Plays

Our Mutual Lover

31/08/09
OUR MUTUAL LOVER
by
Graham Jones

Cast:

Sarah Billings: middle-aged, good-natured, a bit nosey, nervous.

Mandy Walker: smart, sophisticated, middle-aged, dry sense of humour.

Dora Cunningham: younger than the other two, in her early thirtees, attractive, likeable.


Scene: A hotel room; utilty furnishings, an untidy bed, a couple of chairs, a room to a bathroom, door closed.

Sarah Billings is standing centre with a bunch of keys in her hand having just entered, door still open. She starts tidying up, pulls curtains, looks at unmade bed and sighs.
Mandy Walker's head appears around the door to corridor.

Mandy Hello.
Sarah Sorry, I can tidy later.

Mandy comes in.

Mandy This isn't my room.
Sarah Uh?
Mandy I haven't booked in to this hotel. I'm looking for someone. (Pause) My husband.

Sarah looks about the room, then points at the bathroom door. Mandy shrugs.

Sarah Shall I.... er....?

Sarah moves towards the bathroom door.

Mandy No.
Sarah (stops) No?
Mandy No. He may be downstairs in the bar or somewhere.
Sarah We don't have a bar Miss..... er.... Mrs.

Mandy suddenly strides over to the bathroom door and locks it, leaving the key in the lock.
Sarah looks stunned.

Sarah But... er.... he may be..... er.....
Mandy Quite right: he may be in there. And maybe not.
Sarah He's probably gone out.
Mandy Probably.
Sarah I knocked a few times before using the key to come in. Mr Raybould, he's the manager, he's very strict about that. In case, you know, someone in a room may not be... er... ready, sort of thing, half dressed or something.
Mandy Or something!
Sandra Uh?
Mandy What you said: "or something".
Sarah Did I? O yes I did, didn't I? What I meant was....
Mandy Undressed.
Sarah Uh? No, Miss... er.... Mrs.... I didn't mean to suggest that people in this hotel are undressed or anything; I mean, not in the middle of the day.
Mandy Unless, of course, they are.

Mandy picks up a man's trousers on the floor near the bed.

Sarah Oooo! I didn't see that there. What's it doing there I wonder?
Mandy Looks like it might have been taken off in rather a hurry.
Sarah Uh? O! Oooo!

Sarah looks at the bathroom door, goes to speak, points at the door.
Mandy smiles and shakes her head "no".

Sarah I've got work to do.
Mandy Mr Raybould requests?
Sarah He don't request; he demands.
Mandy And you jump.
Sarah 'Course.

Sarah gets to the door and finds Dora Cunningham there.

Dora I'm sorry. I was about to knock but the door was open. I did make enquiries downstairs. The manager said I could come up.....

She sees Mandy. They look at each other a while.

Sarah The manager? (No reply) Did you say the manager - Mr Raybould?
Dora Mmmm? O, I didn't ask his name.

Sarah stands directly between Dora and Mandy.

Sarah Tallish was he? Darkish? Glasses? The big sort of toroishells kind?
Dora Yes.
Sarah D'e say anything?
Dora Yes, he said "go along up".
Sarah 'Bout me I mean?
Dora No.
Sarah Phew! That's a relief.

Dora comes in and approaches Mandy.

Dora Hello.
Mandy Hello.

Sarah gets between them again.