Unpacked

ACT TWO

SCENE TWO

Stephanie, Amanda and Winston

STEPHANIE : You don’t make it easy for us, do you, Amanda? We now have to stay up late to finish packing thanks to your silly play, it’s thrown us totally off schedule.

WINSTON: Now, now Stephanie, the play was quite a success-

STEPHANIE: You know what else was meant to be a success? Your life, Winston, but look where we’ve ended up. Now, Amanda, I’m not saying you were terrible, sweetheart, I’m simply saying the play was the most awful thing I’ve ever seen in all my years of living. Understand?

AMANDA: Gee, that’s so sweet, Mum. Thanks. [sarcastic]

STEPHANIE: Winston, what are you doing just standing there? The car’s not going to pack itself.

WINSTON: Sorry dear.

Winston walks off stage. Stephanie sits down exhausted.

STEPHANIE: Honestly, I feel like I’m talking to a brick wall sometimes.

AMANDA: So…should I start packing?

Tense pause, Stephanie slowly looks at her daughter.

STEPHANIE: …what..?

AMANDA: Um…I’ll just go-

STEPHANIE: YOU HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED!? You’ve got to be shitting me! What have I been telling you all week? Huh? I have to do everything around here.

AMANDA: I just haven’t had time becau-

STEPHANIE: Because of spending so much wasted time on that stupid play.

AMANDA: And exams.

STEPHANIE: Acting – what’s the point? That won’t get you any job. You know why we’re going on holiday? Because we’re not actors. Take that into consideration, dear.

AMANDA: Maybe you should get some rest. We can pack tomorrow.

STEPHANIE: We’ll miss our flight, we’ll be caught in traffic! Do I have to think for this whole family?

AMANDA: [groans] Nooo!

STEPHANIE: Well, help out, will you? Go pack, I’m giving you ten minutes – no more!

WINSTON [comes in]: The car’s all cleaned out and packed, dear.

STEPHANIE: You did something right, that’s a first!

WINSTON: Well, the suitcases still need to go in.

STEPHANIE: Yes, I know, Amanda told me.

WINSTON: Right, in that case, have you seen my nice slacks?

STEPHANIE: They’re…not in your case?

WINSTON: No, dear, my suitcase is empty. I haven’t packed a thing.

STEPHANIE: GODDAMMIT, WINSTON, I told you to do that a week ago!

WINSTON: Yes, but what about my sla-

STEPHANIE: Those damn slacks, Jesus, Winston. What about the groceries?

WINSTON: We can go food shopping in Queensland, it should be fine.

STEPHANIE: I’m not eating that scummy food! No one can do anything right in this house! All the work I do, all the-

WINSTON: Come on dear, take a Panadol and go to bed, you don’t want to be tired for tomorrow. I’ll get everything in order.

STEPHANIE: That’ll be the day.

Stephanie walks off stage left

AMANDA: Dad? Did you do the washing this week?

WINSTON: Washing? Oh, that’s where my slacks are! Um…*goes to washing basket and sees that it’s full and dirty* Oh dear.

AMANDA: Mum won’t be happy.

WINSTON: She won’t know.

AMANDA: She will, she’s never happy.

WINSTON: There’s a lot about your mother you don’t know about. She has her reasons.

AMANDA: Menopause doesn’t count.

WINSTON: No, Amanda.

AMANDA: Well, what?

WINSTON: She’s just worried, that’s all. We’re worried about you.

AMANDA: Why?

WINSTON: Well, you know. The usual teenage shenanigans. The alcohol, school, drugs, jai-that-boy-you-seem-too-close-with-

AMANDA interrupts: We’re friends, Dad. Besides, it’s not just tonight. She’s been like this for ages.

WINSTON: It’s complicated, Amanda. Okay? Your…mother…she-she had it tough at your age and, actually she ran away for many years when she turned eighteen. Her parents didn’t care. We got married, her parents weren’t there. We had you, her parents despised her more than ever. She doesn’t want to make that mistake with you. All of the years of neglect and carelessness, look what it’s done to her. [awkward pause] Don’t tell her I said that.

AMANDA: Why didn’t she tell me?

WINSTON: It’s not as easy as that. But can you see why? Can you see how important this holiday is to her? She-we need this. Please, don’t spoil anything, okay?

AMANDA: Okay, Dad. I won’t.

WINSTON: That’s my girl. Now…shall we finish packing? ‘Don’t want tomorrow to get off to a bad start.