Daytona

Oliver Cotton

• Publisher: Oberon Books
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781783190270
• eBook ISBN: 9781783195268
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

Brooklyn 1986. Joe & Elli have entered a major ballroom dancing competition. They have practised hard and hope to win – but their plans are jeopardised when the unexpected arrival of a figure from their past confronts them with a profound moral dilemma. Haunting, funny and poignant, Daytona is a play with two love stories at its heart.

ACT TWO

The next morning. Eleven o’clock.

The sound of a vacuum cleaner is heard. Lights up. ELLI is cleaning the room. JOE’s five suits have gone but ELLI’s dress now hangs on a hook on the wall. A needle and thread hang from the hem. On the table is an open sewing box. Several cotton reels scatter the table.

The bedroom door opens and BILLY emerges. He looks haggard and is wearing his coat over a pair of JOE’s pyjamas. From the doorway he watches ELLI work. After a moment she sees him. She turns off the vacuum.

A silence. Eventually BILLY speaks.

BILLY: Where’s Joe?

ELLI: He has an appointment –

BILLY: That’s right. I forgot.

ELLI: He wanted to cancel but his client called. He suddenly has to leave town and his tax is overdue. So Joe had to go.

A beat.

ELLI: I looked in on you but –

BILLY: You should have given me a kick.

ELLI goes to the kitchen taking the vacuum with her.

ELLI: (VO.) I made some coffee. You want some?

BILLY: Please.

BILLY moves into the room.

ELLI: (VO.) Something to eat?

BILLY: Just coffee please.

ELLI: (VO.) Cream? Sugar?

BILLY: You don’t remember?

ELLI: (VO.) No.

ELLI emerges with a cup of black coffee and some bread and jam on a tray.

ELLI: You going to drink it standing up?

BILLY sits down at the table and she places it in front of him.

BILLY: I only wanted coffee. Why the –

ELLI: You should eat something. There’s a lot of cold Chinese out there. I can always –

BILLY grimaces.

ELLI: Have it later.

BILLY: Sounds like a threat.

He sips gratefully at his coffee.

BILLY: God! It’s years since I had coffee this nice.

BILLY studies her.

BILLY: You look good.

ELLI: I can’t say the same for you.

BILLY: I’ve felt better.

ELLI: I bet. Eat something.

He takes some bread and smears butter and jam on it.

BILLY: So Joe told you?

ELLI: What do you think? Sure Joe told me! He told me everything.

BILLY: I wanted to talk last night but –

ELLI: I know –

BILLY: He herded you to bed like a sheepdog.

She smiles.

BILLY: How was he?

ELLI: Guess. If I moved my hand he asked where I was going. Neither of us slept.

BILLY: How was he this morning?

ELLI: He wasn’t talking. He didn’t even take a cup of coffee.

A beat.

ELLI: And frankly – this is all we need. I’m very worried about tonight now.

BILLY: Of course – you have this thing!

ELLI: Without sleep he dances like a mad person.

BILLY: I’m sorry.

ELLI: You couldn’t have waited?

BILLY laughs.

ELLI: We may have to cancel. Gracie’s never going to forgive us.

BILLY: That’s a beautiful dress.

ELLI: Isn’t it! I just love it!

BILLY: Dora? Right?

ELLI: She’s incredible. Incredible! I have an incredible sister! I just have to fix the hem. She didn’t have time. But any way – yeah he told me what you did and where you’ve been. Ohio? Right?

She resumes working on the dress.

BILLY: Yeah.

ELLI: Real estate?

BILLY: Yeah.

ELLI: And you used the money from the business? To get started?

BILLY: What?

ELLI: To get started?

A beat.

ELLI: Joe told me about that.

A beat.

BILLY: Listen – Elli – that was my money. You know? It was my money.

ELLI: Sure. In theory.

BILLY: No. Not in theory! It was my money. I worked seven years to get it.

She wobbles her head equivocally.

BILLY: Well didn’t I?

ELLI: The business was joint. It was always a joint venture.

BILLY: Yeah and we always had private accounts. That was understood – from the start. What was his was his, what was mine was mine.

ELLI: Yeah, well, I’m not going to go into all that now.

BILLY: You brought it up.

She goes to the sideboard and brings over a heap of newspapers.

ELLI: You made the front pages. I marked your bits with ballpoint.

She hands him one. BILLY reads gingerly. ELLI resumes working on the dress.

ELLI: There’s a picture of the Chaney guy and his wife and, also, a picture of your wife. What’s her name?

BILLY: Alice.

ELLI: That’s right. Joe said. She looks very upset.

BILLY drops the paper on the floor.

ELLI: Could be the dark glasses. You going to call her?

BILLY: Where?

ELLI: Looks like she’s still in Daytona. Call her at the hotel.

BILLY: They’ll trace it immediately. Even if I write it’ll have a New York postmark.

ELLI: She must be worried sick.

BILLY: You imagine I haven’t thought that?

ELLI: I have no idea what you thought about.

BILLY: You mainly.

ELLI sews.

ELLI: You want some more coffee?

BILLY: Please.

ELLI pours him some more. She picks up the paper again and scrutinises the photos.

ELLI: ‘Ellen Chaney talks to reporters outsid...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Characters
• Act One
• Act Two
• By the Same Author