KNOT HEART - Almeida Theatre

Plot SummaryLisa DillonPhoto: Keith PattisonWhy has this happened tous? Things like this don’thappen to families like our!Why? Tell me Angela why?BarbaraScene 5telling Lucy that it was easy to get into the ward. Lucywants to come and find him later, but she owes him drugsmoney. Pete wants his drugs back, that Lucy has not paidfor and searches Lucy’s body. Lucy does not know whereher bag and purse have gone. Pete reveals how he thoughtshe was dead and alerted the ambulance. Pete insists therewere two more wraps of heroin with her, although Lucywas unconscious and does know what happened to it. Petepulls a Stanley knife from his pocket, threatening her withit while he feels to see if she has hidden the heroin in hervagina. Lucy is angry but Pete is firm: she owes him £40.Pete says he never believes junkies and Lucy is outraged tobe called a junkie.As Pete threatens Lucy with the knife once more, Barbaraenters. Pete hides the knife and Lucy tells her mother he isfriend who is just leaving; Barbara thanks him for visiting.Lucy asks her mother to give Pete £40 and Barbara asks ifthe money is for drugs. Barbara gives Pete the moneybefore slapping him hard in the face. Pete threatens tostab Barbara if she ever does it again, and Barbara goadshim on – him going to prison would take him away fromher daughter. In this scene can see that Lucy’s drug habithas taken her into a harder world from the ‘social’ usebefore – Pete is tougher and more dangerous than Zac.We learn that Lucy was pronounced dead on admission,and that Barbara lost her husband, Lucy’s father, whenLucy was a baby – she could not bear to lose Lucy. Peteleaves and Barbara drinks some brandy from a hip flask inher bag, Lucy asks for some but Barbara denies her. Lucyand Barbara hug and say that they love each other.Scene 5A few weeks later in Barbara’s house. Angela and Barbaraare talking, and Barbara is drinking red wine. We learn thata whole year has passed since Scene Two, where Angelaleft refusing to return; they have not spoken in-between.Angela tells Barbara that she has had a relationship with aman, but suffered an ectopic pregnancy and that the manleft her two months ago – she feels terrible. Barbara saysthat she loves Angela and regrets saying the unkind thingsshe said previously, but also that she does not understandAngela as a person: Lucy is much simpler to relate to. Sheapologises and the women embrace.Barbara reveals that Lucy has been missing for two weeks,and these disappearances have become increasinglycommon. Barbara fears that Lucy will be found in a gutterand it will be spread across the newspapers, and that herlife will be ruined by this exposure. Angela challenges hermother, asking why and how she loves her; Barbara avoidsan answer. Angela believes that Barbara has never actuallybeen able to love her. She further believes her mother is9 Resource Pack: The Knot of the Heart