Scene One - The Eleven Plus Play

The Characters

Dad
Mum
Child A
Estate Agent

The home is large and well furnished. The action of the play is concentrated in a short period of time, not more than an hour.

Scene 1

(Dad is talking to Mum about school. Child A is lounging on the sofa half listening to the conversation – but wishing that the adults would stop going over the same ground. The conversation is dominated by Dad.

Child A has passed an Eleven Plus test for a school some miles away. He has, however, also been entered for a different Eleven Plus test in January of 2008 for a school with in walking distance of the house.)

Dad I really think that we should take this opportunity. We put the school down first on the list and we agreed that if he won a place we would move.

Mum That is all very well. We said we would move a year ago when house prices were high. Now that house prices appear to be dropping we could move into negative equity.

Dad The trip will take seven minutes to the train station and then about twenty minutes on the train. I know that he will have to wait for twenty minutes for a bus – but there will be other boys and girls waiting for the bus. The bus then only takes ten minutes and he will not need to walk very far at the other end.

Mum Our problem is that we have not yet had a good offer for our house. If we moved now we may have to move into a very different sized house just to find a suitable house near to the school.

Dad I know that you want `A’ to take the test on January the 8th – but I just can’t see the point. He has a place at grammar. We said that we would move – so let us simply get on with it.

Mum Why not ask `A’. He is the one who will have to travel every day for over an hour.

Dad That is a good idea. What do you think `A’?

(There is silence as `A’ has fallen asleep.)

Dad Wake him up. He should have his say.

(The telephone rings off stage.)

Hello. Who is this?

Estate Agent Good news. Your offer …..

(To be continued.)