Where We Were When Norm Died - play
April 28, 2018
It's been a year since beloved father, Norm, passed away, and now his wife Elizabeth is bringing the whole family back together to commemorate it. This hilarious comedy pokes fun at dysfunctional family dynamics, while exploring themes of grief and forgiveness.
Script extract
Charlie: I’m sure she’ll be here. She’s usually good with…stuff like this.
Elizabeth: Your sister only cares about one person in this family, and that’s herself.
Bertie and Francesca enter.
Francesca: Knock, knock! The back door was open. Hope we’re not interrupting. We thought we’d -
Bertie: Knock, knock!
Brief pause.
Elizabeth: Oh! Welcome.
She checks her watch.
Francesca: We’re a bit early! Francesca, and Bertie. From the golf club.
Elizabeth: Of course.
Charlie: Hi.
(points to self) Charlie.
Francesca: Of course, you’re the one with the Oriental wife, aren’t you?
Charlie: Uh…
Francesca: They age well, the Orientals. Lovely skin. And skinny too. A bit plain, but each to their own. We know we’re a bit early, hope that’s alright. You haven’t put the kettle on by any chance?
Charlie politely stands to attention, retrieves the kettle, and begins making tea.
Francesca: Thanks pet. Black with one sugar please. Bertie, will you have tea?
Bertie: We saw a dead possum just outside.
Francesca: (low voice) I thought we agreed we weren’t going to talk about that, Bertie.
Bertie: It’s just interesting.
Francesca: (still low) It most certainly is NOT interesting. They’re going to be thinking about their dead husband and father, they don’t want to think about a dead possum as well.
Bertie: Well, strewth, if they’re not already upset about their dead father I doubt a dead possum is going to tip them over the edge.