All About Jenny by Jo Hardy

Characters

MUM
JENNY
JAMES - Jenny's boyfriend
TIM - Jenny's brother, about 13
CARLA - Jenny's friend
GAMESHOW HOST
GAMESHOW ASSISTANT
GLAMOROUS GIRL
NURSE

This can be done by a cast of five, by doubling in the following way:
JENNY
JAMES
TIM + GAMESHOW HOST
CARLA + NURSE
MUM + GAMESHOW ASSISTANT, GLAMOROUS GIRL - the last two played as one character

For a cast of six, doubling could be:
JENNY
JAMES
MUM
CARLA + GLAMOROUS GIRL
TIM + GAMESHOW ASSISTANT
GAMESHOW HOST + NURSE

Apart from the more naturalistic scenes, which develop the characters, there are many ensemble scenes in which the whole cast are involved.

This is an ideal examination script, running at about 25 minutes.

It is summer time. Jenny and Carla are first year sixth girls, studying A levels. James, Jenny's boyfriend, is in the second year sixth, and is about to leave school. Unfortunately, Jenny is going through a crisis about her weight and general self-image. She starts to withdraw from James, imagining he prefers Carla. In fact, James really loves Jenny. Sadly, before they can resolve their differences, James goes up to London for a couple of days, organised by the college he is going onto in the Autumn. Whilst he is there, he is blown up by a bomb on the Underground. Meanwhile, Jenny has been hospitalised, to get over her anorexia. Though desperately sad at the news of James' death, with the help of her family and friend, Carla, she starts on the road to recovery. She is also convinced that James is still with her, in her head, encouraging her to tackle her life healthily and with courage. His spirit is part of her recovery.

Sample Pages from the script

Extract 1

PROLOGUE

During this, Jenny is addressing the audience, alone on stage.

JENNY
It started a long time ago - over ten years. It was sudden. As if, overnight, I let go of childhood, and all the insecurities and responsibilities of growing-up made me re-think almost every aspect of my life. I looked in the mirror and didn't like what I saw. So I started to do something about it - tentative at first - just a few changes. But soon it spiralled out of control. I was seventeen and I had everything going for me. A lovely family - and I do include my brother Tim in that description, though I didn't at the time - the very best of best friends - Carla - and a lovely boyfriend.
Pause
He was kind, funny and clever. His name was James.
Jenny sits down at the table and her Mum and brother, Tim, enter. They are drinking tea and eating biscuits.

MUM
Hi, Jenny, good day? I'll get you some tea.

JENNY
Hi, Mum. Yeah, it was all right. Don't bother with the tea. I'm going out.

MUM
No homework?

JENNY
Done it.

MUM
Take a biscuit.
Tim sighs and pulls the plate nearer to himself.

JENNY
It's all right. I wouldn't like to deprive the little piglet. I'm going for a shower.

MUM
Jenny, that's not ...

JENNY
Just teasing. [She gets to the exit then turns back.] Ta-ra, Porky. [She runs out laughing.]

MUM
Don't take any notice of her.

TIM
I don't. She never eats anything anyway. She's skinny.

MUM
She's just naturally slim. Not skinny. And how many times have I told you to be careful what you say to her. She's sensitive.

TIM
She's soppy.

MUM
No, she isn't. [Tim takes another biscuit.] And that's the last one of those. You've had enough. Don't forget, football at six. Your kit's in the bag.
She removes the plate, but not before Tim has jumped behind her and taken a last one.

TIM making for the door
See ya, Mum.

MUM
Be back by eight.

TIM
Half past.

MUM I said ei
ght.

TIM
But it's Friday! And you wouldn't want me to totally lose face with my mates, would you? [They exchange the sort of glance that you feel has been exchanged before.] Would you, Mummy dearest?

MUM wearily
OK, but don't be late! [Jenny enters.] That was a quick shower.

TIM
There's not much to wash.
She lashes out and he ducks, then exits laughing.

JENNY
He's a pain.

MUM
He's your brother.

JENNY
Worse luck. Anyway, I'm off out.

MUM
You seeing James tonight?

JENNY
Yeah, suppose.

MUM
He seems like a nice boy...

JENNY
Mum don't. You're embarrassing me. I'm off.

MUM
I'm worried that you haven't had any ...

JENNY
I'll get something. See ya! [She exits.]

MUM shouting after her
Make sure you do!

Extract 2

SCENE 2

Jenny and Carla are sitting on a bench together. Carla is eating chips.

CARLA
You sure you don't want one?

JENNY
No. I mean yes, I'm sure.

CARLA
Well, I'm starving. [A pause.] Why did you stand James up tonight? What's he done?

JENNY
Nothing. And I didn't stand him up. I told him ...

CARLA
What?

JENNY
I told him I had a lot of homework and I needed the time.

CARLA
Right. So here you are, sitting doing it right now.

JENNY
Well, I should be really.

CARLA
But you don't feel like it.

JENNY
No.

CARLA
You, me and the rest of the human race. Who in their right mind would ever enjoy doing homework? Or revision for that matter. It's just a pain. [Finishes the chips and throws away the packaging.] That's better.

JENNY
You're so thin. You eat what you like and never get fat.

CARLA
I know. We're all like this in my family. It's in the genes.

JENNY
Yeah. I couldn't get in your jeans.

CARLA
Very funny.

JENNY
I wish I could.

CARLA
Well, you're not exactly massive, are you? We're all different sizes, which is good or we'd look boring. Shall we go window shopping?

JENNY
No.

CARLA
Oh. What shall we do then?

JENNY
I wish I could get thin. I wish there could be a miracle and I could just get thin.

CARLA
Like you win this big prize. And instead of it being a million pounds it's instant thin-ness?

JENNY
Yeah, something like that.

SCENE 3.

The gameshow - with appropriate glitz and music. Contestant A is Jenny and Contestant B is Carla.

GAMESHOW HOST
Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to tonight's edition of How Thin Can You Get? And we have two contestants who both have the same goal, which is to be the winner in this head-to-head I'm Thinner Than You contest.

GAMESHOW ASSISTANT
We already know that Contestant A has eaten two segments of an orange for breakfast, but Contestant B has not eaten for four days.

GAMESHOW HOST
Contestant A, is this a regular occurrence, or was eating breakfast on such an important day simply a moment of weakness? [Jenny begins to speak.] Don't answer that. The size-ometer will tell the truth - whether or not your lack of willpower will result in failure to win our star prize, which is a year's worth of flesh-banishing body wraps and fat-munching slimming pills, a five year gym membership with the assistance of our very own personal trainer, Slim Lean, and a photographic session at our Beautiful Bones studio.

GAMESHOW ASSISTANT
By the way, our spies have been out and have reported seeing Victoria Beckham shopping for a Size 6 dress. Size 6! What happened to size zero? And is our cover girl becoming obese? It looks like it! Watch this space!

GAMESHOW HOST
But back to the competition and Contestant A. Step forward please. Let's have a look at you. Are you trim-in-your-skin or has the decadent breakfast left you with the dreaded bloat-till-you-float, and will you be mistaken for the QE2? Fake piped laughter, which suddenly stops.

GLAMOROUS GIRL holding up cards which show matchstick people in various stages of thinness and fatness, as she reads each one out.
And here are our categories, folks! Is she...
> Thin
> Average
> Fat
> Obese
> Humungous
> Ginormous Or-
> Gross?
Fingers on buttons...

Extract 3

Darkness. Voices come from the shadows. Jenny is sitting on the floor to the left of the stage. Textured vocal montage, divided amongst the members of the cast except Jenny.

I bet you feel silly now.
I think she feels selfish.
She feels sad.
Bad.
Are you sad, Jenny?
Are you bad, Jenny?
He loved her, you know.
He loved you, Jenny.
What did you see?
In the mirror?
What was so bad -?
You pushed him away.
Didn't you, Jenny?
And when he was on that tube train, he was thinking of you.

Enter James, watching.

JENNY
And I was thinking of him too. I was waiting for him to come back so that I could tell him.

JAMES
And I was hurrying to get the train, so I would be at the station in time to come home and see you. [He begins to push past the others in the group who have formed a crowd.] Excuse me! [They all hang on to a strap as if they are on a tube train.] I'd just changed trains and it was less crowded. One of those rare times when there was a seat. [Create the seats or bring them on.] And he sat opposite me.

JENNY
If only...

JAMES
Yes. If only. But I was on that train, Jenny, and so was he. And there was nowhere to go.

JENNY
But I wanted to tell you ...

JAMES
I know.
In slow motion and, hopefully, with lighting effects, we see the cord being pulled and the passengers twisting and falling - watched by Jenny and James.

JENNY
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry ... I was going to call you.

JAMES
And I was going to call you. You see I was lonely. In London there are people everywhere but I was lonely without you.

JENNY
I was stupid.

JAMES
You couldn't help it.

JENNY
I didn't have to do what I did. Forgive me?

JAMES
Nothing to forgive. [Pause.] I thought about you.

JENNY
When?

JAMES
At the end. I was thinking about you...

JENNY
... when ...?

JAMES
When I knew what was going to happen.

JENNY
I wish I was with you.

JAMES
You don't. You have to get better. You've got A levels to do...

JENNY
As if they matter.

JAMES
They matter. Life matters. Your life matters. I won't forget you, Jenny.