Chapter 12
Lily stood outside the village hall, staring at the weathered wooden doors.
Her heart pounded as she wondered what lay on the other side.
She could hear the faint sound of piano keys and chatter filtering through the cracks.
This was supposed to be simple, just a local production in a small village, but it didn’t feel simple at all.
In fact, it felt enormous. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
The room was a swirl of activity, with people bustling around.
Sheila was standing next to a pile of scripts, writing on a clipboard, while Jasper was pointing out lighting on the makeshift stage.
Bernadette, his tiny Pomeranian, watched with mild indifference from a pillow in the corner.
Lily hesitated at the entrance, feeling like an outsider in a place that should have been welcoming.
‘Oh, look, everyone, it’s our Eliza.’ Jessica’s voice cut through the room like a knife.
She stood by the piano, a script in one hand and a smug expression on her face.
‘Our West End darling has graced us with her presence.’ Jessica was wearing black cigarette pants, ballet flats and a striped Breton top, and her dark straight hair was in a high ponytail with a black ribbon in it, making her more Audrey than Audrey herself.
Lily forced a polite smile, her stomach twisting. ‘Hi, Jessica,’ she replied, moving further into the hall. She could feel eyes on her, some curious, some expectant. She tried to keep her focus ahead, on Nick, who was setting up chairs in the front row.
She wished she had worn something better than her jeans and rugby top and trainers, but then she remembered she never wore clothes like Jess and why would she start now? She was comfortable and that’s what mattered.
‘Good to see you, Lily,’ he said, his smile easing some of her tension. He leaned and whispered to her, ‘Ignore Jess. She’s a bit put out. She’ll get over it.’
‘What role is she playing?’ she whispered in return, glancing at Jess who was talking to Jasper, while Bernadette snarled at her.
‘Mrs Higgins,’ he said and made a face.
‘The mother?’ Lily turned to Jess and looked at Nick. ‘She is far too beautiful to be the mother. No wonder she hates me. Who told her about me being on the West End?’
‘I mentioned it, so people would have told her.’ said Nick. ‘I mean it’s not exactly a secret. People talk. Besides you should be proud of yourself.’
‘You sound like my mother,’ she said and gave a large sigh.
‘Is your mother very proud of you?’ asked Nick as he adjusted the chairs.
‘Stupidly, undeservedly so,’ she said. Explaining Denise to people was hard because everyone thought it was great to have a mum so invested and supportive, but they didn’t realise the expectations that came with it.
Sheila clapped her hands. ‘Everyone, take your places. It’s time for the read-through.’
Gathering around the trestle tables that had been set up, the cast members took their places, as Sheila handed them each a script, a highlighter and a pencil.
Lily sat down next to Nick, nerves rising as she took her script and saw her name – Miss Eliza Doolittle – Lily Baxter.
Nick nudged her with his elbow. ‘It’s exciting isn’t it? I love a new script.’
He gave her an encouraging look that made her feel, if only momentarily, that everything would be good, perhaps even lovely.
She looked up and sitting straight across from them was Jess, her eyes narrowed as she stared at Lily, her mouth in a thin line. Lily was sure she could feel the poisoned darts being sent her way.
Jasper clasped his hands. ‘Righto, let’s start with Act One,’ he said, his voice resonating off the old walls of the hall.
Lily opened her script after a long breath, her fingers shaking just a little.
She looked at the lyrics, the well-known Eliza Doolittle lines, and urged herself to sink into the part.
Her voice started off a little wobbly, but as the words came out her confidence grew.
She felt her cockney accent running off her tongue as smoothly as if she had spoken that way her whole life.
She felt herself sinking into character.
She sensed a spark, a flash of the passion that had defined her, for the first time in months. God, she had missed this.
As they worked through the script, the voices of the characters bounced around the room.
David Caruthers, the local primary school principal, was playing a very good Henry Higgins and Stephen Waddell, the local vet, was playing a more than suitable Colonel Pickering.
A man called Sean Wilkins, who was an accountant from two villages over, was playing Alfred P. Doolittle, Eliza’s father, and what he lacked in accent he made up for in enthusiasm for the role.
‘He sounds more Indian than cockney,’ Nick whispered to her.
‘I’ll help him with the accent.’ She smiled at Nick, as they came to the end of Act Two. ‘They’re easy enough once you get the hang of it.’
‘Everyone, time for an intermission. There’s lemon drizzle cake and some cheese and biscuits. We have a sturdy cheddar and a lovely blue, if you’re keen,’ Sheila called out.
Lily pushed back her chair and stood up. ‘If every rehearsal is like this, I’ll be the size of a house,’ she said to Nick as Jess moved around to the front of the table where Lily and Nick were standing.
Jess’s voice sliced across the room like a razor: ‘Lily, I was thinking, you might try to tone down the accent a bit. It’s sounding a bit forced.’
Lily gasped at the note from Jess. No one would ever say that in the first read-through on a professional run. It was nasty and uncalled for and, more than that, it was rude.
She looked down at her script, the words blurring just slightly from anger and embarrassment.
Then she heard a low growl and Jasper’s voice next to her: ‘Actually, I think Lily’s interpretation is spot on,’ he added, staring at Jess with a look that brooked no argument. ‘If you have notes, you speak to me, not directly to the other actors.’
Bernadette was in his arms, her lip snarling at Jessica, who turned and walked towards Sheila.
‘Oh God, this is going to be awful,’ she muttered to Nick as they sat with their mugs of tea. ‘She hates me.’
‘No it will be fine. She won’t do it again; Jasper popped her back into her box in no uncertain terms.’
‘I can’t imagine you going out with her. Was it serious?’ she asked him.
‘No, not really,’ he said vaguely.
‘How long did you go out for?’ she asked.
‘About six months,’ he said.
‘That’s not a short time,’ she said.
‘Well I did spend the last three trying to end it, but she was sort of… ’ His voice trailed away.
She looked at Jessica who was flirting with an uncomfortable Higgins and Pickering.
‘I get it, I think. She’s very charming.’
‘She’s also very manipulative.’ He sighed. ‘Boundaries are things on a map for her and not to be honoured in everyday life.’
‘Well she definitely hates me,’ she said. ‘She’s going to make this so awkward for everyone.’
‘No, she’ll settle down; she’s just trying to prove something right now. Ignore it, rise above it,’ he said. ‘Now come and try the cheese with me. I love cheese. Do you love cheese?’
After the tea and cake, everyone was back at their places at the table ready for Act Three.
Jasper clapped his hands and walked around the centre of the U-shaped tables. ‘Opening of Act Three. The scene unfolds in the elegant drawing room of Mrs Higgins, where the atmosphere is charged with anticipation as she prepares to welcome her esteemed guests.’
Jasper spoke passionately as he walked. ‘Eliza and Mrs Higgins are to meet, and Eliza and Freddy are to finally meet, which sets off a chain of events, so let us begin.’
Jess began the scene, reading her lines with a tinge of contempt.
When she had to interact with Lily, she stared at her across the room, as though Lily was something to be pitied.
She missed a line and she felt Nick nudge her. ‘Your line,’ he said pointing at the page.
‘Sweetie,’ Jess pounced, her voice soft but condescending. ‘Please try to keep up. Moving from the great West End stages to our modest production must be challenging, but we do like to keep the show moving.’
‘I have it in hand, Jess. But thank you anyway,’ she said smoothly but then she bit the inside of her mouth, tasting blood.
The sting of Jess’s comments were worse than she had anticipated.
It was like returning to school, with that never quite fitting in sensation.
She looked at Nick, who rolled his eyes at Jess’s actions, his face a mix of irritation and encouragement, but it hurt and Lily swallowed the blood where she had bitten the skin.
Inhaling deeply, her shoulders drooping, she felt exhausted, every bit of her enthusiasm sapped by Jess’s continuous undercurrent of hostility and obvious hatred.
Nick leaned into her side. ‘You’re doing great.’ His breath was warm against her ear. ‘Don’t let her get to you.’
Lily nodded, but it didn’t take the sting away. They managed to get through the rest of the read-through but the fizz of excitement had left the room with Jess’s words.
‘I’ll drive you home,’ Nick said to her as Lily put her script into her bag.
‘Lily, dear.’ She looked up to see Jess standing in front of them, her voice loud enough for everyone to hear and tinged with phoney worry.
‘I hope you’re not finding this too… provincial for your tastes.
It’s just am dram after all. I mean I’ve recently been in London, so I know how different this all is. ’
Lily felt the rage swell up for a minute, a scorching flash building over her cheeks. She considered Gran, the summers spent in this very town, the cosiness of community theatre, the love of the shows and music and all those years she sang to Gran in the back garden of Pippin Cottage.
She inhaled steadily then turned to Jess, her face cool.
‘Actually, I’m having a great time,’ Lily said, her voice clear and calm.
‘Community theatre is unique and so important, don’t you think?
The enthusiasm, the friendship.’ She gestured to the room.
‘It’s incredibly special, and as the professionals I work with on the West End say, there are no small roles, only small actors. ’
She paused, knowing the rest of the room was listening.
This was her chance to show Jessica she would not be bullied.
‘I just wanted to be a part of it all, after Nick told me about the auditions. I would’ve been happy to be chorus, just so I could sing this marvellous score, but I think only small-minded people believe any show or role is beneath them, don’t you? ’
Jess’s smile stumbled a little, her eyes flickering with annoyance. This was not the answer she was expecting and she mumbled something about understanding and absolutely she was pleased to be a part of it and no role was too small for her either. Lily looked at Nick.
‘Shall we go?’ she asked him sweetly .
‘Absolutely,’ he said. His eye caught hers, and she saw pride there. He gave her the smallest of winks, and Lily had a flutter of hope in that instant, a feeling that perhaps this summer production might be just what the doctor ordered.