In loving appreciation of the genius of Mrs. Liz Flatt, author, mother, and storyteller supreme.
TIME AND PLACE
2025.
Crossland University, Grahamstead, Surrey, England, and vicinity.
Center stage: A windowless rehearsal room on the first floor of a Crossland University lecture hall, outside of which is a small garden. The walls of the rehearsal room are temporarily fixed with numerous rolls of draw-down brown drawing paper, together with several additional flip-chart art easels about the room for drawing. Boxes of chalks and multi-colored drawing pens are by the walls and easels.
At one side of the stage, toward the back: Anthony’s bedroom. Attached to it, but not visible to the audience, is his bathroom.
CHARACTERS
LANE ANTHONY, male, mid 30s, semi-retired writer of children’s books.
CARA KNOWLTON, female, mid 30s, CEO of the One Pound Fund (a national lottery supporting community, sport, arts, educational, and heritage projects across the UK).
LAWRENCE WILLIAM (‘Lawrie’) BLAKE, male, mid to late 20s, actor and song-writer.
BEVERLY (‘Neverly’) GAINSBOROUGH, female, mid to late 20s, artist and caricaturist.
Four children – three by their own names, one named KIMBERLEY.
SCENE 2
ANTHONY arrives at the center stage lecture hall, enters and finds his way to the rehearsal room. Seated at the table is KNOWLTON, who rises as ANTHONY enters.
ANTHONY
My apologies.
I’m new to this campus.
Am I in the right place?
KNOWLTON
You’re here for the One Pound Fund Project?
ANTHONY
That’s me.
KNOWLTON
Extends her right hand.
Well, I’m Cara Knowlton, CEO of the One Pound Fund.
Pleased to meet you.
ANTHONY
Shakes her hand.
I’m Lane Anthony.
Maybe you guessed…. I don’t know….
I used to write children’s books.
Is that why I got this letter?
Showing.
KNOWLTON
I know your work. It was some of the best … before you stopped writing….
ANTHONY
[beat] I lost my genius. I’m plain Lane, now.
KNOWLTON
We’ll see.
BLAKE arrives outside the lecture hall, enters and finds his way to the rehearsal room.
KNOWLTON and ANTHONY are still standing.
BLAKE
My apologies.
Am I in the right room?
KNOWLTON
If you’ve come for the One Pound Fund Project, you are.
BLAKE
Hello.
Extends his right hand to KNOWLTON.
I am Lawrence William Blake.
KNOWLTON
Shakes his hand.
A pleasure to meet you, Lawrence.
BLAKE
Mostly I’m called Lawrie.
KNOWLTON
Lawrie, it is.
I’m Cara Knowlton, who wrote you; and this is Lane Anthony.
They shake hands.
BLAKE
Lane Anthony, the children’s story writer?
ANTHONY
Semi-retired.
BLAKE
Your stories were great.
I loved them.
ANTHONY
Thank you.
BLAKE
I write children’s songs, myself, and some others.
And act, when I get a part.
My career’s not off to a flying start, I’m afraid.
Mostly I wait on tables to keep the wolf from the door.
ANTHONY
You’re young.
BLAKE
I’ve been thinking that; but not as young as I used to be.
KNOWLTON
None of us are.
GAINSBOROUGH arrives outside the lecture hall, enters and finds her way to the rehearsal room.
KNOWLTON, ANTHONY, and BLAKE are still standing.
GAINSBOROUGH
Excuse me.
Is this the place for the One Pound Fund Project?
KNOWLTON
It is.
I am Cara Knowlton, CEO of the Fund.
GAINSBOROUGH
Hi.
Extends her right hand to KNOWLTON.
I’m Beverly Gainsborough…. You wrote me.
KNOWLTON
Shakes her hand.
A pleasure to meet you.
[indicating] And this is Lane Anthony.
They shake hands.
KNOWLTON
[indicating] And this is Lawrie Blake.
They shake hands.
BLAKE
‘Beverly,’ you said your name is?
GAINSBOROUGH
‘Beverly.’
But lots of people call me ‘Neverly’ though.
BLAKE
Should I ask?
GAINSBOROUGH
Probably not now.