KNOT HEART - Almeida Theatre

Abigail Cruttenden and Lisa DillonPhoto: Keith PattisonNarcotics Anonymous programme, in an effort to makeamends and apologise for what she has done. Lucy hasbeen going to church and exploring other faiths. Throughthis she found a Sanskrit phrase about ‘the knot of theheart’, which must be broken in order to enable true selfknowledge; it means a lot to her.Lucy remarks that she thought they would both havechildren by now and that when she was little Angela gavethe best cuddles, much better than their mother. Lucyapologises for all she has done and gives Angela a longletter of apology, starting with the incident where Angelacaught her trying to steal from her purse. Angela does notbend. She says that it started way before then and that shehas no intention of meeting Lucy again after thisoccasion. Lucy describes having seen Angela cut herselfwhen she was ten and Angela was home from Universityfor the weekend, and that she knows that Angela is stilldoing it and has done it that evening. Lucy says she issorry that she saw her, and that she learned what to dowhen she was sad. Lucy does not want to attract attentionby making a scene in the bar; Angela asks if she fears forthe story being in the newspapers.Angela wishes Lucy’s drug use had come out three yearsearlier, to shame Lucy into stopping. We learn thatBarbara has spent half a million pounds of her ownsavings and accumulated another quarter of a millionpounds in debt, all consequences of Lucy’s drug use. Lucywonders how the press humiliation and scandal hashelped anyone and reveals that she knows her career isover. Angela wonders if their career choices were evertheirs, suggesting that their mother told them who theywere.Plot SummaryYou know in Sanskrit there’s aphrase Hridaya-ghranthi. Itmeans the knot of the heart.It’s meant something to me.The knot of the heart must bebroken. In order for selfknowledge.Enlightenment. I’vecome to realise a heart iseasier to break than a knot.LucyScene 12Angela then admits to calling the newspaper, tired ofplaying second fiddle to Lucy, especially while she seemedintent on killing herself. She apologises if she has madethe last few weeks difficult; Lucy thanks her for telling thetruth. The sisters then admit to having missed each otherand wonder why their family seems so messed up. Lucyfeels it is all her fault and Angela tells her that there issomething else, something that is not talked about, that itis time she knew about: the true circumstances of herfather’s death.Scene 13The garden of the family house in Gibson Square. Lucy isdrinking red wine and smoking, Barbara is gardening.Lucy announces that she is leaving. Barbara feigns not tohear and talks about the garden. They tell each other thatthey love each other. Angela has been handling Barbara’sdebts; Barbara says that the house is going to be sold topay for their debts. Lucy says she will find a way to pay hermother back. Lucy will not wait until the house is sold toResource Pack: The Knot of the Heart 14