Double Drunk Story

Caitlin Thomas wrote a book about her life and marriage to the poet Dylan Thomas. She called it Double Drink Story. I thought of it in the scene on Wednesday when Carla is dealing with Peter, drunk as a lord, on one side of her and Anne Foster, also drunk as a lord, on her other side. 

For Peter, being drunk and nasty is habitual. For Anne being nasty is, but being drunk isn’t. Presumably her overindulgence in drink is due to grief over the murder of her son Frank.

Both of them going at Carla about different grievances they have. Carla had enough to handle staying calm while Peter blamed her for all his problems and everything else he could think of. When Anne grabbed her arm, I thought Carla was going to clock her. She didn’t.  Soon after she gave Peter a shove. I think Anne would have got one fairly soon too.

Arrest interrupts fight

I was waiting to see how this was going to escalate when the arrival of the police disrupted it. Carla’s arrest for Frank’s murder ended the dramatic moment for that group of three.

Being arrested for murder in the middle of a crowded pub is pretty dramatic, especially when it’s the pub in your neighbourhood where you’re a regular. But I had hoped to see the situation between Peter and Carla and Anne and Carla, and quite likely Peter and Anne, unfold as it should.

Two scenes for two

Two scenes at Friday’s end were lovely too. Theatrical set pieces for two; first Peter and Carla, then Lewis and Audrey. Bookend pieces about relationships and life. Peter comes home to find Carla burning the factory contract that Michelle had taken. He yells at her for destroying evidence.

He yells at her because his problems are way more important than hers. Simon has again said he doesn’t want to live with his father and that Peter is the world’s worst father.

Carla, in complete incredulity at the extent of Peter’s absorption in his crowded world of himself, says they ought to put that on a mug. Instead of telling him to stop acting like a 3 year old himself, she relents and tells him why her own situation is most pressing on her mind at this particular moment.

Across town, another tiny gem is about to unfold. Audrey goes to find Lewis before he leaves town. In his grotty little bedsit, she tells him about an earlier discussion at the Bistro about “where were you when JFK was killed?” She tells Lewis where she was and that it feels like yesterday instead of 49 years. Life passes too quickly and it and love should be grabbed and enjoyed. And she says “I love you” to Lewis. Aaahh!

This is my last scene of the week for a while. Check back in, dear readers, in a month or so.  I’ll be back.