache dressed as a waiter, stands in waiting. Two

more SCHOOLBOYS, dressed in climbing costumes, sit at

a cafe table close by. A back cloth of the Swiss Alps

strung up behind. A young male teacher MR LAMBOURNE

[late 20’s] hovers distracted, clearly trying to

organise an errant backstage.

In the wings just visible, PROP MAKERS and STAGE MANAGERS

adjust collars on SCHOOLBOY ACTORS; An angelic LION [6 yrs]

waits with OTHERS, bored and tired in floormop wig and

painted nose, yawning as he peeks out to the auditorium

beyond to see-

REVEREND WILLIAM BENHAM [mid 50’s] sits, silently waiting,

in the makeshift stalls, reading through a playscript

entitled-

No Thoroughfare:
A Drama in Five Acts by Charles Dickens

and Wilkie Collins.

Beyond a small orchestra of SCHOOLBOYS just visible in a

makeshift orchestra pit; a JOLLY SCHOOLBOY PERCUSSIONIST

tightens a nut on a wide drum. A TEENAGE VIOLINIST waxes

the strings on a viola, a SCHOOLBOY OBOIST and PIANIST

quietly tune up, looking to the clock overhead.

The SENSE OF TIME TICKING ON-

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DISTANT MURMUR OF VOICES PASSING

MR GEORGE WHARTON[early 30’s] headmaster, clergyman and

husband, just visible escorting a PORTLY PARENT along a

distant corridor.

GEORGE:

Here is the theatre. The boys

always perform a short play at the

end of term, highly popular with

the parents. Theatre is an abiding

interest of my wife’s. Which of

course I delight in!

He smiles at BENHAM, a shared look of quizzical concern, a

clock ticking overhead.

GEORGE (CONT’D)

Is she still not here?

BENHAM shrugs, smiles benignly.

GEORGE (CONT’D)

Mr and Mrs Featherstone may I

introduce Mr Benham. Mr Benham is

invaluable to the school. He

assists my wife with penny readings

and other charitable events. You

will often find them in corners

plotting their next money raising

venture.

The CAST, ORCHESTRA and BENHAM wait on-

GEORGE (CONT’D)

(moving on)

Shall we move on?

3 EXT. CLIFFS. OUTSIDE SCHOOL. MARGATE. DAY. 1885.3

NELLY clambering over sandy dune seeing a small town in the

distance. She hurries on.

3A EXT. PATH. NEAR SCHOOL. MARGATE. DAY. 1885 3A

NELLY ascends a small path in the town. She walks briskly

towards a schoolhouse and enters.

4 INT. HALLWAY. SCHOOLHOUSE. MARGATE. DAY. 1885. 4

MARY, the maid carrying a tray with oil lamps on

passing GEORGE and the PORTLY PARENT heading towards

the study-

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GEORGE:

Mary, tea if you please.

MARY quietly disgruntled, slides the tray down,

turning to head back to the kitchen.

A shadowy figure just visible through the glass, NELLY on

the approach-

The SWING OF THE FRONT DOOR open, NELLY hurriedly pulling

off hat and scarf, just seeing GEORGE, closing the door of

his study-

GEORGE (CONT’D)

(hushed)

Mr Benham has been here since-

NELLY:

(nods)

Yes..Yes..I am so sorry.

GEORGE:

Mr Lambourne has been organising

the boys as best he can.

NELLY:

I lost all sense of time.

NELLY hurrying along the corridor, a sense of activity as

she passes-

NELLY (CONT’D)

(in passing)

Careful with those corners,

Langan-

A SCHOOLBOY nods, carrying a huge piece of scenery with

ANOTHER BOY follow NELLY through a distant door into-

5 INT. SCHOOLHALL. MARGATE. DAY. 1885. 5

And at once, NELLY is on-

The SCHOOLBOYS smile with relief on seeing-

NELLY:

Mr Benham I am so sorry..I am

here..I am here.

NELLY looking to the SCHOOLBOYS with a reassuring smile and

a smile of thanks to LAMBOURNE.

NELLY (CONT’D)

(to all)

Forgive me. Dear Boys.

NELLY, energy infectious, lights up the room as she enters.

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NELLY (CONT’D)

Let’s go from the third act. Mr

Benham must not see all our tricks

quite yet or there will be nothing

left to show him tomorrow.

BENHAM:

It is cold outside.

NELLY:

It is. But it clears the mind.

BENHAM:

It does. It does.

BENHAM clutches a couple of volumes of DICKENS-Great

Expectations and David Copperfield.

BENHAM (CONT’D)

It would be good to decide on the

readings before the end of term.

NELLY:

Yes..Yes of course..I am happy to

consider your suggestions. Maybe

later?

NELLY wavers, nods, smiles, turning her attention back to

the boys.

NELLY (CONT’D)

Laurenson? Tanner? Are we ready?

Good.

NELLY smiles at the SCHOOLBOY ACTORS, with encouragement.

She nods to MR LAMBOURNE.

NELLY (CONT’D)

Mr Lambourne, are you happy with

everything as it is?

LAMBOURNE nods.

NELLY (CONT’D)

(eyeing WAITER)

The moustaches works well, I

think.

SUDDENLY GEOFFREY WHARTON ROBINSON[6yrs] the angelic lion

peers from behind the wings. NELLY, eyes him

NELLY (CONT’D)

No Geoffrey, dear. Not yet. You

come in on the final line.

(hushed)

We don’t want to scare Mr Benham

just yet or he may not return.

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GEOFFREY nods, NELLY smiles, hurrying to take her place

next to BENHAM.

BENHAM:

I recall no lion in Mr Dickens

and Mr Collins Play, Mrs Wharton

Robinson.

NELLY:

A little dramatic licence. I am

confident that Mr Dickens would

have let it pass-

NELLY deflects, with a smile.

NELLY (CONT’D)

Shall we begin?

NELLY nods to an OLD STAGE MANAGER.

NELLY (CONT’D)

Yates, would you drop the backing.

The OLD STAGE MANAGER nods, hurrying to drop a scenery cloth,

revealing a mountain landscape.

The SCHOOLBOYS begin a short musical introduction. MR

LAMBOURNE indicates the pace with a nod of his head.

SCHOOL BOY 1

Well, my lads, the day is

breaking at last.

NELLY is up at once-

NELLY:

..No..the day has broken,Hadley.

On BENHAM noticing-

NELLY (CONT’D)

Lets get it right.

The EARNEST SCHOOLBOY MOUNTAINEER nods.

SCHOOL BOY 1

Well, my lads the day has broken-

NELLY consoled, offers a nod and we are away as the SCENE

BREAKS into life on the stage, as the SCHOOLBOY WAITER serves

coffee to the SCHOOLBOY MOUNTAINEERS, lost in earnest acting-

SCHOOL BOY 1 (CONT’D)

What do you say to the weather,

now?

SCHOOL BOY 2

I say the weather will do.

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SCHOOL BOY 3

I say doubtful!

SCHOOL BOY 2

I say - bad!

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