All Stops Out

Michael Gow

• Publisher: Currency Press
• Year: 2013
• eBook ISBN: 9781921429675
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

Studying comes naturally to Sam, but Danny finds it more difficult. Linda thinks Jenny is wasting her time while Cathy regrets not working harder. And all the parents are anxious... In All Stops Out, Michael Gow reveals different attitudes towards the dreaded end-of-year exams.

PART ONE

SCENE 1

Beach.

DANNY: Who are you?

SAM: My name is Sam.

DANNY: Danny. What are you doing?

SAM: Reading a book.

DANNY: What for?

SAM: I like reading.

DANNY: But this is a beach. What are you reading a book on the beach for? No-one reads books on the beach.

SAM: Lots of people do.

DANNY: Oh yeah, magazines and stuff, crappy books to pass the time, but you’re really reading this book, really involved in it, aren’t you? How come?

SAM: I’ve got a lot of reading before school goes back. The HSC this year—

DANNY: You ever been here before?

SAM: No never.

DANNY: Didn’t think so. Where you staying?

SAM: In a house near the lagoon.

DANNY: Oh yeah. That’s our house up there. With all the glass and shit. We come here all the time, holidays, weekends.

SAM: Big house.

DANNY: Yeah.

GRAHAM, DANNY’s father, comes on.

GRAHAM: I want to know if you think you’re keeping up your end of the deal? Do you?

DANNY: Oh yeah.

GRAHAM: Definitely not. You’ve been out all day. You were out all day yesterday, all week. Not a book been opened. You will not get through this year with good results unless you work. Work hard. I thought that was understood. No?

DANNY: Yeah.

GRAHAM: Don’t yeah me.

DANNY: Actually… this is Sam. We’re mates. We study together.

GRAHAM: Is that so?

DANNY: Don’t we?

SAM: Yes.

DANNY: This is my dad.

GRAHAM: You’re on holiday here too?

DANNY: Of course he is.

SAM: Yes I am.

GRAHAM: Which is your house?

SAM: We’re staying in a house near the lagoon.

DANNY: We’re going to do some study now, aren’t we?

SAM: Now?

DANNY: Yeah.

GRAHAM: You doing your HSC this year?

SAM: Yes.

GRAHAM: What are going to do after?

SAM: I’m going to do Arts Law.

GRAHAM: Are you? Good on you.

DANNY: He was reading a book on the beach.

SAM: The novels for English are pretty long, so I thought I’d get them read over the holiday.

GRAHAM: Terrific.

DANNY: Anyway, we’d better get stuck into it.

GRAHAM: You going to stick with Law?

SAM: Yes. I’m going to be a solicitor.

GRAHAM: Or barrister, why not? Sky’s the limit.

DANNY: But you have to work, right?

GRAHAM: Your father’s footsteps?

SAM: No. My father’s an engineer.

GRAHAM: He’ll be pleased though.

SAM: Yes he will.

DANNY: Time to work. We’re going to Sam’s place to read Romeo and Juliet.

SAM: No. I have to help Mum getting tea.

DANNY: No. You said we’re going to study.

SAM: Not today. Sorry. See ya.

SAM goes.

GRAHAM: You weren’t going to study, were you? Have you forgotten we made a deal? You spend the morning on the beach, back for lunch and three hours study in the afternoon.

DANNY: This is a holiday.

GRAHAM: No such thing if you want to get on. I made you promise, all stops out this year. We drew up a timetable, we balanced out reading time, revision time, consolidation time, free time, television time, and we agreed you’d stick to that and in exchange—

DANNY: I could have my holiday mornings to myself, yes.

GRAHAM: We’ve been here three weeks and you haven’t spent more than two hours at your desk. Have you?

DANNY: No.

GRAHAM: Do you understand how serious this year is?

DANNY: Maybe you shouldn’t have made me stay at school.

GRAHAM: You’re not stupid. You’ve got it in you, you’re lazy, that’s all.

DANNY: Maybe I should have done something else.

GRAHAM: Like what? Apprenticeship? To what? Industries that are practically dead.

DANNY: Maybe something else.

GRAHAM: Tell me, Danny, what?

DANNY: I think you should get off my back. We’ve just finished Christmas.

GRAHAM: When you’ve got that piece of paper to say you’ve got a place at university, I’ll get off your back.

DANNY: And what’ll you do if I don’t get that piece of paper? Did you go to university?

GRAHAM: Don’t I wish I had.

DANNY: Well, you did something with your life.

GRAHAM: That was twenty years ago. The world’s getting narrower every day. Opportunities get smaller. If you don’t start off on the right foot, you may as well give it away.

They go.

SCENE 2

A suburban street.

CATH: Now I’d like you to stand near the fence, is that alright?

IAN: Fine.

CATH: Looks alright?

IAN: Yes, it looks fine.

CATH: And open the letter really slowly, let’s see your hands opening it up, then read the results, and then we’ll find out how you went, okay.

GIRL: He’s coming! Mum, he’s coming!

A POSTMAN approaches the GIRL.

CATH: Ian, ready?

IAN: Tape’s rolling.

POSTMAN: This what you’re waiting for?

GIRL: Sure is.

POSTMAN: Good luck

The POSTMAN goes.

CATH: Right, good, slowly opening.

The GIRL reads her results.

How is it, Kelly?

GIRL: Ummm

CATH: Did what you wanted?

GIRL: No.

CATH: How did you do?

GIRL: Umm… pretty bad. Oh no.

CATH: Did you pass?

GIRL: Passed General Studies. Oh no.

CATH: So how do you feel now, Kelly?

GIRL: What am I going to do? Oh no.

CATH: You’re probably feeling really let down now. How do you think your future will be affected?

GIRL: I have to go inside. I have to tell Mum.

CATH: Just one more question. How do you think your parents will accept this disappointment? Follow us, Ian, keep up. Kelly?

GIRL: I’m going inside.

She goes.

CATH: ‘In my beginning is my end’: ironic words by T.S. Eliot that many of these...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright Page
• Playwright’s Biography
• First Production
• Characters
• Setting
• Part One
• Part Two