Page 50 - Exercise 1

Page 50 - Exercise 1

The Jealous Lover

Directed by Martin Lock

George - John Russel

Rose - Fiona May

Martina - Ursula Twain

Scene 1 - The grand theater

It’s the tenth performance of the play ‘The Jealous Lover’. It’s a special night, because the director, Martin Lock, is recording the play. It’s near the end of the first act. Rose, George and Martina are on the stage. The director is watching them from the side. Rose is pointing a gun at her husband, George, because she has found him meeting Martina.

You’ve gone too far this time, George.

Put that gun down, Rose. Don’t be a fool.

Rose fires the gun. George falls to the floor holding his chest.

Aargh. You’ve killed him!

The curtain falls. The audience claps.

Oh well done, everybody. That was perfect for the recording. John, you died brilliantly. John! John?

Oh no! He’s dead! He’s really dead!

Scene 2

A detective inspector and a police constable are talking to the people at the theatre.

So, Miss May, you shot John Russell. Did you know that there were real bullets in the gun?

Of course not, Inspector. We always use blank bullets.

Who normally puts the bullets in the gun?

I do.

Can you show me how you do it, Mr Lock?

Yes, of course. Like this.

Thank you. And did you put blank bullets in the gun this evening?

Yes, I did. The stage manager saw me and then 1 put it on the table over there on the stage, as usual.

So somebody changed the bullets. Now, Miss May, you were going out with Mr Russell, weren’t you? But you had an angry argument this afternoon, didn’t you? Everybody heard it. What was it about?

I . I saw him talking to Ursula Twain. I asked him what it was about, but he didn’t tell me anything. I’ve seen them talking like that before.

So you were jealous. Did you say ‘You monster, I’ll kill you!’?

Well, I . Yes, I did, but I didn’t mean it. I was angry. I didn’t kill John. I was in love with him.

But only your fingerprints were on the gun, Miss May! I want to talk to you all again later, but first I need to see the stage manager.

Scene 3

The inspector is talking to the people at the theatre again.

Now, Miss Twain. What were you and Mr Russell talking about this afternoon when Fiona saw you?

He asked me to marry him. Fiona knew that he loved me. That’s why she was jealous.

No. It’s not true. He loved me, not her!

You’re lying, Miss Twain. You see, while you were talking to Mr Russell, the stage manager was testing the sound equipment. Listen to this.

The stage manager switches on the sound system.

A thousand pounds by tomorrow, Ursula, or else?

But I haven’t got it. Please, John.

Well, you’d better find it. You don’t want everybody to know your little secret, do you? The stage manager switches off the recording.

Mr Russell was blackmailing you, wasn’t he, Miss Twain? What was your little secret?

I . I . You spent some time in prison, didn’t you? For robbery, wasn’t it. Miss Twain?

Well, Ursula, if you did kill him, he deserved it.

Yes, Mr Lock. The stage manager tells me that you didn’t like John Russell.

Well, he wasn’t the nicest person in the world, but .

You used to be an actor, too, didn’t you? Why did you give it up?

I . I had the chance of a big part in a film. I really wanted it, but I didn’t get it.

Why not?

John Russell got it. Yes, I hated him for that, but I didn’t kill him.

But you put the bullets in the gun. So we have three people - Fiona May, Ursula Twain and Martin Lock. And you all had a motive for killing John Russell.