Waiting For Gold

Proving once again that all good things are meant to be stolen, mangled and recycled… including Mr. Becket

Art: Nothing to be done

Copy: Try something new

Art: I'm beginning to come round to that opinion. All my life I've tried to put it from me, saying Art, be reasonable, you haven't yet tried everything. Try something new. And I resumed the struggle.

Copy: Am I reasonable?

Art: I'm glad to see you back. I thought reason had left the building.

Copy: No, I’d just stepped out for a smoke.

Art: Together again at last! We'll have to celebrate this. But how? (She reflects.) Roll me one. I’ve had it with this Great Depression.

Copy: After you finish the layout

Art: May one inquire where His Highness spent the night?

Copy: With the client

Art: The Client? Doing what?

Copy: Getting debriefed.

Art: And they didn't beat you?

Copy:Brief me? Certainly they briefed me.

Art: The same brief as usual?

Copy: The same? I don't know what’s same and what’s different anymore. Everything different has been done so we might as well stick with the sameness to be different.

Art: (smoking up) When I think of it . . . all these years . . . but for me . . . where would you be . . . (Decisively.) You'd be nothing more than a little heap of words nobody bothers to read including the client, no doubt about it.

Copy: And what of it?

Art: It's too much for one person. (Pause. Cheerfully.) On the other hand what's the good of losing heart now, that's what I say. We should have thought of it a million years ago, like in the nineties

Copy: Ah! Stop blathering and do the bloody layout

Art: We were respectable in those days. Now it's too late. They only let us do scam stuff. (Copy tears the layout) What are you doing?

Copy: Tearing up your layout. Did that never happen to you? Layouts must be torn everyday; I'm tired of telling you that. Why don't you listen to me?

Silence for 60 seconds. Art sits in front of a blank screen. Copy stares at it hoping she will start doing the layout

Copy; Well?

Art: Nothing.

Copy: Show me.

Art: There's nothing to show.

Copy: Try and do it again.

Art: There is no change in what is to be said?

Copy: No

Art: Yet I must show something new

Copy: In one word. Yes

Art: What if I don't?

Copy: Don't what?

Art: Don't do the layout

Copy: (laughs) that is not a wise choice

Art:What will you do?

Copy: Nothing to be done.