CHERRY and RUTH enter.

CHERRY: The stars are here.

ROY: You’re not the stars, the one he’s poking is the star.

LEWIS is angry with ROY but says nothing. CHERRY is annoyed to see JULIE with LEWIS.

LEWIS: You heard about Doug?

CHERRY: He blames you for everything. Apparently he keeps on saying over and over ‘Once I get out of C ward I’m going to kill that bastard’.

LEWIS gives a nervous laugh.

And he will too.

ROY: Look on the bright side, Jerry. For killing an actor he’d get life, for killing a director he’d get eternal gratitude.

CHERRY: [handing her flick-knife to LEWIS] If he escapes and comes after you, have this for protection.

LEWIS: [giving it back] Put it away, Cherry, I don’t need it.

CHERRY: [putting it back in her handbag] It’s your funeral.

LEWIS: [to everyone] What’s happening is this—I can’t get anyone to play Doug’s role, so we’ll have to do another play.

RUTH: Can’t.

LEWIS: Why not?

RUTH: Learnt my lines. I’m word perfect. Go on, test me.

LEWIS: I’m sure you are.

RUTH: You don’t believe me?

LEWIS: I do.

RUTH: No, you don’t. I can tell.

LEWIS: Ruth, I’ve got other things on my mind—

RUTH: Any place, any time. I know what I’m doing and everyone else. Test me. The scene where the two men are leaving and we think they’re going to war. Julie and I say, ‘Alas, what do I hear?’ They’re going,’ she says. Henry says, ‘At once’. And I go… [taking three steps, to herself] one, two, three… ‘Is there any way of stopping them?’

LEWIS: That’s fine, Ruth, I never doubted you—

RUTH: [continuing] And Henry says—if we can get him to talk—‘None’. Maybe he can shake his head. Once, twice. How many times do people shake their heads for a no answer?

LEWIS: Ruth, that’s wonderful, but—

RUTH: Three.

She shakes her head three times.

ROY: [to CHERRY] He’s testy because he didn’t get a poke!

RUTH: Then Julie says, ‘Not a single farewell’, and Henry says a few lines, while I… [she takes five steps] one, two, three, four, five—

LEWIS: [loudly] Ruth!

ROY: Someone give him a poke!

RUTH: And I turn and say, ‘Where are they?’

LEWIS: [exasperated] Ruth, please.

ROY: He’s as tense as a ram waiting to be put in the ewe paddock.

LEWIS: [calming himself] Sorry, Ruth, I’m a bit tense. Losing Doug has thrown things a bit haywire.

RUTH: Even though I can do it, you hate me.

LEWIS: I don’t.

ROY: [to RUTH] A workman always blames his tool.

LEWIS: Roy!

ROY: Get the ewe!

LEWIS: All right, let’s all calm down.

ROY: Said the captain to the passengers of the Titanic.

LEWIS: Roy, please—

CHERRY: Is the other play you want us to do that religious play?

LEWIS: Religious?

CHERRY: The Exceptional Ruler.

LEWIS: It’s by a German playwright and it’s called The Exception—

ROY’s face is illuminated by a brilliant idea, or so he thinks.