HEIRLOOM
By Andrew McCann
ACT ONE : SCENE 2
The Village of Mosshoughton, Several Days later.
('The Swan with Two Nicks,' the village inn, stands in the background with a door leading into it from the street. The building is of timber and brick. A simple inn sign, bearing a picture of a swan, hangs over the door. A pawn-shop with a traditional "three ball" pawn-broker's sign and the words 'BASIL ROBERTS. PAWNBROKER over the door, adjoins the inn in a matching style.These buildings overlook the village green. A third door leads off the street into an untitled building.
Photograph of the Village of Mosshoughton
MOLLY SMITHSON and ENID GREY, dressed in the simple, rustic style of the village, are sitting on a wooden bench in front of the inn, drinking.A queue of villagers, including three women and BARNEY LANE are queuing through the door of the untitled building. BARNEY is about seventeen, lively and boisterous.)
1ST. WOMAN Hurry up, there- We'll be needin' our dole money!
BARNEY LANE I'll be drawin' me ol' age pension before I get me dole. Get a move on, guv!.'
2ND. WOMAN You wait yer turn, Barney Lane- An' quit yer shovin'.
3RD. WOMAN 'E's no right to be 'ere, any road. 'im with a job.
BARNEY What! A shillin' a week sellin' newspapers! An' yer call that a job!
(ENTER TOM KIRBY and APRIL FIFE stage right, pushing a hand-cart containing pots, pans, various household goods, loaves of bread, tins. . TOM in a pedlar- He is a cruel, arrogant man, who will do anything for money. His hair is long and untidy, running halfway down his back. He wears a shabby, torn jacket and trousers. He is in his mid-thirties.APRIL FIFE is sweet and innocent. She is about nineteen years of age and has been forced into taking a job with the vicious TOM KIRBY, as the only alternative to starvation. APRIL, looking weary and on the verge of collapse, is pushing the heavy hand-cart as TOM KIRBY follows.
TOM KIRBY Get movin' girl.' Come on! If yer work fer me, yer sweat!.... There ain't no room fer 'angers on 'ere. ...
(She reaches for a small loaf of bread on the cart.)
.'an' leave that bread alone!
APRIL I was only...
TOM K I'm not tellin' yer again! Get them tins set up, double quick... an' if I see yer daydreamin' again there'll be trouble! By the 'eck, I don't pay yer fer doin' nowt!
APRIL (Under her breath) : You don't pay me.
TOM K: What were that?
APRIL Nothing.
TOM K That's gratitude for yer.Watch it, that's all, or you'll be back in the gutter where I found yer!
(The village is becoming more and more crowded as VILLAGERS appear out of the inn and the pawn-shop. They include NORA ALLWORTHY, FREDA and OLIVE.)
TOM K Roll up! . Roll up! Roll up, gentle folk ant see what Tom Kirby's got to offer!
(An interested crowd has gathered and continues to do so.)
TOM K Roll up! .... Roll up an' see the world's finest collection of houselold goods; every item guaranteed to last a life-time an' not a day less.....You name it....we've got it. That's it, madame, have a good look. Opportunity knocks but once!
FREDA Won't do any 'arm I suppose.
NORA Lookin' costs nowt.
TOM K Seein' as the mood is ripe, I now present the rarest jewel of all .... Sweet April Fife, with the velvety voice of a Nightgale.....
(APRIL reluctantly steps forward to sing.)
FREDA : 'E's not sellin' 'er, is he?
NORA Nay, lass. Like as not she's goin' t' sing!
TOM K A coin in the 'at, an' the sweetness of rich bird song will be stored in yer memory fer eternity.
(TOM is passing the hat around among the VILLAGERS . He picks several pockets whilst DAPHNE is singing. GILES and DAPHNE ENTER part way through the song from the stage left area. GILES is obviously proud of the village, but DAPHNE turns her nose up at anything to do with common folk.)
APRIL (SONG)
The leaves that are brown in the Autumn,
Are the leaves that were green in the Spring.
Just look what has happened to them,
Who knows what Winter will bring?
In Spring I first met my true love,
A stranger from over the sea,
And those trees up above grew with our love,
As did those leaves on the trees.
Soon Autumn came, the leaves turned to brown,
And fell one by one to the ground.
Till none could be seen where those leaves had been,
And my love was not to be found.
The leaves that are brown in the Autumn,
Are the leaves that were green in the Spring.
Just look what has happened to them,
Who knows what Winter will bring?
GILES Well, this is the village, Daphne. Quaint isn't it?
DAPHNE It's hardly quaint, Giles, dear. Primitive and decrepit yes. Quaint, no.
GILES Listen...singing.
DAPHNE Street singing....How vulgar!
GILES Shh! It's beautiful! It's that girl!
DAPHNE Shameless slut!
(Cheers as the song ends.)
BARNEY How about another song!
1ST VILLAGER Yes, another song!
TOM K Sorry, folks, that's yer lot for today. Come on, now. Roll up! Roll up an' see Tom Kirby's low price bargains! Pots to mops, you name it we've got it!
(ENTER SHABBILY DRESSED VISITORS, stage right. They have come on a day trip from the nearest town and by their very appearance, show how bad things are there.)
ENID What the 'eck's this?
MOLLY Looks like one o' them town picnic trips.
ENID Look at 'em, poor devils! Look 'alf starved most of 'em!
(ENTER NELLIE and THE VICAR. He is in his early sixties, a kindly, soft-hearted man.)
OLIVE Aye- an' I'll tell yer why an' all- because they 'aven't 'ad people like Lord Bertram spoon-feedin' 'em an' keepin' their wages as high as possible. We may be findin' things difficult at the moment, but them poor devils 'ave been sufferin' for ages. If it were n't fer the Vicar 'ere invitin' 'em along an' arrangin' for their fares to be paid, like as not, some of them would never 'ave 'ad the chance to breathe fresh air, never mind eat a morsel of food!
1ST. CHILD Look, mam! Look at them trees!
2ND. CHILD Look, there're some more, mam!....An' look at all that grass- Look, it's green, jus' like them curtains in gran's room. Can we go an' pick some, mam? Can we? Can we?
MOTHER Later, dear. We'll be able to sit on the grass an' eat our sandwiches.
1ST CHILD (Pointing excitedly over the heads of the audience towards the back of the auditorium.) Mam, what's that? ....What is it?......What is it!
MOTHER It's a cow, lass! Them's what milk comes from.
GILES (To DAPHNE) How awful life is to let human beings suffer like that.
DAPHNE How vulgar! They look like they have never had a change of clothing in their lives....Poo!....Or a bath!
GILES It's not their fault, Daphne. Not everyone's got a fortune tucked away in the bank, you know.
DAPHNE Huh- that's no excuse! I don't understand you, Giles Bertram, I really don't. Anyone would think you encourage such vulgarity! ........I have seen enough of this village. Take me home, Giles.
GILES I'm afraid I don't want to go back yet, Daphne.
DAPHNE Then I will go alone, Giles Bertram.
GILES I'm afraid you've no option, Daphne Milton.
(EXIT DAPHNE)
1ST. VISITOR Oh, isn't it beautiful!
2ND. VISITOR Aye- it looks a picture and the air's as clean and fresh as can be.
1ST. VISITOR Makes a change to breathe fresh air- and not get clogged up like a factory chimney.
VICAR Welcome, welcome- I am the Vicar of this Parish. I would be most grateful if you would allow me the pleasure of being your guide during your short visit here this afternoon.
3RD. VISITOR It's very kind of yer, Vicar.
2ND. VISITOR But don't trouble yerself. It were kind of yer t'invite us 'ere in t' first place!
VICAR Oh no, not at all! Not at all.....First of all we shall visit Bertram Towers, so if you would kindly follow me.
MOTHER Come on, children!
VICAR With all the lambs safely in the fold, we shall depart!
(Exit VICAR and VISITORS.)
ALMA Why the 'eck's 'e invited that lot 'ere, any road? If we 'aven't got enough troubles of our own as it is.
OLIVE If y' ask me, 'e did it on purpose; t'teach us a lesson.
ALMA A lesson?
OLIVE Aye, so that people like you, Alma Mason, 'd realise that there are people a darn sight worse off than yerselves in this world.
GILES Hello, Olive. Still the mainstay of the village, I see.
OLIVE Well I never- your lordship!
(OLIVE and ALMA curtsy.)
GILES There's no need to curtsy, ladies. My father's Lord of the Manor, not me!
OLIVE Nonsense- any kin o' Lord Bertram deserves all the respect we can give 'im.
GILES Why, what's so special about my father? And you know how he loathes formality.
OLIVE That were not formality, yer lordship- but an action from the 'eart on account o' the sacrifices yer father 'as made for the good of the folks 'ereabouts. An it's only when we see poor blighters like them townsfolk were 'ere a moment ago, that the truth 'its us!
GILES What do you mean?
OLIVE Stone the crows! Do yer mean t' say that 'is lordship is too modest even t'tell 'is own son what 'e's done! 'E went bankrupt on account o' keepin' t'village workers well paid!
GILES Bankrupt?
OLIVE Aye
GILES My father?
OLIVE Aye.
GILES I'm sure there must be some mistake.
OLIVE It's t'gospel truth. I'm sure o' that.
(A CHILD from the visiting party has lost his mother. He looks longingly at a piece of bread on Tom Kirby's cart. )
APRIL Oh, you poor child. Hasn't your mum been feeding you?
3RD. CHILD Yes
APRIL Can you remember when she last fed you?
3RD. CHILD Yesterday.....but she said I needed it more than 'er, 'onest, Miss! 'onest!
APRIL I know- I know .....Look, where is your mummy, now?
3RD. CHILD I don't know. I can't find 'er nowhere. I can't find none of the people what were with 'er neither!
APRIL Here....Would you like a loaf of bread for your mummy?
3RD. CHILD Not 'alf! But I can't find 'er nowhere!
(Unaware that TOM KIRBY is watching her angrily, APRIL gives the child the loaf.)
APRIL Here you are, child. Don't tell anyone I gave it to you. Now run along and catch your mummy up. I think you'll find she went that way.
3RD. CHILD Oh, ta!.....Tarrah, Miss! (Exit)
(TOM storms angrily at APRIL. )
TOM I saw yer steal that loaf- I've warned yer, an' I'm not goin' t'warn yer again!.....Steal would yer! (He hits her.) By the Saints, girl, yer asked fer this! (He is about to hit her again.)
(GILES prevents TOM from hitting APRIL. He hits KIRBY instead, knocking him to the floor.)
GILES And you asked for that, you bully!
TOM (Threateningly) Mind yer own business, son- or yer won't know what 'it yer!
(GILES hits TOM again.)
GILES Oh no- Won't know what hit me, eh!
(TOM retreats cowardly.)
TOM This is between me an' er!
GILES Now get out of here and don't let me see you around here again, or I'll beat the living daylights out of you!
TOM All right, guv! Don't 'it me! You win!
(TOM retreats and GILES flings his cart after him.)
GILES And take your cart with you!
(TOM tries to take APRIL with him, but she is reluctant and afraid of him. GILES prevents him from taking her.)
TOM Come on, girl!
GILES She's staying with us!
(TOM threatens, but from a safe distance.)
TOM I'll get yer fer this! I'll get yer!
GILES I'm not warning you again!
TOM Just watch it, that's all! Just watch it! (Exit)
APRIL Thank you. But how can I ever repay you?
GILES For losing you your job, you mean. How can I repay you? I know. What's your name, my girl?
APRIL April.
GILES April.....Come on, April. I think I can find you a job.
(Both exit stage left.)
(ENTER BARNEY LANE with newspapers.)
BARNEY All the news! All the news! ......Latest on the crisis! Read all about it! Tragedy for the poor!
ALMA By the 'eck! Not more bad news!
ENID Never you worry. Things couldn't get no worse than they are at t'moment!
OLIVE No? 'ave n't yer read what it says in t'papers?
BARNEY Morgen's American bankers loan gold to Britain! ....Read all about it! ....Read all about it!
OLIVE No, not that bit. The bit underneath.
BARNEY Dole man can survive on less, say American bankers! Dole money to be cut! ....Dole money to be cut! Read all about it! Read all about it!
ALMA Oh no! It's the end of the road for us!
BARNEY Dole money to be cut! Dole money to be cut! Read all about it! Read all about it!
İAndrew McCann
(Curtain)