She continues the song, now at full throttle, playing the next part of it to Mickey – and he begins to relish the attention. But shortly, her attention turns back completely to the audience and he exits, a little awkwardly. She concludes the song and the music plays out. Blackout.

Scene Three

We return to the hotel room. Some days later. Mickey is on the couch, reading the newspapers. Judy is in the bathroom.

Judy (from within the bathroom)      Oh, my God – they’ve made me look like the Bride of Frankenstein. I have never worn a head scarf like that in my entire life. They’ve pasted it on. And they’ve aged me. There has to be some law. Mickey, there has to be a law –

Mickey      I’m trying to read this.

Judy      Look at the picture first. If I look like I’ve been dead twenty years, don’t read the text. It’ll be fiction, like the photograph. You listening to me?

Mickey      Do I have a choice?

Judy      What does it say?

Mickey      They like you.

Judy      What picture?

Mickey      On the stage – with your hand sticking out.

Judy (horrified)      Oh – sounds wonderful! … How old do I look?

Mickey      Erm … I’d say …

Judy      What?

Mickey      … A hundred and …

Judy      Oh, shut up.

The bathroom door flies open and she bursts into the room. She flings a couple of newspapers across the room as she enters.

I don’t want to read any more. It’s all the same garbage.

Mickey      At least they’re talking about you.

Judy      They’re not talking Mickey, they’re reviewing. They weren’t supposed to be doing that till next week.

Mickey      What’s the difference?

Judy      It was a ‘preview’. We were still trying things out.

You don’t invite press to a preview, you invite them to the ‘press night’ – that’s how it got the name! What shoes am I wearing?

Mickey      Whichever. It doesn’t matter.

Judy      It does matter. The blue ones are too tight, the black ones are too dull and I’m not wearing Chanel on the radio.

Mickey      So pick another pair.

Judy      I don’t have time for that.

Mickey      I’m not your dresser.

Judy      Fine – I’ll go in my bare feet. You shit bag.

Mickey      Hey – shut up, pull yourself together, and pick out some fucking shoes.

Judy      I don’t wanna pick out the shoes!

Mickey      Stop yelling – it’s not important what shoes you wear.

Judy      Not to you – you always look like crap.

Mickey      … Wear the brown ones.

Judy      What brown ones?

Mickey      The brown ones.

Judy      I have brown ones?

Mickey      I bought you some brown ones.

Judy      Oh those … I gave those to the maid. (Mickey gives her a look.) … Even she hated them.

Mickey      Judy – I don’t care. Life is too short to get into this.

Judy      Keep talking to me like that and life’s gonna get even shorter.