Hedda Tesman (NHB Modern Plays) by Cordelia Lynn

Author:Cordelia Lynn [Lynn, Cordelia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781788502559
Publisher: Nick Hern Books

ACT THREE

Dark. Morning behind closed shutters.

Stove glowing. Shadows.

Mess, gin bottle, wine bottle, untouched meal.

THEA sitting, wrapped in a blanket. Her eyes are open.

THEA’s phone. Frantic. Picks up.

THEA. Elijah?

Beat.

Auntie Julie…

Beat.

Dad? No I’m not with him.

I don’t know. He went out.

Beat.

Okay I’ll tell him.

Yes I’ll tell him.

Beat.

I’m fine.

Beat.

Love you.

End call.

The House.

Goes to the stove and puts wood in the stove and stands in the face of its warmth.

Front door.

Elijah?

Enter BERTHA.

BERTHA. Morning.

Opens the shutters. Morning cruel in the room.

THEA. What time is it?

BERTHA. Just after seven.

Tidies the table.

Had a party?

THEA. Hedda did.

BERTHA. Where is she?

THEA. Sleeping. In the sitting room.

BERTHA. Lucky I cleaned her room and everything then.

THEA. She passed out on the sofa.

BERTHA. Hope I’m still doing that when I’m her age /

THEA. It’s disgusting.

Beat.

BERTHA. Well she’s your mum. She’s supposed to be embarrassing.

Pause.

BERTHA tidies. THEA watches her.

THEA. Do you have children?

BERTHA. Two. Girl and a boy.

THEA. What are they like?

BERTHA. Like?

Well they’re noisy. They make a mess. And they’re funny. (Laughs.) They say funny things they don’t know are funny. Like most kids.

THEA. I wasn’t like that.

BERTHA. What were you like?

Beat.

THEA. Quiet.

BERTHA. Lucky Hedda.

BERTHA tidies.

THEA. Do they. Get in the way?

BERTHA. Of what?

THEA. Everything.

BERTHA. A lot of the time they are everything.

THEA. That’s what I mean. How do you do what you want to do?

BERTHA. You mean like passing out on the sofa?

THEA. I mean like work.

BERTHA. I am working.

Beat.

BERTHA tidies.

Their nan helps out. They’re with her now.

THEA. Are they?

BERTHA. I can’t take them to school if I’m here can I?

THEA. No…

BERTHA. Mums are useful like that. For a long time you don’t know why they’re there except to annoy you, and then you have kids and you understand again.

THEA. I’m not going to have kids.

BERTHA. She says it’s better being a grandma anyway. You’ve done it all already so you don’t mind.

THEA. Mind what?

BERTHA. Oh just like…

When they hurt themselves, hurt themselves badly, I get so scared…

I’m so scared it’s like anger. I think I’d kill them to save them from being hurt.

Laughs.

It’s crazy how you feel sometimes…

Mum doesn’t get scared any more, not like that. She’s sad for them ’cause they’re hurt but she lets them get on with it. When I was little and did stupid things…

I remember her face. Terror.

THEA. Yes.

BERTHA. Maybe that’s what changes. The fear.

BERTHA finishes tidying.

THEA. Auntie Julie used to look after me.

BERTHA. Did she?

THEA. She likes looking after people.

BERTHA. Does she?

THEA. I moved in with her till I was old enough to

leave…

BERTHA. Where did you go?

THEA. Not far enough…

BERTHA goes.

Do you want a cup of tea or anything?

BERTHA. Thanks, I’ve had breakfast.

Exit BERTHA.

THEA at a loss. Puts more wood on the stove and stands in the glow.

Goes to the garden doors. Sees The General and stops.

THEA. Hello Grandpa.

The General doesn’t respond.

Continues to the doors and looks out at the garden.

A door bangs in the house. HEDDA wakes bolt upright.

HEDDA (panic). Thea! Where are you?

THEA. I’m here.

Beat.

HEDDA. Where are we?

Enter HEDDA from sitting room.

I remember now.

Strange…

Beat.

What time is it?

THEA. Just after seven.

HEDDA. Where’s your father?

THEA.

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