A HOMELESS STORY

Written by

Ivor Davies Turner

 1.

Name: Kit

A Homeless Story
written by
Isabel, Ivor, Kit, Adam and Emma
FADE IN:

1 TV SHOP - NIGHT 1
It's dark and grim.
MARC WATFORD WALKS ACROSS THE STAGE WHISTLING A TUNE, NEWS
REPORTERS #1 AND #2 MOUTHING WORDS.
NEWS REPORTER #1: ...MOVING ON WITH THIS
MORNING'S NEWS, HOMELESSNESS HAS
SKYROCKETED IN RECENT MONTHS!
NEWS REPORTER #2: HERE ARE THE HARD
FACTS. 976 HOMELESS PEOPLE DIED LAST
YEAR, A 37% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR.
(News Reporter #2 makes
an exaggerated sad face.)
OH DEAR! ANYWAY, 4 IN 5 HOMELESS SUFFER
FROM A MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM.
(Marc, Extra #1 and Extra
#2 get into positions.)
AND THE AVERAGE AGE OF THEIR DEATH WAS
JUST 45 FOR MEN AND 43 FOR WOMEN!
(News Reporter #2
gestures towards Extra #1
and Extra #2 in their
positions.)
AND FINALLY, RESEARCH SHOWS THAT
LONELINESS AND ISOLATION IS THE BIGGEST
PROBLEM IN HOMELESSNESS.
(News Reporter #1, News
Reporter #2, Extra #1 and
Extra #2 step forward
towards Marc and then
turn away.)
EXIT MARC WATFORD
 2.

MUSIC DROWNS OUT THE REST OF THE REPORT

FADE OUT
SCENE TRANSITION INTO HOMELESS SHELTER

2 INT. HOMELESS SHELTER - DAY 2

Bleak atmosphere.
(Marc Watford stumbles
into a homeless shelter,
a blank expression on his
face.)
CRISIS WORKER: HI THERE, WELCOME TO
CRISIS! HOW CAN I HELP?
MARC: ...
CRISIS WORKER: IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME
COMING?
MARC: ...
CRISIS WORKER: DO YOU NEED ANYTHING?
MARC: ...A BED.
CRISIS WORKER: OKAY, WELL, WE ONLY HAVE
ONE AT THE MOMENT, AND ITS-
(Marc walks over to the
bed.)

A BIT BROKEN.
(Marc sits down.)

ARE YOU OKAY?

CUT TO MONOLOGUE SCENE

3 EXT. THE FIRST NIGHT - NIGHT 3

(Marc is scribbling on a
sheet of paper, narrating
what he is writing.)
 3.

MARC WATFORD (V.O.): I'VE BEEN HOMELESS

FOR THREE YEARS NOW. I REMEMBER MY FIRST
NIGHT. ALL ELSE HAD FAILED. FRIENDS,
FAMILY, THEY HAD ALL GIVEN UP ON ME.
MONEY HAD RUN OUT... I HAD NO CHOICE.
(Soundscape ensemble
assemble around Marc and
start their respective
sounds one by one.)

IT WAS JANUARY, ICE-COLD. I HAD FOUND A

PARK WITH A SMALL WOODLAND AREA. I HID
MYSELF WITHIN THE TREES, CURLED UP UNDER
MY COAT, I WAS TERRIFIED. AS I STARTED
TO DRIFT OFF INTO SLEEP, I WAS ANGRY. I
WAS BITTER. AND I BLAMED EVERYONE.
EVERYONE EXCEPT MYSELF.

TRANSITION TO FAMILY HOME

4 INT. FAMILY HOME - THE FINAL ARGUMENT 4

MARC (V.O.): I REMEMBER THE DAY I LOST

MY HOME.

(Lauren Watford paces

back and forth and talks
to her three children.)

LAUREN: DON'T WORRY KIDS, HE'LL BE HOME

SOON.
(A drunk Marc stumbles
through the door.)
LAUREN: WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!?

(Marc turns to leave.)

MARC: [MUTTERS] OH MY GOD...

LAUREN: NO, GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
MARC: AT WORK, JESUS.

LAUREN: IS THAT RIGHT? WELL, I CALLED

WORK, AND CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THEY TOLD
ME YOU WERE FIRED 3 YEARS AGO? SO I ASK
YOU AGAIN. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? AND
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN GOING?
 4.

(Tilly Watford gets up

and walks over.)

TILLY: DAD, YOU MISSED MY DANCE RECITAL!

MARC: TILLY, DO YOU REALLY THINK I CARE
ABOUT A GODDAMN DANCE RECITAL? NOT NOW,
GO AWAY.
(A dejected Tilly walks
back to her seat with her
siblings and Marc goes to
sit down.)

I'VE BEEN AT THE BETTING SHOP. ARE YOU

HAPPY NOW LAUREN?

LAUREN: MARC, I'M SICK OF THIS. YOU'VE..

YOU'VE LIED FOR THREE YEARS STRAIGHT. I
DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS
ANYMORE. YOU GO OUT AND SPEND EVERY BIT
OF MONEY WE HAVE. I'M TIRED. OUR
CHILDREN ARE TIRED. THEY STAY UP EVERY
NIGHT WITH A GLIMMER OF HOPE THAT THEY
MIGHT SEE YOU WALK IN THROUGH THAT DOOR
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO WEEKS. AND NOW
YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO COME BACK
DRUNK. YOU'RE A MESS, MARC.

MARC: I CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS RIGHT NOW

LAUREN, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE.

LAUREN: YOU CAN'T DEAL WITH THIS? DO NOT

EVEN START. JUST TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU'VE
LOST.
MARC: THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

LAUREN: [SHOUTS] OH IT'S MY BUSINESS

WHEN THE MORTGAGE IS DUE TOMORROW. HOW
MUCH OF OUR MONEY DID WE LOSE??
(Marc sits still and
avoids eye contact.)
DON'T JUST SIT THERE, LOOK AT ME! HOW
MU-

MARC: [SHOUTS] THE JOINT ACCOUNT, OKAY?

THE JOINT ACCOUNT IS GONE. I'VE GOT NO
CLUE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
 5.

LAUREN: EXCUSE ME? WE? NO, THERE IS NO

"WE", MARC. I WORK NON-STOP, JUST TRYING
TO PROVIDE FOR OUR KIDS. I BET YOU
DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I'M TAKING 3 JOBS JUST
BECAUSE OF YOUR IRRESPONSIBILITY AND
UTTER STUPIDITY. I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY
TAKE OUT LOANS AND ALL YOU DO IS DRINK
AND GAMBLE EVERYTHING AWAY. TIME FOR A
REALITY CHECK, MARC. YOU DON'T DESERVE
THIS FAMILY. NO, YOU DON'T DESERVE
ANYTHING. GET OUT.

(Marc stands up in
disbelief.)
GET OUT!
(Marc leaves and Lauren
goes to comfort the
kids.)

SCENE END

5 INT. CLASSROOM 5
(Classmate #1 and #2,
Barty and Teacher are in
the classroom.)

TEACHER: HELLO CLASS! LET'S GET STRAIGHT

INTO SOME ALGEBRA! WHO CAN TELL ME-
BEST FRIEND: SIR, WHAT ABOUT THE
HOMEWORK?
(Classmates #1 and #1
groan and give Barty an
annoyed look.)

TEACHER: OH YES! THANK YOU, BARTY. NOW,

HANDS UP IF YOU DID THE HOMEWORK?
(Barty and Classmate #1
put their hand up, and
reluctantly so does
Classmate #2. The teacher
starts going around the
room and Classmate #2 is
frantically copying from
Classmate #1's homework,
but the teacher catches
them.)

TEACHER: EXCUSE ME, WHAT'S HAPPENING

HERE?

CLASSMATE #1: OH NOTHING, WE WERE JUST-

 6.

CLASSMATE #2: WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT

THE WORK!

BARTY: NO THEY WEREN'T, SHE WAS COPYING!

[POINTS AT CLASSMATE #2]
(Tilly Watford walks in
and slumps in her chair.)
ALL, APT FROM TEACHER: OOOH.

TEACHER: MISS WATFORD, THAT IS NOT HOW

WE ENTER A CLASSROOM!
TILLY: [EMMA IMPROV]

ALL, APT FROM TEACHER: OOOOHHHHHH!

TEACHER: DID YOU JUST TALK BACK TO ME?

TILLY: [MORE EMMA IMPROV]

TEACHER: THAT'S IT, GET OUT!

(Tilly storms out of the

room.)
TRANSITION TO BENCH SCENE

6 EXT. SCHOOL 6
(Tilly is sitting on a
bench, sad. Barty enters
and sits next to her.)
TILLY: GO AWAY, BARTY.

BARTY: NO, I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU. YOU

NEED TO TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG, PLEASE.

TILLY: I SAID GO AWAY!

BARTY: NO! TILLY, YOU CAN'T KEEP PUSHING

PEOPLE AWAY. TALK TO ME AND I PROMISE
IT'LL BE OKAY. PLEASE.
TILLY: [RELUCTANT] UGH, FINE. IT ALL
STARTED FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN MY DAD GOT
FIRED.

TRANSITION INTO OFFICE

7 INT. MARC'S WORKPLACE 7

 7.

(Marc is very obviously

drinking in the middle of
the office. A colleague
silently points this out
to his boss, who walks
over.)

BOSS: HEY, MARC. I'VE NOTICED THAT

YOU'VE STARTED DRINKING IN THE OFFICE?
I'M REALLY SORRY BUT....

(Ambient/surreal music
starts playing and the
boss's voice is drowned
out. Marc leaves.)
IMMEDIATELY TRANSITION INTO THE ADVERT SCENE

8 PADDYPOWER ADVERT 8
SONG

[FAST]
1-2-3-4

PADDYPOWER PUTS THE PADDY IN YOUR POWER! (AD-LIB)

PADDYPOWER PUTS THE POWER IN YOUR PADDY! (AD-LIB)
YOUR KIDS WILL LEAVE YOU, NO MORE CALLING YOU "DADDY!"

YOU'LL GET A DIVORCE, NO MORE HAVING A BADDIE!

[SLOW]
PADDYPOWER..

ALWAYS LEAVES YOU..

SATISFIED AND SMILING! (PAAADDDYYYYPOOOOOOWEERRRRR)

9 SOUNDSCAPE 9
(Marc walks on to the
stage with background
gambling noises - walks
to the front and pauses.
He then starts making his
own gambling noises.)
SOUNDS IN ORDER:
 8.

KIT: ALL ON RED - ALL ON BLACK

EMMA: BEEP - BEEP

ADAM: GENTLEMEN - PLACE YOUR BETS

ISABEL: WOWOWOWOWOWOWO
IVOR: CHH-CHH - BRRRRR

10 INT. BETTING SHOP 10

(Marc is drunkenly and

tiringly pulling on a
slot machine until the
manager comes up to him.)
MANAGER: HELLO?
(Marc keeps pulling on
the slot machine.)
SIR?
(Cont'd.)

[SHOUTS IN HIS FACE] SIR!

(Marc awakes in a daze,
maybe not entirely sure
where he is.)
SIR, I'M AFRAID YOU HAVE TO LEAVE.
YOU'VE BEEN HERE FOR HOURS. YOU'RE LUCKY
I EVEN LET YOU STAY AN HOUR LATE! MORE
MONEY FOR ME I SUPPOSE, BUT MY POINT
STILL STANDS; LEAVE.
(Marc slowly gets up and
walks out the door being
pointed at by the
manager.)

11 EXT. THE BETTING SHOP 11

A SURPRISING ENCOUNTER
(As Marc shuffles out the
shop, he hears a yell.)

TILLY: DAD!
 9.

(Tilly grabs hold of

Lauren's hand and runs to
Marc.)
LAUREN: MARC, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

MARC: OH, NOWHERE. JUST OUT WITH THE

LADS.
(Lauren is satisfied with
the explanation for the
drunkenness, but Tilly is
suspicious.)
TILLY: DAD, ARE YOU SURE?

MARC: I'M POSITIVE, SWEETHEART.

LAUREN: COME ON, LET'S GET YOU HOME.

12 EXT. SCHOOL AGAIN 12

(Tilly is silent after
her explanation.)

BARTY: WOW, TILLY. I'M SO SORRY. I NEVER

KNEW.
TILLY: [TEARFULLY] IT'S OKAY.. I JUST...
I WONDER HOW HE IS SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW?
I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM IN MONTHS, AND
SOMETIMES I WORRY... I WORRY THAT HE
MIGHT BE DEAD.
ECHOES: DEAD..

DEAD..
DEAD....

13 THE ATTEMPT 13
THE EDGE OF A BRIDGE - AFTERNOON
(Marc stands at the edge
of a bridge, looking
down.)
 10.

MARC (V.O.): THIS WAS THE DAY THAT I

THOUGHT I HAD LOST IT. EVERYTHING. AND I
THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE SO QUICK, SO
EASY... AND ALL IT TOOK WAS A PUSH OFF
THE LEDGE.
(Marc takes one step
forward, but then pulls
the leg back.)

BUT THERE WAS THIS VOICE IN MY HEAD.

THIS VOICE, URGING ME NOT TO DO IT,
TRUSTING THAT I WOULDN'T.. AND AFTER
EVERYTHING, TRUST WAS THE ONE THING I
DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE IN ANYONE. SO I
STEPPED OFF. I RAN TO THE NEAREST
PHONEBOOTH AND USED ALL MY MONEY TO CALL
LAUREN.

LAUREN: HELLO?
MARC: LAUREN, THANK GOD.
LAUREN: MARC?? WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME??

MARC: THAT DOESN'T MATTER, I JUST... I

JUST REALLY NEED TO TALK TO YOU. ABOUT
EVERYTHING.
LAUREN: OKAY... CAN YOU COME TO THE
HOUSE TOMORROW?
MARC: YES, OKAY.
LAUREN: OKAY. I'LL SEE YOU SOON.

MARC (V.O.): SHE HAD NO IDEA HOW

IMPORTANT SHE WAS. SHE GAVE ME SOMETHING
TO LIVE FOR, EVEN IF IT WAS ONLY A DAY.
AND TODAY WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE.

14 INT. FAMILY HOME 14

(Marc shuffles up to the
door. We can see that
Lauren is patting herself
down and getting ready.
Marc knocks, and she
answers the door.)
LAUREN: MARC.

MARC: LAUREN. [AWKWARD PAUSE] CAN I COME

IN?
 11.

LAUREN: YES, OF COURSE. [SHE GESTURES

FOR HIM TO COME IN]

(They both sit down.)

LAUREN: [BITTERLY] SO WHY DID YOU COME
BACK? DID YOU FINALLY PUT SOME SENSE
INTO THAT STUPID BRAIN OF YOURS?
MARC: LAUREN, PLEASE. JUST HEAR ME OUT.
LAUREN: FINE. BUT DON'T EXPECT ME TO
SUDDENLY COME BACK FLYING INTO YOUR
ARMS. WE'RE OVER, AND YOU KNOW THAT.
MARC: JUST LISTEN.
LAUREN: OKAY.

(Lauren is slightly taken

aback at his calm
demeanour.)

MARC: FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU

FOR LETTING ME TALK TO YOU. YOU HAVE NO
IDEA WHAT IT MEANT.
LAUREN: CAN'T HAVE MEANT THAT MUCH IF
YOU DIDN'T WANT TO LISTEN TO ME BACK
WHEN YOU WERE AT THE SHOPS.
MARC: WELL, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I
WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT.

LAUREN: JESUS, MARC, SPIT IT OUT!

MARC: I ALMOST KILLED MYSELF YESTERDAY.
LAUREN: [SHOCKED] W-WHAT? MARC, WHAT??
YOU NEED HELP, LET ME CALL THE POLICE,
THEY CAN HELP Y-
MARC: NO, NO POLICE YET. I JUST CAME
BACK TO APOLOGISE. BECAUSE IM SORRY, I
REALLY AM. I DID SO MUCH WRONG, AND
CAUSED SO MUCH HURT, THAT WHEN I LOOK
BACK ON MYSELF ALL I WANT TO DO IS KILL
THAT VERSION OF ME. BUT SINCE I CAN'T DO
THAT, THE NEXT BEST THING IS TO KILL ME.
BUT LAUREN, YOU SAVED ME. YOU REMINDED
ME OF HOW GOOD WE WERE, OF ALL THE GOOD
TIMES WE HAD. AND I'M SORRY THAT SO MUCH
OF THAT WAS OVERSHADOWED BY MY OWN
WRONGDOING.
 12.

LAUREN: OH, MARC.

MARC: I'M GOING TO GO TO A HOSPITAL NOW.

THEY'LL HELP ME. BUT I JUST WANTED TO
COME HERE BEFORE I DID. BUT ONE MORE
THING..

LAUREN: WHAT IS IT?

MARC: IS TILLY HERE?
LAUREN: OH NO.

MARC: WHAT?
LAUREN: [SILENCE]

MARC: [GROWING FRANTIC] LAUREN WHAT????

LAUREN: MARC... TILLY KILLED HERSELF TWO
WEEKS AGO.

(Marc stands up in
shock.)
MARC: NO....

LAUREN: MARC, I'M SO SORRY. I WANTED TO

TELL YOU, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW. I..
[STARTING TO CRY] I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE
YOU WERE.
MARC: NO.. [LEAVES THE HOUSE]

LAUREN: MARC, PLEASE!

(Marc runs out of the
house and into the road.
He is distraught.)

MARK (V.O): TODAY WAS THE WORST DAY OF

MY LIFE. IT WAS MEANT TO BE HAPPY,
LOVING AND REDEEMING. SO MANY THINGS IN
THIS STORY WERE MEANT TO BE. BUT AS IT
TURNS OUT, THEY WEREN'T. AND TODAY WAS
MY LAST STRAW.

(Marc steps onto the

ledge.)
 13.

SUDDENLY I WAS BACK ON THAT VERY SAME

LEDGE I WAS ON YESTERDAY. THERE WAS NO
LITTLE VOICE IN MY HEAD THIS TIME. NO,
THAT VOICE DIED WITH TILLY.

(Lauren enters at the

side of the stage.)
LAUREN: MARC, STOP! PLEASE!

MARK (V.O.): I REMEMBER THE DAY I DIED.

(Marc jumps.)