Act 1 Scene 2.

The scene opens on the same street as Scene 1. Erica and Freddie are looking out of her window as Frank is helping an old lady out of a car. There are bags and briefcases on the pavement. Frank and his mother, Mrs. Arthur, are moving into Gayle’s house.

Frank: Careful mother.

Mrs. Arthur: I can do it by myself, boy.

Mrs. Arthur whacks Frank with her walking stick and hobbles down the driveway into the house. Frank picks up all the bags he can and hurries in after her. The car moves off, out of the scene leaving one lone briefcase behind on the stage. Freddie and Erica come out of the other house and start searching the briefcase.

Erica: Throws aside a shirt. Where do you think Mr. Arthur is?

Freddie: Only Mr. Arthur will know.

Erica: It’s not as if we ever find anything worth selling you know.

Freddie: Throws aside a jacket. That’s not the point. The point is to find out more about the person who is moving in. We do this every time a new actor comes to the theatre.

Both of them stop searching and stare at the bottom of the briefcase in shock.

Erica: Well. I know how to act towards him now.

Frank comes out of the house. Freddie starts filling the briefcase back up again quickly to disguise the fact that he and Erica were just searching it. Erica walks towards Frank and slaps him on the face, before stomping back to her house Frank puts his hand over the place where she had slapped him.

Frank: Why?

Freddie puts everything back into the briefcase and closes the lid, before dusting his hands in disgust, walking towards Frank and slapping him on the face as well. Freddie then walks over to Erica’s house and knocks on the door. Erica opens the door and slaps him on the face, before shutting it loudly. Freddie storms out of the scene. Erica opens the door and throws Freddie’s coat and hat out of her house.

Freddie comes back into the scene to get them. Freddie gets his hat and coat from the floor and stands straight, looking haughtily at Frank.

Freddie: Solemnly Why in all my years…

Freddie storms back out of the scene. Frank picks up the briefcase and opens it, looking in its depths, confused. He turns it upside down so its contents, men’s clothes, fall out. Last of all is a lacy red dress with long puffy sleeves and white lace embellishments. He looks at it, confused, and then picks it up to examine it. Erica steps out of her house, they look at each other, and she storms back in, slamming the door. Mrs. Arthur comes out of her house and walks to Frank speaking at the same time.

Mrs. Arthur: Frank, why on earth do we have a leaky ceiling on our bathroom? We have barely moved in two days and already the place is crumbling. Looks at the dress Oh that must be mine Snatches the dress from Frank I put it in your suitcase since there was hardly any space in my own. Thank you, dear.

Mrs. Arthur leaves the scene with the dress. Frank stays behind to pick up all his clothes, and his briefcase, before casting one last glance at Erica’s house and going into his own. The lights dim and the scene ends.