The Secret of Crickley Hall

Episode 1

SHOOTING SCRIPT:

Pink Revisions

15/03/12

ii.

Copyright of BBC Drama Production

The sending of this script does not constitute an offer

of a contract for any part herein.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 1.

1 EXT. CRICKLEY HALL - 1943 DAY 1 1

Six year old STEFAN runs from the big grey stone slab ofCrickley Hall, more institutional than residential.

Children singing.

CHILDREN:

On the farm no poor rabbitComes to harm because I grab itThey jump and frolic whenever I go byThey know I help 'em to dodge the rabbitpie!

A figure grabs him by the collar and lifts him off his feet.

Stefan kicks wildly in mid-air as he pivots to face his

tormenter. Terrified that it might be:

AUGUSTUS CRIBBEN. We don’t see his face yet.

CRIBBEN O.S.

You’re mine.

Stefan screams.

2 INT. GABE’S BEDROOM - DAY 1 2

EVE wakes up with a start, next to her husband GABE, stillsleeping. She gets out of bed. Present day London.

3 INT. CAM’S BEDROOM - DAY 1 3

Eve opens the door to her son’s bedroom. CAM is the same ageas the boy in her dream. He’s sitting on the end of his bed,

rubbing his eyes. She sits next to him.

EVE:

Me too. What was yours?

CAM:

I can’t remember.

EVE:

Maybe it was my dream and you picked itup. Sorry.

CAM:

Why can’t we have our own dreams?

EVE:

I know! Do you want some milk?

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 2.

Coffee.

CAM:

EVE:

You’re not getting coffee.

CAM:

Really milky coffee.

4 EXT. GABE’S HOUSE - DAY 1 4

The bedroom light comes on.

5 INT. GABE’S BEDROOM - DAY 1 5

GABE turns over and reaches for Eve. Makes grumpy noises inhis half-sleep.

6 INT. GABE’S KITCHEN - DAY 1 6

Eve is on her laptop in the kitchen, eating cereal.

There are several windows open on her screen showing amarking database. A pile of homework books next to it.

GABE:

Why, love?

EVE:

Oh I’m sorry. Go back to bed.

GABE:

Can’t you just wing it?

EVE:

Never seen you wing it.

GABE:

It’s a bit tricky with structural

engineering. No-one dies if you skim abit.

EVE:

You haven’t met their parents.

Gabe hugs her and tries to lift her out of her chair.

GABE:

You’re working too hard. Even for you.

EVE:

Let me get through open day and I’m yours

for the weekend.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 3.

Gabe sees Cam playing with the dog Clyde.

EVE (cont’d)

I woke up so he woke up.

CAM:

We’ve got work.

GABE:

You know you don’t have to copy

everything your Mum does. He’s going to

be wrecked the whole day.

EVE:

You don’t say!

INT. CAM’S BEDROOM - DAY 1 7

Gabe dumps Cam on his bed.

CAM:

Let’s play bombs!

GABE:

What’s bombs? I can’t keep up.

Cam pulls Gabe over to his lego construction. It’s a house.

Impressively constructed for a five year old.

GABE (cont’d)

That’s a pretty solid job there my man.

You know where you get that from don’t

you.

Cam retrieves a bowling ball from under the bed and totters

towards the lego house with it.

GABE (cont’d)

Oi monkey I’ve been looking for that.

Gabe watches bemused, winces.

GABE (cont’d)

You’re going to drop that on your toe -

Gabe tries to intercept him but Cam waves him off,

determined. Cam drops the bowling ball on his lego house,

exploding it utterly. Shouting:

CAM:

Bomb!

The multicolored bricks scattered over the carpet. Gabe nods,

solemnly.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 4.

GABE:

Good game.

8 INT. LOREN’S BEDROOM - DAY 1 8

Gabe is trying to wake his eleven year old daughter LOREN.

GABE:

Last warning. Or I’m hitting you with the

cold hands up the back of the neck and

down the spine. Loren. Loren.

Loren grunts.

9 INT. CALLY’S BEDROOM - DAY 1 9

Gabe pulls the bedclothes from his four year old CALLY’s bed.

CALLY:

No.

Cally turns over.

GABE:

Cally come on!

CALLY:

No!

10 INT. GABE’S KITCHEN - DAY 1 10

Eve is dressed for work. Cam asleep on the sofa. Clyde

sniffing around.

GABE:

Dog’s up.

EVE:

Well thanks for coordinating everything

with such military precision.

GABE:

Go. I’ll get everyone where they have to

be.

EVE:

I’m walking away.

She kisses Gabe lightly. Scoops up Cam from the sofa.

EVE (cont'd)

Come on boy.

Eve’s taking Cam out when he cries out.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 5.

CAM:

No! Daddy.

Eve turns back to allow Cam to claim his kiss from Gabe.

When Gabe separates, Cam reaches out to take his hand.

GABE:

He doesn’t want to go.

EVE:

He’s been saying for weeks he wants to

spend the day with me.

GABE:

But when it comes down to it ...

CAM:

I love you Daddy.

GABE:

Do I love him?

CAM:

Say it!

EVE:

We’re out of here.

Gabe mouths “I love you” to Cam. Cam reaches for Clyde.

CAM:

Bye.

Gabe is touched but a little unnerved. Cally stumbles into

view behind him.

CALLY:

Where’s breakfast?

GABE:

You want to help me look for it?

CALLY:

No.

11 INT. SCHOOL HALL - DAY 1

Eve meets parents at her school open day.

She keeps an eye on Cam who’s in the corner creche with other

little ones supervised by a teaching assistant.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 6.

DISSOLVE TO:

The end of a frantic day. Eve picks up Cam from the teaching

assistant.

EVE:

I’ve lost the plot. I don’t know what day

of the week it is.

CAM:

Friday.

EVE:

Thank God.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

He’s gorgeous. He’s been no trouble at

all.

She plays with his little finger.

EVE:

Have you been showing her your magic

finger?

Close on the little finger of his left hand - shorter than

the one on the right.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

I’d never have noticed. Is it rare?

Eve puts her hands next to his - same feature.

EVE:

My mother had it.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

Does it mean anything?

EVE:

Just that we’re connected. We hear each

other sometimes. Don’t we?

CAM:

All the time.

EVE:

We tend to wake up at the same time.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

That must be ...

EVE:

Incredibly annoying.

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 7.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

I was going to say reassuring.

EVE:

It is. Well darling are you happy youcame? You made enough of a fuss about it.

What did you like best?

CAM:

I wanted to be with you.

TEACHING ASSISTANT

Oh God I want one so badly.

EVE:

That’s how it starts.

12 EXT. GABE’S HOUSE - DAY 1 12

Eve parks outside their house.

13 INT. EVE’S CAR - DAY 1 13

Eve reaches for her homework pile on the back seat.

Slide!

CAM:

EVE:

You are not serious.

Please.

CAM:

Why?

EVE:

CAM:

I didn’t go outside.

EVE:

You did go outside!

liar!

You are such a big

CAM:

I need fresh air.

Eve laughs, despite her exhaustion. She gets out his bluewoollen hat and pulls it over his ears.

EVE:

Okay here it is:
you can do the slide orthe roundabout or the swings but not allthree. Do we have a deal?

THE SECRET OF CRICKLEY HALL Ep 1 Pink Revisions 8.

CAM:

Deal!

EVE:

Deal means you promise.

CAM:

Deal!

14

EXT. PLAYGROUND - DAY 1 14

A montage of Cam having his fun on slide, roundabout, swings

and a few more besides with Eve supplying the momentum with

the last of her energy.

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