Magic! screenplay

Magic!

EXT. ELEPHANT ENCLOSURE AT ZOO - EVENING

JOE is standing in the elephant enclosure next to an elephant. JOE is
in his late twenties. He is wearing a zoo keeper's uniform. He is
neither handsome nor ugly.

JOE pats the elephant.

JOE
Good job today Ariel. Would you like anything special
bringing tomorrow? (Beat) Ok. Just the peanuts it is. See
you.

JOE turns and walks away.

INT. COMMUNAL SHOWER BLOCK WITHIN ZOO - LATER

JOE is soaping his hair under one of the communal shower nozzles. At
the other end of the shower area are 3 other lads. They are laughing
loudly at something. JOE looks at them and looks away.

INT. ZOO CHANGING ROOMS - LATER

JOE is sitting on a changing bench pulling on his socks. At the other
end of the changing room are the three lads. They are still laughing.
Joe pulls on his shoes, looks at them and then walks out of the
changing rooms.

EXT. TUBE STATION ENTRANCE - LATER

People are coming in and out of the tube station. JOE sees OLIVIA
gumming an A4 sized poster onto one of the boards at the station
entrance. OLIVIA is in her late twenties. She is neither pretty or
ugly. She has blue hair. JOE stops and looks over OLIVIA'S shoulder at
the poster. It says 'Magic!' at the top.

A sudden gust of wind catches the posters that OLIVIA is holding and
they go flying about. OLIVIA gives a little scream. JOE tries to help
OLIVIA catch the posters. They catch some. Nobody else stops to help.
Finally OLIVIA has her posters. OLIVIA smiles at JOE.

OLIVIA
Thank you.

JOE looks embarrassed. He smiles slightly. Nods his head and rushes
into the tube station.

INT. ON TUBE

The tube is very crowded. JOE is sitting on one side of the carriage
OLIVIA on the other. There are people standing between them. OLIVIA is
smiling at JOE. JOE is embarrassed. He looks everywhere but his eyes
keep returning to OLIVIA. Finally he speaks.

JOE
(loudly because of train noise)
Have you got the time?

OLIVIA holds a clenched fist in front of her and from it with her other
hand she draws a wristwatch. She dangles it in the air.

OLIVIA
I'm a magician's assistant. Every night I have
genuine stainless steel swords thrust through
me and after I am cut in two with a long-toothed
saw.

JOE
(stammers)
I'd treat you better than that.

OLIVIA
Magic!

At this point the train is pulling to a stop. OLIVIA stands, reaches
into her pocket and passes JOE a golden-edged card.

OLIVIA
That's where I work. Why not come and see
the show?

OLIVIA smiles again. She gets off the train leaving JOE looking at the
card.

EXT. OUTSIDE ENTRANCE TO MAGIC CLUB - NIGHT

JOE is walking along street. He is smartly dressed and holding a bunch
of daffodils wrapped in newspaper. He stops when he sees entrance to
the club. It is down some steps. He pauses and then goes down.

INT. MAGIC CLUB - (CONTINUOUS)

The club has a seedy atmosphere. It is dimly lit with smoke collecting
against a low ceiling. At one side of the club is a small stage, at the
other a bar. There are about 20 tables in the club. At four or five of
these sit single males. On the stage a COMIC in a Hawaiian shirt is
telling jokes. These raise an occasion chuckle disproportionate to the
effort he is putting in. JOE goes to the bar and orders a beer. He sits
on one of the stools, placing the daffodils on a stool next to him,
with his back to the bar and looks at the stage.

COMIC
And now from the magic of comedy to the
magic of magic. Please put your hands together
for Mandrake the Marvellous and his lovely assistant
Penelope.

JOE claps loudly. No one else in the club claps. From a door at the
side of the stage comes MANDRAKE and Penelope. Penelope is OLIVIA. She
is wearing a blue tutu and thick glasses. JOE claps again.

MANDRAKE
For my first trick, flowers! Penelope!

OLIVIA curtsies and brings a large top hat to MANDRAKE. From this
MANDRAKE takes many different kinds of flowers; roses, hydrangeas,
chrysanthemums and so on. He passes these flowers to OLIVIA. Soon
OLIVIA is holding so many flowers we can no longer see her head. In the
background is the sound of a drum roll. JOE looks at his daffodils on
the chair next to him, downs his pint, and leaves the club.

EXT. MAGIC CLUB - NIGHT - ONE WEEK LATER

JOE is standing outside the magic club. He is holding a pack of cards
in his hand. He fans it in one hand and takes a card with his other. He
looks at the card and puts it back. Then he fans the cards again. He
takes a card again. He puts it back and nods his head. He goes down the
steps into the club.

INT. MAGIC CLUB - (CONTINUOUS)

MANDRAKE and OLIVIA are on stage. OLIVIA is being helped out of a
coffin-shaped box. She steps to the floor and both she and MANDRAKE
bow. Nobody in the bar pays any attention.

MANDRAKE
You can catch us again next week where I
will be sawing Penelope into six pieces. (Beat) That's
right, six! pieces. (Beat) Thank you. (Beat) Good night.

MADRAKE and OLIVIA exit via the stage door. JOE looks around the bar,
pauses, then goes over to the door, pauses and then goes through.

INT. CORRIDOR - (CONTINUOUS)

JOE is in a shabby dimly lit corridor with a number of closed doors. He
nods his head and goes to the nearest one.

INT. ROOM - (CONTINUOUS)

In the room four dwarves are sitting around a table. As they are in
various states of undress it is obvious they are engaged in a game of
strip poker. One dwarf at the back of the room is juggling. As JOE
enters they all look up.

JOE
Sorry.

JOE exits room.

INT. CORRIDOR - (CONTINUOUS)

JOE tries the next door and goes through.

INT. DRESSING ROOM - (CONTINUOUS)

OLIVIA is sitting at a table in front of a large mirror. Around the
mirror are large bulbs in many different colours. She doesn't look
surprised when JOE enters. She smiles.

JOE takes the deck of cards out of his pocket. He fans them and holds
them out to OLIVIA.

JOE
Take a card. Any card.

OLIVIA
(reaching around and pulling a card out of JOE'S
back pocket)
Is it this one?
(laughing)
That's the oldest trick in the book. (Beat) Would you
like to come back to mine for coffee?

JOE
(nervously but happy)
Magic!

EXT. STREET - LATER - NIGHT

JOE and OLIVIA are walking along street.

OLIVIA
Stop here! Get down on one knee.

JOE does as OLIVIA says. OLIVIA steps onto JOE'S thigh, jumps into the
air. Moments later she comes back down clutching the rungs of a fire
escape ladder.

OLIVIA
Doing this can be a bit awkward on your own.

JOE
I can imagine.

OLIVIA
Come on up.

JOE follows OLIVIA up the ladder.

INT. LOUNGE - (CONTINUOUS)

The room is small and is packed with mis-matching furniture and there
is clutter everywhere. The ceiling is sloping and it is awkward to
stand.

OLIVIA
Excuse the mess. Make yourself at home.

OLIVIA exits the room and JOE looks around. He picks a framed
photograph up off a sideboard holding many framed photographs. This
photo is of an elephant. OLIVIA re-enters. In one hand she is holding a
number of ropes. In the other a large Hessian sack.

OLIVIA
Do you know anything about knots?

JOE
I thought you were making coffee.

OLIVIA
I want you to tie me up.

JOE finds he is still holding the elephant photo. He puts it down. As
he does he causes a number of the other frames to fall over.

JOE
Sorry. (beat) I did used to be a sea scout.

OLIVIA
(smiling brightly)
I knew it! Come on then. Start at the feet.

OLIVIA hands JOE the ropes and lies on the floor. JOE ties one of the
ropes around her ankles. He works quickly and expertly.

JOE
This one's a half hitch. Knots were one thing
I liked about the sea scouts. It was the sea scouts
themselves I had the problems with. (beat) Are you
sure you want me to do this?

OLIVIA
When you've finished all the knots, put the sack over
my head, tie it and then go and wait in the toilet. Come
out after 5 minutes. Not a second more, a second less.
Ok?

JOE
Ok.

JOE ties all the ropes around OLIVIA. He then works the sack over her
and ties it at the bottom. He goes over to an open door through which
he can see a bathroom. He checks his watch and goes inside closing the
door.

INT. BATHROOM - (CONTINUOUS)

The bathroom is very small. On the wall are two posters. One is of an
elephant. One is of Houdini.

Montage of shots of JOE in bathroom. Sitting on toilet. Pacing. Lying
in bath. Checking watch. Holding up toothbrush. Turning taps. Etc.
Final shot JOE checking watch for final time. Exits bathroom.

INT. LOUNGE - (CONTINUOUS)

The sack is on the floor. The ropes are next to it. OLIVIA enters
through kitchen door holding two cups of coffee.

OLIVIA
Coffee?

JOE is speechless. He looks at the sack, the ropes, the coffee.

OLIVIA
That was nothing. Small fry. What I really want to
do is make an elephant disappear. Houdini did it
and you know what he said? (beat) He said that
even the elephant didn't know how it was done.

JOE
You're serious, aren't you?

OLIVIA
Perfectly.

JOE goes over to the sideboard. He picks up the picture of the
elephant. He looks at it then puts it down.

JOE
I might be able to help you. I work at London Zoo.
I work with the elephants.

EXT. ELEPHANT ENCLOSURE AT LONDON ZOO - NIGHT

JOE and OLIVIA are putting the finishing touches to a large tent they
have constructed. It is canvas pulled over a frame of metal poles. Four
elephants are watching them work.

JOE
That's it. Done.

JOE looks over at the elephants.

JOE
Which one do you want?

OLIVIA
Better start off with a small one. How about that
one?

OLIVIA points at the smallest elephant.

JOE
That's Ariel.

OLIVIA
Like the washing powder?

JOE
No, like the elephant.

OLIVIA
You're not having second thoughts are you? I
promise you, I won't hurt him. Lead him to the
tent.

JOE
It's just that?

OLIVIA
Yes?

JOE doesn't answer.

OLIVIA
Everything will be ok. I promise.

JOE takes a bag of peanuts out of his pocket and goes over to the
elephant. He lays a trail of peanuts so the elephant follows him over
to the tent and goes inside. JOE pats Ariel on the nose and closes the
flap on the front of the tent.

OLIVIA
Ok, turn your back and put your fingers in your
ears.

JOE does as OLIVIA says. There is a loud bang. JOE jumps.

JOE
What was that?

OLIVIA
(proudly)
That was the sound of an elephant disappearing.
Go and check.

JOE goes over to the tent and opens the front flap. There is nothing
inside.

JOE
Where did he go?

OLIVIA
(clapping her hands, delighted)
Even he doesn't know. (beat) Even he doesn't
know. Would you like to come back to mine
for coffee?

JOE
(unsure)
Do you want tie you up again?

OLIVIA
Not tonight. I think I've done enough for tonight.

OLIVIA sets off out of the elephant enclosure. JOE stands looking at
the place where Ariel had been in the tent.

INT. LOUNGE - LATER

OLIVIA is standing be the door to the kitchen. JOE is sitting in a
large armchair.

OLIVIA
Coffee?

JOE
(unsurely)
Magic.

OLIVIA goes into the kitchen. JOE gets up and goes over to the
sideboard. He picks up the picture of the elephant. He goes back over
to the chair and sits down holding it. OLIVIA comes out of the kitchen.
She has one coffee cup balanced on the palm of each hand.

OLIVIA
(brightly)
Taa Taa!

JOE
Coffee. Nice.

OLIVIA
Nice. Not magic?

JOE looks at the picture of the elephant on his lap.

OLIVIA
Are you ok?

JOE
When Ariel was a baby I fed him peanuts
from a cup. I took him round the local schools
to advertise the zoo. We had history. (beat) I've
never been good with people. Elephants, I understand.

OLIVIA sits on the arm of the chair where JOE is sitting.

OLIVIA
You're good with me, aren't you? This isn't
just about elephants you know.

JOE
It isn't?

OLIVIA
No. (beat) Look go into the bathroom.

JOE
If?.

OLIVIA
Just go.

JOE pushes himself up. He crosses the lounge door and opens the door to
the bathroom. As he does so comes the sound of the elephant trumpeting
from within. He turns to look at OLIVIA and smiles.

END.