The Bus Stop At The End Of The World by Robert Iles

This Play is the copyright of the Author and must NOT be Performed without the Author's PRIOR consent

EXTERIOR. AT THE BUS STOP - DAY

One or two benches on a cliff path overlooking the sea. A lamp, a bus
stop (remote rural) and a bin. We are on a remote road at the end of
the bus route where buses stop, take a break and turn around - think
the car park near Lands End or on a peninsular in Suffolk. There is
nothing much for miles except a car park and beautiful views and cliff
walks.

It is very early morning, still before dawn, the lamp is lit, morning
birdsong, possibly quite windy. Mammas and Pappas "Dream a Little
Dream". It gets lighter as the play goes on, ending at dawn

Steve enters carrying his daughter Claire wrapped in a blanket, she is
dying of cancer - though she is lucid it is hours to days rather than
days to weeks. He checks she is ok then rushes off indicating silently
that he will be back quickly.

Martin enters from the other direction, he is singing "Dream a Little
Dream" to himself, music fades into his voice. He sees Claire, seems
confused, looks around, crouches in front of her, gently pulls the
blanket from her face, looks around again ...

MARTIN
Hello

No answer

MARTIN
Are you alright?

No answer

MARTIN
Are you cold?

CLAIRE
Not yet

MARTIN
But you will be

CLAIRE
Soon

MARTIN
I mean, if you sit here like that for long

CLAIRE
Whatever

MARTIN
I'm... I mean, .... are you alright?

CLAIRE
I'm ok. Thanks for asking.

MARTIN
That's ok, but you don't look ok, if you don't mind me saying

CLAIRE
I do

MARTIN
Sorry. [BEAT] What are you doing here?

CLAIRE
God knows. [LOOKING AROUND] We just arrived.

MARTIN
We?

CLAIRE
I bloody hope so. [LOOKING AROUND] My father? [PAUSE, WEAKLY] Dad?
[STRONGER BUT STILL WEAK] Dad?

MARTIN
[LOUD]Dad?

CLAIRE
What are you doing?

MARTIN
Sorry, I ... helping, I just thought ... He just left you?

CLAIRE
Nothing new there

MARTIN
Here, I mean, he left you here? [BEAT] Just now?

CLAIRE
Here. Just now. Home, when I was a baby, boarding school, twice, once
when we were on holiday. Spain. Just upped and left us

MARTIN
Us?

CLAIRE
Mum and me. Took off with the cash, passports

MARTIN
A bit unreliable then

CLAIRE
Not really, we could always rely on him to bugger off at some point

MARTIN
Is he coming back?

CLAIRE
He usually does

Steve returns carrying a cool box of medicines and bits and another
blanket, he sees Martin who gets up and steps back

CLAIRE
Dad, what are we doing here?

STEVE
We're having a holiday, daddy-daughter time, like we used to,
remember

CLAIRE
Only this man was asking

MARTIN
[PUTTING OUT HIS HAND] Martin

STEVE
[IGNORING IT] Why?

MARTIN
Because that's my name?

STEVE
Why were you asking?

MARTIN
Just curious, I saw your daughter here, she looked cold, lost, I was
concerned

STEVE
She's fine

MARTIN
She said

STEVE
So?

CLAIRE
I'm fine

MARTIN
Ok, I was just asking

STEVE
And you are?

MARTIN
Martin

STEVE
I mean, you are here for why?

MARTIN
Watching the sun rise

STEVE
Its very early

MARTIN
Sunrise often is

STEVE
You do this regularly?

MARTIN
Yes

STEVE
Bad sleeper then

MARTIN
Regularly, not frequently

CLAIRE
Reliably even

STEVE
Sorry?

MARTIN
Once a year, I do this once a year. Regularly. Not every day.
Frequently.

STEVE
Really. I didn't know there was anyone else here

MARTIN
Neither did I. There usually isn't.

STEVE
We didn't see you

MARTIN
I was walking. Over there. You must have just arrived

STEVE
Hours of driving to be alone in the back of beyond only to find
someone here

MARTIN
You've driven all night? Keen to start your holiday, you wont even be
able to get into your hotel at this time

CLAIRE
Are we staying then?

STEVE
Yes. No. I'm not sure. We can stay, I mean if you'd like that, we
could stay at the Anchor, you remember, we used to like it there [HE
POINTS]

MARTIN
There [HE POINTS IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION]

STEVE
Wherever

MARTIN
You can't

STEVE
Can't what?

MARTIN
Stay at the Anchor

STEVE
We have in the past, B and B

MARTIN
That was then and this is now

STEVE
Well, we'll have a meal there, find somewhere else to stay

MARTIN
No meals either, like I said

STEVE
The Anchor? In the village? We passed it on the way in

MARTIN
It's shut

STEVE
Well obviously, at this time of day, it's shut. Remember it Claire?

CLAIRE
Not really

STEVE
We used to have dinner there, every holiday, always booked so we could
sit round the old well with the glass table over it

MARTIN
Not recently you didn't

STEVE
Well no, not recently, but "regularly", in the past, when we had
family holidays here

CLAIRE
When we were a family

STEVE
We've always been a family

CLAIRE
Mr and Mrs Dysfunctional

STEVE
Still a family

CLAIRE
And their drop dead gorgeous daughter

STEVE
Not funny.

CLAIRE
You're the expert

STEVE
In dysfunctional?

CLAIRE
In "not funny"

[End of Extract]