SCENE: "GET IT ON"
VERSION 04: 29.03.04
[currently scene 5]

A recording of a telephone conversation:
Telephone rings

WOMAN: Hallo, it's me.

MAN: Hallo.

WOMAN: You're not at work.

MAN: Did you want something?

WOMAN: I just want to know the truth. Can we meet? Will you be around next week?

MAN: I've already told you.

VOICE: Tell her again...

MAN: Put it this way. I may be more away than around. My days seem to change ..... my plans seem to change daily.

WOMAN: Can you please try to be more specific.You owe me that, at least.

MAN: When you have to attend to the mere surface of the incident, the reality .. the reality, I tell you, it fades .....

VOICE: << the next five words have been physically removed from the tape assumed due to rubbing as the tape has been constantly rewound.>>
[At the same time we hear the sound of a corrupted tape being wound back and forth. The child’s poem “tinker, tailor, soldier, spy, rich man, poor man, beggar-man, thief” are barely discernable.]

LIGHTS UP

The Man and woman are both on the court. The woman stands close to the net. The man behind the server line. They are both crouched low, holding their rackets identically, swaying from side to side, synchronised, waiting in anticipation.Time is stretched out.

VOICE: What's the matter with them? They don't seem to be behaving properly.

VOICE 2: They are waiting for the match to begin.

VOICE: When will that be?

VOICE 2: When the time is right. When the court is ready.



MAN: You look absolutely fabulous. That outfit looks fantastic on you.

WOMAN: Thanks. But what happens when I start to sweat?

MAN: Nervous?

WOMAN: Yeah. I don't know about you, but I could really use a fucking cigarette. [she gets out a packet and a lighter, and lights up]

MAN: I don't think now is really the right time, do you?

WOMAN: Sorry. It's just that I'm so very nervous. My brain gets nervous behind these cameras.

MAN: For God's sake, put that out. [She complies] Now, take some deep breaths. You'll be fine.

WOMAN: How can you be so sure?

MAN: You're prof, aren't you. I'm sure you've got some more tricks up your sleeve.

WOMAN: More tricks! Look. I was only trying to do my job. It was my duty to pass on that information. I thought that was what you wanted.

MAN: What I wanted? Fuck! That one went right over my head! Damn it! I misjudged the situation.


Lights down. When the lights come up, only the man is visible on the court.

MAN: You left me in the dark.

WOMAN: I never imagined the source would be revealed .. I never dreamt that your name would be ....... It wasn't my fault. It was supposed to be a "no names" affair ... I tried to call you, but ......

MAN: But what?

[no answer]

MAN: For crying out loud. But what!

WOMAN: [upset] Can you at least try to civil about this.

MAN: [sarcastic] I beg your pardon. I forgot the heart ache that goes with the rest of the price. Anyway, what does it matter if the trick is well done?

WOMAN: Look. Whatever you may have been led to believe, I didn't write that headline ... I only mentioned your concern with the report. The changes that had been made.

MAN: It was a pretty bold headline, all the same. You do tricks very well.

WOMAN: I didn't write it! Can't you get that into your head? I wrote the article, but not the headline. They don't consult you over the headlines.

VOICE: And if you were not consulted neither was he. Is that fair?

WOMAN: No, that is right. It was wrong, but by then the ball was out of my court. My hands were tied.

VOICE: Did you have any contact with him after you wrote this article?

WOMAN: No, I did not. I tried to speak to him, just to see how the thing had gone down. But I couldn't get through.

MAN: Did you try my home number?

WOMAN: Yes.

VOICE: And what, there was no reply?

WOMAN: There was just your answer machine.

MAN: Did you try my mobile too?

WOMAN: I can't remember if I did or not, I am afraid. I may have done.

VOICE: When did you do this?

WOMAN: I'm not precisely sure when, but not very long after it all blew up.

MAN: Did you leave me a message?

WOMAN: No.

MAN: Why not?

VOICE: Why not?

VOICE 2: Why not?

WOMAN: I just … you know, I wanted to speak to you - to him - myself, and ... I mean ... [irritated] sometimes I don't leave messages on answer-phones.

VOICE: Were you the person who first used the words "sexed up"?

WOMAN: Yes. And then he adopted it. It was how we referred to the incident.

VOICE: Did you fancy him? Did you want to screw him?

[A phone rings]

MAN: [Angry] God, do you really have to answer that? Objection!

VOICE ON THE PHONE: Objection sustained. Please change your line of questioning.

LIGHTS DOWN

When the lights come up, only the woman is visible on the court.

VOICE: Did you make any other attempt to contact him before he disappeared?

WOMAN: No. I mean, in the later stages I very badly wanted to speak to him privatey, but I knew ...

VOICE: Please go on.

WOMAN: You see, after the furore blew up I knew that there was a risk that I would compromise him by trying to phone him. I was concerned that ...

MAN: She was concerned, was she? That's a good one.

VOICE ON THE PHONE: I advise you to keep your comments to yourself, or or we will have to ask you to leave the court. Now, please continue.

WOMAN: I was concerned - and this might be paranoid but it might be sensible, that either my calls or his were being monitored and any attempt by me to call his number might have led people to him. In fact, I did try to phone him once from a phone box and again I just got the answer-phone.

VOICE: Did you leave a message?

WOMAN: No.I did not leave a message.

MAN: You left me in the dark. It was very quiet there.

VOICE: And that was the last time you tried to contact him?

MAN: Where did you go?

WOMAN: Yes. That was the last time.The very last time.

MAN: Dear God. Where were you. Where were you all that time?

WOMAN: Look, it wasn't really my story.

MAN: It was a crusa-fucking-fiction, that's what it was.

VOICE: Thank you. I have no further questions at this point. You may stand down.