Fifty-Fifty

By Roger Hall

George, 54, cannot understand why his wife left him. She offered him no real explanation and in his terms he has always treated her decently. The play looks at the problems of redundancy and unemployment, and by the end we may more fully understand the wife's decision.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Victoria University Press
• Release date: Apr 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9780864737861

Roger Hall

Roger Hall, a free-lance writer, editor, and novelist, lives in Delaware.

Book preview

ROGER HALL

FIFTY-FIFTY

FIFTY-FIFTY

Roger Hall

Price Milburn 

with

Victoria University Press

Contents

Title Page

First Performance

Characters

Fifty-Fifty

By the Same Author

Copyright

First Performance

F

IFTY

-F

IFTY

was first presented by Mercury Theatre, Auckland, on 6 May 1981, when the cast was as follows:

Directed by Ian Mune

Designed by Ian Mune and Amanda Lane

Lighting by Don Jowsey

Stage Manager, Dean Ellis

Characters

G

EORGE

. In his fifties. He is well-dressed.

S

ARAH

. In early to mid-thirties. An attractive, self-assured and well-groomed woman.

M

ICHAEL

. George’s son, about twenty-three. A graduate, but unemployed. Dresses casually. Could be bearded and bespectacled.

B

ARBARA

. George’s daughter, age about twenty-five. Usually a cheery type, but somewhat exhausted by the work involved in looking after her six month old son.

T

ONY

. In his late twenties or early thirties. Well-dressed, efficient worker, who takes everything that he does very seriously.

The Play

S

ETTING

: The sitting-room of a modern flat in London.

Fifty-Fifty

Scene One

---

Saturday morning

The sitting-room of a modern flat on the sixth floor. Doors leading off to a hall, bedroom and kitchen.

The sitting-room includes built-in shelves and cupboards, a writing desk, a large, heavy table, three-piece suite, and a small coffee table with a brass top. On the wall, a brass barometer, and a mirror. On the shelves, books, a globe, cassette tapes, and a cassette player with small speakers (but not a cheap player — an expensive miniature system). The fireplace has a gas fire built in, and there are radiators by one wall near the window. On the mantelpiece is a Moorcroft vase. Bottle of Windowlene and a rag on the table. On the floor, a bag with dirty clothes spilling out of it.

G

EORGE

enters from the kitchen with a cloth and Vim in hand. He goes to a list and ticks something off. He checks what is next on the list, sighs, and gets out a vacuum cleaner, wrestling with it angrily, obviously hating to use the thing. The doorbell rings: he is about to start it.

He answers the front door and brings back into the room S

ARAH

, who is in her early thirties; a well-dressed, attractive woman.

G

EORGE

: Sorry about the mess. I did remember you were coming, but I hadn’t realised how late it was. ( Proffers list .) Eleven a.m., Sarah Lang, see.

S

ARAH

: Yes. ( She looks round .) It is Monday you’re moving out?

G

EORGE

: Yes, yes. Everything will be out by then. I’ve got the family coming over this morning to give me a hand. Sort things out. And we’ve got people coming tonight.

S

ARAH

: Where are you shifting to?

G

EORGE

: Er … not quite sure yet.

S

ARAH

: But you’ve only got three days.

G

EORGE

: I’ll find somewhere. Something’ll turn up — it always does. I’ve made a list — do sit down. Ah! ( Finds list .) Second thoughts, don’t sit down. Radiator.

They go over to it.

It’s a bit tricky — you turn this handle here anti-clockwise … don’t let the indicator marks on it fool you, they don’t mean a thing. What I usually do is turn it as far as I can, and when it’s hot enough turn it back to about half way. Failing that, kick it. Failing that again, send for Mr Burgess.

S

ARAH

: Mr Burgess is the porter?

G

EORGE

: Yes. He won’t do much, but you do get warm getting angry about it. ( He sees something through window .) Ah yes, down there is a short cut to the tube — will you be using the tube?

S

ARAH

: Yes.

G

EORGE

: Well that tunnel’ll save you about five minutes. Though I wouldn’t use it at night unless you particularly relish being mugged. Do sit down.

She does so. He checks his list again.

Shower? Requires the usual sort of hairsbreadth adjustment, but if you hear upstairs loo flushing, get out quick or you’ll be scalded. The cooker: high speed thingummy, usual sort of thing, not that I use it much. Am I leaving the fridge?

S

ARAH

, consulting papers: Yes.

G

EORGE

: Good. I needn’t defrost it then.

S

ARAH

: But you’ll clean it out.

G

EORGE

: Oh. Right. ( He makes a note of it .)

G

EORGE

: Anything else?

S

ARAH

: The rubbish.

G

EORGE

: Mr Burgess again. Supposed to be collected each day but he has strict rules about things being in bags, newspapers must be in bundles tied with string, all that. But if you use your feminine wiles, I’m sure you’ll be able to twist him around your finger. He’s very susceptible to the ladies. Well, we all are, aren’t we. Would you like some coffee? It’s almost perked.

S

ARAH

: If you have the time. You must be very busy.

G

EORGE

: It’s on the list.

S

ARAH

: Well, if it’s on the list. One other thing — would it be all right if I dropped some stuff over here tomorrow? My flatmate’s fiancé has offered to drive me over — it would be a tremendous help.

G

EORGE

: Of course, of course. Cigarette?

S

ARAH

, almost shuddering: God no.

G

EORGE

: Do you mind if I …?

S

ARAH

: Yes. Since you ask.

G

EORGE

: Oh. Right.

S

ARAH

: Most people only ask automatically; usually it doesn’t mean anything. But if you’re definitely giving me a choice, then I’d prefer it if you didn’t smoke.

G

EORGE

: Yes, fine, right. Quite understand. Coffee. He goes to the kitchen.

S

ARAH

walks round looking at things. She picks up the Moorcroft vase to look at its base. She looks through some of the books and then is interested by the cassette player.

G

EORGE

meanwhile has come in with the coffee and gone back into the kitchen. He re-emerges with a bottle of milk. He veers back and comes in again with a milk jug.

G

EORGE

: Milk?

S

ARAH

: Not for me.

G

EORGE

doesn’t take milk, either.

G

EORGE

: I see you were intrigued by the cassette player.

S

ARAH

: It’s so small. The speakers.

G

EORGE

: But they