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The Big Speech: Understudy WIP 02

The Big Speech: Understudy WIP 02

Extract from David Nicholl's 'The Understudy' from the chapter 'The Big Speech

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Merlin

July 05, 2026

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Transcript

  1. Scene 8 Panel 1 Slugging INT - BEDSIT - IMAGINATION

    Dialog Nora: Stephen, this really is the best slightly brown toast I've ever had...
  2. Scene 8 Panel 2 Dialog Nora: ...It kind of changes

    everything... I'm definitely going to leave my husband...
  3. Scene 14 Panel 1 Slugging INT - BEDSIT - IMAGINATION

    Dialog NORA You do know I'll have to leave you eventually, don't you?
  4. Scene 14 Panel 2 Dialog NORA You do know I'll

    have to leave you eventually, don't you?
  5. Scene 21 Panel 2 Dialog ofscr, recording, STEPHEN singing: The

    Wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...
  6. Scene 21 Panel 3 Dialog ofscr, recording, STEPHEN singing: The

    Wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...
  7. Scene 22 Panel 1 Slugging INT. BEDSIT - DAY Dialog

    recording, STEPHEN singing: The Wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...
  8. Scene 22 Panel 2 Dialog recording, STEPHEN singing: The Wheels

    on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...
  9. Scene 22 Panel 3 Dialog recording, STEPHEN singing: The Wheels

    on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...
  10. Scene 22 Panel 4 Dialog recording, STEPHEN singing: The Wheels

    on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...
  11. Scene 22 Panel 5 Dialog recording, STEPHEN singing: The Wheels

    on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...
  12. Scene 22 Panel 6 Dialog recording, STEPHEN singing: The Wheels

    on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...
  13. Scene 28 Panel 4 Dialog NORA: Well.... If you really

    wanna know, I'm just sat here trying to work out what's weirder- you stealing Josh's Best Actor award, or you dressed up as a massive singing dancing squirrel.
  14. Scene 28 Panel 5 Dialog NORA: Well.... If you really

    wanna know, I'm just sat here trying to work out what's weirder- you stealing Josh's Best Actor award, or you dressed up as a massive singing dancing squirrel.
  15. Scene 28 Panel 6 Dialog NORA: Usually I'd say it

    was steling the award. Until I started watching this, that is. Now I'm not so sure...
  16. Scene 32 Panel 1 Dialog STEPHEN contin: Might be, what

    gave you the right to start nosing around in my stuff?
  17. Scene 32 Panel 3 Dialog NORA: LOOK /Sammy/ - I

    understand. You're not happy and I know it. But I wasn't "nosing around"
  18. Scene 32 Panel 4 Dialog NORA contin: . It's just

    I was cold and I was looking in your wardrobe for a sweater, or a blanket or something...
  19. Scene 32 Panel 8 Dialog NORA: I was going to

    put them back and pretend that I hadn't seen them, but- well, I'm sorry, but some things are pretty hard to ignore, Steve.
  20. Scene 33 Panel 1 Dialog NORA contin: Y'know most guys

    would just have porno hidden in the back of their wardrobes...
  21. Scene 33 Panel 3 Dialog NORA: It's a close call,

    Steve. It's a very close call. It it was a DVD of say, you in a squirrel costume having sex with my husbands BAFTA, that might conceivably have been worse...
  22. Scene 35 Panel 2 Dialog NORA: I think this is

    the moment where you say "there's a perfectly rational explanation for all this"
  23. Scene 37 Panel 3 Dialog STEPHEN: This I do partly

    for the money, and partly because I enjoy-
  24. Scene 37 Panel 11 Dialog NORA: I thought you said

    it was a tough indie crime thriller.
  25. Scene 39 Panel 5 Dialog Sammy the Squirrel Recording: So

    when I have two hazelnuts, and I get another TWO hazelnuts, what do I get then BRIAN?
  26. Scene 40 Panel 2 Dialog STEPHEN: In my defence, I

    actually think I'm pretty good
  27. Scene 45 Panel 3 Dialog NORA: Look- Stephen, THIS... this

    is fine. This I don't mind- it's actually almost quite cute in a sinister kind of way. To be honest...
  28. Scene 48 Panel 3 Dialog STEPHEN: So that party, you

    know, when I drank a little too much, and had that weird attack because of those antibiotics I'd been taking...
  29. Scene 48 Panel 4 Dialog STEPHEN: So that party, you

    know, when I drank a little too much, and had that weird attack because of those antibiotics I'd been taking...
  30. Scene 48 Panel 5 Dialog STEPHEN: So that party, you

    know, when I drank a little too much, and had that weird attack because of those antibiotics I'd been taking...
  31. Scene 50 Panel 4 Dialog STEPHEN: ...and the next thing

    I knew I was in the taxi on the way home...
  32. Scene 53 Panel 1 Dialog NORA: You "temporarily misplaced" my

    husbands Best Actor award in your flat because you'd been taking antibiotics?
  33. Scene 53 Panel 2 Dialog NORA: You "temporarily misplaced" my

    husbands Best Actor award in your flat because you'd been taking antibiotics?
  34. Scene 53 Panel 3 Dialog NORA: You "temporarily misplaced" my

    husbands Best Actor award in your flat because you'd been taking antibiotics?
  35. Scene 54 Panel 2 Dialog STEPHEN: ...Not just because of

    that... it was booze mainly, but--
  36. Scene 55 Panel 1 Dialog NORA: Affairs a stupid word-

    this woman, these... women he's been seeing.
  37. Scene 59 Panel 1 Dialog NORA I think you’re lying

    STEPHEN What makes you think I’m lying?
  38. Scene 60 Panel 1 Dialog NORA You’re nostrils flare. And

    you did this weird “no-ho-ho” thing. I don’t know where you picked that up from Seve, but I have to tell you, no human being has ever made that noise ever…
  39. Scene 60 Panel 2 Dialog NORA You’re nostrils flare. And

    you did this weird “no-ho-ho” thing. I don’t know where you picked that up from Seve, but I have to tell you, no human being has ever made that noise ever…
  40. Scene 64 Panel 1 Dialog NORA: So did you lie

    to me, or was it just the antibiotics talking?
  41. Scene 64 Panel 2 Dialog NORA: So did you lie

    to me, or was it just the antibiotics talking?
  42. Scene 68 Panel 4 Dialog STEPHEN I– I didn’t want

    to see you hurt, and JOSH promised he’d change, and there were… other reasons why I didn’t want to be the one to tell you. Also I thought it was none of my business.
  43. Scene 69 Panel 1 Dialog NORA And none of my

    business either, obviously. Well, all I can say is I hope you act better than you lie, Stephen, because as a liar...
  44. Scene 70 Panel 1 Dialog STEPHEN That isn’t a lie!

    I knew you’d find out sooner or later, I just didn’t want you to find out from me. It wouldn’t have been right to tell you myself.
  45. Scene 70 Panel 2 Dialog STEPHEN That isn’t a lie!

    I knew you’d find out sooner or later, I just didn’t want you to find out from me. It wouldn’t have been right to tell you myself.
  46. Scene 70 Panel 3 Dialog STEPHEN That isn’t a lie!

    I knew you’d find out sooner or later, I just didn’t want you to find out from me. It wouldn’t have been right to tell you myself.
  47. Scene 75 Panel 1 Dialog NORA (sighs) How do you

    know? STEPHEN: Know what? NORA: That you love me.
  48. Scene 75 Panel 3 Action Notes Nora considers silently for

    a moment. Turns back to look at the paused projection on the wall.