Script sample

Script Sample : Taken from pages 2-4 of ‘Murder at Pottingfield Park

Act 1: Somewhere in the grounds of Pottingfield Park

 (Music fades as Lady Lydia continues singing the same 1960s song eg. ‘Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie’. Lights up on Lady Lydia who is trimming a rhododendron bush with some shears. Alfred Ranger enters, stage right)

Lady Lydia
Ah, there you are Ranger. I’m glad to see you’ve made it bright and early this morning. There’s a lot to be done in the grounds today.

Alfred Ranger (Taking off his cap)
Good morning, ma’am. I got ‘ere as soon as I could. The ole’ rooster was in fine voice at the crack of dawn, and the ferrets were rattlin’ the door of their cage, so there was no chance of me havin’ a lie in.

Lady Lydia
Well, you know what his Lordship always says, ‘Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’. I’ve lived by that maxim all my life and I’ve always had a very strong constitution as a result. There’s far too much freedom these days. All these youngsters shilly-shallying around at pop festivals, drinking, smoking and free love……………….I don’t know what the world’s coming to.

Alfred Ranger
Aye, ma’am. Things are very different these days. The youngsters ‘ave it all too easy if you ask me. Anyway, now that we’ve put the world to rights, what was it you wanted to see me about?

Lady Lydia
Of course. How could I possibly forget! That developer is visiting today, Ranger. Whilst I cannot abide the man, I do believe that what he is offering will help us out of ………well, er……our difficulties. I’m sorry to be so direct with you, Ranger, but I know you, of all people, will understand. Things haven’t been going well for Lord Percy and myself for some time. To put it bluntly, we could do with a good break and Sir Nigel seems to be providing us with the answer to all our prayers. We just need to persuade him of the merits of maintaining and developing the Park to keep its integrity, rather than converting it into high-rise flats and a tasteless theme park with casinos and amusement arcades. Perish the thought!

Alfred Ranger
My sentiments entirely, ma’am. I’m guessing there would be no room for a groundsman and gamekeeper, even if that person were your son-in-law, nor indeed ‘is cottage, even if your daughter lived in it with your son-in-law, on such a modern development? Am I right, ma’am?

Lady Lydia (As if trying to forget that he is her son-in-law)
I believe that’s probably true, Ranger. But, let’s not think about the ‘worst’ just yet. We’ve a long way to go and a good deal of negotiating to do before anything is finalised. I would hate to think of our loyal staff losing out on account of…. ‘new money’. You can rest assured, Ranger, that Lord Percy and I will do everything in our power to protect our people and our park.

Alfred Ranger
I’m much obliged, ma’am. Much obliged. And if there’s ‘h’anythin’ I can do to move matters to a…….favourable conclusion, please don’t ‘esitate to ask.

Lady Lydia
Well, I shan’t be asking you to set your ferrets on Sir Nigel just yet, but now that you come to mention it, there is something you can do for me, which is why I wanted to see you this morning. (Moving stage right and exiting as she speaks)  Sir Nigel will be arriving at noon which gives us plenty of time to address the small matter of the pontoon from the Boat House (Exeunt Lady Lydia and Alfred Ranger stage right)……(Off stage) I’ve been wanting you to sort it out for some time………….

(Enter Lord Percy Potts and The Hon Priscilla Ranger stage left, dressed in riding attire)

Lord Percy
I say that stallion of yours is a bit hot-headed isn’t he, darling? If he gets much friskier you’ll have to give him the snip. You need to take care on your gallops in the Park. Once he takes hold, there’s no stopping him. What you need’s a nice, docile mare like my old Ginny. She’s a real plodder and safe as houses!

The Hon Priscilla
Lovely but too steady for me, Daddy. You know how I love to feel the wind in my hair and the thrill of a strong, muscular frame beneath me. I love to live dangerously.

Lord Percy
So why ever did you marry Ranger, then? He’s hardly a high flying business tycoon or a suitable match for my debutante daughter.

The Hon Priscilla
Oh, come on now Dad. Not now. We’ve been through all of this so many times. So my taste in men is a little less exciting that my taste in horses! Alfred may be ‘ordinary’ but that’s what I love about him – he is steady, just like old Ginny, and he’s hard-working and stands by me and………well, he has many fine qualities which I have no intention of sharing with you.

Lord Percy
Thank goodness for that! Oh well, at least I haven’t given you away to a playboy or philanderer. I shudder to think of you as a bunny girl in some dreadful club. Anyway, enough of that, what about the stallion, Grey Dazzler? Will he be retaining his manhood or is he shortly to be a gelding?

The Hon. Priscilla
I assure you he’s keeping his manhood, Daddy. I intend to let him earn us some money at stud. He already has 5 dates booked – not bad for a youngster. He’s the talk of all the local owners – they’re queuing up for a piece of him. If his offspring are as fast and powerful as he is, they’ll all be first past the winning post. You know, my horses make me tick. They’re my business whilst Alfred goes about his.

Lord Percy
Yes, but for how long? If Mason has his way and the planners give consent, Pottingfield Park will become an entirely different kind of park fully equipped with who knows what! It’ll become a den of iniquity for gambling and gallivanting and there certainly won’t be any galloping. Then what’ll become of Grey Dazzler and his life as the biggest stud since Brigadier Gerard?

The Hon. Priscilla (Angrily)
Don’t even say that, Dad. I can’t bear to think about it. Anyway, it’s not going to happen. Not if I have anything to do with it.

Lord Percy
I wouldn’t be too sure about that, Priscilla my dear, we have to be realistic. We can’t go on forever without some changes. We simply can’t afford it. We just need to persuade Sir Nigel to go about things in a ………a better way – a way which allows the Potts family to remain at Pottingfield Park. If he won’t talk terms I’ll be getting shot of him pretty smartly, I can tell you.

The Hon. Priscilla
You sound as if you’re actually prepared for Sir Nigel to take on Pottingfield Park, Dad? This crazy development mustn’t go ahead under any circumstances. Pottingfield Park belongs to us and I refuse to let it go. There must be something we can do to make it possible for us to stay here?