TWINS (variously) Well done, Dad. Good shot, Dad. Good one, Dad.
WILLY forces DISSON on to the forehand. He slams viciously.
DISSON skids.
The screen goes black.
Good shot!
DISSON Aaah!
Vision back.
DISSON is clutching the table, bent over it. WILLY throws the ball on to the table.
It bounces gently across it.
DISSON’s house. Sitting room. Evening. DISSON’s parents.
MOTHER Have I seen that mirror before?
DISSON No. It’s new.
MOTHER I knew I hadn’t seen it. Look at it, John. What a beautiful mirror.
FATHER Must have cost you a few bob.
MOTHER Can you see the work on it, John? I bet it must be a few years old, that mirror.
DISSON It’s a few hundred years old.
FATHER I bet it must have cost you a few bob.
DISSON It wasn’t cheap.
FATHER Cheap?
MOTHER What a beautiful mirror.
FATHER Cheap? Did you hear what he said, Dora? He said it wasn’t cheap!
MOTHER No, I bet it wasn’t.
FATHER (laughing). Cheap!
Pause.
MOTHER Mrs Tidy sends you her love.
DISSON Who?
FATHER Mrs Tidy. The Tidys.
DISSON Oh yes. How are they?
FATHER Still very tidy. (Laughs.) Aren’t they, Dora?
MOTHER You remember the Tidys.
DISSON Of course I remember them.
Pause.
How have you been keeping, then?
FATHER Oh, your mother’s had a few pains. You know, just a few.
MOTHER Only a few, John I haven’t had many pains.
FATHER I only said you’d had a few. Not many.
Pause.
MOTHER Are the boys looking forward to their holiday?
DISSON Yes, they are.
FATHER When are you going?
DISSON I’m not.
DISSON’s office.
DISSON Tighter.
WENDY ties the chiffon round his eyes.
WENDY There. You look nice.
DISSON This chiffon stinks.
WENDY Oh, I do apologise. What of?
Pause.
You’re very rude to me. But you do look nice. You really do.
DISSON tears the chiffon off.
DISSON It’s useless. Ring Disley. Tell him to come here.
WENDY But he’ll be here at four o’clock, for your tea party.
DISSON I want him now! I want him … now.
WENDY Don’t you like my chiffon any more, to put round your eyes? My lovely chiffon?
Pause.
He sits still.
I always feel like kissing you when you’ve got that on round your eyes. Do you know that? Because you’re all in the dark.
Pause.
Put it on.
She picks up the chiffon and folds it.
I’ll put it on … for you. Very gently.
She leans forward. He touches her.
No – you mustn’t touch me, if you’re not wearing your chiffon.
She places the chiffon on his eyes. He trembles, puts his hand to the chiffon, slowly lowers it, lets it fall.
It flutters to the floor. As she looks at him, he reaches for the telephone.
DISSON’s office.
DISSON in the same position.
DISSON I need a tight bandage. Very tight.
DISLEY Anyone could do that for you.
DISSON No. You’re my eye consultant. You must do it for me.
DISLEY All right
He takes a bandage from his case and ties it round DISSON’s eyes.
Just for half an hour. You don’t want it on when your guests arrive, do you?
DISLEY ties the knots.
This’ll keep you in the dark, all right. Also lend pressure to your temples. Is that what you want?
DISSON That’s it That’s what I want.
DISLEY cuts the strands.
There. How’s that?
Pause.
See anything?
DISSON’s office. Afternoon.
DISSON sits alone, the bandage round his eyes. Silence.
WILLY enters from his office. He sees DISSON and goes to him.
WILLY How are you, old chap? Bandage on straight?
Knots tight?
He pats him on the back and goes out through the front office door.
The door slams.
DISSON sits still.
Corridor.
MR and MRS DISLEY approaching the office.
LOIS Why didn’t he make it a cocktail party? Why a tea party, of all things?
DISLEY I couldn’t say.
Office.
DISSON’s head.
Soft clicks of door opening and closing, muffled steps, an odd cough, slight rattle of teacups.
Corridor.
DISSON’s parents approaching the office.
MOTHER I could do with a cup of tea, couldn’t you, John?
Office.
DISSON’s head.
Soft clicks of door opening and closing, muffled steps, an odd cough, slight rattle of teacups.
Corridor.
THE TWINS approach, silent.
Office.
DISSON’s head.
Soft clicks of door opening and closing, muffled steps, an odd cough, slight rattle of teacups, a short whisper.
Corridor.
DIANA and WILLY approach.
DIANA Why don’t you come to Spain with us?
WILLY I think I will.
Office.
DISSON’s head.
Soft clicks of door opening and closing, muffled steps, an odd cough, slight rattle of teacups, whispers.
Corridor.
WENDY approaches.
Office.
DISSON’s head.
Soft clicks of door opening and closing, muffled steps, an odd cough, slight rattle of teacups, whispers.
Office.
A buffet table has been set out. Two elderly ladies serve tea, sandwiches, bridge rolls, buns and cakes. The gathering is grouped around the table in silence, DISLEY whispers to them.
DISLEY His eyes are a little strained, that’s all. Just resting them. Don’t mention it. It’ll embarrass him. It’s quite all right.
They all take their tea, choose edibles, and relax.
JOHN (choosing a cake) These are good.
TOM What are they?
DIANA (choosing a bridge roll) These look nice.
LOIS You look wonderful, Mrs Disson. Absolutely wonderful. Doesn’t she, Peter?
DISLEY Marvellous.
LOIS What do you think of your grandsons?
FATHER They’ve grown up now, haven’t they?
LOIS Of course, we knew them when they were that high, didn’t we, Tom?
FATHER So did we.
TOM Yes.
WILLY Big lads now, aren’t they, these two?
JOHN Cake, Granny?
MOTHER No, I’ve had one.
JOHN Have two.
FATHER I’ll have one.
MOTHER He’s had one.
FATHER I’ll have two.
WENDY takes a cup of tea to DISSON and puts it into his hands.
WENDY Here’s a cup of tea, Mr Disson. Drink it. It’s warm.
LOIS (to diana). You’re off to Spain quite soon, aren’t you, Diana?
DIANA Yes, quite soon.
DISLEY (calling). We’ll take off those bandages in a minute, old chap!
LOIS Spain is wonderful at this time of the year.
WILLY Any time of the year, really.
LOIS But I think it’s best at this time of the year, don’t you?
DIANA What sun lotion do you use, Lois?
DISSON’s point of view.
No dialogue is heard in all shots from DISSON’s point of view.
Silence.
Figures mouthing silently, in conspira
torial postures, seemingly whispering together.
Shot including DISSON.
TOM I went into goal yesterday.
WILLY How did you do?
LOIS You can get it anywhere. It’s perfect.
JOHN He made two terrific saves.
TOM The first was a fluke.
LOIS How do you sun, then?
DIANA I have to be rather carefuL
TOM Second save wasn’t a bad save.
LOIS How do you sun, Wendy?
WENDY Oh not too bad, really.
LOIS (to MRS DISSON). We go to our little island every year and when we go we have to leave our poor little Siamese with my mother.
MOTHER Do you really?
LOIS They’re almost human, aren’t they, Siamese?
DIANA I’m sure my Siamese was.
LOIS Aren’t they, Peter, almost human?
DIANA Wasn’t Tiger a human cat, Willy, at Sunderley?
WILLY He adored you.
DISLEY They really are almost human, aren’t they, Siamese?
DISSON’s point of view.
Silence.
The party splits into groups. Each group whispering.
The two ELDERLY LADIES at the buffet table.
DISSON’s parents, sitting together.
THE TWINS and the DISLEYS.
WILLY, WENDY and DIANA in a corner.
Shot including DISSON.
The gathering in a close group, the parents sitting.
LOIS I’d go like a shot.
WENDY What, me? Come to Spain?
DIANA Yes, why not?
WILLY leans across DISLEY.
WILLY Yes, of course you must come. Of course you must come.
WENDY How wonderful.
DISSON’s point of view.
WILLY approaches DISSON. With a smile, he takes a ping-pong ball from his pocket, and puts it into DISSON’s hand. DISSON clutches it.
Disson’s point of view.
WILLY returns to WENDY and diana, whispers to them.
DIANA laughs (silently), head thrown back, gasps with laughter.
WENDY smiles.
WILLY puts one arm round WENDY, the other round DIANA.
He leads them to WENDY’s desk.
WILLY places cushions on the desk.
DIANA and WENDY, giggling silently, hoist themselves up on to the desk. They lie head to toe.
DISSON’s point of view. Close-up.
WENDY’s face. WILLY’s fingers caressing it. DIANA’s shoes in background.
DISSON’s point of view. Close-up.
DIANA’s face. WILLY’s fingers caressing it. WENDY’s shoes in background.
DISSON’s point of view.
LOIS powdering her nose.
DISSON’s point of view.
The ELDERLY LADIES drinking tea, at the table.
DISSON’s point of view.
DISLEY talking to the boys by the window, THE TWINS listening intently.
DISSON’s point of view.
DISSON’s parents sitting, dozing.
DISSON’s point of view.
The base of WENDY’s desk.
A shoe drops to the floor.
Shot including DISSON.
DISSON falls to the floor in his chair with a crack. His teacup drops and spills.
The gathering is grouped by the table, turns.
DISLEY and WILLY go to him.
They try to lift him from the chair, are unable to do so.
DISLEY cuts the bandage and takes it off.
DISSON’s eyes are open.
DISLEY feels his pulse.
DISLEY He’s all right. Get him up.
DISLEY and WILLY try to pull him up from the chair, are unable to do so.
JOHN and TOM join them.
Get it up.
The four of them, with great effort, manage to set the chair on its feet.
DISSON is still seated.
He must lie down. Now, two hold the chair, and two pull him.
JOHN and WILLY hold the chair. DISLEY and TOM pull.
The chair.
The chair scrapes, moves no farther.
The group around the chair.
They pull, with great effort.
The chair.
The chair scrapes, moves no farther.
The room.
WILLY Anyone would think he was chained to it!
DISLEY (pulling) Come out!
MOTHER Bobbie!
They stop pulling.
DISSON in the chair, still, his eyes open.
DIANA comes to him.
She kneels by him.
DIANA This is … Diana.
Pause.
Can you hear me?
Pause.
Can he see me?
Pause.
Robert
Pause.
Can you hear me?
Pause.
Robert, can you see me?
Pause.
It’s me. It’s me, darling.
Slight pause.
It’s your wife.
DISSON’s face in close-up.
DISSON’s eyes. Open.
THE BASEMENT
The Basement first published
by Methuen & Co. 1967
© FPinter Limited, 1967
The Basement was first presented by BBC Television on 20 February 1967 with the following cast:
STOTT Harold Pinter
JANE Kika Markham
LAW Derek Godfrey
Directed by Charles Jarrott
Characters
STOTT
JANE
LAW
Exterior. Front area of a basement flat.
Winter. Night.
Rain falling.
Short stone flight of steps from street.
Light shining through the basement door.
The upper part of the house is dark.
The back of a man, STOTT. He stands in the centre of the area, looking towards the door.
He wears a raincoat, his head is bare.
Exterior. Front area.
STOTT’s face. Behind him, by the wall, a girl, JANE. She is huddled by the wall. She wears a rain hat, clasps her raincoat to her.
Interior. Room.
The room is large and long. A window at one end looks out to a small concrete yard. There are doors to bathroom and kitchen. The room is comfortable, relaxed, heavily furnished. Numerous side tables, plants, armchairs, book cabinets, bookshelves, velvet cloths, a desk, paintings, a large double bed. There is a large fire in the grate.
The room is lit by a number of table and standard lamps. LAW is lying low in an armchair, reading, by the fireside.
Silence.
Exterior. Front area.
STOTT still.
Interior. Room.
LAW in arm-chair. He is smiling at his book.
He giggles. He is reading a Persian love manual, with illustrations.
Exterior. Front area.
JANE huddled by the wall.
STOTT moves to the door.
Interior. Room,
Doorbell. LAW looks up from his book. He closes it, puts it on a side table, goes into the hall.
Interior. Small hall.
LAW approaches the front door. He opens it.
Silence.
He stares at STOTT. From his position in the doorway LAW cannot see the girl.
LAW (with great pleasure) Stott! s
STOTT (smiling) Hullo, Tim.
LAW Good God. Come in!
LAW laughs.
Come in!
STOTT enters.
I can’t believe it!
Interior. Room.
LAW and STOTT enter.
LAW Give me your coat. You’re soaking. Come on. That’s it. I’m absolutely flabbergasted. You must be freezing.
STOTT I am a bit.
LAW Go on, warm yourself. Warm yourself by the fire.
STOTT Thanks.
LAW Sit down by the fire. Go on.
STOTT moves to the fire.
LAW takes the coat into hall.
Interior. Hall.
LAW comes into the hall, shaking the raincoat. He looks inside it, at the label, smiles. He hangs it on a hook.
Interior. Room.
STOTT warming his hands at the fire, LAW comes in.
LAW You haven’t changed at all. You haven’t changed … at all!
STOTT laughs.
You’ve got a new raincoat though. Oh yes, I noticed. Hold on, I’ll get you a towel.
LAW goes to the bathroom.
STOTT, alone, looks up and about him at the room.
Interior. Room.
The room.
Interior. Bathroom.
LAW in bathroom, at the airing cupboard. He swiftly throws aside a number of towels, chooses a soft one with a floral pattern.
Interior. Room.
LAW comes in with a towel.
LAW Here’s a towel. Go on, give it a good wipe. That’s it. You didn’t walk here, did you? You’re soaking. What happened to your car? You could have driven here. Why didn’t you give me a ring? But how did you know my address? My God, it’s years. If you’d have rung I would have picked you up. I would have picked you up in my car. What happened to your car?
STOTT finishes drying his hair, puts the towel on the arm of a chair.
STOTT I got rid of it.
LAW But how are you? Are you well? You look well.
STOTT How are you?
LAW Oh, I’m well. Just a minute, I’ll get you some slippers.
LAW goes to the cupboard, bends.
You’re going to stay the night, aren’t you? You’ll have to, look at the time. I wondered if you’d ever turn up again. Really. For years. Here you are. Here’s some slippers.
STOTT Thanks.
STOTT takes the slippers, changes his shoes.
LAW I’ll find some pyjamas in a minute. Still, we’ll have a cup of coffee first, or some … Or a drink? What about a drink?
STOTT Ah.
LAW pours drinks, brings the drinks to the sofa and sits down by STOTT.
LAW You’re not living at Chatsworth Road any more, are you? I know that. I’ve passed by there, numbers of times. You’ve moved. Where are you living now?
The Short Plays of Harold Pinter Page 27