Earth Angel: Synopsis
Cast: 4m / 2fRunning time (approximate): 2hrs (not including interval)
Availability: Earth Angel is not available for production.
Acting Edition: Earth Angel has not been published.
Short Synopsis
Characters
◦ Gerald (a retired schoolmaster & recent widower, 70)◦ Maxine (a retired solicitor, his sister, 60s)
◦ Adrian (her husband, a former policeman, 60s)
◦ Hugo (a neighbour & IT enthusiast, late 30s)
◦ Norah (a neighbour & former nurse, 40s)
◦ Daniel (a stranger, late 20s)
Long Synopsis
Act INorah, a good-natured former nurse is washing the dishes in Gerald's kitchen following the wake for his recently deceased wife, Amy. She is accompanied by Daniel, a young man who seems strangely evasive about how he knew Amy and why he was at the funeral - although he is surprisingly knowledgable about vintage pop to know the vicar's reference to the '50s pop-hit Earth Angel. Daniel says he's here to offer moral support to Gerald.
Daniel goes to the living room and meets Gerald, a former teacher who realises he has no idea who Daniel is having ascertained he wasn't a pupil of either himself nor Amy and that he's not related to Amy's family. Daniel again says he was passing and just wanted to be supportive. He offers to stay the night, much to Norah's suspicions and worries, but Gerald is prepared to give Daniel the benefit of the doubt.
After Norah leaves, Daniel reveals he was pointed to a calling to offer support to those in need, first hit mother in her final years and then his neighbour when she lost her husband, supporting her until her death and he has travelled on and helped where he can as a result of being shown his calling. In response, Gerald tells of his meeting and marriage to Amy, a 15 years younger, free-willed woman whom he loved intensely and how they complemented each other.
As they prepare to go to bed with Daniel asking what Gerald would really like for breakfast if he could have anything, the doorbell rings to reveal Hugo, a neighbour and IT enthusiast who appears to be surgically attached to his iPad and phone. He tells Gerald the obviously fake story the heating has gone in his house and he'd like to stay over. When Gerald tells him Daniel has the spare room - but they're both welcome to share it, Hugo tells him he'll sleep on the sofa. It soon transpires he's there as a result of a call from Norah and is there to keep an eye on Daniel, who - as Hugo begins searching the internet - may not be all he seems.
The next morning, Daniel goes out to buy breakfast leaving Hugo to call Norah with his internet discoveries and to ask whether she has contacted Gerald's sister and brother-in-law. Hugo has sent out his 'research' to all his 'followers' who have been chiming in with their own thoughts and conclusions leading Hugo to believe the situation is worse than he ever believed.
Gerald's sister, Maxine, arrives - a joyless and humourless solicitor - alongside her former police officer husband who believes society is on the verge of collapse.
Having read Hugo's report, Adrian believes Daniel is perhaps a nefarious criminal or drug-dealer casing Gerald's house. Or perhaps worse. He has reached out to former police colleagues to look into Daniel, having decided of his own volition that Daniel is possibly a person of interest across three counties leading from a string of 'suspicious' deaths in his wakes.
As Hugo reports on what is being 'discovered' about Daniel on the internet and increasingly bizarre suggestions - most popular that he's either a serial killer or an alien - Daniel returns to the house to cook breakfast and is confronted by the group, who tell him to leave the house before the police get involved. He is saved only when Gerald appears and tells everyone but Daniel to "bugger off" leaving Adrian to declare "phase two" has begun…
Act II
Daniel has cooked Gerald his wish of a full English breakfast. Gerald seems amazed that Daniel knows so much about him and wonders if Daniel is a guardian angel, although Daniel has - behind Gerald's back been searching for what is revealed to be an envelope and letter.
Unbeknownst to them both, Norah and Hugo are waiting for Maxine and Adrian to arrive - clandestinely - at her house opposite Gerald's. Hugo has plunged down the rabbit hole of the internet and is convinced that Daniel is up to far worse than anyone could ever have suspected.
Adrian and Maxine arrive - via the back-garden - and ask Norah to try and get Gerald out of the house so the police can strike and arrest Daniel.
Hugo continues to pour oil on the flames though by hinting there were rumours about Amy herself and her promiscuity, allegedly sleeping with many pupils at the school.
Gerald comes over, unconvinced by Norah's plea that there a smell of gas in her house and discovers everyone waiting for him. They present their case that they're worried for him and he's being taken in by Daniel, who is possibly a criminal mastermind - or alien, according to Hugo's latest internet poll. Gerald continues to believe he should look for the best in people leading to a confrontation with Maxine, who believes his optimism and faith in others is a fatal weakness and he couldn't see the truth about Amy, whom she despised. Angry at this, Gerald discovers that - according to Hugo - there's malicious gossip on the internet Amy slept with everyone in the Sixth Form. When pressed further, Hugo admits he also wrote that despite it being untrue as he didn't want to feel left out… Hugo's argument demolished, Gerald turns on Maxine and her hatred for Amy, noting he completely trusted and loved Amy and that she hated Maxine as much as Maxine hated her, but for far more justifiable reasons. Convinced she is right about everything and her brother is a naive fool, Maxine asks Adrian to take her home, as Norah apologies to Gerald for doubting Amy.
Adrian reveals to Gerald the police are coming for Daniel and will stop at nothing to get him. They argue with Gerald convinced Adrian believes a police state is best, whilst Adrian believes Gerald to be a "fucking idiot". Gerald leaves to prepare.
Having heard from his former colleague, Adrian prepares everyone for the possibility the police are likely to come in force and, if the worse comes to worse, there may be an armed stand-off. Gerald return home to find Daniel about to leave and a letter on the kitchen table; he mistakenly believes it to be from Daniel.
Gerald confronts Daniel about the truth as Adrian comes to the front door and shouts warnings through the letter box about Daniel coming out before the police come in. Amidst this - and worried for his safety - Daniel reveals Amy left the letter in Gerald's house for him to find and to read to Gerald. It transpires Daniel had met Amy when he was 18 when she and Gerald were on holiday. They spent a night together
Having been interrupted by an acting police constable posting a letter asking if Daniel could come to the station within seven days to help with an enquiry, Daniel starts reading the letter but is unable to finish, leading Gerald to reveal its contents.
Amy's letter, full of love for Gerald, tells him she met Daniel during the holiday and saw a lost soul brimming with potential which reminded her of Gerald. She advised Daniel on a way forward in his life and asked him - convinced Gerald will not cope without her - to come and support and comfort Gerald and be with him after her death.
Both men are reduced to tears by the letter and the memory of Amy. They apologise and embrace, unsure of what to do next, before Daniel suggests… lunch. Gerald visibly brightens at the thought as the lights dim on the two men.
Synopsis by and copyright of Simon Murgatroyd. Please do not reproduce without permission of the copyright holder.