Act 3

Question 1

Repetition of the start of Act 1

Answer 1

“PETEY enters, left, with a newspaper and sits at the table. He begins to read. MEG’S voice comes through the hatch.”

Question 2

M calling for S and P responding

Answer 2

“Is that you Stan? (pause) Stanny?
Yes?
Is that you?
It’s me.”

Question 3

M noticing the broken drum

Answer 3

“The drum’s broken … Why is it broken?”

Question 4

M not remembering the broken drum

Answer 4

“I don’t remember it being broken though in the party.”

Question 5

MC disrupting M’s routine of bringing S tea

Answer 5

“I’ve been up once, with his tea. But Mr. McCann opened the door. He said they were talking.”

Question 6

M’s fear of the wheelbarrow truck

Answer 6

“(coming down tensely, and whispering) Is there anything in it?
…
Well … I mean … is there … is there a wheelbarrow in it?”

Question 7

M’s relief when she finds out the van is G’s

Answer 7

"Mr. Goldberg? 
It’s his car. 
(relieved) His car? Oh I didn’t know it was his car. 
… 
Oh I feel better"

Question 8

P and G talk about the van

Answer 8

“Are you going to go for a ride?
(to PETEY) A smart car, eh?
Nice shine on it all right.”

Question 9

G talking about the room in the van

Answer 9

“What’s old is good, take my tip. There’s room in there. Room in the front, and room in the back.”

Question 10

M repeating the question about going for a ride

Answer 10

“Are you going to go for a ride?”

Question 11

P asks G about S, G is uncertain

Answer 11

“Stanley. Is he any better?
(a little uncertainly) Oh … a little better, I think, a little better. Of course, I’m not really qualified to say, Mr. Boles.”

Question 12

P asking about what happened to S and G’s response

Answer 12

“What came over him?
(sharply) What came over him? Breakdown, Mr. Boles. Pure and simple. Nervous breakdown.
But what brought it on so suddenly?”

Question 13

G not in full control (stage direction)

Answer 13

“(He stands uneasily for a moment)”

Question 14

Confusion of MC’s identity between G and P

Answer 14

“your friend – Dermot – met me on the landing …
(sharply) Who?
Your friend – Dermot.
(heavily). Dermot. Yes.”

Question 15

G trying to convince P that S is taken care of, P is suspicious

Answer 15

“(briskly) It’s all taken care of, Mr. Boles. Don’t worry yourself.
(dubiously) What do you mean?”

Question 16

MC is afraid of going to S

Answer 16

“I’m not going up there again.
What’s going on now?
He’s quiet now. He stopped all that … talking a while ago.”

Question 17

P thinks of practical realistic solution to S’ broken glasses

Answer 17

“There’s some Sellotape somewhere. We can stick them together.”

Question 18

MC starts his habit again

Answer 18

“MCCANN crosses to the table, left, sits, picks up the paper and begins to tear it into strips.”

Question 19

G becomes agitated and snaps at MC

Answer 19

“Questions, questions. Stop asking me so many questions. What do you think I am?”

Question 20

MC is desperate to finish their mission

Answer 20

“Let’s get it over and go. Get the thing done. Let’s finish the bloody thing. Let’s get the thing done and go.”

Question 21

G strangles MC over using the wrong name

Answer 21

“Simey.
(Opening his eyes, regarding MCCANN) What – did – you – call – me?
Who?
(murderously) Don’t call me that! (He seizes MCCANN by the throat) NEVER CALL ME THAT!”

Question 22

G asks MC to look in his mouth

Answer 22

"I want your opinion. Have a look in my mouth. 
(He opens his mouth wide.)
Take a good look 
(MCCANN looks.)
You know what I mean?"

Question 23

G’s societal aphorisms about conforming

Answer 23

“Play up, play up, and play the game. Honor thy father and thy mother … I sat where I was told to sit … Do your duty and keep your observations. Always bid good morning to the neighbors.”

Question 24

G realises he has no real beliefs

Answer 24

“Because I believe that the world … (vacant) …
Because I believe that the world … (Desperate) …
Because I believe that the world … (Lost) …”

Question 25

G demands MC to blow in his mouth

Answer 25

“All the same, give me a blow. (Pause) Blow in my mouth”

Question 26

M blows in G’s mouth and G’s reaction

Answer 26

“MCCANN blows again in his mouth. GOLDBERG breathes deeply, smiles”

Question 27

G asking L what’s wrong

Answer 27

“What’s the matter? You got the needle to Uncle Natey?”

Question 28

L confronts G

Answer 28

“I’ve had enough games”

Question 29

G twists L’s words, - starting with “do you think I’m like ….

Answer 29

“Do you think I’m like all the other girls?
Are all the other girls like that, too?
I don’t know about any other girls.
Nor me. I’ve never touched another woman.”

Question 30

L concerned about patriarchal opinions

Answer 30

“What would my father say, if he knew? And what would Eddie say?”

Question 31

L alludes to what G to her

Answer 31

“He didn’t come into my room at night with a briefcase!”

Question 32

L feels exploited, G attempts to spin the blam on herself

Answer 32

“(with growing anger) You used me for a night. A passing fancy.
Who used who?
You made use of me by cunning when my defences were down.
Who took them down?”

Question 33

MC slutshames L

Answer 33

“Your sort, you spend too much time in bed”

Question 34

G says MC has just been unfrocked

Answer 34

“He’s only been unfrocked six months”

Question 35

S enters dressed smartly

Answer 35

“STANLEY who is dressed in a dark well cut suit and white collar … He is clean shaven”

Question 36

G and MC boast about their changes

Answer 36

“He looks better, doesn’t he?
Much better.
A new man.”

Question 37

G & MC begin to seduce S

Answer 37

“They begin to woo him gently and with relish”

Question 38

G & MC saying S needs to go somewhere to heal

Answer 38

"You've gone from bad to worse.
Worse than worse.
You need a long convalescence.
A change of air.
Somewhere over the rainbow.
Where angels fear to tread"

Question 39

G & MC diagnose S

Answer 39

“You look anaemic.
Rheumatic.
Myopic
Epileptic”

Question 40

G & MC offer S salvation

Answer 40

“But we can save you.”
“We’ll watch over you.
Advise you.
Give you proper care and treatment”

Question 41

Progression of absrudist offers

Answer 41

"The baby powder.
The back scratcher.
The spare tyre.
The stomach pump.
The oxygen tent"

Question 42

G & MC say they’ll make S various things

Answer 42

"We'll make a man out of you.
And a woman
You'll be re-orientated
You'll be rich
You'll be adjusted"

Question 43

G asks S’s opinion

Answer 43

“What’s your opinion, sir? Of this prospect, sir?”

Question 44

S tries to talk, fails

Answer 44

(STANLEY concentrated, his mouth opens, he attempts to speak, fails and emits sounds from his throat.) “Uh-gug … uh-gug…eeehhh-gag (On the breath) Caahh … Caahh”

Question 45

S’s body gives up

Answer 45

“STANLEY’S body shudders, relaxes, his head drops, he becomes still again, stooped.”

Question 46

G says that S is the same

Answer 46

“Still the same old Stan”

Question 47

P tries to get S to say

Answer 47

“He can stay here
Don’t be silly.
We can look after him here”

Question 48

P shouts at G & MC but G threatens him

Answer 48

“Leave him alone!
(They stop. GOLDBERG studies him)
(insidiously) Why don’t you come with us, Mr Boles?”

Question 49

P last feeble attempt to help S

Answer 49

“(Broken) Stan, don’t let them tell you what to do!”

Question 50

Remants of G & MC in P’s usual morning routine

Answer 50

“strips fall to the floor”

Question 51

Echoes of Act 1 to frame the inquisition

Answer 51

“Is it good?

Alright.”

Question 52

P pretends to not know that S is gone

Answer 52

“Is he still in bed?

Yes, he’s … still asleep”

Question 53

M mis remembers the party and glamorises it - solipsistic

Answer 53

"I was the bell of the ball
Were you?
Oh yes. They all said I was
I bet you were, too
Oh, it's true I was.
Pause
I know I was."