KNOT HEART - Almeida Theatre

Margot LeicesterPhoto: Keith Pattisonsecond glass or bottle of wine. Barbara states that shealways feels that Angela treats her like a child. Angelarepeatedly challenges her mother, asking why she prefersLucy. Barbara says that the two girls have always beendifferent: Angela is tough and Lucy is delicate. Angelasays that it seems quite clear what Lucy is doing to herselfand to Barbara. Barbara feels hurt, and Angela retorts thatthis was her intention. Angela says she is leaving and willnot return. Barbara replies that this is her decision.Angela leaves.Scene 3Lucy is lying, seemingly asleep, on the floor, next to a pintglass of liquid. Barbara enters carrying Waitrose shoppingbags and sees Lucy. She notices something next to Lucyand bends to down to see what it is, knocking over theglass. She picks up a syringe and realises Lucy hasinjected drugs. She begins to shake Lucy toconsciousness, demanding to know what she has done.Barbara wants to know if Lucy has been out and remindsLucy that she promised she wouldn’t inject. Barbara thenrealises that the liquid in the pint glass was urine, andthat Lucy urinated in the glass because she couldn’tmove.Barbara is horrified and wants to know where Lucy got themoney to buy drugs and Lucy admits to prostitutingherself in Clissold Park. Barbara is deeply upset butbegins to clean up the mess telling Lucy that she mustnot leave the house, because people will find out the truthand that will only make it harder for Lucy to go back towork. Lucy reveals that her friend and drug-dealer Zac hasdied from an overdose by injecting. In turn Barbaradescribes an incident that just happened in Waitrose,where she feels a Jewish woman judged her for lookingsuspiciously at a tramp.Plot SummarySee? I’m still here. Lots of myfriends do it. Like no one’sinjecting anything. It’s only atiny bit of opium. And I’vehad such an awful day youwouldn’t believe it.LucyScene 1Lucy says that Barbara has to give her money or terriblethings will happen. Barbara asks what taking heroin feelslike. Lucy replies that it brings her calmness and that’s itslovely, that injecting has given her an experience thatsatisfied a longing she has and until today never knewwhat it was. Lucy reveals details about her life: she saysthat she was almost famous and has had a successfulcareer path, but now none of it matters because she nowknows a new completeness. We learn that Lucy hasinjected speedball, a mixture of heroin and cocaine.Barbara tells her she must say how much money sheneeds and must promise never to go to Clissold Parkagain.Scene 4Lucy is on a trolley in the Accident and Emergencydepartment of the Whittington Hospital in the early hoursof the morning. Pete enters, holding some cheap flowers,Resource Pack: The Knot of the Heart8