Episode 8 continues on with Susie, Charlie and the goddess/nymph Cyllene at Helen's place, coming up with a plan and finding out what Susie and Charlie are up to. Zeus and Hera settle into the homeless shelter, and carry on arguing about who's entitled to help whom.
I'm so proud to have been included in the AIRMedia AMPLIFY New Voices programme this year. The workshops are helping enormously with upgrading our marketing and promotional skills. The rest of the cohort are all creating stunning podcasts and I encourage you to try them all. Here's a handy link. https://airmedia.org/announcing-airs-new-voices-amplify-fellows I'll include promos for some of them in future episodes.
Meantime, here's your cast for this week's episode:
Sarah Golding - Cyllene (goddess/nymph)
Ira Seidenstein - Zeus
Wendy Lap - Hera
Tayo Aluko - Henry
Flloyd Kennedy - Helen, Susie, Janey
Music - John T La Barbera from his album "In The Labyrinth"
SFX -
footsteps - Flloyd walking in her boots
phone alert - Flloyd's iPhone
music of doom - Tunepocket
Episode 8 continues on with Susie, Charlie and the goddess/nymph Cyllene at Helen's place, coming up with a plan and finding out what Susie and Charlie are up to. Zeus and Hera settle into the homeless shelter, and carry on arguing about who's entitled to help whom.
I'm so proud to have been included in the AIRMedia AMPLIFY New Voices programme this year. The workshops are helping enormously with upgrading our marketing and promotional skills. The rest of the cohort are all creating stunning podcasts and I encourage you to try them all. Here's a handy link. https://airmedia.org/announcing-airs-new-voices-amplify-fellows I'll include promos for some of them in future episodes.
Meantime, here's your cast for this week's episode:
Sarah Golding - Cyllene (goddess/nymph)
Ira Seidenstein - Zeus
Wendy Lap - Hera
Tayo Aluko - Henry
Flloyd Kennedy - Helen, Susie, Janey
Music - John T La Barbera from his album "In The Labyrinth"
SFX -
footsteps - Flloyd walking in her boots
phone alert - Flloyd's iPhone
music of doom - Tunepocket
EPISODE 8.
NARRATOR (FLLOYD) Thunder's Mouth Theatre presents: "Am I Old Yet?" It is still possible to contribute to our crowd funding campaign, you'll find the link in the show-notes, if you'd like to invest in the future of this show.
And here we are with Episode 8 of Season 9, continuing on from the last scene in episode 7: the beautiful goddess/nymph Cyllene does the dishes and Susie and Charlie fess up to their plans for the next few months. Meantime, Henry the poet volunteers at the homeless shelter, while Zeus and Hera argue over helping Mina - or anyone else for that matter.
SCENE 1
SUSIE: I'll just clear these away. Has everyone finished? Had enough pizza?
CYLLENE: Oh yes thank you very so much. I really enjoyed that!
HELEN: OK, that's that done. Meeting Mary in the morning. More pizza anyone?
CHARLIE: Not for me thanks. I'm stuffed.
SUSIE: Charlie! Nobody forced you to eat so much.
HELEN: Oh, leave him be, Susie! He's a growing boy.
CYLLENE: I have had plenty, thank you so much Helen. That was delicious.
HELEN: Right well, let's clear this away, have a cup of tea. Or wine, if you prefer?
CYLLENE: I will do the clearing, if you will allow me.
HELEN: Thanks Cyllene. Just leave the plates in the sink, and the boxes in the large bin next to the fridge.
SUSIE: I'll help.
HELEN: No you won't, madam. You sit right there.
SUSIE: Oh.
CHARLIE: Uh-oh.
HELEN: Indeed, Charlie. Uh-oh, indeed. Now... what are you two up to?
SUSIE: Nothing! [TOGETHER]
CHARLIE: Nothing at all! [TOGETHER]
HELEN: Rubbish. Now stop stalling and spill the beans... I'm waiting.
CHARLIE: Shall I-- [TOGETHER]
SUSIE: Well I really--[TOGETHER]
HELEN: Charlie, you go first.
SUSIE: Oh but Gran--
HELEN: You'll get your turn, don't worry. Now then. Charlie.... What's happening?
CHARLIE: Alright. [DEEP BREATH OUT]. Right then. The.. the the the the thing is - I ... I I I mean, wh-wh-what I want to say is.... It's like this...
HELEN: Yes? .... It's like what?
CHARLIE: It's just that we've, well... we've sort of.... Um... we've sort of decided to... um...
SUSIE: Oh for goodness sake, Charlie. We're going on tour together.
HELEN: What?
CHARLIE: Yes! Yes that's it. We're going on tour... together... both of us... the two of us.
HELEN: What kind of tour? Don't you have university classes to attend? Charlie! Are you dropping out?
CHARLIE: No! No not at all. No. I'm going on 'interruption'. Officially, with permission, from next semester. This is my practice as research project. To go on tour. With the band. The new version of the old band, it's called "Sweet N Sour Cherries"?
HELEN: Oh! "Practice as Research - indeed. With the band. Ok.
CHARLIE: Yes. The guys have been working on it,
SUSIE: Huh? Excuse Me!!
CHARLIE: Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Sweden--
HELEN: England?
CHARLIE: Oh yes! [LAUGHS]. Definitely England. About 5 months touring. Very full on.
HELEN: And you, Susie? You're going too? What? As the Roadie? Groupie?
SUSIE: I'm their manager.
HELEN: Oh. And ah - when d id this happen? You're doing two jobs at once?
SUSIE: Well, I have been working on this for a bit, on the side, but now I've decided to do it full time. I've told Joey. I sent her my resignation and she's very happy for me. I hope you are too.
HELEN: Oh! Hohoho! I'm ecstatic. How's your mother?
SUSIE: She doesn't know yet.
HELEN: Pardon?
SUSIE: She doesn't know, Gran. I haven't told her. [SIGH]
CYLLENE: [COMING IN]. All done. I hope I found the right place in the cupboard for the plates.
HELEN: Oh did you wash them? You didn't have to do that, Hebe!
CYLLENE: Yes I did. It is only polite to help out. You've been so generous, and hospitable.
HELEN: Thank you. Greatly appreciated, I assure you.
CYLLENE: Anything else I can do, to help?
HELEN: I only wish you could. But these two have to do something for themselves. Yes. That's it. I'm not doing it.
SUSIE: Oh but Gran, please!!!
HELEN: Nope. Not this time.
SUSIE: [MOANS]
HELEN: But I'll offer you this little bit of advice if you like.
CHARLIE: Oh yes please Mrs Docherty.
HELEN: You, Susie. You tell your father first.
MUSIC OF DOOM
SCENE 2. AT THE SHELTER
ZEUS: Excuse me! Sir? Excuse me, sir - do you live here?
HENRY: No, I'm a volunteer. I just come along at the weekends to help out. Do you need anything? My name is Henry, by the way.
ZEUS: How do you do, Henry. I am Zeu‑
HERA: He is Basil. That is his name.
ZEUS: Oh yes, yes, my name is definitely Basil. You know, as in King Basil.
HENRY: Oh. Nice to meet you, "King" Basil.
HERA : [FAKE LAUGH]. But he's not really the King... Are you, "Basil" dear?
ZEUS: What? Ow! No, of course not. I am most certainly not the King.
HENRY: Well, that's alright. We help anyone we can here. If you need a place to stay, and we've got room. You're very welcome.
HERA: Well, yes, that is the thing. We are most grateful for the lovely room. And the tea--
ZEUS: And the coffee!
HERA: Of course.
ZEUS: And we just wanted to say thank you.
HERA: Yes. Thank you. And also, I wanted to ask you. If anyone can come here, why is that lady sleeping on the pavement at the bus stop?
ZEUS: Hera!
HERA: Who?
ZEUS: Oh, I am so sorry. Alexandra! What was I thinking? It must have been that dream I had last night. Never mind. I need a word. In private!
HERA: What?
HENRY: Well, I'll leave you to it. Have to get down to the shops, see if they've left out anything for the kitchen. Later!
FOOTSTEPS AND DOOR.
ZEUS: What do you think you are doing?
HERA: What you mean?
ZEUS: Talking about the woman on the street. Interfering with the mortals!
HERA: Are you kidding me? You call that 'interfering'? Trying to help an old woman to get a safe bed for the night? What is wrong with you?
ZEUS: But it's not our problem.
HERA: Maybe not your problem. But I don't like to know that an old lady is lying down in the road
ZEUS: On the pavement!
HERA: Whatever!!! She should be inside, in a warm place, with a bed, and a hot cup of tea.
ZEUS: I know that! But it's not my problem. And it's not your problem.
HERA: No. You are right there, Basil. King of thoughtlessness. You are my problem. I knew you were selfish, and lazy, and irresponsible, but I never realised just how mean you are.
ZEUS: Me? I am not mean. I am generous, and kind--
HERA: So it's alright for YOU to have a nice warm bed, in a stranger's house, but not her? It's alright for these mortals to offer hospitality to you, but you cannot offer it to one of them? I'm ashamed of you. No! Don't speak to me. I am going to see if I can help out in the kitchen. Interfering!!!! That's right. I'm going to interfere by helping some mortals to boil a kettle. You can go to...
ZEUS: Where? Where can I go to?
HERA: [WALKING OUT]. You know full well where you can go to, anytime you like. Or you can go to Hades.
ZEUS: Oh. [CALLING AFTER HER]. But I don't want to go to Hades. And I don't want to go home. It's lonely there... Oh! Oh... I see.... Hera--- Alexandra! My love! I'm just going out for a bit of a walkSee you soon!!! FOOTSTEPS AND DOOR
SCENE 3. JANEY'S ON THE PHONE TO HELEN
HELEN: So then Charlie suggested that I approach Mary Hatfield, you know, the Minister for the environment, and I did, and we're meeting up tomorrow morning
JANEY`: Where?
HELEN: What do you mean where?
JANEY`: At Westminster? Are you actually going to the Houses of Parliament?
HELEN: Good grief no. No, she's coming over to meet me at the Cheese Shop Cafe. Nice and private.
JANEY`: Oh well that'll be lovely. And how about Susie. Did you manage to find out what's going on there? Are she and Charlie ok? I mean, really ok?
HELEN: I'd say so. For the moment, anyway.
JANEY`: What do you mean?
HELEN: Oh nothing really, I just mean, you know, anything can happen in the future.
JANEY`: But Mum
HELEN: But just now, honestly Janey. Nothing to worry about. They do suit each other, don't you think? So we just have to let them be, and go with the flow.
JANEY`: Do we? But I so want to know.
HELEN: I know you do. But let them do it their way, eh? They're fine. [HELEN'S PHONE RINGS] Oh, that's Susie calling me. Better take it. Bye.
Yes? Susie? What's cooking? You and Charlie get home ok last night?
SUSIE: Yes we did. But very late, so I didn't call then, But Gran, I had to call you first thing this morning. The most amazing thing!
HELEN: Oh yes. How amazing?
SUSIE: Super amazing. You won't believe it!
HELEN: Try me.
SUSIE: No seriously, Gran. Just unbelievably amazing. Wasn't it Charlie?
CHARLIE: (in the background): Unbelievably amazing!
HELEN: Well go on. Hit me with it.
SUSIE: Alright then. Here it is. You know the old lady who lives on the street by the bus stop near your place?
HELEN: You mean Mina? The homeless Scottish woman?
SUSIE: Yes.
HELEN: Is she alright? Has something happened to her? I can go down--
SUSIE: No, you don't need to. She's fine. You see, the thing is, we were just waiting at the bus stop, and she was there, just, lying on her blanket. And this dog came up to her, the cutest little dog you've ever seen, like a sort of mini Labrador-
HELEN: A Spaniel?
SUSIE: No, definitely not Spaniel ears, more like a small, but grown up Labrador.
HELEN: Alright...
SUSIE: And it came up to her, and nuzzled into her, you know, just looking for attention, and she began to pet it. And she was looking round to see if it had an owner, but there was nobody else on the street, just us, and we're about 10 feet away. So we just waved to her, and she waved back and petted the dog, and then, it took the edge of her blanket in its mouth, and started to tug at it, very gently. And then gradually, more insistently. And whenever she seemed to be getting upset, it would stop, and just lie down, and rub its head against her. And then it would start again.
HELEN: Wow! Bright dog!
SUSIE: That's what we thought, didn't we Charlie?
CHARLIE: What?
SUSIE: Gran says it was a bright dog.
CHARLIE: Oh yes, really sensitive. Empathetic.
SUSIE: So then, after a while, maybe 5 minutes or so, she began to move, and the dog kept on pulling at the blanket and she started to follow it. And we were a bit concerned, so we followed on way behind, and you'll never guess where the dog took her!
HELEN: You're right. I won't.
SUSIE: The shelter! The actual homeless shelter. And when she got to the door, the dog just disappeared. And in - oh - I don't know, a minute or even less-
HELEN: Hang on a minute. You mean the dog ran away?
SUSIE: No, Gran. It literally disappeared. We were looking at it, it was there, and then it wasn’t.
HELEN: I see. Unbelievable-
SUSIE: Yes. I told you. And just as Mina was about to turn away, the door opened and out came Henry, you know, your poetry friend who volunteers there at the weekends, and - and here's where it gets Really weird, Gran. It was Hera. She was there with Henry! And they came down and just enfolded Mina in their arms and took her inside. But then, just before they got inside the door, Hera turned round, - and Gran we were at least half a block away, on the other side of the road, but she looked straight at us, and put her finger to her lips, like, you know, shush! It's a secret sort of thing. So - what do you think of that? Unbelievable or what?
HELEN: Well I believe you. And that makes me very very happy. I'll just let Nana know, and then I'm off to meet up with Mary. She's offered to help me to set up a meeting with the - well I can't say which one, but a rather large town council somewhere up north.
SUSIE: Oh right. Well, Good Luck!
END
FLLOYD: That was Episode 8, and you've been listening to Sarah Golding as Cyllene, Christopher McDougall as Charlie, Ira Seidenstein as Zeus, Wendy Lap as Hera, Tayo Aluko as Henry, and me, Flloyd Kennedy, as Helen, Susie and Janey.
Thanks for listening, stay safe.