Pasta Present Future

(

1. (Terence and Emily, at home. Interior acoustic)

1 Terence: Went the day well ?

2 Emily: It depends on what you mean by well.

3 Terence: I asked you a question Emily. I'm not asking for a
dissertation.

Honestly, you teachers ! Now, be here in this time and place

and talk to me.

4 Emily: Well...sort of.

5 Terence: Out with it !

6 Emily: I'll tell you over dinner.

7 Terence: I'll have you for dinner unless you tell me now.

8 Emily: You eat too much meat as it is Terence.

9 Terence: Stop prevaricating.

10 Emily: I'm not prevaricating, I'm prognosticating.

11 Terence: For God's sa........

12 Emily: No need to bring her into this. The day did go well, in fact
it

went swimmingly well. So well they've asked me to work on

the MBA programme next month.

13 Terence: Money. money, money.

14 Emily: True, the dosh is great.

15 Terence: How do I know the next word will be...

16 Emily: BUT it means working with her. Lucinda.

17 Terence: So ?

18 Emily: I don't like her style.

19 Terence: Never mind the style, what about the substance, the

....dosh...it's a rich girl's world.

20 Emily: Style is important, Terence. In fact for a trainer style
and

substance are the same thing.

21 Terence: Hang on a minute, you haven't turned this down have you
?

22 Emily: I said I'd think about it.

23 Terence: Emily, let's think about this together. Perspective,
perspective,

pers....

24 Emily: Your perspective.

25 Terence: Our perspective ! 2 years we said. I continue my IT

consultancy, you continue your English teaching. We cut our

costs as much as possible, downshift, and in 2 years - one year

from now - away we go. Around the world, Sydney, Seattle,

Santiago, .......who knows, it's what we dreamed about.

26 Emily: Wake up call, Terence.

27 Terence: What's happening Emily ? It must have been some day !

28 Emily: Some day.............

29 Terence: There's something else.

30 Emily : No , there is nothing.........I mean there is nothing else.
As I

said I'd think about it.....it's just...

31 Terence: Just what ?

32 Emily: (about to tell him something ) Terence..... these
days....(

switches back ) These days are just too long. Let's have dinner.

Now what tins have you opened tonight ?

2. (Frances the language school manger. Her monologue is interspersed
with sounds from Classic FM radio( Chopin) occasionally singing along,
cooking and chopping sounds in kitchen as she prepares dinner. )

1 Frances: " Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in
no

other" as Benjamin Franklin used to say. I

wonder how many arrestingly beautiful, devastatingly witty,

crushingly intelligent women in this land are at present
preparing

a gourmet dinner, quoting great statesmen from world history

and humming Chopin waltzes in tune.

The talent, the talent. I mean someone has got to say it. It
ain't

going to be my staff, Emily and Lucinda, it doesn't appear

to be - let's try and visualise this one, - Denzil Washington -
so

it's going to be... me, Frances. That's fine. I'm happy. I'm in

charge, I make choices, I affect people.

Take Emily (parodies ) someone take her please ! No, take

Emily, 39 years old...she's so....so experienced. (mock leer)

...Teaching, I mean, girl. Experienced, no fool, certainly and

certainly doesn't suffer fools gladly. At the end of her classes

there are no fools in them. She gets results, she makes a

difference, there's a beginning, a middle and end. I'm a

manager; it's what I want from her.

Take Lucinda (mock leer) ........I'm sure someone already has.

Experienced ? Well, in comparison with Emily no. A fool. No.

Results ? Yes. But.....but what ?

" there is no art where there is no style. "
Oscar Wilde. Maybe you do have style trendy Lucinda, I'm just

too old, too senior, too...... in charge to like it. But I'm old

enough, in charge enough, wise enough to use it. I've seen your

classes, I've heard them, I've felt them but it's not the way I

teach, and it's not the way Emily teaches. Laughing all the time,

games all the time, everyone is right all the time, everyone
likes

you, every one wants to be in Lucinda's class. It's such

(ambiguously) fun.

How's the sauce ? (tastes) Everything in moderation - yes, that

will complement the halibut nicely.

Yes, Emily and Lucinda, the present and the future, they will

complement everything nicely. I'm going cook up the course of

the decade.

3. Classroom acoustic
Emily teaching with the students followed by some feedback comments
from non present Frances.)

1 Emily: Present perfect versus past simple. Examples please,
Franco.....

2 Franco: I loved her when I was young. I have loved her since first
sight.

3 Emily: Good, Franco, culturally interesting source of subject
matter.

Veronique.

4 Veronique: I have lived in Paris most my life. I am being born in
Lyon.

5 Emily: Was, Veronique, was

6 Frances: Another model lesson. Excellent. Structured, paced,
poised,

(simultaneous voice with Emily) :BUT you' re only as good as

your last lesson.

4. (Emily exterior acoustic as she walks )

1 Emily: (overlap)You're only as good as your last lesson...

Sometimes you are on the way up, sometimes on the way down,

if you stand still, you are drifting behind. Maybe I've been
doing

this too long, maybe I haven't been doing this long enough.

Maybe it's my age, maybe it's the age, work in the 21st century,

the portfolio worker, reskilling, lifelong learning......

Let's have a look around. Terence, faithful, reliable, visionary
or

chancer ? Rock or stone ? Years in the civil service,

downshifter, own business, " money, money, money ", let's stay

on track then go round the world. I'm not sure right now if that

is an end or a beginning but it's a goal.

Frances, who is Frances, what is Frances ? 44, 45, fulfilled

single professional, demanding certainly, a friend, a boss , a

rival? Teacher or manager? Runs a successful language school

in English cathedral city. The bells chime, it doesn't matter
what

the news is as long as the world service pronounce it correctly.
I

admire her, We go back a long way now. Where is she going ?

Am I going with her ?

If you stand still , you' re drifting behind.

.......And then of course, Lucinda. Young, hip, and on

the wwway up. At my expense or on her merits ? Colleague or

threat, genius or mess, god her classes !

( fade up chatter of a multinational classroom )

5.Classroom acoustic. Lucinda's classroom)

1 Lucinda: Hi, I'm Lucinda. That's enough from me. Over to you

Veronique. Let's hear about your life story.

2 Veronique: I am being born in Lyon. When I was 18 I'm coming to
Paris

3 Lucinda: Bright lights, big city...

4 Veronique: Exactement, mademoiselle Lucinda.

5 Lucinda: Yeah, so you're 18, in Paris, what happened next ?

6 Veronique: I was living at the back side of the Gare du Nord, I
become a

student at the Sorbonne.

7 Franco: What study you ?

8 Lucinda: Life.

9 Veronique: Oui, it was a beautiful time, bliss was it to be. I loved
to be a

student, it was fun. Now it is all being so difference......

10 Frances: (voice over, classroom acoustic) Time flies when
they're

having fun. Laugh ? I nearly forgot the content...

6. (House door opens
We hear Terence as in opening act):

1 Terence: Welcome home Emily. Went the day well ?

2 Emily: Well, Terence, I don't know, I don't know anything,
anymore.

7. (Exterior acoustic: fade down Cathedral chimes.
Interior acoustic. In Frances' office
Fade down BBC world service headlines.)

1 Frances: ( Quoting radio report ) " Profits fell as consumers opted
to

stay home, not go down the shops. " Isn't it amazing how

quickly things change?

2 Emily: Yes, Frances. Last week I seem to remember we were in
the

middle of the biggest consumer boom since....

3 Frances: No, not the content, the structure. If there are no longer
to be

prepositions in the world where does that leave me, you, us ?

4 Emily: Down the job centre ?

5 Frances: (Not amused and looking for a file ) Emily, Emily,
Emily.

( reading from file cover)

English for the MBA degree programme 2001.

Objective: quote: this comprehensive programme emphasises

the importance of effective communication skills and wide

cultural knowledge.

Language instruction - in reading, listening, writing and

speaking - is accompanied by case analyses and discussions to

prepare students for successful performance in dynamic and fast

paced business school environments

Methodology: communicative teaching style, high level of

student participation facilitated by teaching staff. ...

6 Emily: Who the hell wrote that ?

7 Frances : You did, my dear Emily, last year.

(continues) Content: working across cultures,

8 Emily: I'll just dust down my cross cultural joke book.

9 Frances: Presentations, meeting simulation, debates, project,
visits.

Teaching allocations: now, Emily this is what I want to discuss

with you. Teaching allocations: Lucinda and Emily

10 Emily: Order noted.

11 Frances: Quite. Let's make this...

12 Emily: Crystal

13 Frances: Clear. The course will be divided into two basic teaching
units of 6

students per class. There will be plenary courses and all visits will
be

as a group. The two groups will follow a unified curriculum
towards

the objectives we identify with the students in the first needs

analysis. I am most enthusiastic for you and Lucinda to work

together on this. You're our dream team !

As teachers you will both have equal status, but, given the nature
of

this course, I am going for youth rather than seniority. Lucinda
will

be course director.

14 Emily: Lucinda course director ? What...what fun !

15 Frances: I most certainly hope so. Serious fun. Emily and Lucinda.
Are we in

agreement?

8. (Terence and Emily at home: interior acoustic )

1 Terence: Dream team eh ? " I have a dream, that one day all teachers
will

stand equal before God " .... I mean Frances.

2 Emily: It isn't going to be you that has to do this Terence.

3 Terence: Seriously, Emily.........

4 Emily: I can't believe you said that.

5 Terence: Seriously, what is the big deal about working with Lucinda,
Em?

She has the same qualifications as you, she's not that
inexperienced,

she's been around in Europe so I hear.

6 Emily: Is your information a priori or a posteriori ?

7 Terence: No need to get personal Emily.

8 Emily: You're damn right she's been around a bit in Europe.

9 Terence: I can't believe you said that. Look Em, what is this about?
What is

wrong? What is underneath all this? I'm only a man, you'll have
to

spell it out for me. Is it some kind of sex thing ?

10 Emily: Sex thing ?

11 Terence: I said I'm only a man. I'm trying to stay focused on the
serious point

here.

12 Emily: OK you want serious, I do serious very well. I'm being passed
over.

You're a man, how would you feel if this was happening to you ?

Or is that too hierarchical for you ?

13 Terence: I don't think like that. I don't work like that. It's
so...so last

century.

14 Emily: It bothers me, it's real for me, I feel I'm not being
valued....

15 Terence: I value you.

16 Emily: ( gives Terence a kiss ) I know darling, It isn't you,
it's...

17 Terence: The other woman

18 Emily: Women

19 Terence: Women ?

20 Emily: Lucinda and Frances. It doesn't seem that big a deal to
outsiders.

21 Terence: Outsiders !

22 Emily: You know what I mean.

23 Terence: A nod's as good as a ....

24 Emily: I'll explain. I love teaching....

25 Terence: You wouldn't think so.

26 Emily: I've really wanted to do it all my life. Still do. I can't
think of any

other profession which gives you so much satisfaction while
giving

other people so much too. Those who can, teach. It's the perfect

equation. Help yourself, help others to help themselves in a
useful

and rewarding way. I enjoy teaching, still do

27 Terence: (as if cueing in ) Here we go...

28 Emily: BUT , I'm just not sure if I can go on doing it
forever.

29 Terence: You - we - aren't going to do it forever. Why don't you "
just say

yes " to this course Frances has asked you to do. After that just
say

yes to the next one. Do it, for about two years and then " just
say

no" . Look at it that way ; it's less daunting. Don't think I
don't

know what you mean. I do. I've been there myself darling.

30 Emily: Where, Terence, where ?

31 Terence: Doubt - land, fear of getting close to what you

want. Success is only the mirror image of what some people call

failure. There is no failure - only feedback.

Feel the fear and do it anyway. I left my full time, highly paid,

permanent contract job 5 years ago. Permanent contracts these
days

are like gold dust, so people say, I think they are more like

millstones. Freedom, " failure" , success...they are so close to
each

other. But I feel more alive now than ever.

32 Emily : (shocking)You may feel alive. I feel dead.

(recovers, slightly). You know, I can never tell nowadays if
you're

being profound or fatuous.

33 Terence: (sings like the song "Yesterday " ) nowadays.......

34 Emily: Look...

35 Terence: Listen, we are nearly where we want to be: success,
freedom, I

work, you work , we do what we want, there may be some ..... some

irritants on the way (Emily and Terence together ) BUT we are

nearly there. Financially, professionally... we are nearly there
and

soon we'll be travelling around the world.

Why don't we enjoy the journey as well as the destination ?

36 Emily: As I was saying I can never tell if you are being profound or
fatuous.

37 Terence: (crunch) What exactly is this Emily ? We've talked about
our plans,

in fact this whole 21st century round the world in 800 days meets
love

of flying was originally your idea, your concept, but now it's
ours,

me and you. So what exactly is this ? It can't be just that Frances
has

asked you to work with Lucinda on one course where she rather
than

you is director of studies.

38 Emily: It is just that.

39 Terence: I must say it seems so...

40 Emily: So....

41 Terence: Er, well uncharacteristically er.......small of you.

42 Emily: (explodes) Small, small ! I am pissed off, big time,
with

Lucinda, Frances, you and and myself.

(Door slams, we hear Terence say ):

43 Terence: Yesterday.......

9. (Exterior acoustic. We hear sounds almost over the top English: the
cathedral chimes, cricket leather on willow. Background chatter from
multi-national student group contrasts with background modern English
street cries... " Big Issue ! " )

1 Franco: You know, I, Franco, am really very interesting...(ponders
this

aloud) ...interesting, interested, (opts for ) interesting... there is
so

much going in... on. I'm always learning, English, architecture,

food, women, life. English people, - the type of English people I

meet - they all want to live in ( ponders aloud the correct

preposition ) ... by the Mediterranean. Oh, Italy, France, you

know how to live, they are saying. You know how to dress, how to

eat, when to eat, you sleep in the afternoon, you follow what
your

body is saying to you, you are making love, you are not

embarrassed about sex, you are not embarrassed about life.
Lucinda

- she thinks I'm a combination of Marcello Mastroianni and
Giorgio

Armani. She thinks she is a successful communicator. I think she
is

a - what is that expression - flit, flirt ? Emily is more my style,
or

Frances, si, si, Frances, Frances - ah, the English wit, the
reserve,

the invitations to tea it would be suicide to accept, the reading

under the lines, the understatement: ( affectionately imitates

Frances) " that would be so nice " - you can't learn that, we -

foreigners - what's that " students of English as a Foreign

language" - only the English can be so charmingly condescending -

we can only imititate, if we so wish, if they teach us how, if we

admire them enough to learn. What is English anyway ? A lingua

franca. A historical accident - it could so easily have been the
other

way around. Emily, Lucinda, Frances, Terence and millions of

others coming to Turin, Nice, Barcelona to learn , Italian,
French,

Spanish. We have the cathedrals too, more saints, more miracles,

who cares about all that cricket and fish and chips - how does

Lucinda say...crap.. anyway I've never heard Emily say that

word.....crap . They - the English- they are not even caring

themselves. In actuality no one knows what they care about, no
one

can tell. All they have left to sell is their language. Their car

companies are German, their foreign policy American,

their clothes..... God save us ! (church bells, student / teacher

chatter in background) .......but....I am liking it here. The dry
wit,

( thunder shower starts )the wet rain, the beer as warm as the

people

2 Lucinda: ( running over ) Franco, thought you'd done a runner

3 Franco: ( not getting this ) Ru......

4 Lucinda: Rain stops play; Em and I are going to Caf? Puccini for
a

cappuccino. Fancy it ?

5 Franco: ( not getting this ): Fancy you ?

6 Lucinda: ( semi to herself) You can blow froth off my
cappuccino

anytime........

7 Franco: I'm being happy here in this England cathedral. I feel at
home in

this relic. You go to the Italy caf? with Emily. Ciao ! Ciao !

10 Interior acoustic Emily and Lucinda in trendy Italian cafe .We hear
the sound of cappuccino whooshing.)

1 Lucinda: I think I said you can blow the froth of my cappuccino
anytime.

2 Emily: Most uncharacteristic !

3 Lucinda: What are you having ?

4 Emily: No it' s on me.

5 Lucinda: I insist.

6 Emily: Earl Grey.... Thanks.

7 Lucinda: (to waiter ) Large cappuccino and 1 Earl Grey tea,
please.

8 Italian waiter: (repeats order))

9 Emily: Funny old world isn't it ?

10 Lucinda: Come again ?

11 Emily: Two English teachers leave the Italian student out in the
English

rain and dash into the faux Italian coffee shop / ersatz

English tea room by the Norman cathedral.

12 Lucinda: I like it here. And we don't often get the chance for a one
to one

together.

13 Emily: One to one ?

14 Lucinda: Yeah......... ( to waiter ) grazi........... (tastes drink
) emmmm.

Now...

15 Emily: Now what ?

16 Lucinda: Now, Miss Emily, what's all this crap about you not liking
me ?

11. (Cut to- telephone ringing)

1 Terence: (thinking it's Emily, he doesn't know of her
whereabouts)

" you just keep me hanging on the telephone " (answers ) Em,

where the hell are you, I've.....

2 Frances: (deadpan ): Terence, good evening, it's Frances.

3 Terence: (recovering ) Er, Good evening Frances, what are you going
to

do me for ?

4 Frances: Terence, I'm afraid this isn't a social call. Where is Emily
?

5 Terence: (judging what tone to take ) Er, well, Frances, er
(goes

serious) I don't know.

6 Frances: You don't know. We are supposed to be having a
meeting.

7 Terence: (almost to himself ) We're supposed to be having a
relationship.

8 Frances: Is everything all right ?

9 Terence: Hunky dory, Frances, hunky dory.

10 Frances: Do you want to put me in the picture ?

11 Terence: I would if I could.

12 Frances: Meaning ?

13 Terence: Frances, we all go back a bit nowadays (echoes song to
himself: )

" nowadays " , so I'm going to be frank with you.

14 Frances: There's a first time for ev...

15 Terence: Something - I don't know what - seems to be going on.
It...it

scares me. I don't know where Emily is. The last I heard of her
was

of a door slamming behind her. So..... so histrionic the way
women

bang doors don't you think?

16 Frances: Terence will you get to the point ?

17 Terence: The point being that you making Lucinda director of studies
over

Emily on your MBA course seems to have sparked some kind of

life crisis.

18 Frances: But that doesn't seem like Emily. It's .....it's so
uncharacteristically

small of her.

19 Terence: You took the words out of my mouth. That's what I said
just

before the door banging episode.

20 Frances: Life crisis! It just doesn't add up. She knows how I value
her, I can

tell she still loves teaching, she has everything going for
her......

21 Terence : But...

22 Frances: God, I feel so responsible.

23 Terence: Maybe you are, may be we all are, maybe she is.

24 Frances: We have to do something. Now.

25 Terence: No, Emily has to do something, there must be something she
needs

to work out, to work through. We wait.

26 Frances: Maybe you are right. But we need to know she's safe.

27 Terence: She's safe. We're the ones in danger.

28 Frances: Danger !

29 Terence: The danger or the thrill of change. She's safe, I know
these things,

I also know things aren't going to be the same when, if , she
comes

back...

(End of phone call....... We hear dialling tone, Frances is still
holding the phone.)

30 Frances: (musing ) : " the heart has its reasons the mind knows
nothing

of........" (Phone replaced)

12. (Phone picked up)
(Emily: preparing to make a phone call, she is in a phone box,
background noise- voices, sounds from crickets etc. seem to indicate
she is in a hot country: Greece.
In this phone conversation between Emily and Terence the roles seem to
be reversed; she is more playful and playing with words, Terence is the
straight guy.)

1 Emily : ( dialling and speaking out loud ): 00 44, now leave the zero
off -

too negative - rest of number - easy.

(ringing tone)

2 Terence: Frances ?

3 Emily: Well, well, wonders will never cease.

4 Terence: Em, where the hell are you, what the hell is going on, why
the ...

5 Emily: Hell is other people, darling, I'm in heaven. Well, Greece,
actually.

6 Terence: Greece !

7 Emily : Skyros to be exact.

8 Terence: Skyros !

9 Emily: ( referring to repetition by Terence) There seems to be an
echo on

the line.

10 Terence: Is this some kind of joke ?

11 Emily: Joke ? No, but it's such fun ! Seriously.

12 Terence: You might think it's fun but its....

13 Emily: ...all Greek to me !

14 Terence: Emily, are you all right ?

15 Emily: Absolutely fabulous darling.

16 Terence: It doesn't sound like......like you.

17 Emily: Well, I must say Terence it does sound like you.

18 Terence: What is that supposed to mean ?

19 Emily: " I just called to say..."

20 Terence: (snaps) Stop messing around Emily, wherever you are and
come

home, we need you here .

21 Emily: We ?

22 Terence: I do. Personally. Frances does. Professionally.

23 Emily: Are you sure you got that the right way round ?

24 Terence: Em. Be serious. Be...here.

25 Emily: I'm being serious, here. Look I'm running out of drachma. I
just

called to say I lov...(can't say it)... I'm here, I'm fine, I... I'll
see

you when I see you. I might come back tomorrow. I might never

come back.

26 Terence: Em, we need you. Right here, right now !

27 Emily: What is this we thing ? You sound like the Queen. For
you,

Terence.....the tin opener is in the oven. For Frances, who you

seem remarkably concerned about, she can find someone else to

paddle the trireme. Yammas !

(Puts phone down. We hear click.)

28 Terence: Emily ! Emily !

13. (We hear Terence redial)

1 Frances: (sounds as if she's been waiting beside the phone in her
basque ) :
Franco ! Guess what I'm wearing ...!

2 Terence: Frances ? It's Terence.

3 Frances: (immediately professional ): Terence.

4 Terence: I'm sorry...that it's so late. Just a short call. What do
you know

about personal development..........come round ? now ......?

14. (Interior acoustic. Fade down Chopin. In Frances' flat. )

1 Frances: Business, pleasure, both ?

2 Terence: Emily. Disappeared, runner, Greece, Skyros.

3 Frances: Terence, has anyone ever taught you about verbs ?

4 Terence: I'm being serious, Frances. It's nearly midnight and
I'm....

5 Frances: Going to turn into a pumpkin?

6 Terence: Worried

7 Frances: Sick

8 Terence: About Emily. I've just had a phone call from her. She

sounded....different.......she's in Greece, on an island, Skyros.
I

just don't get it.

9 Frances: You're a man.

10 Terence: Meaning ?

11 Frances: She's a woman. I understand, I'm not surprised and I'm
not

worried. Not now. I've been there myself, the space not the
place,

that is. She's gone to find herself.

12 Terence: What ?

13 Frances: I hear Emily was right about the listening.

14 Terence: What!

15 Frances: (as if talking to a class) She has gone to find
herself.

She's not the first, not the last, it's a high stress business,
teaching,
you know.

16 Terence: Look, I haven't come here for a bloody lecture.

17 Frances: What have you come here for Terence ?

18 Terence: I wanted to... let you know.

19 Frances: You have.

20 Terence: You seem remarkably unconcerned.

21 Frances: Terence, thank you for letting me know, for coming here. It
is kind

and considerate of you. I think you are a kind and considerate
man.

You and I have a lot in common.

22 Terence: I doubt it.

23 Frances: Such as, Emily. I know her too, remember, we go back a long
way.

If you think about it I see her more than you, in more
situations,

I've known her longer. I'm not worried. We all need our islands.

24 Terence: But ...the course.

25 Frances: Of course, the course, as I said, teaching is a high stress
business.

She's not the first to, as you put it, do a runner, she'll be back.
In

fact, I should have seen this coming. Yes, I blame myself. I
should

be responsible for her career development. All I did was to give
her

more work.

26 Terence: A good distinction, if a little late.

27 Frances: Ah, distinction, that's good, very good. And it's not late,
it's early.

I'm going to fix us ...a drink and then show you my breasts.

15. ( Lucinda and Frances. In the language school. Background noise
from students.

Tape: Business in Action, unit one, doing business, making a start.
Listening.....you will now hear.....

Door opens into Frances' office.
Background noise and tape cease abruptly as door closes.)

1 Frances: ...Ah, Lucinda, do you know Terence ? He's just
leaving

(manipulative ), aren't you Terence ? We have had a very

interesting discussion. ( to Terence ) I'll be...in touch. Now,

Lucinda, I can't help noticing how many students there are from

Greece this year. All delightfully Mediterranean. Now can I offer

you anything, Earl Byron.... I mean Grey, Metaxa, Whisky ?

Teachers' ?

2 Lucinda: Whisky, 11 am ? Greece ?

3 Frances: Yes, you know, Zeus, Apollo, Thomas Cook...

4 Lucinda: Everything all right, Frances....?

5 Frances: Couldn't be better. Now about next trireme, term, the MBA.
You

and Emily. Looking forward to it ?

6 Lucinda: Yes, of course. What's your expression.... Serious
fun.

7 Frances: Yes I suppose it is very serious.......very.

8 Lucinda: What about the fun bit ?

9 Frances: Of course, Lucinda, you must have your fun.

10 Lucinda: And you must be serious.

11 Frances: Everyone has their role in life. Keeps things clear.
Tracks, right side

of etc. etc.

12 Lucinda: Where is Emily ? Doesn't it rather defeat the object of the
meeting

if she isn't here ?

13 Frances: Defeat ? We don't want that kind of talk in here girl.
Emily has

been delayed. New developments. I have decided to rearrange the

teaching allocations for the Master of Business Administration

course.

14 Lucinda: And rearrange is an euphemism for......

15 Frances: I appreciate your frankness. I am making new arrangements
for the

teaching of the MBA students. Emily is on... leave of absence. No

woman is an island. You are going to work in our Italian
subsidiary

with Franco.

16 Lucinda: As ..?

17 Frances: Lucinda. I am giving you full responsibility for promoting
our

operation in Italy

18 Lucinda: A bureaucrat !

19 Frances: ( teachers voice again) No, Lucinda, a leader. Now is your
time. I

am investing a lot of capital in Italy and I am investing a lot of
trust

in you. It is, do I have to spell it out, promotion.

20 Lucinda: And Franco is working with me, doing what exactly ?

21 Frances: Franco is working with you, under you in effect, marketing
. Good

combination. Like pasta and aubergine.

22 Lucinda: Yeees, I'm beginning to get a taste of this.

23 Frances: Good girl, we'll do the small print over lunch. Italian of
course !

24 Lucinda: Frances...?

25 Frances: Ah, the parthian shot!

26 Lucinda: So Emily is on a leave of absence.

27 Frances: Yes.

28 Lucinda: So...

29 Frances: So what ?

30 Lucinda: So who is doing the MBA ?

31 Frances: The new double act, Terence and I.

32 Lucinda: Terence ? Emily's partner? He's not even a teacher is he
?

33 Frances: Precisely. In fact he's a downshifted IT specialist. I'm
the teacher.

It's a double act right up there with Bergman and Grant, style,
wit,

beauty, that's me, and........content, business interface, that's
the

other one. Can't fail.

34 Lucinda: And Emily ?

35 Frances: As I said, no woman is an island. Absence makes the heart
grow

fonder. All this people work is making me hungry. Let's grab an

Italian !

16. Class room acoustic
We hear Frances introducing Terence to the MBA group)

1 Frances: Right, that's enough from your stuffy old English teacher.
(protests

from students) Let's have some real content. Here's Terence, to

lead today's special subject:

"the death of distance. " Sounds sexy to me ! Terence.

2 Terence: Thank you Frances, you're a hard act to follow. Let's make
this

interactive. We're all specialists in this room, I have my own

experience, you have yours, what we all have in common is, the

way we work with technology. Technology is changing everything,

the way we work, live, even love, distance is becoming
irrelevant.

Today's debate: technology in business, one step forward, one
step

back. Veronique, let's hear from you. What's happening in France
?

3 Veronique: La France ? In my objective opinion we are leading the way
in

European communications: high speed trains, new generation

phones. Of course we had a - how are we saying - flying start -
with

Minitel, the first interactive information delivery
service.........

(As Veronique begins to speak we hear Frances voice over-)

4 Frances: He's good, a natural, .....distance and love... ?

17 (Fade down classroom acoustic. Terence and Emily interior. Door
bursts open.)

1 Terence: Emily!

2 Emily: Are you pleased to see me Terence or is that a copy of
The

Encyclopaedia of World Languages in your pocket ?

3 Terence: I am, I am, I am...

4 Emily: You are.

5 Terence: I am so pleased to see you. Welcome home, Emily !

6 Emily: Thank you, I am pleased to be back. I had to go away to be
pleased

to be back.

7 Terence: I think I understand.

8 Emily: Do you Terence. Can you ?

9 Terence: Modals, eh ?

10 Emily: I'm sorry ?

11 Terence: Modals. Modal verbs. Could you, can, you, would
you...

12 Emily: I know what bloody modals are. I haven't come back to
be

patronised.

13 Terence: You don't like that do you ?

14 Emily: Like what ?

15 Terence: Your jokes, your mot justes, your plays on words

that's fine, if the tables are turned you just get plain angry.

16 Emily: I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm just

17 Terence: A jealous guy....

18 Emily: I'm just a bit tired. Fine, glad to be back, but tired.
Friends ?

19 Terence: Friends.

20 Emily: Lovers ?

21 Terence: And that too. Yes. Let's keep it simple. Welcome
home.

22 Emily: Thank you. Thank you

23 Terence: We can talk, we can sing later.

24 Emily: I like the sound of that. Let's go to bed.

(fade down, night sounds, fade up morning )

18. (Terence and Emily in bed. Morning, bird song, kettle boiling
downstairs, radio 2 Greatest Hits style programme on. Door
opens.)

1 Terence: Welcome back from wherever you have been, I hope you
have

changed as much as you need and stayed the same as much you

like.

2 Emily: Emmmmmm, the first cup of tea, who has changed the most do
you

think ? The one who stayed or the one who went away ?

3 Terence: People who stay often change more than those who go
away.

4 Emily: Yes, you 've become quite the philosopher, haven't you,

teleological Terence.

5 Terence: Fraction early in the morning for all that, Emily

6 Emily: It's not too early for all this now, is it ? (kisses)

7 Terence: I'm not sure if it's too early or too late. Let's not change
the

subject.

8 Emily: Which is ?

9 Terence: Change. Em, there is something...

10 Emily: Not now darling.

11 Terence: I'll go and make some more tea and then we can.......

12 Emily: Now you're talking.

(Terence goes to make tea, we hear him singing along with radio .
Phone rings in background. We hear Emily answer, very clipped.
As Terence re-enters we hear)

13 Emily: I see, Frances, thank you for letting me know. I, we, will be
there.

( phone replaced )

14 Terence: Frances ? Emily ?( at same time as Emily ): Frances !

15 Emily: Yes, we need to...

16 Terence and Emily: (together): Talk!

19. (In the language school. We hear background noises - students in
corridor.

Tape: " Business in Action, unit 3, describing organisations,
listening...."

Door closes. Background noises stop. Tape clicks off. All the cast are
assembled in Frances' office, hub bub of expectation.
Silence as Frances speaks.)

1 Frances: Now comes the summer of our content, made glorious
by....

2 Emily: Just do it, Frances. We've had enough histrionics.

3 Frances: Ah the prodigal daughter. Yes, yes, you are right.
Business.

Thank you all for coming today. Lucinda will you take notes
please.

I want this meeting to be on the record.

4 Lucinda: Take notes, I.....

5 Frances: (had it with Lucinda) Do what you are told Lucinda. For
once.

Thank you. Meeting open. Present: myself, Frances, Emily,

Terence, Lucinda, Franco and last but not clich?d, Veronique, our

gallant, Gallic representative of the student body.

6 Lucinda: ( sotto voce) Nice bit of co-option. You have to hand it to
the old

girl, perhaps I should say the new girl; the renewed twinkle in
the

eye.

7 Frances: Subject - let's keep this manageable - the future. As you
all know

there have been many changes for us all personally and

professionally, the past

will never be the same again. This meeting is to draw a line
under

the past, so we can regroup and go forward into the future

together. Firstly, I am so pleased to see you all here, I want to

express my utmost faith in you all......

(Frances' voice fades down. We now hear a series of soliloquies which
come to the fore and fade during Frances' speech.)

8 Emily: BG / AG. Before Greece, after Greece, the development of

civilisation as I knew/ know it. The past - it's simple, it's gone.
The

present: it's perfect. We make it so. The ancient world - I mean

even only a few weeks ago - and the modern - our bright future

unfolding before us. I had to go away to be pleased to come back.

First person- conditional. How much do you really know about

anyone ? Terence? He's changed - a bit, enough, I'm glad.

Frances? You can never tell, there's always a veneer, may be
that's

part of the business of being and staying successful. Maybe in
the

future I'll become more like her and she'll become more like me.

But she seems warmer, more relaxed, more like an aubergine, less

like a pomegranate. She loves these cooking metaphors, the old

stew pot. I must develop my own style, naturally.

Things are working out, coming into place, like a Greek play, but

not a tragedy, not really a comedy, here's the chorus......

(Fade up to)

9 Frances: It's like a Greek play really...

10 Emily: That's uncanny

11 Frances: ...the cast, the plot, the teachers and learners, the
dreamers, the

doers

12 Lucinda: Frances, is this on the record ?

13 Frances: Sorry. Right. Let's start from the top. I'd like to
introduce you to

the new directors of the school: Emily and Terence.

(Silence, followed by applause and congratulations)

14 Terence: You have to downshift to - I feel a neologism coming on -
swing

shift. It's neither up nor down in conventional terms, it's
different,

it's a process, how would Emily and Frances put it - it's present

continuous. I am always learning - that's the way I like it.
Emily

and I have arrived in the same place by a different route. And

Frances. She showed me everything. No, no, no, I don't mean that,

I don't mean those - I'm strictly meritocracy - I mean the next

step. Running the business, with Emily. I, we, will be alright.

15 Frances: The dream team, the next step.

16 Terence: The next step, that's good.

17 Frances: Emily and Terence will be the joint UK directors, they will
have

total responsibility. I believe in their skills, their past, their
present,

our future.

18 Franco: Frances is so impressing. I have learned so much here.
About

myself, about English, about the English, or perhaps I should say
I

have learned so much about these types of English people and
their

type of English. I will always be an outsider. It isn't only
about

words. It's about style. If you speak in a certain way you belong
to

the tribe. In a way my English is as good as theirs. In a way
it's

even better. But I'll never speak English, like them. They can
never

speak Italian like me, if that's a concern, however many hours
you

spend, whatever the methodology. That isn't the point. Mistakes
is

irrelevant. Mistakes give them power. What's the theory ? Yes,
the

high level paradox. The higher your language level becomes, the

more even the most minor mistake is noticed. You never arrive.

The route is long, expensive, and uncharted. The destination is

unattainable. A marketing win - win. If English is a world
language

they - I'm meaning Emily, Frances, Lucinda, even the new boy,

Terenz - speak the English only of their own tribe. The language
of

my tribe - those who have learned English as a second language is

just as important. They are outnumbered. We have surrounded

them. So what do I do ? I join them. It is pleasing for me to do
so.

The invitation is an honour. We all want to belong. Frances is
right;

it is about combinations: north and south, man and woman,

business and words.

19 Frances: Emily and Terence. I feel so confident about the future,
their future,

our future. I have done what all the best managers...

20 Lucinda: Modesty gets you to...

21 Frances: at(Lucinda and Frances overlap ) THE TOP do. Make
themselves

redundant! In the 20th century we had individuals, business
leaders,

pyramids, in the 21st century we will have partners,
combinations,

the flat organization. I have mentioned our new top partner ship,

Terence and Emily, I am about to announce our next tier

22 Lucinda: I knew it would end in tiers.

23 Frances: Lucinda and Franco. Respectively, executive director and
marketing

director of our operation in Italy. Pasta, present, future. Dream

team, UK, dream team, Italy, dream of danger, nights of waking,

like the dew on the fountain, like the bubble on the fountain...

24 Lucinda: Quotations dictionary, the last refuge of the retiring
director.

25 Frances: We are all friends here, colleagues, partners in language
and

culture, we are like cooks...

26 Lucinda: Fountains, cooks, what's happening ?

27 Frances: Yes, that is the right metaphor, cooks of language, of
business

and...

28 Lucinda: Finally, an explanation, an insight.

29 Frances: ...love. I am pleased to announce the engagement of myself
and...

30 Terence: Good lord!

31 Frances: Franco.

(Milli-second pause, then applause ripples out.)

32 Lucinda: Of course. It all makes sense. Past, present, future,
cooking up

dream teams....(out loud) Congratulations Frances, you deserve
it,

but no more quotations, plllease !

(We hear congratulations from others)

33 Emily: Life is full.

34 Terence: Of surprises ?

35 Emily: No just ......full.....of learning. There was a before, there
is a

now.

36 Terence: Yes, there is, we have...a future, Emily. You had to go
away to

come back.

37 Franco: Everything is being all right.

20. (As the applause dies away we hear the tape)

Tape: " Business in action, Final Unit, social English,

listening, exercise 1: You are going to hear an imaginary
dialogue

between..........."

(Tape fades and click off.)

(Credits:
Read on tape by the students.)

(Pasta, Present, Future: END 32/ 32 )

Pasta, Present, Future 32