18 December 2023

14 December 2023

"The posters have arrived"

Siôn excitedly announces to Iolo that the posters for the drama have arrived and he opens the packet;  

"It's quite a feat to create something like this"

“It’s quite a feat to create something like this – you have to summarise the production in a piece of art – which is completely possible of course, but you need an artistic . . .”   

"I don't believe this!"

Then his voice tails off as he sees something and complains, “I don’t believe this!   How many times do I have to say it?   The pictures and colours are right, 

"Read that!"

“but read that!” he snarls.   At the top, the extravagant production is described as a “Panto’.

"I haven't spent hours creating a 'Panto'!"

“I haven’t spent hours creating a ‘Panto’!” he rages, “The fruits of my labour isn’t a ‘Panto’ – it’s a ‘Drama’!”   

"Does it matter, Dad?"

Iolo wonders if it matters, but his father refuses to even answer that, immediately putting on his coat.

"I know exactly who's responsible!"

“I know exactly who’s responsible for this – and I’m going to sort it out!” Siôn exclaims, 

"But you're picking up Greta today!"

but is reminded by Iolo that he is picking up Greta today.   

"The future of the drama is in the balance here!"

“Sorry, Iolo, I can’t – the future of the drama is in the balance here!” and he rushes out of the house.

Anita fails to sell some more 'Meddal'

As she comes out of the shop, Anita buttonholes a passing villager, pointing out that if she buys two, she can have 20% off.   However, her victim is not interested, 

"Well, it's your loss!"

so Anita calls after her, “Well, it’s your loss because the offer won’t be there for ever.”

She does not answer her phone

Her phone sounds, and when she sees who it is, she rejects the call.   

"Ignoring Griffiths, are we?"

Mathew comes out of the alley and imagines that she is ignoring Griffiths’ calls;  she angrily replies that it was a withheld number, actually.

Mathew has something to say to her, so she whinges, “Do you want me to do another shift?”   

"I want you to move your 'Meddal' stuff out of APD"

He answers that he wants her to move her “Meddal’ stuff out of APD as they need the space.   

"I don't have to do it today, do I?"

“I don’t have to do it today, do I?” she asks, and he says that it would be a lot of help.

“We need to reorganise the stock – a big order’s coming in tomorrow,” he continues, but she maintains that she is too busy today.   Mathew volunteers, “I’m happy to load the van and move them – remember, by the end of the day.”   

Anita is becoming angry

Anita is becoming very frustrated.

"Could you pick up Greta?"

Iolo has had to call on Hywel to pick up Greta;  I don’t mind – I’m picking up Esther anyway,” he replies.   Iolo tells him to bring them back to Y Felin where he will make dinner for them all;  Hywel is not going to refuse an offer of someone else cooking dinner.

“Gaynor used to do all the cooking, did she?” Iolo assumes, 

"All Ester wants are waffles and fish fingers"

and Hywel says that he used to do it, but it is not much fun cooking for yourself.   All that Esther wants are waffles and fish fingers.

"Dad's Aubergine Parmigiani"

“Greta’s exactly the same – Dad can’t understand why she won’t eat his Aubergine Parmigiani!   We’ll have a nice dinner and the kids can have something beige.”   Hywel thinks that sounds a good idea.

He storms into the Deri

Siôn marches purposefully into the Deri;  he slams down the posters on the bar and Cassie can see that they have arrived.   

"You didn't honestly think I wouldn't notice?"

“You didn’t honestly think I wouldn’t notice?” he demands, 

"What – have I spelled something wrong?"

so she assumes that she has spelled something wrong.   

He spells out her error

“Yes – it’s D R A M A, not P A N T O!” he informs her, “They’ll all have to be redone!”   She laughs at the suggestion, 

"That would cost a fortune!"

as it will cost a fortune.   “But it’s not a ‘Panto’, is it?” he growls.   

When she suggests that is exactly what it is, 

"Oh, no, it's not!"

he rages, “Oh, no, it’s not!” in classic Pantomime fashion.

"You're preaching at the moment, Siôn"

“Look, I’ll be honest with you – you’re preaching at the moment – the script needs to be changed,” says Cassie, but he insists that he does not need an editor.   

"What about an audience?"

“What about an audience?” she enquires and when he reminds her that rehearsals start this weekend, she adds, “That’s why things need to be changed today.   Look, all you need to do is lighten it up a little bit – put a bit of festive cheer into it.”

"The Christmas spirit is central to the whole thing"

Siôn insists that the Christmas spirit is central to the whole thing, but Cassie asks. “Where are the laughs?   I didn’t laugh once.   Right, I’m busy now – come back in half an hour and we’ll sort it out.”

He says that he is willing to listen to suggestions, 

"I'm not promising to accept anything"

but is not promising to accept anything.   

Her comments about Siôn were not audible

When he leaves, Cassie mutters something far from complimentary under her breath.

"My garage?"

Anita has gone to see Ieuan;  “My garage?” he exclaims and she maintains that there are not very many boxes.   “And where would I put the car?”   When Anita suggests that it could go on the drive, 

"I can't put Mami's car on the drive!"

he protests, “I can’t put Mami’s car on the drive!”

"It would only be temporary"

Anita tells him that it would only be temporary, but he protests that he would have to call the insurance company to say the situation with the car has changed.   “Nobody does that,” she sneers, but his mind is made up.

"Just top keep your lipstick safe"

“Sorry Anita – I’m not willing to take the risk, just to keep your lipstick safe.   Can’t you send some of the stock back?”   

"Are you implying I can't sell it?"

She imagines that he is intimating that she is unable to sell it, but he says that he is just thinking about options.

“Have you thought of somewhere permanent to keep your stock?” and she points out that will be in the future.   

"I think I've got the perfect place for you"

“I think I’ve got the perfect place for you,” he says and goes to look for the details.

Hywel counts up to one hundred

Babysitting at Y Felin, Hywel has counted up to 100 and is now looking for Greta and Esther.   He imagines that one of them is hiding behind the sofa, 

No-one is hiding behind there

but finds that he is incorrect, 

"Whoops – what have I done?"

then is about to go upstairs 

The box contents are strewn on the floor . . .

when he kicks over a small box which has been left unfastened.   

. . . and as he picks them up . . .

He begins to pick up all the small pieces to replace in the box 

. . . he finds something very interesting

and comes across a piece of paper on which have been tested some letter stamps, together with the rubber letters themselves.   The lettering looks strangely familiar.

Anita has difficulty locating her phone

Anita is in APD, looking at her large stack of boxes when her phone sounds;  it is Louise from ‘Meddal’.   

"Look, Louise, about this fine . . ."

“Look, about this ‘fine’ – because I’m such a good seller I thought . . . 

"How much?   You can't do that!"

“No – how much?   You can’t do that!   Can you give me a bit more time, then?”   However the line goes dead.

Mathew comes in

Mathew comes in and finds her in this confused mood;  

"Any chance of some hot chocolate?"

he asks if he gets the hot chocolate which they hide from Jason 

"Are you all right, Anita?"

and is concerned that she is all right.   “The business is hard work,” she tells him, 

"That Louise fined me!"

but cannot hide her frustration any longer, “That Louise – she’s fined me because I haven’t paid for the stuff in time!”

"That sounds a bit dodgy, doesn't it?"

He is surprised that she has had to pay for all the stock before selling it;  “That sounds a bit dodgy, doesn’t it?   Are you sure this business is legit?”

"I'm not stupid, you know!"

Anita is not going to admit that she has been ‘taken in’, but protests, “Of course it is – I’m not stupid, you know.   I’ve run several businesses in the past.”

"You have got the money, haven't you?"

He suggests that she pays for the stock to keep Louise off her back;  “You have got the money, haven’t you?”   

"That will just prove I've failed!"

Anita draws the line at paying with her own money, insisting that will just prove that she has failed.

“Do you know what?   Can you just leave it with me?” she snaps, 

"I know what I'm doing!"

“I know what I’m doing!”

Hywel tries out the rubber stamps . . .

Hywel is trying out the rubber stamps which he has stumbled across 

. . . and the results are familiar

and finds that they closely resemble those used for the anonymous notes he received.   

Iolo returns home, apologising that he is late because he did some shopping on the way.

"What's this?"

“What’s this?” demands Hywel, 

Iolo looks sheepish

and Iolo, very unconvincingly, says he does not know.   “Don’t lie to me, Iolo, I can see it in your face – did you send those letters?”

Cassie is not impressed by this joke . . .

Cassie reads from the script of the ‘Drama’, “There’s more to a turkey’s life than Christmas – that’s what last years turkey said, but we haven’t seen him since December.”

. . . whereas Siôn considers it hilarious

Siôn regards that as very amusing and stipulates that she cannot cut that out, as it is crucial for the story.   She strongly disagrees, so he points out that Mark Jones liked it.

"He isn't hard to please, is he?"

“Yeah, well, he isn’t hard to please, is he?” she groans, “Are you going to accept any of my suggestions?”   

"If it adds to the drama"

Siôn insists that he will if she offers something that adds to the Drama, but so far she has not done so.

"We both have writing experience"

“I have a writing experience, you have a writing experience – so the two of us could bring something new to the table,” she suggests, 

"What – like some English phrases?"

and he scathingly expects it to be something like English phrases.

"This is the most miserable thing I've ever read!"

Finally, Cassie throws down the script and informs him, “Look, Siôn, this play is the most miserable thing I’ve ever read – so sort it out, please!”

"I'd like to audition for a part"

Griffiths has just come in and is pleased to see that both of them are there;  “Listen, I’ve changed my mind – I thought you were doing a boring protest play about Penrhewl, but if it’s a Christmas Panto, I’d like to audition for a part.   

"I was quite the Thespian when I was young"

“I was quite the Thespian when I was young – everyone was in tears when I did a one-man show of ‘Oliver’.   I wrote the script, too, so I could help with that.”

This drama is slipping out of Siôn's hands

Siôn looks concerned that he is losing control 

"Can we talk – somewhere private?"

and at that moment Mathew arrives, wanting to talk to Griffiths, somewhere more private.   

"There's not an ounce of inspiration in this place!"

Siôn tells them that he is going, moaning that there is not an ounce of inspiration in the place.

"I'm worried Anita is being conned"

“I’m worried that Anita is being conned – this Louise is demanding money from her all the time,” says Mathew, 

"Something feels 'off' about the whole thing"

and Ieuan agrees that something feels ‘off’ about the whole thing.   Mathew just does not want her to go to get in deeper, 

"But don't tell her I said anything"

and warns Griffiths not to reveal that he said anything.

"I'll take her a cake from 'Tamed'"

Ieuan proposes, “I think I’ll take a cake from ‘Tamed’ over to her – no-one can be upset after one of Eileen’s cakes, can they?   

"Apart from Kelly, perhaps"

“Apart from Kelly, perhaps.”

"You blamed me for the carbon monoxide"

Iolo shouts, “You blamed me for the carbon monoxide – I could have lost everything!”   

"Why did you send those threats?"

Hywel demands why he sent those threats;  

"To get revenge!"

“Because I wanted revenge – I was so angry with you – and then you apologised and I thought it was all over.   The phone started ringing again and I got a bit of work, 

"I was hoping you'd forgotten about it"

“and I was just hoping you’d forgotten about it.”

"I thought that someone waste dot hurt me!"

“I thought that was someone out there who wanted to hurt me!” rages Hywel and Iolo apologises.

Griffiths comes into 'Tamed'

In his quest for a cake, Griffiths arrives in the deli;  

"Is anyone serving in here?"

“Isn’t anyone serving in here?” he asks Siôn, who is sitting there, looking at his laptop.  

He seems to be doing aerobics to pass the time

 As DJ has not returned, Griffiths asks, “How are things going, then?” 

"They would be better if people stopped interfering"

and he is angrily told that they would be better if people stopped interfering.

"Don't forget me when you're doing the auditions"

“Don’t forget me when you’re doing the Panto auditions,” Ieuan adds,

"This is a community drama!"

This receives the immediate furious response,“How many times do I have to say it?   This is a community drama!” and Siôn walks out of the deli.

Anita makes a video to shift more stock

Anita is recording a promotional video;  “Well, girls, I like using this facial cleansing cream just before going to bed at night – and you only need the tiniest . . .”

"The prettiest woman in the . . ."

This is rudely interrupted by the arrival of Ieuan, who announces, “A delivery of a tarte au citron for the prettiest woman in . . . oh, sorry for interrupting!”   She confirms that it was not a very good video and he hopes that the cake will help.     

"What have I done to deserve this?"

“What have I done to deserve this?” she enquires, 

"How's the selling going?"|

and he wonders how the selling is going.

She is upbeat about this, 

"How exactly does all this work?"

so he further asks, “Tell me now, how exactly does all this work?   Do you pay for the stock, or do you sell it first?   It’s just that you seem to have a lot of stock, that’s all.   I don’t want this company to take advantage of you.”

"I know what I'm doing, Ieuan!"

Once more she insists that she knows what she is doing, emphasising that she has run several companies in the past.   He points out that he is only looking after her, but she does not want him to do that;  

"I don't think I want your tart"

“Do you know what?   I don’t think I want your tart, either,” and she thrusts it back at him.   

"I've got a lot to do!"

“My company’s fine, I’m running it well and I’m enjoying every minute of it!” she stresses, “So if you don’t mind, I’ve got a lot to do!”

"We can have it for pudding"

He suggests that they can have the tart for pudding tonight, but she answers that she will not be coming home tonight, but is going to stay with a friend;  

"Someone who isn't jealous of my success"

“Someone who isn’t jealous of my success.”   He begs her not to do that, as he is worried about her, but she will not listen to a word.

Cassie reads out some of Siôn's prose

Cassie reads out part of the script to Mathew, “Your smile is like an embrace on a winter’s day and your hair like the sea’s waves.”   He simply laughs and cannot believe that she is serious.   “Haven’t you ever said that to anyone?” she continues 

"That's possibly why I'm still single"

and he thinks that is possibly why he is still single.

"It works for Siôn"

“It works for Siôn, doesn’t it?” Cassie points out 

"Anita, Tesni – and Britt"

and they recall that he has been with Anita, Tesni and Britt.

“Talking about unexpected couples,” Mathew adds, 

"You and Howard?"

“You and Howard?   That’s what people are saying – although I cannot imagine you in a sheep shed.”

"The sheep shed wouldn't stop me!"

“The sheep shed wouldn’t stop me – but who told you that?” she demands and he says that Rhys mentioned something about a sock.   

"I'll kill that Mark Jones!

“Ah, Mark Jones – I’ll kill him the next time I see him!” she exclaims.

"They'll be out of your way now"

When Matthew returns to APD, Anita is moving the table with her boxes and says that they will be out of his way now, 

"But I need the space, Anita"

but he insists that he needs all the space.   “I’m in the process of looking for somewhere to rent,” she tells him, “I don’t want to have to depend on everyone else to help me,” so he agrees to another couple of days, maximum.

He leaves her to lock up the premises as she says she is going to stay for a while, having more work to do;  “I want to advertise this new miracle cream.”   

"Skin like a baby's bottom"

He predicts that everyone in Cwmderi will have skin like a baby’s bottom.

She takes out her credit card

Anita makes a decision;  she takes her phone and credit card then dials a number;  

"I'm ready to make that payment now"

“Hello, Louise – I’m ready to make that payment now,” as she prepares to read out the number on the card.

Hywel comes downstairs at Y Felin, shouting to Esther that it is time to go home.   

"I'm happy to know who was threatening me"

Iolo thanks him for today, and Hywel is just happy to know who it was threatening him.   

"I'm sorry about that"

Iolo is sorry for doing so, but Hywel admits that he deserved it.   

"Are you still taking those tablets?"

“There was something else I wanted to ask you – are you still taking those tablets?   The ones you were taking after the accident.”

"I stopped a long time ago"

Iolo replies that he stopped taking them a long time ago and is now feeling a lot better.   Hywel is pleased to hear that and has been concerned about him;  he returns upstairs to hurry Esther along, 

That of course was a total lie

while Iolo is looking very worried. 

No comments:

Post a Comment