Eliza
Actually, Lars… I am.
[Eliza holds up her hand and reveals a large, sparkling engagement ring.]
‘Okay, thankyou! Olive…’ Michael stood from his seat in the front row and leant over the edge of the orchestra pit. AlthoughWhen The Curtain Fallswas primarily a play, Michael had insisted that a live band played in the interludes between scenes and in the lively bar scenes to add atmosphere. The producers hated the added expense, but Michael was certain the audience would be enraptured. Olive lifted thehem of her dress and teetered over to the edge of the stage in her heels. ‘Yes, Olive – I need you to be a little more emotional here. Tears. I need tears. Can you do that, darling?’
‘Er, yes, of course.’ Olive scratched a determined itch under the lace of her wig.
‘You sound hesitant.’ Michael folded his arms. ‘Speak to me, Olive. Tell me what’s on your mind.’ He sighed.
‘It’s just that… in the script, Eliza seems so strong at this moment. Unfaltering. She’s putting on a brave face for the sake of Lars. I was playing it like… maybe if Lars believes she doesn’t love him he’ll leave and won’t be in danger any longer? Is that wrong?’
‘No, no. There are no wrong choices here,’ he said and smiled as Olive’s brow dripped with sweat. ‘Just better ones. I reallywould like tears, Olive. Can you do that for me?’
‘Of course!’ She smiled. ‘No worries!’
Michael sat back in his seat. ‘From the top of the scene!’
Olive wobbled back to Oscar, slipping a little on a bump in the stage floor.
‘You all right, there?’ He took her elbow, but she gently shook him off.
‘Yeah,’ she said with her hands on her hips, glancing back at Michaelwho sat back in his seat, furiously flipping through pages of the script. ‘Actually, no. No, I’m not. He wants me to cry? Is hestupid?’ she hissed quietly, facing upstage.
‘And this is a problem because… you can’t cry on cue?’ Oscar fumbled.
‘I can! At least… I think I can. I’ve never had to before. But that’s not the point! The point is it’s totally out of character for Eliza!’
‘Then don’t do it.’ Oscar caught her elbow again and Olive wobbled over another bump in the floor and this time she leant into his warm hand. He smiled at her, a little too widely, and Olive’s heart plunged downwards because she couldn’t bring herself to smile back.
‘Ihaveto.’ She sighed and looked into Oscar’s calm eyes. ‘He won’t be here for ever,’ she whispered, ‘I’ll do whathe wants until he’s gone and then I’ll play Eliza how I want to play her.’
‘You sound like you’ve done that before.’
‘Well, when you think about it, whilst the director is… well… the director, it’s still only an opinion on how the parts should be played. It’s all art and interpretation, right?’
‘Sure. But won’t you get in trouble?’ Oscar asked, and talking about other thingswith him seemed to distract Olive from the ache in her chest and the thudding of her head.
‘When I was inOliver!, years ago, we had two versions of the show: the director’s version and our own version when we knew he wasn’t watching. I think it’s pretty common practice amongst usthespians.’ Olive placed her index finger under her nose and tilted her head with it to accompany the poshvoice she’d adopted.
‘Wow. Well. Noted!’
‘Can we go from “Actually, Lars”, please?’ shouted Michael.
‘He expects me to cry in a matter of what? Three lines?’ Olive whispered to Oscar.
‘That’s mad,’ he replied softly. ‘Can we go back a little further?’ he said at full volume to Michael.
‘We’re really pushed for time here, Oscar,’ said Michael, dismissing him witha shake of the head and a shoo of the hand.
‘I know, I know. I just think it might be easier for us all to get a good run into the most emotional part of the scene.’
Michael looked Oscar up and down and Oscar suddenly wondered what would happen if his attempt at making things up to Olive backfired entirely.
‘For someone who’s spent the majority of their life in television,I wouldn’t have thought you’d need much of a run-up,’ Michael said, slowly folding his arms across his chest.
‘I guess I’m just out of practice!’ Oscar shrugged, and the cast held a collective breath as Michael paused for what felt like an hour.
