Dinner with the Taylor-Peterson’s

**Dinner with the Taylor-Peterson’s** is the third episode of Robinson House.

**Script**

Scene 1: A Rude Awakening

*Casey and Dan lie peacefully in bed. They’ve had a hot night . . . Casey suddenly wakes up. Struggling to get out of bed, we move away from Casey to Dan, who is covered by the duvet up to his neck. Casey returns to view in her pyjamas and gets back into bed. For a few seconds, it’s peaceful. A Pigeon suddenly zooms down and goes over Casey’s face. Casey screams, awakening Dan who also screams.*

**Dan:** What? What is it?!

**Casey:** There’s a Pigeon in here!

**Dan:** What if it shits in here?!

**Casey:** Open the window.

*Dan rushes to the window and opens it (we don’t see below the neck as he runs). The Pigeon stays on top of the Wardrobe.*

**Casey:** Fuck sake.

Scene 2: Addictions

*Casey sits in front of the TV, vaping. After being traumatised by the Pigeon, she is watching the news to calm herself down. Suddenly, Gillian sits next to her.*

**Gillian:** What’s that thing you’re sucking?

**Casey:** Er . . . It’s a vape.

**Gillian:** What’s that?

**Casey:** It’s like . . . You know what a cigarette is, right?

**Gillian:** Yes, I love cigarettes.

**Casey:** Vaping is like smoking, but you don’t light it and it’s sometimes rechargeable and has flavours in the smoke, not like cigarettes.

**Gillian:** If I was alive today, I’d probably be addicted to vaping.

**Casey:** It’s bad for you.

**Gillian:** Then why do you do it?

**Casey:** Its addictive.

**Gillian:** Oh. I was addicted to cigarettes, but everyone was back then. Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe. All my idols.

**Casey:** I love the Wizard of Oz.

**Gillian:** Me too. It’s my favourite film.

*Casey takes another puff from her vape.*

**Gillian:** *(who can taste it by dipping her head in the cloud)* Thats nice.

Scene 3: An Interclass Friendship?

*There is a knock on the door. Dan goes to answer. He opens to find an old man, with six Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.*

**Alexander:** Good morning, old chap. My name is Alexander Taylor-Peterson.

**Dan:** Er . . . Good morning sir.

**Alexander:** What’s you’re name, young man?

*Suddenly, Alexander Taylor-Peterson let’s go of the leads of the six Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and they run into the house.*

**Alexander:** I asked you a question?

**Dan:** Hi, yeah, sorry. I’m Dan.

**Alexander:** Dan what?

**Dan:** Dan Griffiths.

**Alexander:** Well, pleasure to meet you, Dan Griffiths *(they shake hands).*

**Dan:** You’re dogs, er . . .

**Alexander:** Ah yes, the Spaniels. Well, I call the boys Spaniels, the girls are the Bitches to me *(Alexander bursts out laughing, Dan doesn’t join in)*. Yes, all of them are wonderful. I have six of them, as I’m sure you’ve seen. The boys names are Mickey, Judd and Vincent. The Bitches are called Jemima, Georgia and Aurora. Mickey is Camilla’s pride and joy.

**Dan:** Camilla?

**Alexander:** My wife. I’ll come in now shall I, my dogs are inside after all. *(Alexander walks in before he gets a response).*

*Casey is coddling the six little doggies that have burst in on her. Her vape is on the tea table. Gillian is trying to play with Aurora, Casey is rubbing the bellies of both Judd and Jemima. Georgia is jumping up trying to get onto Clive’s knees. Some animals are able to see Ghosts, and Georgia and Aurora are two of them. The other dogs can’t see the Ghosts.*

**Clive:** Hello, girl. You’re gorgeous aren’t you. Yes you are, you’re beautiful. You’ve got the gift, yes you have. You can see Ghosts, you’re special.

*Dan and Alexander enter.*

**Casey:** Dan, who’s are these? They’re so cute!

**Alexander:** Pardon me, young lady. I’m Alexander Taylor-Peterson. These dogs are mine. BITCHES! BITCHES COME HERE! Oh, they don’t listen. Women, eh? *(He thinks he’s sharing a joke between him and Dan which Casey won’t get. He’s wrong)* Spaniels, come here.

*Judd goes over to Alexander, who grabs his lead. The rest stay.*

**Casey:** (annoyed) You have beautiful dogs.

**Alexander:** Ah yes. So, you two are the new owners. As soon as I heard that old bird Margaret had popped her clogs I wanted to go say hi. It’s just we only got back recently. We spent the Summer in Panama you see.

**Dan:** Cool.

**Alexander:** Me and my wife, Camilla, her name is. We’re you’re new neighbours. We live in the house about half a mile down from here.

**Casey:** Oh I see.

**Alexander:** I suggest we have dinner sometime. Get to know each other, as neighbours.

**Dan:** Er . . . Yeah, sure.

*Casey gives Dan a glare.*

**Gillian:** Don’t do it, Casey! I knew him back in the 60s. He used to go to the bank I worked at! He was so annoying!

**Alexander:** Wonderful. How about tonight?

**Casey:** I’m . . .

**Alexander:** Splendid! I’ll bring some Red wine. *(Notices the Vape on the tea table).* Ahh. A smoker, are we? Which one of you smokes?

**Dan:** Well, we vape actually, not smoke. But both of us.

**Alexander:** Well, no judgement. *(Though he clearly is judging them)* My wife used to be a heavy smoker back in the 1980s. I never smoked once myself, wouldn’t want to damage my appearance.

**Casey:** Yeah, we’re trying to quit but . . .

**Alexander:** I’ll see you at seven, shall we say?

**Casey:** I mean . . .

**Alexander:** Splendid. *(Grabs the leads of all the other dogs. Vincent, one of the dogs who went through to the next room comes running).* Good boy, Vincent. That all of you? Good. *(He leaves the room with the dogs).* See you at seven.

Scene 4: What to Cook

*Casey and Dan walk down the stairs to the Kitchen. They enter the Kitchen and open their freezer. All that’s in there is frozen Lasagna.*

**Casey:** We need food, fast.

**Dan:** What’s wrong with the lasagna?

**Casey:** Dan, these people have standards.

**Dan:** Standards? That guy was a twat.

**Casey:** He is, yeah, but he’s probably friends with some great, WEALTHY people that can put us on the map. Like, he himself could help us promote the hotel.

**Dan:** I guess. So what do you suggest cooking?

**Bessie:** Pheasant.

**Casey:** Bessie? Where did you come from?

**Dan:** Wait, there’s a Ghost in here?

**Bessie:** I wouldn’t normally fraternise down here, but Gillian tells me something about a dinner party with the Taylor-Peterson’s. They are a prestigious family, and I want to maintain my families reputation through guiding you.

**Casey:** Right?

**Bessie:** You must cook the finest pheasant.

**Casey:** Ok, Dan, we need to cook pheasant.

**Dan:** Pheasant? Are you sure!

**Casey:** Yep.

**Dan:** Where do we get it? The supermarket?

**Francis:** You must shoot it.

**Casey:** Francis, where did you come from?

**Francis:** I’ve been here the whole time? I was in the wall, when I heard. You need to shoot the pheasant before you can cook it.

**Bessie:** There’s a rifle in the shed, though it hasn’t been used since the last Lord Robinson died.

**Casey:** Dan, apparently we need to shoot some pheasants.

Scene 5: A pheasant surprise

**Casey:** Are you sure this is a good idea?

**Francis:** Of course. It’s the only way.

*A pheasant is on the ground in the distance. It doesn’t seem particularly bothered by anything.*

**Francis:** Now, Casey, when you shoot, you have to . . .

**Casey:** I don’t wanna do it.

**Francis:** Oh come on, girl.

**Casey:** I’m not doing it.

*Francis tries to grab the rifle. Casey squeezes it tightly, forgetting Francis can’t take the rifle off her. Before she knows it, Casey has accidentally* shot the pheasant.

**Casey:** *(stunned)* Oh shit!

Scene 6: Cooking