31 Plays in 31 Days, #10 - "Undercover"

[breakinglight11]

Looks like the boys are hanging out again! It's because of this scene drafted for part V: Mrs. Frost that I needed Nathaniel and Arthur to have already met before this show happened. This moment kicks off one of the major plot threads of part V, Nathaniel's little solo adventure while the rest of the team is working from another end.

Also, Arthur's joke I can't take credit for. It was Matt Kamm's suggestion, the actor who plays Arthur. Shows how well he knows the character!

Day #10 - "Undercover"
From Mrs. Frost
By Phoebe Roberts

NATHANIEL HAWKING, Mrs. Hawking's nephew and assistant, early thirties
ARTHUR SWANN, a police sergeant, late twenties
ROLAND DAVIES, Mrs. Frost's hatchet man, late twenties

London, England, 1886
~~~

(A warehouse, full of rough characters carrying cargo. NATHANIEL enters, dressed like one of them. As he moves among them, he spots ARTHUR working, also trying to blend in. They try to hide how they recognize one another.)

NATHANIEL: By Jove! Arthur?

ARTHUR: Careful, sir!

NATHANIEL: Right, right. What are you doing here?

ARTHUR: On a job, sir. And you?

NATHANIEL: The same. What’s happening? A sting?

ARTHUR: Waiting and watching, is all.

NATHANIEL: Very good. We’re hunting some cargo. Does Mary know you’re here?

ARTHUR: As it happens, there’s some things I can’t tell her about. Now we’d best keep at it, before someone hears.

NATHANIEL: Of course. We’ll catch up later.

(They separate. ARTHUR returns to work and NATHANIEL returns to investigating. As NATHANIEL searches, ROLAND emerges from among the roughs, watching him.)

ROLAND: Evening, Mr. Hawking.

(NATHANIEL freezes a moment, but doesn’t break character.)

NATHANIEL: (Coarse accent) What’s ‘at?

(ROLAND punches him and he spins. ARTHUR turns to look, arms full.)

ARTHUR: Here, now!

(ROLAND seizes hold of NATHANIEL and clamps a rag to his face. As NATHANIEL goes limp, ROLAND throws his arm over his shoulders and hustles him out. ARTHUR tries to push toward him, but he is shoved back and a fight breaks out around him.)