The Silent Appeal #3
We’ve never met, but I’m Lucas’s aunt by marriage and Georgia’s mum. I’m writing to say thank you for looking after her. She’s a lovely girl, but we fell out over a man she was seeing. Both of us need some time apart and she’ll be on her feet again soon.
I should congratulate you on getting married, seeing as you eloped without telling anyone. You know what they say: marry in haste, repent at leisure. I’m joking.
A big thank you again and if Georgia gives you any trouble, remember she’s been through a lot and just needs her own space to work things out. June
Message exchange between Joyce Walford and Sarah-Jane MacDonald on February 10, 2025:
8:47 p.m. Joyce wrote:
She wants nit milk in her tea.
8:47 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Who?
8:47 p.m. Joyce wrote:
Your sister. We don’t have nit milk.
8:48 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
She made it to rehearsal after all. Marvelous! And yes, she’s dairy-avoidant.
8:49 p.m. Joyce wrote:
Can you bring some to the hall?
8:51 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
I’m up to my elbows in suds. Sammy embarrassed herself just before bedtime. Utterly deliberate—so I have to bathe her and she gets to stay up late. She’s a conniving little madam.
8:52 p.m. Joyce wrote:
She says almond nit milk preferred. Quick, it’s nearly the end of tea break.
8:53 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
I can’t. She’ll have to take her tea black. And it’s NUT milk!
8:55 p.m. Joyce wrote:
I know! These phone letters are too small. What shall I give her?
8:55 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
BLACK TEA!
8:56 p.m. Joyce wrote:
She wants raw cane brown sugar in her black tea. Have you got any?
Message exchange between Lucas Stibson and Barry Walford on February 10, 2025:
9:21 p.m. Lucas wrote:
Who’s the baddie?
9:22 p.m. Barry wrote:
Probably the murderer, boss. Haven’t read the script so don’t know who does it.
9:25 p.m. Lucas wrote:
You kill me! I mean the new bird is HOT as FUCK!
9:26 p.m. Barry wrote:
Myra’s the only one for me, boss.
Message exchange between Sarah-Jane and Kevin MacDonald on February 10, 2025:
11:45 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
I dare not move or she’ll wake up and want to switch talking Bluey on.
11:46 p.m. Kevin wrote:
That thing is literally rewiring the part of my brain that stores vocabulary.
11:47 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Every phrase an earworm.
11:49 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Take its batteries out. Tell her all batteries in the world have mysteriously stopped working. No more Bluey.
11:49 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Nicky-Rose ok?
11:50 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Watched the rehearsal, made a few suggestions.
11:50 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
I mean, was she ok in herself?
11:52 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Quiet and preoccupied until we started rehearsing, then POW! At first she whispered suggestions to me, but by the end she was talking directly to the actors. Then she got up onstage and showed them what she wanted.
11:52 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Good.
11:54 p.m. Kevin wrote:
I’d have thought someone taking over like that would be irritating. But she did it so smoothly, I’m somehow charged with hope and positivity, not disgruntled and resentful.
11:54 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Marvelous.
11:55 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Now for some sleep. Thank you for babysitting this evening and tonight. Love you, babe.
11:56 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:
Oh, biscuits! Go to sleep!
11:56 p.m. Kevin wrote:
Dance mode!
Message exchange between Denise Malcolm and Carol Dearing on February 11, 2025:
8:43 a.m. Denise wrote:
She was AMAZING.
8:44 a.m. Carol wrote:
Who?
8:44 a.m. Denise wrote:
Your Nicky-Rose.
8:45 a.m. Carol wrote:
What’s happened?
8:47 a.m. Denise wrote:
She came to rehearsal last night. Stepped into Kevin’s shoes while he was still wearing them.
8:48 a.m. Carol wrote:
I wonder what he thought of that?
8:57 a.m. Denise wrote:
There’s a scene where almost every character is onstage.
Even I could see the actors were standing in a line as if they were about to do the cancan.
Nicky-Rose stopped everything, rearranged the cast so some were sitting, some standing, some upstage, some down, and POOF!
It was like a tableau painted by a grand master.
8:58 a.m. Carol wrote:
Good to hear.
9:02 a.m. Denise wrote:
There were other points she made at the end too. We’re very lucky to have her as assistant director.
9:03 a.m. Carol wrote:
She’s assistant director now?
9:05 a.m. Denise wrote:
How are your rehearsals at Mendhams?
9:08 a.m. Carol wrote:
Well, it’s an old play, translated from French, with a large cast, so just the regular teething problems.
9:09 a.m. Denise wrote:
Like what?
9:11 a.m. Carol wrote:
Like the entire cast and crew rising up against a director hell-bent on turning a classic of nineteenth-century European fiction into a Whitehall farce.
9:13 a.m. Denise wrote:
Best sit it out till they calm down.
9:14 a.m. Carol wrote:
It was me leading the revolt! Some groups have no respect for the integrity of the script.
9:15 a.m. Denise wrote:
If only Nicky-Rose wasn’t our assistant director, she could have saved the day for Mendhams!
To: Kevin MacDonald
From: Isabel Beck
Date: February 11, 2025
Subject: Last night’s rehearsal!
Hiya Kevin!
OMG! Nicky-Rose was SO inspiring last night!
That bit where I was standing behind the settee and she told me to move in front of it and sit to the side, so I could look over my shoulder, and when I pulled a face at John and Veronica flirting, the audience would see it, but none of the characters would.
Even YOU didn’t think to do it like that!
Then when Lady Angkatell picks up the basket of eggs and is about to leave John and Veronica alone, Nicky-Rose suggested she hesitate slightly, because she enjoys the drama and is determined to cause trouble, as she’s basically a psychopath.
Fran would never have thought like that, but when she did it—whoosh!
The whole scene took on a new meaning! I was so excited last night I spent an hour learning my lines when I got in! I’m almost word-perfect!
Joyce said NR’s been working on cruise ships for years. Well, the plays on cruise ships must be THE BEST because she’s transformed The Hollow in just a couple of hours.
Can you give me Nicky-Rose’s email address, please? I’d love to thank her personally for all her help and let her know how I’m developing my character. I overheard her talking to Beth, who asked if she’s taught acting before. She said no, she’s taught dancing to pay the bills but not acting.
I’ve never tried dance classes, but only because there’s never been any near me. Also, I’m a bit old for ballet or tap. I wonder if Nicky-Rose would start dance classes at the hall? If she did, I’d definitely go.
Did you notice that Fran disappeared during tea break?
Just like last week. Where does she go? It’s not like she smokes or vapes.
It’s possible she’s going outside to text without anyone looking over her shoulder, but I went to the loo to see if she was there, or in the foyer or just outside the double doors, and couldn’t find her.
She’d gone completely. She wasn’t in her car or on that little patch of grass outside.
It was totally dark, silent (and cold!) out there.
She reappeared just as rehearsal started again.
I know she has a problem with her emails that stops her seeing mine, else I’d ask her myself. I only hope she’s okay.
Will Nicky-Rose be at rehearsal next week? Love Issy xxx
To: Isabel Beck
From: Kevin MacDonald
Date: February 11, 2025
Subject: Re: Last night’s rehearsal!
Hi Issy,
No problem, Nicky-Rose’s contact card is attached. Yes, she had a lot to say about the play. All good.
Forgot to mention last night, but I’ve spoken to Emma about making a sculpture of you. Two actually: one big, one small. Assume you’ll have to “sit” for her, or something. I’ve given her your details. She’ll be in touch if she needs anything. Kevin
[Contact card: Nicky-Rose Dearing]
Message exchange between Nicky-Rose Dearing and Kevin MacDonald on February 11, 2025:
10:34 a.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
You want the audience to study the characters and try to work out who’s guilty, so give them lots to study with each one—even Doris and Gudgeon. We need to suspect everybody.
10:35 a.m. Kevin wrote:
Yep. Thanks.
10:35 a.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
Have you thought about placing the couch off-center?
10:36 a.m. Kevin wrote:
It’s the “star” of the set. Surely it should be center stage?
10:37 a.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
No. The patio doors are star of the set. At the moment they are too far right.
10:37 a.m. Kevin wrote:
Joel is the set designer.
10:43 a.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
I’ll speak to him. Also, every time I looked at the stage there were more footstools and fussy little tables. Think of the sightlines. They place a barrier between audience and cast. We want to draw the audience in so they feel as if they are in the room with the characters.
10:44 a.m. Kevin wrote:
Denise and Marianne were trying out different pieces of furniture. There won’t be five footstools and four tables on the nights. I hope.
10:45 a.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
Where will the gun be pointed from?
10:45 a.m. Kevin wrote:
A bush of creeping plants.
10:47 a.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
I’ll do some research. There may be a more effective way to stage the murder scene.
10:48 a.m. Kevin wrote:
Great. Thanks. You’re a powerhouse of dramatic intrigue.
10:50 a.m. Nicky-Rose wrote:
Haven’t felt so fired up about anything in months.
To: Rev. Joshua Harries
From: Fran Elroy-Jones
Date: February 11, 2025
Subject: Last night
Hi Josh,
Lovely to bump into you again last night.
I’m avoiding a particular cast member, so it helps to dart into the church as soon as Kevin calls for tea break.
Last night I managed to grab an extra tea from Joyce’s tray on the way past. They haven’t discovered where I go (yet). That secret door is very well hidden.