SCENE 1 - THE REAL LIFE

INT.  MODEST LIVING ROOM / KITCHEN - MORNING

MOTHER is mid-action: making tea, arranging flowers while humming ‘Come on Eileen’.

MOTHER
(humming, absent-minded)
Teabags first? Yes.
She places two teabags in one cup.
DAUGHTER stands nearby, holding a notebook. 

DAUGHTER
Mum, can I watch you for a bit?
MOTHER
(smiles)
You always are.
DAUGHTER
There are 2 teabags in this cup.
MOTHER
I know. I like it that way.
DAUGHTER writes something in her notebook. 

DAUGHTER
Why?
MOTHER
I just… it’s nice?
Beat.

MOTHER starts humming while pouring water in the cup.

DAUGHTER
What are you humming?
MOTHER
I don’t know but it feels like it’s older.
MOTHER moves to the vase and starts arranging flowers.

DAUGHTER
Before me kind of older?
MOTHER
(chuckles)
Most things are.
She finishes arranging flowers.

DAUGHTER
(observes)
You always turn the yellow ones away.
MOTHER
Yes, they fade faster.
DAUGHTER writes something in her notebook. 

DAUGHTER
How do you know that?
MOTHER pauses.

       MOTHER
I’m not sure. I guess I just… do?
MOTHER stares at the flowers confused.

MOTHER
Did I start making the tea?

DAUGHTER
(resigned, almost upset)
Yes.

MOTHER turns around, finding her cup.

MOTHER
(smiles, holds up cup)
Good. I hate it when I’m left with two of these.

DAUGHTER
Yeah. I know.

DAUGHTER glances down at the notebook. She then takes the cup and starts pouring in milk. 

DAUGHTER
You actually take milk first.

MOTHER
Do I?

DAUGHTER
Always.

MOTHER
(impressed)
You’re very observant.

DAUGHTER
(proud)
I’ve been practising.

They sit. Silence. 

MOTHER
You don’t write all this down, do you?

DAUGHTER
All what?

MOTHER
All me.

DAUGHTER hesitates.

DAUGHTER
Only the important bits.

MOTHER
What’s important?

DAUGHTER
(pauses)
The little things.

MOTHER laughs, then stops- uncertain why she laughed.

Lights dim.

SCENE 2 - THE REHEARSAL

INT. LIVING ROOM - LATER

DAUGHTER stands centre stage, notebook open.

DAUGHTER
(clear, rehearsed)
Wake up at six. Even if you don’t need to.
Hum while the kettle boils.
Turn the yellow flowers…
Where does she turn them?

DAUGHTER stops. Checks the notebook. Corrects herself.
MOTHER walks in, watches.

DAUGHTER
Right.
(turns slightly, resets)
Turn the yellow flowers away.

MOTHER
(interjects)
Why do I do that?

DAUGHTER freezes.
MOTHER is now seated, watching.

DAUGHTER
(recalling)
Umm… because they fade faster.

MOTHER
Yes.
(frowns)
How do you know that?

DAUGHTER
Because you do.

MOTHER studies her daughter.

MOTHER
(confused)
You sound like me.

DAUGHTER
That’s the point.

MOTHER
(jokingly)
I don’t remember giving you lines.

DAUGHTER
(smiles)
You didn’t. I picked them up.

MOTHER stands, gently corrects DAUGHTER’s posture—moves her hands.

MOTHER
No, no. I stand like this.

DAUGHTER adjusts instantly.

MOTHER
Careful. You’ll forget how you stand.

MOTHER walks to sit down again.

DAUGHTER
I don’t need to remember that right now.

MOTHER
Love, that’s not tru-

MOTHER loses her balance.

DAUGHTER
Careful Mum!

Lights shift.

SCENE 3 - THE SLIP

INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

DAUGHTER cooks. MOTHER watches.

DAUGHTER
(stirring)
You don’t like onions that are too soft.

MOTHER
I don’t?

DAUGHTER
No. You say they lose their bite.

MOTHER
(smiles)
That sounds like me.

DAUGHTER
It is you.

MOTHER
Then why does it feel like I’m watching myself-
(beat)
just played badly?

DAUGHTER freezes, surprised & almost hurt.

DAUGHTER
Badly?

MOTHER
Like you’ve memorised the moves but not the reason.

DAUGHTER
I just do what you do.

MOTHER
Then tell me why.

DAUGHTER opens her mouth. Closes. Opens Again.

DAUGHTER
I—
(exhale)
I don’t know. If I don’t do it, everything will go wrong.

MOTHER
That’s not it.

Long silence.

MOTHER
What did you want to be when you were little?

DAUGHTER
(automatic)
A singer.

MOTHER
And now?

DAUGHTER
Now I—
(stops. Then, quieter)
Now I make sure you’re safe.

MOTHER
Exactly.

MOTHER silently watches her.

SCENE 4 - ROLE REVERSAL

INT. LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Low light. DAUGHTER stands in a spotlight, centre stage. MOTHER stands in a spotlight on stage left, but is still and expressionless. The notebook is nearby but closed.

DAUGHTER
Two teabags.

Silence.

DAUGHTER
Two. Always two.

DAUGHTER acts like she is MOTHER. Not entirely accurate, but close.

DAUGHTER (AS MOTHER)& MOTHER (monotone)
I like it that way.

DAUGHTER slips back.

DAUGHTER
You like it that way.

A pause.

DAUGHTER starts mimicking the action of pouring milk. Stops mid-gesture.

DAUGHTER
(forcefully)
Milk first.

Completes gesture. Repeats again, faster.

DAUGHTER (AS MOTHER)& MOTHER (monotone)
Milk first.

DAUGHTER crosses to the flowers. Turns one away.

DAUGHTER
I turn the yellow ones away.

MOTHER (monotone)
(delayed repeat)
I turn them away.

DAUGHTER corrects herself.

DAUGHTER
I mean, you turn them away.

A beat.

DAUGHTER (As MOTHER)
(fading)
They fade faster-

DAUGHTER
Just… away.

DAUGHTER hums the tune. But with wrong notes

MOTHER is emotionless.

DAUGHTER tries again. Wrong rhythm.

MOTHER is emotionless.

DAUGHTER
You hum this.

MOTHER nods. DAUGHTER hums again, stopping after one note.

DAUGHTER
(confused)
You hum.

DAUGHTER moves toward the kitchen while lost in thought.

DAUGHTER
Onions.

Waits. Cannot recall.

DAUGHTER
(forcefully)
Onions. I don’t like them soft.

Beat. Corrects.

DAUGHTER
You don’t.

DAUGHTER breathing tightens.

DAUGHTER

Two teabags. Milk first. Yellow away. Onions not soft.
(beat)
And you hum. 

She repeats it, faster- almost mechanical.

MOTHER starting to get confused.

DAUGHTER
Two teabags.
Milk first.
You hum.
Yellow flowers away.
Onions not soft.

MOTHER
(worried)
Stop.

DAUGHTER
Two teabags.
Milk first.
You hum.
Yellow flowers away.
Onions not soft.

MOTHER
(louder)
Stop it.

DAUGHTER
Two teabags.
Milk first.
You hum.
Yellow flowers away.
Onions not soft.

MOTHER
(louder, commanding)
I said stop. Just stop.

DAUGHTER blinks & snaps out of it. 

DAUGHTER
(confused)
This is you.

MOTHER
No.

DAUGHTER
It is.
It has to be.

MOTHER
That is what I do. Not who I am.

DAUGHTER
Then what’s missing?

A long silence.

MOTHER
That’s not the point. You need to stop.

DAUGHTER shakes her head.

DAUGHTER
If I stop, you disappear.

MOTHER steps closer.

MOTHER
I asked you what you wanted to be. You said a singer. I asked you what you are. You said my guardian. If you don’t stop, you will be the one to disappear.

Hold eye contact.

MOTHER
(quiet, final)
Stop understudying my life. Build your own.

Blackout.

SCENE 5 - THE BREAK

INT. KITCHEN - LATE NIGHT

DAUGHTER sits at the table. The notebook is open, pages filled. She flips through them. 

DAUGHTER
Something about me. What is something I do?

Stops. Her hand hovers over a blank page.

DAUGHTER
(quiet, shaken)
I… I don’t even know what to write.

Tries to write something new. Stops.

DAUGHTER
I can’t… remember me.

MOTHER enters quietly, watching.

MOTHER
Why are you crying?

DAUGHTER
I… I’ve been trying to…
(gestures at notebook)
…find myself on paper.
After 2 years of learning, I don’t even know what’s mine & what’s yours anymore.

MOTHER
(soft, steady)
That’s not your job.

DAUGHTER
Not my job?

MOTHER
No.
(beat)
You don’t need to relearn yourself by writing it down.
 

DAUGHTER
But… then how will I remember?

MOTHER
You will.
Not from the page, but from being yourself.
Start being free.
Start living.
The rest will come.

DAUGHTER stares at her hands. Slowly closes the notebook.

DAUGHTER
(quiet, almost to herself)
I… just have to be me.

MOTHER
(smiling, softly)
Yes. And that’ll be enough.

Lights fade.

SCENE 6 - THE UNDERSTUDY STEPS BACK

INT. LIVING ROOM - MORNING (ECHO OF SCENE 1)

MOTHER makes tea identical to Scene 1 but only adds one teabag. DAUGHTER enters without the notebook.

MOTHER
You watching?

DAUGHTER
(smiles, lighter)
Not today.

MOTHER drinks tea.

MOTHER
It’s less flavorful today.

DAUGHTER moves to take the cup.

DAUGHTER
How many-

DAUGHTER stops, hand in mid air. MOTHER watches.
Beat. She straightens and retracts.

MOTHER
(carefully)
I’ll figure it out.

Beat. MOTHER hesitantly adds a teabag to her cup.
DAUGHTER begins humming ‘You Are Enough’ by Sleeping At Last.

MOTHER
What are you humming?

DAUGHTER
I don’t know.
But it feels like now.

They sit together.

Lights fade.