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The living-room of a house in a seaside town. A door leading to the
hall down left. Back door and small window up left. Kitchen
hatch, centre back. Kitchen door up right. Table and chairs,
centre.
PETEY enters from the door on the left with a paper and sits
at the table. He begins to read. MEG's voice comes through the
kitchen hatch.
Meg. Is that you Petey?
Pause.
Petey, is that you?
Pause.
Petey?
Petey. What?
Meg. Is that you?
Petey. Yes, it's me.
Meg. What? (Her face appears at the hatch). Are you back?
Petey. Yes.
Meg. I've got your cornflakes ready. (She disappears and re-
appears.) Here's your cornflakes.
He rises and takes the plate from her, sits at the table, props
up the paper and begins to eat. MEG enters by the kitchen
door.
Are they nice?
Petey. Very nice.
Meg. I thought they'd be nice. (She sits at the table.) You got
your paper?
Petey. Yes.
Meg. Is it good?
Petey. Not bad.
Meg. What does it say?
Petey. Nothing much.
Meg. You read me out some nice bits yesterday.
Petey. Yes, well, I haven't finished this one yet.
Meg. Will you tell me when you come to something good?
Petey. Yes.
Pause.
Meg. have you been working hard this morning?
Petey. No. Just stacked a few of the old chairs. Cleaned up a
bit.
Meg. Is it nice out?
Petey. Very nice.
Pause.
Meg. Is Stanley up yet?
Petey. I don't know. Is he?
Meg. I don't know. I haven't seen him down yet.
Petey. Well then, he can't be up.
Meg. Haven't you seen him down?
Petey . I've only just come in.
Meg seems to be doing this because she wants to pass the time. She knows the answer (she has to, it’s too obvious! [unless she’s making herself forget à commentary on how dull and meaningless her life is [link to waiting for Godot]) but she still asks.
Meg. He must be still asleep.
She looks around the room, stands, goes to the sideboard and
takes a pair of socks from a drawer, collects wool and a needle
and goes back to the table.
What time did you go out this morning, Petey?
Petey. Same time as usual.
Meg. Was it dark?
Petey. No, it was light.
Meg. (beginning to darn.) But sometimes you go out in the
morning and it's dark.
Petey. That's in the winter.
Meg. Oh, in winter.
HOW COULD SHE NOT KNOW THIS?
Petey. Yes, it gets light later in winter.
Meg. Oh.
Pause.
What do these pauses do? They seem to let it sink in that nothing is really happening.. That it’s all dull, meaningless and frustrating!!
What are you reading?
Petey. Someone's just had a baby.
Meg. Oh, they haven't! Who?
Petey. Some girl.
Meg. Who, Petey, who?
Petey. I don't think you'd know her.
Meg. What's her name?
Petey. Lady Mary Splatt.
Meg. I don't know her.
She’s so unbelievably dull. It almost makes one sorry for her.
Petey. No.
Meg. What is it?
Petey. (studying the paper). Er-a girl.
Meg. Not a boy?
Petey. No.
Meg. Oh, What a shame. I'd be sorry. I'd much rather have a
little boy.
Petey. A little girl's all right.
Meg. I'd much rather have a little boy.
Pause.
Petey. I've finished my cornflakes.
Meg. Were they nice?
Petey. Very nice.
Meg. I've got something else for you.
Petey. Good.
She rises, takes his plate and exits into the kitchen. She then
appears at the hatch with two pieces of fried bread on a plate.
Meg. Here you are, Petey.
He rises, collects the plate, looks at it, sits at the table. MEG
re-enters.
Is it nice?
Petey I haven't tasted it yet.
MegI bet you don't know what it is.
Petey Yes, I do.
Meg What is it, then?
Petey Fried bread.
Meg That's right.
He begins to eat.
She watches him eat.
Petey Very nice.
Meg I knew it was.
Petey (turning to her). Oh, Meg, two men came up to me on
the beach last night.
Meg Two men?
Petey Yes. They wanted to know if we could put them up for
a couple of nights.
Meg Put them up? Here?
Petey Yes.
Meg How many men?
Petey Two.
Another classic example of how she just asks the most obvious things.
Meg What did you say?
Petey Well, I said I didn't know. So they said they'd come
round to find out.
Meg Are they coming?
Petey Well, they said they would.
Meg Had they heard about us, Petey?
Petey They must have done.
Meg Yes, they must have done. They must have heard this
was a very good boarding house. It is. This house is on the
list.
Petey It is.
Petey here seems to be happy in allowing her to live in her own fantasies. Why? Is he another who wants to escape from the complications of life? Has he found out that to do so, just ignore everything else and flow along?
MegI know it is.
Why does she need to convince herself of this? Is she in denial? This seems to be where the denial really starts.
Petey They might turn up today. Can you do it?
Meg Oh, I've got that lovely room they can have.
Petey You've got a room ready?
Meg I've got the room with the armchair all ready for visitors.
Petey You're sure?
Pretty significant, cause even he seems surprised that they’ve got a room ready. So are they really a boarding house or not?
Meg Yes, that'll be all right then, if they come today.
Petey Good.
She takes the socks etc. back to the sideboard drawer.
Meg I'm going to wake that boy.
Petey There's a new show coming to the Palace.
Meg On the pier?
Petey No. The Palace ,in the town.
Meg Stanley could have been in it, if it was on the pier.
Petey This is a straight show.
Meg What do you mean?
Petey No dancing or singing.
Meg What do they do then?
Petey They just talk.
Pause.
Meg Oh.
Pretty funny, when you consider the irony. It’s almost as if Meg herself realises this. But of course she doesn’t.
Petey You like a song eh, Meg?
Meg I like listening to the piano. i used to like watching
Stanley play the piano. Of course, he didn't sing. (Looking
at the door.) i'm going to call that boy.
Petey Didn't you take him up his cup of tea?
Meg I always take him up his cup of tea. But that was a long
time ago.
Petey Did he drink it?
Meg I made him. I stood there till he did. i'm going to call
him. (She goes to the door.) Stan! Stanny! (She listens.)
...
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