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Every one lists voice age, accent and length, so you can pick a read that fits the audition you are chasing.
An interview room, late evening — Detective Ruiz, forties, sets two coffees down; Owen, twenties, a witness who says he saw nothing
RUIZMilk, two sugars.
OWENHow did you know?
RUIZLucky guess. You told the officer you were at the laundromat on Fifth until ten.
OWENYeah. Doing laundry. That's what it's for.
RUIZAnd you didn't see anyone go into the pharmacy across the street.
OWENI was watching my clothes go round. It's hypnotic.
RUIZSure. What was in the load?
OWENWhat?
RUIZYour laundry. What did you wash?
OWENShirts. Socks. I don't know. Normal stuff.
RUIZThe laundromat on Fifth has been closed since June, Owen. Burst pipe. There's a sign on the door the size of a mattress.
OWEN...Then I was somewhere else.
RUIZYou were somewhere you could see the pharmacy door. Which means you saw who went in.
OWENIf I tell you, he'll know it was me.
RUIZHe already knows you were there. That's why you're drinking my coffee instead of going home.
OWEN...He had a key. He didn't break in. He had a key.
What it is for: A short interrogation duet where the detective wins with patience, not volume. Coach's note: Watch out for playing Ruiz as a tough cop. She is almost friendly, which is worse for Owen. Owen drives the pace with deflection; the turn is the laundromat sign, and his last line should come out before he can stop it. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a detective who never raises her voice and a witness whose jokes get thinner line by line.
A front door with the chain on, dusk — Dana, thirties, home alone with her daughter asleep upstairs; a man in his forties outside says he's from the water board
SFX: two knocks
DANAWho is it?
MANEvening, ma'am. Water board. We've had reports of a pressure drop on your street.
DANANobody told me.
MANThat's why I'm knocking. Won't take five minutes. Your meter's in the kitchen.
DANAMy meter's outside. By the hedge.
MANIn older houses, sure. Yours was moved in the renovation.
DANAWhat renovation?
MANTwo years back. New kitchen, new pipes. Nice job. Blue tiles.
DANA...How do you know my tiles are blue?
MANI'm just reading the work order, ma'am.
DANAThen read me the name on it.
MANIt's a bit dark out here.
DANAI'll turn on the porch light.
MANNo need. It says Harper. Dana Harper. And there's a note about the little one. Lily, is it? Asleep upstairs?
DANAI'm calling someone.
MANCourse you are. Only your phone's been dead all afternoon, hasn't it? Funny thing, a pressure drop. Everything goes a bit quiet.
DANAGet away from my door.
MANI'll be by the hedge. Checking the meter.
What it is for: Stranger-at-the-door suspense where every polite line is a threat. Coach's note: Watch out for playing the man as a villain from his first line. He is courteous and patient, and that is what frightens. Dana's turn is 'How do you know my tiles are blue?'; after that she stops being polite and he doesn't. What casting listens for: Casting listens for menace with no volume, and a woman who gets quieter, not louder, as she works it out.
A park bench in winter — Cole, sixties, a handler, feeds pigeons; Tomas, twenties, his asset, sits at the far end with a folded newspaper
TOMASYou're feeding them bread. You're not supposed to feed them bread.
COLENobody's arrested me yet. Did you bring it?
TOMASIt's in the newspaper.
COLELeave it on the bench when you go.
TOMASI didn't open it.
COLEI didn't ask you to.
TOMASI didn't open it, and I didn't take it to the embassy, and I didn't photograph it. I took it home and put it under my bed and I looked at it for three nights.
COLEThat's the job, Tomas. Carrying things you don't look at.
TOMASMy father carried things for you.
COLEYour father was very good at it.
TOMASHe's dead.
COLEI know. I was at the funeral. Back row.
TOMASI saw you. I thought you'd come to say sorry.
COLEI came to see who else turned up. That's also the job.
TOMAS...Then I'm keeping the newspaper.
COLETomas.
TOMASTell whoever wants it they can come and ask my mother for it. Enjoy your pigeons.
What it is for: A handler and asset duet about loyalty, grief and a newspaper nobody opens. Coach's note: Watch out for making Cole cold. He is fond of the boy and hides it under procedure. Tomas carries the scene; the turn is 'I saw you. I thought you'd come to say sorry', and Cole's answer should hurt him to say. What casting listens for: Casting listens for an older voice that underplays everything and a younger one that can go from nervous to defiant in a single line.
A kitchen at 3 a.m. — Claire, forties, answers a call from the person holding her son; the caller, any age, is flat and calm
SFX: phone rings once
CLAIREHello? Hello, is he there?
CALLERHe's here. He's fine. He's eating crisps. You have ninety seconds.
CLAIREPut him on. Please.
CALLERDid you call the police, Claire?
CLAIRENo.
CALLERThere's a car at the end of your road. Silver. Engine off. Two men not talking to each other.
CLAIREThat's the neighbours'.
CALLERYour neighbours have a red van.
CLAIRE...What do you want me to say?
CALLERI want you to stop lying. Every lie costs ten seconds. You're down to sixty.
CLAIREYes. I called them. I was frightened. I'm his mother, what did you expect?
CALLERExactly that. Thank you. Now we can talk. Tell the men in the silver car to go home. Tomorrow you bring your husband's laptop to the station café at noon.
CLAIREMark's laptop? This is about Mark?
CALLERIt was always about Mark. Thirty seconds.
CLAIRELet me hear my son.
CALLERHe's asleep. You'll hear him at noon. Don't be late, Claire.
What it is for: A phone call with a kidnapper, played against the clock. Trains pace under pressure. Coach's note: Watch out for the caller shouting. The caller is flat, almost bored, and in control. Claire's panic has to find a floor at 'Yes. I called them.' From there she fights back, and the caller should let a flicker of respect through on 'Exactly that.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for real fear that stays intelligible, and a caller who never needs to raise a voice to be obeyed.
A parked car at night, hour nine of a stakeout — Detectives Kerry Walsh, fifties, and Jo Tran, thirties, watch a lit window across the road
JOHe's pacing again.
KERRYHe's been pacing since seven. Guilty men pace.
JOSo do men waiting for a pizza.
KERRYYou want to call it?
JOI want a toilet. I want to feel my legs.
KERRYTwenty more minutes.
JOYou said that at midnight. Kerry, why are we really out here? Sarge pulled the surveillance on Monday.
KERRYDid he.
JOYou know he did. This isn't on the books.
KERRYNo.
JOSo why bring me?
KERRYYou're good, and you don't ask questions.
JOI'm asking one now.
KERRY...The man in that window drove the car that hit my brother. Eleven years ago. Walked on a technicality.
JOAnd you want what? To watch him pace?
KERRYI want to see him make one mistake while someone honest is sitting next to me.
JO...Light's gone off.
KERRYFront door's opening.
JOThen start the engine. Quietly.
What it is for: Detective partners in a parked car. A duet about what one partner has been hiding. Coach's note: Watch out for playing tired as flat. Jo's boredom is sharp and funny, and it is Jo who pushes the scene. Kerry's confession about her brother is the turn, and it should come out matter-of-fact, like she has said it to herself a thousand times. What casting listens for: Casting listens for two women with distinct rhythms, and a partnership you believe has done a lot of nights like this one.
A courtroom, mid-afternoon — defence attorney Maya Brooks, forties, cross-examines Mr Pruitt, sixties, the prosecution's eyewitness
BROOKSMr Pruitt, you told the jury you saw my client's face clearly.
PRUITTI did.
BROOKSFrom your porch. Across the street. At eleven at night.
PRUITTThere's a streetlight right there. Lights up the whole corner.
BROOKSYou're sure it was on.
PRUITTIt's always on. Thirty years I've lived on that street.
BROOKSDo you recall calling the city on the fourth of March?
PRUITTI call the city a lot. Somebody has to.
BROOKSThis call was about the streetlight. Your words, from the city's log: "It's been out a week and nobody cares."
PRUITTThat was... that was March.
BROOKSAnd the night you saw my client?
PRUITT...March.
BROOKSThe eighth. Four days after your call. Had they fixed it, Mr Pruitt?
PRUITTI don't know.
BROOKSYou don't know.
PRUITTI know what I saw.
BROOKSI believe you believe that. And I'm sorry. Nothing further, Your Honor.
PRUITTI saw him. I saw somebody. I'm sure I saw somebody.
What it is for: A tight cross-examination that trains the lawyer's patience and the witness's slow collapse. Coach's note: Watch out for the attorney gloating. Brooks is courteous, even kind; she never needs to win loudly. Pruitt's certainty cracks on the word 'March', and his last line is not an argument, it is a man realising what he doesn't know. What casting listens for: Casting listens for control in the lawyer and honest confusion, not guilt, in the witness.
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A restaurant hallway and a family living room, 9 p.m. — Greg, forties, calls home from a dinner; Tess, eighteen, is babysitting his kids
GREGHey, Tess. Just checking in. Everyone asleep?
TESSOut like lights. Maddie made me read the dragon book three times.
GREGThat's the price of admission. We'll be back around eleven.
TESSOh. I thought you were back already.
GREGWhy would you think that?
TESSI heard the back door, like ten minutes ago. And someone in the kitchen. I figured you'd forgotten something.
GREGTess, we're across town.
TESS...Okay. It's probably the wind. That door sticks.
GREGIt doesn't stick. I fixed it Sunday. Where are you right now?
TESSOn the couch.
GREGIs the kitchen light on?
TESSIt wasn't. It's on now.
GREGListen to me. Don't hang up. Walk upstairs, normal speed. Go into Maddie's room and lock the door.
TESSGreg, I can hear the fridge.
GREGI know. Keep walking. Talk to me about the dragon book.
TESSThe dragon... he's scared of the dark, and the girl gives him a lamp.
GREGGood. Keep going. I'm already in the car.
What it is for: A phone call where a father has to keep a frightened teenager calm and moving. Coach's note: Watch out for Greg panicking. The moment he understands, he gets calmer and slower, because that is what keeps Tess alive. Tess drives the fear. The turn is 'It wasn't. It's on now.' and the dragon book at the end should be her holding on to his voice. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a father who sounds steady while clearly terrified, and a young woman trying hard not to cry.
A hotel corridor in Vienna, midnight — Imogen, thirties, in a waiter's jacket with a trolley; Brandt, forties, speaks through a closed door
SFX: a knock
IMOGENRoom service.
BRANDTI didn't order anything.
IMOGENCompliments of the management. Soup of the day.
BRANDTWhat's the soup?
IMOGENLeek and potato.
BRANDTIt's Thursday. Thursday's soup is tomato.
IMOGENChef ran out of tomatoes.
BRANDTChef never runs out of tomatoes. Who sent you?
IMOGENThe same man who sent you. He says the phrase changed at noon.
BRANDTNobody told me.
IMOGENThat's rather the point. He isn't telling anyone anything anymore. There's a new passport under the bread roll, and about eight minutes before the men in the lobby finish their coffee.
BRANDTHow do I know you're not one of them?
IMOGENIf I were one of them, I wouldn't have knocked.
SFX: the chain slides off
BRANDT...Leek and potato.
IMOGENIt's actually quite good. Eat it in the car.
BRANDTWhose car?
IMOGENMine. Take the service lift. And don't bring the tie. It's far too memorable.
What it is for: A spy duet played through a closed door. Code phrases, suspicion and dry wit. Coach's note: Watch out for rushing the soup business. The code exchange is the whole scene; Brandt is testing her, Imogen is testing how much time she has. The turn is 'If I were one of them, I wouldn't have knocked.' Let the chain slide off before Brandt speaks again. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a light, witty surface over real danger, and two agents who respect each other on sight.
A polygraph room — Hale, fifties, a veteran examiner; Dev Shah, thirties, a bookkeeper who is far too calm
HALEYes or no answers only. Is your name Devan Shah?
DEVYes.
HALEAre we in Columbus, Ohio?
DEVYes.
HALEDid you take money from the Garrison account?
DEVNo.
HALEHave you ever lied to someone who trusted you?
DEVYes. Have you?
HALEI ask the questions, Mr Shah.
DEVOf course. Only you've been tapping the desk since I sat down. Your needle just moved. Not mine. Yours.
HALEThe machine is on you.
DEVThe Garrison account had two signatures on every transfer. Mine, and the auditor who signed off the books last March. Do you remember March, Mr Hale?
HALEStop.
DEVYou audited Garrison before you took this job. Your initials are on page nine. I kept a copy. Several, actually.
HALE...This session is over.
DEVIs that a yes or a no?
HALETurn off the tape.
DEVThere isn't a tape. There's a camera. It's been on the whole time. You set it up yourself.
What it is for: A polygraph scene where the status flips from examiner to suspect in the space of a page. Coach's note: Watch out for playing Dev as smug. He is precise and has been waiting for this. Hale starts in full control; the flip is 'Your needle just moved. Not mine. Yours.' From there Hale's lines get shorter and Dev's get more patient. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a clean status reversal that the audience hears before the words confirm it.
A railway platform, the last train, fog — two strangers, any age, stand a careful distance apart
STRANGERIs this the train to Carlisle?
COURIERChange at Preston.
STRANGERI was told there was no change.
COURIERThere's always a change. You're late.
STRANGERThe taxi took the long way. I think on purpose.
COURIERThen someone paid him. Did you see who?
STRANGERGrey coat. He got in the car behind.
COURIERHe's on the footbridge now. Don't look.
STRANGERI wasn't going to.
COURIEREveryone says that, and everyone looks. Here's your ticket. Seat forty-one. Don't sleep.
STRANGERWhat's in Carlisle?
COURIERNothing. That's why you're going.
STRANGERAnd you?
COURIERI'm waiting for the next one. It goes the other way.
STRANGERWith him watching?
COURIERHe'll follow whoever looks more frightened. So I'll try to look very frightened.
STRANGERThank you.
COURIERDon't thank me. Get on the train.
SFX: doors hiss open
STRANGERWill I see you again?
COURIERI hope not. That's the nicest thing anyone in this job can say.
What it is for: A spy handover on a railway platform. Two voices, any gender, any age. Coach's note: Watch out for whispering it all. They are two strangers making small talk in public, so keep it conversational and let the danger sit underneath. The courier drives; the turn is 'I'll try to look very frightened', which is both a joke and a sacrifice. What casting listens for: Casting listens for subtext: everything the courier doesn't say about what happens when the train leaves.
Terms
Hostage negotiationAdult (40-55)Southern USTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.8 min
Cast: RUTHWADE
A command van outside a small-town bank, afternoon — negotiator Ruth Calder, fifties, on the phone to Wade, thirties, who is inside with four hostages
RUTHWade, it's Ruth again. You hung up on me.
WADEYou were talking about pizza. I don't want pizza.
RUTHOkay. What do you want?
WADEI told the last guy. A car, and nobody following.
RUTHThe last guy isn't here anymore. I am. And I don't think you want a car.
WADEYou don't know what I want.
RUTHYou've had three hours to walk out the back door. It's been open the whole time. You know it has.
WADE...Maybe I like it in here.
RUTHMaybe. How are the folks with you?
WADEThey're fine. Mrs Ostrander's got her sugar thing. I gave her the mints off the manager's desk.
RUTHThat was kind.
WADEDon't do that. Don't handle me.
RUTHFair. Then straight. Why this bank?
WADEThey took my granddaddy's farm. Signed it away in that office right there, the one with the fish tank.
RUTHWhen?
WADENineteen years ago. I was twelve. I held his hand while he signed.
RUTHAnd today?
WADEToday I came to take back the paper. It's in a file. They keep everything.
RUTHWade, if I get you that file, will you let Mrs Ostrander walk out first?
WADEYou can't get it.
RUTHI'm looking at the manager right now. He's very eager to help me.
WADE...Her first. Then we'll talk about the others.
RUTHHer first. I'm writing that down, Wade. Your terms.
What it is for: A hostage negotiation on the phone. Trains the negotiator's listening and a hostage-taker who is more hurt than dangerous. Coach's note: Watch out for the negotiator being soothing. Wade hears it at once ('Don't handle me'), so Ruth switches to straight talk. Wade has the story; let the granddaddy's farm land in silence before she answers. The turn is Mrs Ostrander walking out first. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a negotiator who changes tactics mid-call, and a man whose voice gets younger when he talks about being twelve.
The Confession
InterrogationMature (55+)IrishTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.7 min
Cast: NIAMHBRIDGET
A Garda station interview room, morning — Detective Sergeant Niamh Kearney, forties, faces Bridget Doyle, seventies, who walked in at dawn to confess
NIAMHMrs Doyle, you've said you killed Martin Cleary.
BRIDGETI have, and I did, and I'd like to be home by teatime if it's all the same to you.
NIAMHIt doesn't usually work like that.
BRIDGETWell, I've never done it before. You'll have to tell me the rules.
NIAMHHow did you kill him?
BRIDGETWith the poker. From the fireplace.
NIAMHWhich hand?
BRIDGETThe right.
NIAMHYou've a splint on your right wrist, Mrs Doyle.
BRIDGETI did it before the splint.
NIAMHThe splint's from April. Martin died Saturday.
BRIDGETThen I used the left. I'm very determined when I'm cross.
NIAMHWhere's your grandson this morning?
BRIDGET...Kieran's at work.
NIAMHHe's not. His boss rang looking for him. Twice.
BRIDGETKieran's a good boy.
NIAMHI believe you.
BRIDGETMartin Cleary was not a good man. Ask anyone on the road.
NIAMHI have. And every one of them said Kieran was the only one who ever stood up to him.
BRIDGETHe's twenty-two. He has his whole life.
NIAMHAnd you think yours is used up.
BRIDGETMine's had a good run, love.
NIAMHIt's not a swap, Bridget. You'd go in, and he'd still have done it, and he'd have to live knowing his gran took the weight.
BRIDGET...He'd never forgive me.
NIAMHNo. So tell me where he is. Before someone less patient finds him first.
What it is for: A grandmother confesses to a killing she didn't do. A gentle interrogation with steel underneath. Coach's note: Watch out for playing Bridget as a sweet old lady. She is sharp, funny and lying beautifully, and she enjoys the fight. Niamh wins by being kinder than Bridget expects. The turn is 'He'd never forgive me', and it should be the first line Bridget hasn't prepared. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a mature comic voice that can drop into grief without warning, and a detective who knows when to go quiet.
Ten-Twenty-Two
DetectiveAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.7 min
Cast: BENLISA
A precinct break room after midnight — Detectives Ben Okafor, forties, and Lisa Marsh, thirties, rebuild a victim's last evening on a whiteboard
BENVictim leaves the bar at ten-fifteen. The camera on Delancey catches him at ten-twenty.
LISAThen nothing until the river.
BENThen nothing. Pass me the marker.
LISAYou look tired.
BENI've looked tired since 2009. Tuesday, ten-twenty to eleven. Where does a man go for forty minutes?
LISAA friend's. A second bar.
BENWhere were you Tuesday?
LISA...What?
BENJust making conversation.
LISAI was home. Laundry and bad television.
BENYou told me that was Wednesday.
LISATuesday, Wednesday. They're all the same.
BENYour car's in the Delancey footage, Lisa. Ten-twenty-two. I watched it four times hoping I was wrong.
LISABen.
BENI haven't logged it. It's on a drive in my pocket.
LISAHe was my informant. Two years. He called me that night. Said he'd been made. He was scared.
BENAnd you met him.
LISAI gave him cash for a bus ticket and I drove away. He was alive. I swear to you he was alive.
BENWhy didn't you say?
LISABecause an informant I never registered turned up in a river. Think how that reads.
BENIt reads bad. It reads worse tomorrow.
LISAAre you going to log it?
BENI'm going to put the kettle on. And you're going to tell me every word he said to you, before either of us decides anything.
What it is for: Detective partners, a whiteboard and a lie. Trains listening for the moment a friendly scene turns. Coach's note: Watch out for Ben tipping his hand early. 'Where were you Tuesday?' should sound like idle chat. Lisa has to cover and then give up covering; her turn is 'He was my informant.' Ben's final line is a choice to stay her partner, so don't play it as a threat. What casting listens for: Casting listens for warmth between partners that survives the betrayal, and a woman telling the truth for the first time in a week.
The Timeline
Legal, cross-examinationAdult (30-45)Neutral BritishTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.6 min
Cast: VANEHANNAH
Crown Court, day four — prosecuting barrister Edward Vane, fifties, cross-examines the defendant, Hannah Price, thirties, an accountant
VANEMs Price, you left the office at five past six.
HANNAHYes.
VANEAnd arrived home at twenty to eight.
HANNAHAbout then.
VANEIt's a twenty-minute drive.
HANNAHOn a good day.
VANEWas it a good day?
HANNAHIt was a Friday in December, in the rain.
VANETraffic. Of course. And yet in that hour and a half, the company accounts were accessed from a laptop registered to you.
HANNAHMy laptop was on my desk. I didn't take it home.
VANEConvenient.
HANNAHCompany policy. We're not allowed to. It's in the staff handbook, page twelve.
VANESo someone else used your laptop.
HANNAHSomeone used my login. That's not the same thing.
VANEWho else knew your password, Ms Price?
HANNAHIT. And my line manager, because he asked for it in November, to cover my holiday.
VANEYour line manager being Mr Gould.
HANNAHYes.
VANEWho is a witness for the Crown.
HANNAHI'd noticed that.
VANEMs Price, you are asking this jury to believe that a senior partner—
HANNAHI'm not asking them anything. You asked me who knew my password. I answered.
VANE...Did you raise this with the police?
HANNAHTwice. It's in my first statement. Paragraph four. I'd assumed you'd read it.
VANENo further questions, my lord.
What it is for: A cross-examination where the defendant quietly takes the room from the barrister. Coach's note: Watch out for playing Hannah as defiant. She is tired, exact and courteous, and each answer is shorter than he wants. Vane drives the first half; the status flips on 'I'm not asking them anything.' His 'No further questions' should cost him. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a witness whose calm is a weapon, and a barrister who hears the ground shift under him.
Lisbon
SpyAdult (40-55)Neutral BritishTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.6 min
Cast: PAVELMARGARET
A steamy launderette in east London — Margaret, fifties, a handler, folds towels; Pavel, thirties, her asset at a foreign embassy, sits on a dryer
PAVELI want to stop.
MARGARETPass me that pillowcase.
PAVELDid you hear me?
MARGARETI heard you. Everyone wants to stop around year three. It's like a marriage.
PAVELMy wife is pregnant.
MARGARETCongratulations. Genuinely.
PAVELI can't do both. I can't sit at embassy dinners smiling at men I'm selling, then go home and paint a nursery.
MARGARETPeople do.
PAVELDo you?
MARGARETI haven't got a nursery. I've got a cat who tolerates me.
PAVELMargaret. Please.
MARGARETIf you stop, they'll wonder why. The man who's been so helpful, suddenly not helpful. They'll look at you harder.
PAVELThen help me make it look natural.
MARGARET...There's a posting in Lisbon. Commercial attaché. Very boring. Nobody interesting goes to Lisbon.
PAVELYou could get me that?
MARGARETI could suggest it to someone who could suggest it. It would take a year.
PAVELAnd in that year?
MARGARETIn that year you give me the dinners. Then you go and paint your nursery in Lisbon, and I never ring you again.
PAVELYou promise?
MARGARETI don't promise. I'm telling you what's likely. That's the most honest thing anyone in this job will ever give you.
PAVEL...Yellow. We're painting it yellow.
MARGARETGood choice. Fold that for me.
What it is for: A handler and an asset who wants out. Warm, wry and entirely unsentimental on the surface. Coach's note: Watch out for Margaret being cold. She is fond of Pavel and refuses to show it, which is why she keeps giving him laundry. Pavel pushes the scene. The turn is Lisbon; after it, Margaret's honesty ('I don't promise') is the kindest thing she can give. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a dry British handler with heart underneath, and an asset whose hope you can hear rising.
Proof of Life
KidnappingAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.8 min
Cast: RICHARDWOMAN
A home office at 2 a.m. — Richard Amsel, fifties, takes a call from a woman who says she is holding his daughter, Emma
RICHARDI want to speak to Emma.
WOMANYou get a question. Ask something only she would know.
RICHARDWhat was the name of the horse she had when she was ten?
WOMANHold on.
SFX: muffled voices, a door
WOMANBiscuit.
RICHARD...Yes. That's right. Is she hurt?
WOMANShe's cold and she's angry. Same as usual, from what I hear.
RICHARDWhat do you want?
WOMANFour hundred thousand. From the offshore account. The one your accountant doesn't know about.
RICHARDHow do you know about that?
WOMANAsk a better question.
RICHARDFine. Ask her what she called me the last time she was home.
WOMANHold on.
SFX: the door again
WOMANShe says, "You know exactly what I called you."
RICHARD...She told you about the account.
WOMANMr Amsel—
RICHARDNobody knows about that account except my daughter. She found the statements at Christmas. We had words.
WOMANYour daughter is being held against her will.
RICHARDMy daughter is standing next to you. Put her on.
WOMANThat isn't how this works.
RICHARDEmma, I know you can hear me. You want me to pay for what I did? That's a real conversation, and I'll have it. Come home and have it with me. Not like this.
SFX: a long silence
WOMAN...She says she'll think about it.
RICHARDTell her I'll leave the porch light on. And tell her Biscuit was my idea.
What it is for: A ransom call that turns into a family confrontation. Trains a slow realisation played on the phone. Coach's note: Watch out for Richard staying panicked after he works it out. The moment he hears 'You know exactly what I called you', fear turns to grief and then to fatherhood. The woman loses control of the call from there, and should sound it. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a father who stops performing for the caller and starts talking to his daughter.
Sugar
Domestic suspenseAdult (40-55)IrishTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.7 min
Cast: AOIFESIOBHAN
A landing between two flats, late evening — Aoife, twenties, knocks on her neighbour's door with an empty cup; Siobhan, forties, answers
AOIFESorry. I know it's late. Would you have a bit of sugar?
SIOBHANSugar.
AOIFEFor tea. I've only just moved in. I've nothing in the press.
SIOBHANI know. I heard the van.
AOIFEThe walls are desperate, aren't they?
SIOBHANThey are.
AOIFESo you'd hear... everything.
SIOBHANCome in off the landing.
AOIFEI'm grand here.
SIOBHANCome in, love. He's gone out. I heard the door go at ten.
AOIFE...I don't want sugar.
SIOBHANI know you don't.
AOIFEYou heard last night.
SIOBHANI heard last night. And Tuesday. And I heard the girl who lived there before you, for two years.
AOIFEWhat happened to her?
SIOBHANShe knocked on my door one night with an empty cup. Same as you.
AOIFEAnd?
SIOBHANAnd I gave her sugar and I shut the door, because I was afraid of him. I've been sorry every day since.
AOIFEWhere is she now?
SIOBHANI don't know. That's the part I'm sorry about.
AOIFEHe'll be back soon.
SIOBHANThen we've twenty minutes. My sister's in Galway, she's a spare room, and I've a car.
AOIFEI can't just go.
SIOBHANYou can. Get your coat and whatever fits in one bag. I'll get the keys.
AOIFEWhy are you doing this?
SIOBHANBecause I've had two years of practice at the wrong answer. Go on. Quick now.
What it is for: Two neighbours, one empty cup and a rescue. Trains subtext: nobody says what the cup is for. Coach's note: Watch out for saying the subtext out loud too early. Aoife asks for sugar and means help; Siobhan hears it at once. Siobhan drives the scene. The turn is her confession about the last girl, and it should be the hardest line in the piece. What casting listens for: Casting listens for two women talking around something terrible in ordinary kitchen language.
The Night Porter
Stranger dangerYoung adult (18-25)ScottishTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.7 min
Cast: LAURENANGUS
A small hotel lobby in Edinburgh, 1 a.m. — Lauren, twenties, travelling alone; Angus, sixties, the night porter
LAURENExcuse me. The man in room twelve. Has he checked out?
ANGUSI couldn't say, miss.
LAURENCouldn't or won't?
ANGUSBit of both. It's policy.
LAURENHe followed me from the station. He was at the café. He was at the bookshop. Now he's across the hall.
ANGUSPlenty of folk like books.
LAURENHe wasn't reading. He was reading me.
ANGUS...Sit down a moment. Tea?
LAURENI don't want tea. I want to know his name.
ANGUSI can't give you his name. What I can tell you is he paid cash, he gave an address in Leith that doesn't exist, and he asked me which room the young lady with the green case was in.
LAURENWhat did you tell him?
ANGUSRoom four.
LAURENI'm in room nine.
ANGUSAye. You are. Room four's the linen cupboard.
LAUREN...You lied for me.
ANGUSI've been doing nights forty years. You get a feel for who's asking and why.
LAURENWhat do I do?
ANGUSYou sit in that chair where I can see you, and I ring my nephew. He's a police constable. Lazy lad, but big.
LAURENAnd the man?
ANGUSIf he tries the linen cupboard, he'll get a shelf of towels on his head. I stacked them myself.
LAURENWhy would you do all that for a stranger?
ANGUSBecause my granddaughter travels on her own too. Sit. I'll put the kettle on anyway.
What it is for: A frightened guest and a night porter who has already dealt with it. Trains a slow reveal of protection. Coach's note: Watch out for Angus sounding sinister at the start. He's cagey because of policy, then cagey because he's enjoying the reveal. Lauren leads with fear; the turn is 'Room four's the linen cupboard.' The laugh she doesn't quite have should be audible. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a warm older Scots voice with comic timing, and a young woman who goes from alarm to relief in real time.
Route Nine Pharmacy
Hostage negotiationAdult (40-55)Southern USTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 2.1 min
Cast: LUISDANNY
A small-town pharmacy at night, half the lights off — negotiator Luis Ortega, forties, walks in with a paper bag; Danny, twenties, stands behind the counter with a pistol; the pharmacist is tied to a chair in the back
LUISI'm coming in slow. Hands up. I've got a bag.
DANNYStop there. What's in the bag?
LUISTwo burgers, fries and a strawberry shake. They told me you hadn't eaten.
DANNYThey told you wrong. I ate.
LUISWhat'd you eat?
DANNY...Cough drops.
LUISWell, this beats cough drops. I'm putting it on the floor. I'm Luis, by the way.
DANNYI know who you are. You're the talker.
LUISThat's what they call me. I'd rather be the listener, but it doesn't sound as good on a jacket.
DANNYI'm not coming out.
LUISI didn't ask you to. How's Mr Pike doing back there?
DANNYHe's fine. He's mad. He keeps saying I'm ruining his inventory.
LUISThat sounds like him. Sold my mama her pills for twelve years and never smiled once.
DANNYHe smiled at me. Before.
LUISBefore what?
DANNYBefore the insurance said no. My sister's insulin. Three hundred forty dollars. I had eighty.
LUISSo you came for insulin.
DANNYAnd he said he couldn't, and I don't know. I had my daddy's gun in the truck. I don't even know why.
LUISHow much insulin did you take?
DANNYNone. It's still on the counter. I can't even do this right.
LUISDanny. Nobody's hurt. That matters more than you know right now. Put the gun on the floor by the burgers, and I'll carry that insulin to your sister myself.
DANNYThey'll arrest me.
LUISThey will. And she'll have her medicine tonight. Both of those things.
DANNY...Do I get the shake?
LUISYou get the shake.
What it is for: A face-to-face negotiation over burgers. Trains patience, rapport and the courage to wait. Coach's note: Watch out for Luis pushing. He never asks Danny to come out until Danny has told the story; his job is to be the calmest thing in the room. Danny carries the scene. The turn is 'I can't even do this right', and the shake line lets both men breathe. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a negotiator whose warmth feels real, and a young man who is ashamed more than dangerous.
Anything to Declare
Interrogation, customsAnyNeutral BritishTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.7 min
Cast: OFFICERTRAVELLER
An airport customs hall, 6 a.m. — an officer, any age, has pulled aside a traveller, any age, with one battered suitcase
OFFICERAnything to declare?
TRAVELLERNo.
OFFICERYou've been in Tangier for two days.
TRAVELLERIt was a short holiday.
OFFICERNobody goes to Tangier for two days on holiday.
TRAVELLERI'm very efficient.
OFFICEROpen the case, please.
TRAVELLERIt's just clothes.
OFFICERThen it'll be quick. Three shirts. Toothbrush. A book. Where are the other clothes?
TRAVELLERWhat other clothes?
OFFICERYou flew out with a larger case. Twenty-three kilos. You're flying back with nine.
TRAVELLERI gave some things away.
OFFICERFourteen kilos of things.
TRAVELLERI'm very generous.
OFFICERYou're very efficient, you're very generous. What else are you?
TRAVELLERTired. I'm very tired.
OFFICERWho did you give them to?
TRAVELLERMy brother. He's been there a year. He had nothing. I took him clothes, and a winter coat, and his daughter's drawings, and I left the big case because he needed a case.
OFFICERWhy didn't you just say so?
TRAVELLERBecause he's not supposed to be there. And the last officer who asked me about my brother kept me for nine hours.
OFFICERI'm not the last officer.
TRAVELLERYou all say that.
OFFICER...What's the book?
TRAVELLERHis. He asked me to bring it home. He said he'd be back to finish it.
OFFICERClose the case. Go on through.
TRAVELLERThat's it?
OFFICERI haven't seen anything to declare. I hope he finishes it.
What it is for: A customs interview with a secret that isn't what it seems. Any gender, any age. Coach's note: Watch out for playing the traveller as shifty. They are tired and protective, and the jokes are armour. The officer drives the questions. The turn is the brother; after that, the officer asking about the book is the moment they decide to be a person, not a uniform. What casting listens for: Casting listens for dry humour under pressure and an officer who makes a choice without announcing it.
The Margin Note
Spy, recruitmentMature (55+)Neutral BritishTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.7 min
Cast: ELEANORPRIYA
A café in Brussels, rain on the window — Eleanor, sixties, a handler, meets Priya, twenties, a translator at a trade ministry, for "coffee about a job"
ELEANORYou're punctual. That's rarer than you'd think.
PRIYAYour email said you were from a recruitment firm.
ELEANORIt did say that.
PRIYAYou're not from a recruitment firm.
ELEANORNo. Have the almond croissant. They're very good here.
PRIYAI'd like to know who I'm talking to.
ELEANORSomeone who's read your work. Your translation of the Kovač memo last spring. You caught something nobody else did. A verb tense.
PRIYAHow have you read that? It was classified.
ELEANORSo I'm told.
PRIYAI should leave.
ELEANORYou probably should. But you're still sitting down.
PRIYA...What do you want?
ELEANORNothing you'd have to steal. Just what you notice. The verbs. The hesitations. Who doesn't meet whose eye at lunch.
PRIYAThat's spying.
ELEANORThat's listening. You already do it. I'm only asking you to tell someone afterwards.
PRIYAAnd if I say no?
ELEANORThen you've had a croissant and a strange afternoon, and I never contact you again.
PRIYAJust like that.
ELEANORJust like that. Forcing people doesn't work. They make bad listeners.
PRIYAWhy me?
ELEANORBecause on that memo you wrote a note in the margin. "He's frightened of someone." You were right. Nobody else saw it.
PRIYA...Who was he frightened of?
ELEANORAh. Now that's a question for the second coffee.
What it is for: A recruitment scene over coffee. An older handler hooks a young translator with praise and patience. Coach's note: Watch out for playing Eleanor as sinister. She is charming, honest in her way, and never pushes. Priya drives the questions and keeps nearly leaving. The hook is the margin note; the scene ends the moment Priya asks a question she can't un-ask. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a handler who seduces with attention, and a young woman whose curiosity beats her caution.
The Loading Dock
Detective, actionYoung adult (18-25)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)90 secondsabout 1.6 min
Cast: NINASAM
A dark warehouse, whispered — Officers Nina Reyes, twenties, and Sam Whitlock, forties, crouch behind crates; Sam has been shot in the leg
NINASam. Sam, look at me.
SAMI'm looking. You've got a smudge on your nose.
NINAYou're bleeding a lot.
SAMIt's a leg. I've got another one.
NINABackup's four minutes out.
SAMThen we sit here four minutes. Nice and quiet.
NINAHe's still in here. By the loading dock.
SAMI know. I can hear him breathing. He's scared too.
NINAI'm not scared.
SAMGood. Lie to him like that, not to me.
NINA...I'm scared.
SAMThere she is. Belt.
NINAWhat?
SAMTake your belt off. Round my thigh, above the hole. Tight as you can.
NINALike this?
SAMTighter. Ow. Yes. Perfect. You'd make a terrible nurse and a fine cop.
NINAHe's moving.
SAMToward us?
NINAToward the door.
SAMLet him go.
NINASam, he shot you.
SAMAnd he'll be on the gate camera in thirty seconds. Chase him, and you're a rookie alone in the dark with a man who's already fired once. Stay, and we both go home.
NINAThat's not how it works in the movies.
SAMIn the movies the old partner dies on page ninety. Stay with me, Reyes. Tell me something boring.
NINA...My mom wants me to go to law school.
SAMPerfect. Keep going. That's the most boring thing I've heard all year.
What it is for: Two cops, one wounded, whispering in the dark. Trains intimacy and tension at low volume. Coach's note: Watch out for playing it loud. Every line is whispered, and the stakes live in the breath between lines. Sam jokes to keep Nina steady; she drives the fear. The turn is 'I'm scared', and his 'There she is' should be pure relief. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a close-mic, whispered read that keeps its energy, and humour that is clearly a survival tool.
Recross
Legal, cross-examinationAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.3 min
Cast: KIMURAHOLLOWAY
A courtroom, afternoon — defence attorney Walt Kimura, fifties, cross-examines Detective Anne Holloway, forties, who found the murder weapon
KIMURADetective Holloway, how long have you worked homicide?
HOLLOWAYEleven years.
KIMURAHow many searches have you run in that time?
HOLLOWAYHundreds.
KIMURAAnd in hundreds of searches, how often have you found the weapon in the first ten minutes?
HOLLOWAYIt happens.
KIMURAHow often?
HOLLOWAYNot often.
KIMURAIn this case you found it in six. In a house of fourteen rooms. Behind a panel in the laundry room ceiling.
HOLLOWAYI'm thorough.
KIMURAYou went straight there. Officer Diaz testified that you walked past the kitchen, past the bedrooms, into the laundry room, and asked for a stepladder.
HOLLOWAYI'd seen that kind of hiding place before.
KIMURAWhere?
HOLLOWAYOther cases.
KIMURAName one.
HOLLOWAYI'd need to check my notes.
KIMURAYou didn't need notes on the day. Detective, did someone tell you where the gun was?
HOLLOWAY...We received information.
KIMURAFrom whom?
HOLLOWAYAn anonymous caller.
KIMURAAn anonymous caller. Is that call in your report?
HOLLOWAYNo.
KIMURAWhy not?
HOLLOWAYI was told it would compromise a source.
KIMURATold by whom?
HOLLOWAYMy lieutenant.
KIMURASo a person nobody in this room can name, question or see told you exactly where to look, in a house they had no reason to be inside.
HOLLOWAYI found the gun, Mr Kimura. Ballistics matched. It's the gun.
KIMURAI'm not asking whether it's the gun. I'm asking who put it there. Did you ever ask yourself that, Detective?
HOLLOWAY...Yes.
KIMURAWhen?
HOLLOWAYThe night I found it. I sat in my car outside that house for an hour.
KIMURAAnd what did you conclude?
HOLLOWAYThat it wasn't my job to wonder.
KIMURADo you still believe that?
HOLLOWAYNo. I believe I should have put the call in my report. I believe I should have asked who made it.
KIMURAThank you, Detective. I know that wasn't easy. Nothing further.
What it is for: A defence lawyer walks a good detective toward a truth she has been avoiding. Coach's note: Watch out for Holloway being evasive like a villain. She is honest and has been carrying this for a year; each answer costs more. Kimura is steady and sparing. The turn is 'An anonymous caller'. Her last answer should sound like relief as much as defeat. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a witness under oath whose conscience wins in real time, and a lawyer who knows when to stop pushing.
Line Two
Hostage negotiationMature (55+)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.3 min
Cast: JOANNEKATE
A hospital corridor, a phone patched to a locked office — negotiator Kate Mbeki, thirties, talks to Joanne Pratt, fifties, a night nurse who has locked herself in the director's office with the director
JOANNEIs this the negotiator?
KATEIt's Kate. I'm the one they sent to talk.
JOANNEYou sound young.
KATEI'm thirty-six. Everyone sounds young on these phones.
JOANNEI've been a nurse twenty-nine years. I can hear a lie in a pulse. Don't lie to me, Kate.
KATEOkay.
JOANNEHow long before they come through the door?
KATEI'm not going to answer that.
JOANNEThat's an answer.
KATEIt's the most honest one I've got. How's Dr Fenn?
JOANNEHe's sitting on his couch. His expensive couch. He's sweating through a very nice shirt.
KATEHas he got water?
JOANNEHe's got water. I'm a nurse. I'm not a monster.
KATEThen tell me what the monster did.
JOANNE...Four nurses for thirty patients on my ward. I wrote to him. Eleven letters. Eleven. And a man in bed nine died on Thursday because nobody could get to him for forty minutes.
KATEI'm sorry.
JOANNEHis name was Harold. He liked crosswords. He was waiting for me to help him with seven down.
KATEWhat do you want Dr Fenn to do, Joanne?
JOANNEI want him to read the letters. Out loud. On the record.
KATEI can't give you a news crew.
JOANNEI know you can't.
KATEBut I've got a recorder. And tonight I'm writing a report that goes to people who don't work for Dr Fenn.
JOANNEYou'd put them in?
KATEAll eleven. Open the door, and I'll come in myself and take them from your hand.
JOANNEAnd then they cuff me.
KATEThen they cuff you. I won't pretend they won't.
JOANNE...Harold's answer was "vigil." Seven down, five letters. I worked it out after.
KATETell me that on the way out. I'll write it down too.
JOANNECome by yourself.
KATEBy myself. Open the door, Joanne.
SFX: a lock turns
What it is for: A negotiator wins a hostage-taker's trust by refusing to lie to her. Coach's note: Watch out for Kate doing a 'negotiator voice'. Joanne is a nurse and hears every trick, so Kate's only move is honesty. Joanne carries the grief. The turn is Harold and the crossword; the answer 'vigil' at the end is her letting go. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a mature woman who is angry, exhausted and still kind, and a younger negotiator who earns her place by listening.
Fourteen Years
Detective, cold caseMature (55+)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.5 min
Cast: LEONFRANK
A porch outside a rented house, a week after release — Frank Mercer, sixties, a retired detective; Leon Hardy, forties, who served fourteen years for a killing he didn't commit
LEONYou're on my porch.
FRANKI knocked. Nobody answered. I figured I'd wait.
LEONYou're good at making people wait.
FRANKI brought beer. Seemed like a thing a person brings.
LEONI don't drink. Haven't in fourteen years. Funny how that works.
FRANKI'll take it home, then.
LEONWhat do you want, Mercer?
FRANKI read about the appeal. The DNA.
LEONEverybody read about it. They put my picture on TV. Me at twenty-nine. I didn't recognise him.
FRANKI wanted to say it to your face. I was wrong.
LEONWrong, or was it easy? There's a difference. I had fourteen years to think about the difference.
FRANK...It was easy. You were there, you had a record, the witness picked you. My captain wanted it closed before the election. I didn't push.
LEONYou didn't push.
FRANKI had a feeling. About the witness. She looked at that lineup like she was reading a menu. I had the feeling and I let it go.
LEONMy mother died in year six. They let me go to the funeral in cuffs. I stood at the back with two guards, and everybody I grew up with watching.
FRANKI know.
LEONYou don't know. You weren't there.
FRANKI was. Across the road. In my car.
LEON...Why?
FRANKPenance. Cowardice. I sat there till it was over, drove home, and never told my wife where I'd been.
LEONYou want me to forgive you.
FRANKNo. That's not mine to want.
LEONThen what?
FRANKThe DNA gave them a name. He's in Arizona. The DA's dragging his feet. I've got fourteen years of notes nobody wanted, and a car, and nothing to do on Tuesdays.
LEONYou're asking me to go after him with you.
FRANKI'm asking if you'll let me finish the job I should have done.
LEON...Leave the beer.
FRANKYou said you don't drink.
LEONI don't. You look like you need one. Sit down. Slowly. I haven't decided about you yet.
What it is for: A retired detective faces the man he wrongly put away. Guilt, pride and a strange partnership. Coach's note: Watch out for Frank asking to be forgiven. He knows he can't be, and says so. Leon holds every card and should sound like it: slow, dry, unhurried. The turn is 'Across the road. In my car.' Leon's last lines are not forgiveness, only a door left open. What casting listens for: Casting listens for two mature men who never raise their voices, and fourteen years of anger kept perfectly still.
The Guest Room
Domestic suspenseAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.1 min
Cast: TOMRACHEL
A bedroom at midnight — Rachel, forties, sits on the bed holding a passport; her husband Tom, forties, comes in from brushing his teeth
TOMYou're still up.
RACHELI couldn't find the spare blanket. I looked in the guest room closet.
TOMIt's in the hall cupboard.
RACHELIt is. I found it after. First I found the shoebox.
TOMWhat shoebox?
RACHELThe one taped under the top shelf, Tom. With this in it.
TOM...Where did you get that?
RACHELI just told you. It's your face. It says Daniel Ward. Born in Ontario.
TOMRach. Put it down.
RACHELWho is Daniel Ward?
TOMIt's a gag gift. From a work party.
RACHELIt has stamps in it. Lisbon. Istanbul. Last March. You were in Denver last March. You brought me a snow globe from Denver.
TOMI was in Denver.
RACHELThe snow globe says "made in Portugal" on the bottom. I went downstairs and turned it over. Just now.
TOMKeep your voice down. The kids.
RACHELThe kids. Do the kids have other names too? Do I?
TOMRachel, listen. There are things about my work—
RACHELYou sell insurance software.
TOMThere are things about my work I can't tell you. I never lied about who I am. Only where I go.
RACHELWhere you go is who you are.
TOMI come home. Every time. That's the part that's real.
RACHELIs anyone going to come looking for Daniel Ward?
TOM...Why would you ask that?
RACHELBecause there's a car outside. It's been there since nine. Engine running. I thought it was the Kellys' son. It isn't.
TOMTurn the lamp off.
RACHELTom.
TOMTurn it off. Now. Get the kids' shoes. Don't touch the hall light.
RACHELYou said nobody would ever come.
TOMI never said that. You never asked.
What it is for: A wife finds her husband's second passport, and the marriage turns into a thriller mid-sentence. Coach's note: Watch out for Rachel yelling from the start. She has had an hour alone with the passport and is frighteningly calm. Tom lies smoothly until the snow globe. The second turn is the car outside: Tom's voice changes completely, from husband to professional, and that is what scares her most. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a marriage you believe in for the first minute, and a man who becomes someone else in one line.
Cold Kitchen
SpyMature (55+)Neutral BritishTwo narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.1 min
Cast: VERAHOLLIS
A derelict farmhouse kitchen at dawn — Hollis, sixties, a handler, finds Vera, forties, his burned agent, at the table with a pistol in front of her
VERATook you long enough.
HOLLISThe roads are terrible. You picked a very inconvenient farmhouse.
VERAThat was the point. Sit where I can see your hands.
HOLLISMay I take my coat off?
VERANo.
HOLLISFair. How long have you been here?
VERAFour days. Tinned peaches and the radio telling me I'm dead.
HOLLISYes. That was us. Sorry. It seemed tidier.
VERATidier for who?
HOLLISFor whom. For everyone. For you, if you'll let it be.
VERALondon sent you.
HOLLISLondon doesn't know I'm here. London thinks I'm at my sister's in Norfolk.
VERAYou don't have a sister.
HOLLISLondon doesn't know that either.
VERATwenty years, Hollis. Twenty years, and someone gave my name away in an afternoon.
HOLLISI know.
VERAWas it you?
HOLLISNo. If it were me, I'd have sent a younger man, and I wouldn't have told him your coffee order.
VERA...What's in the bag?
HOLLISA passport, a ferry ticket, and a flask. Black, no sugar. Still?
VERAStill.
HOLLISThe passport's good for ten days. After that it's a very expensive bookmark.
VERAWho gave me up?
HOLLISYou won't like it.
VERAI haven't liked anything since Tuesday.
HOLLISMartin.
VERAMartin was at my wedding.
HOLLISMartin has debts, and a boat he can't afford, and he's been very sad for a long time. Nobody noticed. I noticed. Too late.
VERAWhat happens to him?
HOLLISNot your concern anymore. You're dead, remember.
VERAAnd you? When they find out you came?
HOLLISI'm sixty-three. They'll give me a small office and a nice pension. Drink your coffee, Vera. The ferry's at nine.
VERA...Come with me.
HOLLISI get seasick. Go on. I'll finish the peaches.
What it is for: A handler visits the agent the service has declared dead. Loyalty, betrayal and a flask of coffee. Coach's note: Watch out for Vera holding the gun like a threat all the way through. She lowers her guard on the coffee order, and that is the turn. Hollis is light and dry, but he has risked everything by coming; let that show once, on 'Too late.' What casting listens for: Casting listens for two old professionals who can say everything with a flask and a coffee order.
The Bell at Wandarra
KidnappingAdult (30-45)AustralianTwo narrators (duet)2 minutesabout 2.3 min
Cast: JESSMAN
A payphone outside a country petrol station, midnight — Jess, thirties, follows instructions from the man holding her brother Liam; the man, forties, is patient and polite
SFX: the payphone rings
JESSI'm here. I'm at the phone.
MANGood. You found it. Not many of these left.
JESSWhere's Liam?
MANSafe. Bored. He asked for a phone charger. I said no.
JESSI've got the money. It's in the boot. All of it.
MANI know. I watched you count it at the bank. Your lips move when you count. Anyone ever tell you that?
JESSWhat do you want me to do?
MANDrive north. Forty kilometres. There's a rest stop with a broken picnic table. Leave the bag under it.
JESSAnd then?
MANThen you drive home, put the kettle on, and wait. Liam walks through the door by breakfast. Tired, hungry, and very sorry for himself.
JESSHow do I know that?
MANYou don't. That's the unpleasant bit.
SFX: in the background of the call, a church bell, three times
JESS...What was that?
MANWhat was what?
JESSThe bell.
MANThere's no bell.
JESSThree times. That's St Brigid's at Wandarra. They ring it at midnight for old Mr Coates, because he rang it for fifty years. Everyone round here knows that.
MANYou're tired. You're confused. You've been driving all night, and people hear all sorts of things at midnight.
JESSI grew up two streets from that bell. You're not forty k north. You're in town. You want me on the highway so I'm not in town.
MANDrive north, Jess. I won't say it again.
JESSLiam used to hide in that bell tower when he was little. When Dad was drinking. Is that where he is? Is he in the tower?
MANStop talking.
JESSLiam! If you can hear this, it's the bell! I know where you are!
MANYou've made a mistake.
JESSNo. I think you have. You picked a town with a bell.
SFX: the receiver slams, a car door, an engine
What it is for: A ransom call where the victim's sister hears one sound too many. Trains a status flip on the phone. Coach's note: Watch out for Jess sounding beaten until the bell. She is frightened and obedient; the bell changes everything, and from there she drives the call. The man is patient and polite until 'You've made a mistake.' Let the listener hear him lose control of the plan. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a woman who turns from victim to hunter in one line, and a villain whose calm finally cracks.
The Long Interview
InterrogationAdult (40-55)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)3 minutesabout 3.3 min
Cast: VOSSAARON
Interview room B, hour three — Detective Carla Voss, fifties, patient; Aaron Pell, thirties, whose wife Megan has been missing for six days
VOSSYou want another water?
AARONI want to go home. I've been here three hours. I've told you everything.
VOSSYou've told me a lot. Let's go through Friday one more time.
AARONFriday. Fine. I got home at six. Megan wasn't there. Her car was there. Her phone was on the counter.
VOSSAnd her purse?
AARONGone. Purse gone, phone there. Which is insane, because she never goes anywhere without that phone.
VOSSNever?
AARONNever. She sleeps with it. She takes it in the shower.
VOSSWhy do you think that is?
AARONI don't know. She likes her phone. Everyone likes their phone.
VOSSDoes it have a passcode?
AARON...Yeah.
VOSSDo you know it?
AARONOf course I know it. We're married. We don't have secrets.
VOSSSo you've looked at it. Since Friday.
AARONTo see who she'd called. Obviously. I'm trying to find my wife.
VOSSAnd who had she called?
AARONNobody. That's the thing. She'd deleted everything. Calls, messages. The whole week, gone.
VOSSThat must have upset you.
AARONIt scared me, Detective. Why would she delete everything?
VOSSWhat do you think?
AARONThat somebody made her. Somebody was threatening her.
VOSSSomeone she was afraid of.
AARONYes.
VOSSSomeone who checked her phone.
AARON...I don't like where this is going.
VOSSWhere do you think it's going, Aaron?
AARONYou think I did something to her. That's why I'm in here and not out there looking. You've got nothing. You don't have a body.
VOSSYou're right. We don't have a body.
AARONSo I can go.
VOSSWe don't have a body because Megan is alive.
AARON...What?
VOSSShe's alive. She's safe. She walked into a shelter forty miles from here on Friday afternoon, with her purse and no phone, because she knew you tracked it.
AARONWhere is she?
VOSSThat was fast.
AARONWhat?
VOSSSix days. You've been on the news, crying. You organised a search of the reservoir. I tell you your wife is alive, and the first thing out of your mouth isn't "thank God." It's "where is she."
AARONAnyone would ask that.
VOSSAnyone would ask it second.
AARONI want to see her.
VOSSShe doesn't want to see you. She gave us a statement. Eleven pages. Photographs. Dates. She's very organised, your wife. She had to be.
AARONShe's lying. She does this. She's unstable, she—
VOSSShe said you'd say that. Page three.
AARONI want a lawyer.
VOSSThat's the first smart thing you've said all afternoon. I'll get you a phone. You know how phones work, Aaron. You know them very well.
AARONYou can't keep me here.
VOSSI can for now. The photographs were enough for the judge. Sit down. I'll get you that water.
What it is for: A long-form interrogation where the detective lets the suspect talk himself into the truth. Coach's note: Watch out for Voss showing her hand. She sounds bored, even sympathetic, for two-thirds of the scene; Aaron drives it with self-pity. The first turn is 'Megan is alive.' The second, and the real one, is 'That was fast.' After that she stops performing and he starts. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a detective whose patience is a trap, and a man whose charm curdles line by line without him noticing.
Safe House
Witness protectionYoung adult (18-25)Neutral AmericanTwo narrators (duet)3 minutesabout 3.1 min
Cast: KAYLAEVAN
A rented cabin, witness protection, the third night — Kayla, twenties, a witness in a fraud trial; Deputy Marshal Evan Rourke, forties, her protection detail
KAYLAYou don't sleep either.
EVANPart of the job. Someone has to watch the door.
KAYLAThere are two other marshals outside.
EVANSomeone has to watch them watching the door. Tea?
KAYLAYou make terrible tea.
EVANI make consistent tea. That's different.
KAYLACan I ask you something?
EVANYou can ask.
KAYLAHow did they find the last place?
EVANWe don't know yet. We're looking into it.
KAYLAThe motel. Room fourteen. Nobody knew the room number but you, me and your boss.
EVANAnd the desk clerk.
KAYLAThe desk clerk thought I was your niece. You told him that.
EVANKayla, you've been through a lot. It's normal to feel—
KAYLADon't tell me what's normal. I testified against men who move money for people who kill people. Nothing's normal.
EVANFair.
KAYLAWhen that car pulled into the motel lot, you were already standing. Before the headlights. You were already at the window.
EVANI heard the engine.
KAYLAI didn't.
EVANI've got better ears. Twenty years of practice.
KAYLAAnd tonight you sent the other two to check the road. Both of them. You've never done that.
EVANThere was a report of a vehicle.
KAYLAFrom who?
EVANFrom dispatch.
KAYLAI've been sitting next to the radio all night. It hasn't made a sound.
EVAN...Sit down, Kayla.
KAYLAI'm fine standing.
EVANPlease. Sit down. You're making this harder.
KAYLAMaking what harder?
EVANI have a daughter. She's nineteen. She's at college in Ohio. Three weeks ago a man sent me a photograph of her walking to class. From behind. That's all it was. A photograph from behind.
KAYLASo you gave them me.
EVANI gave them a room number. I told myself the others would stop it. They nearly did.
KAYLAAnd tonight?
EVANTonight I sent the others to the road because I couldn't do it with them watching. And now I've told you, and I can't do it at all. I sat here an hour with the tea going cold, and I can't.
KAYLAThen what happens now?
EVANNow you take my keys. The truck's round the back. There's a number in the glove box. A woman in the Denver field office who's honest and hates me. Call her from the road.
KAYLAAnd your daughter?
EVANI called her an hour ago. She's with campus police. She's furious. She thinks I'm being paranoid.
KAYLAAnd you?
EVANI'll wait here with the lights on and the door unlocked. Someone should answer it when they come. Go, Kayla.
KAYLA...Your tea really is terrible.
EVANConsistent. Go.
What it is for: A protected witness works out that her guard is the leak, and he has to decide what kind of man he is. Coach's note: Watch out for Kayla accusing too early. She builds the case like a lawyer, one small observation at a time, and Evan deflects warmly each time. The turn is 'Sit down, Kayla.' From there he drives the scene, and his confession should sound like a man who has already decided not to go through with it. What casting listens for: Casting listens for a young woman whose fear sharpens her rather than breaking her, and a guard whose kindness was real all along.
Reading alone only gets you so far
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