31 Plays in 31 Days, #9 - "Mrs. Linden, Née Fletcher"

[breakinglight11]

This one is dedicated to Kate Potter. Kate, who has been an amazingly adept Wardrobe Technician for the Hawking shows, also played a small role of a bitchy maid who says some snotty things to and about Mary. Kate added so much personality to her moments in parts 1 and 2, bringing life to her and coming up with her name. I like to joke that if TV news existed in this time period, she'd give interviews about weird goings on around the Hawkings with a chyron underneath her that read "Nellie Fletcher, Local Bitch." Kate really brought that color and specificity to a small role.

I enjoy Kate's performance of this character so much I'd love to bring her back. Today's scene is an idea for that, seeing a more mature version of Nellie, married and moved up a bit in the world. It's a bit tricky to find a reason, especially because in the timeline by part 7, it's like nine years since her last appearance. It would have to fit into the functional structure; I don't want to include it unless it adds something. Right now, it's kind of just an appendage for a last-line joke-- and one that probably doesn't read as well as it would hopefully play.

I did have an idea that throughout the play, Mrs. Hawking can be giving asides about the reasons why Mary left. They could be mostly self-defensive, blaming Mary for leaving. But here, with this stranger who she gains no benefit from convincing or impressing, she can maybe finally be honest for the first time in the play. I'll have go back and edit for that, since it's not really present in the scenes as drafted so far, but it could be a justification for including the scene.

...whatever the case, as you will see, Nellie will remain true to her essential self. X-D



Day #9 - “Mrs. Linden, Née Fletcher”
From the Mrs. Hawking series
By Phoebe Roberts

London, England, 1890

VICTORIA HAWKING, lady’s champion of London, early fifties
NELLIE LINDEN, née Fletcher, Local Bitch, mid thirties
A GROCER, early forties
~~~

(A grocer’s shop in London. NELLIE LINDEN is chatting with her old friend the GROCER. MRS. HAWKING enters warily and scans the shelves. She selects a jar and tries to read the label, but is frustrated to find the type is too small and her arm too short.)

MRS. HAWKING: Oh, blast it.

GROCER: Ah… can I help you, madam?

MRS. HAWKING: (Sighing) I’ve left my quizzing glass— is this the tincture of willow bark?

GROCER: That’s the valerian, madam. The willow’s this one.

MRS. HAWKING: Very good, then. Thank you.

GROCER: Anything else, or shall I ring you up, then?

MRS. HAWKING: Put it to my account, if you please— the name is Hawking.

NELLIE: (Gasps)

MRS. HAWKING: May I help you?

NELLIE: I— begging your pardon— only I thought— I’d heard madam didn’t go out these days.

MRS. HAWKING: You heard?

NELLIE: Well, I— that is to say— folks talk, if you talk my meaning.

MRS. HAWKING: I suppose they do, then.

NELLIE: Forgive me, but you haven’t been seen for some time, madam. Suppose it put folks to wondering. If… something had happened, or such. Only natural, then, isn’t it?

MRS. HAWKING: …Indeed.

NELLIE: But then, I suppose you had that girl. The rangy one, always in her blue dress. She was the one doing for you about town.

MRS. HAWKING: Yes. She was.

NELLIE: But haven’t seen her about for ages either. What happened to her?

(Pause.)

MRS. HAWKING: I chased her off. Took near ten years to do it. But I never let up. I pushed her and pushed her until she’d had quite enough of me. She ran away, all the way across an ocean, to get away from me, because I drove her to it. That, madam, is what happened to her.

(Pause. The GROCER approaches tentatively with MRS. HAWKING’s parcel.)

NELLIE: (to GROCER) …Knew she wouldn’t last. Didn’t I?

(NELLIE exits. MRS. HAWKING growls and takes her parcel.)