'LINE
OF WORK'
At
the beginning of the play, several characters are given slips of paper
with short lines written on them (by the audience, director, next door
neighbour, whoever…) and at different times in the script theses
lines are produced and read out aloud. The cast then has to improvise
their way back to the script and carry on. It's quite a challenge but
always fun!
Scene
– an employment office
Henry: Number 16?
Leon: Leon Bungle.
Henry: Qualifications?
Leon: I'm looking for a job as a reporter. I've got
a degree in journalism.
Henry: I'll just photocopy your qualifications. One
moment please. Donoghue, have you turned yourself on yet?
Don: Just warming up. Won't be a moment.
Henry: Looks like we'll have to wait a minute for the
photocopier. I'll just enter your name in the computer. (He turns
to Rikki and begins to tap on her outstretched hands. Leon notices this
and is quite taken aback)
Leon: What on earth are you doing?
Henry: Just entering your details into the system.
Leon: But that's not a computer. That's a person you're
typing into.
Rikki: Maybe after hours but not 9 to 5.
Leon: Pardon?
Rikki: During working hours I'm a pentium4 workstation
with a 15 inch, 16 million colour plasma monitor.
(Norman returns)
Norman: Excuse me but I… er… I can't seem
to find the couch.
Henry: Sorry. I should have pointed her out. She's
the blue two seater over there.
Norman: I don't see any blue couch.
Mishka: That's probably because I'm more like a chaise
lounge rather than a couch.
Norman & Leon: What?
Mishka: I'm very comfortable.
Henry: She is.
Dudley: Sometimes, if Mr Pelham is out, I'll curl up
on her and have a little snooze.
Norman: But she's a person!
Leon: Apparently only after working hours. It's the
same with the computer.
Norman: Computer?
Rikki: Yoo hoo!
Norman: Ah-huh. That's Government Departments for you,
hey? It's just like it said in the newspaper – "Line No.
1 from the audience".
(Improvisation section – from that line back to the script)
Dudley: Well it's good we got that cleared up…
