Programme 2 Script

Part 1

ACTION	DIALOGUE
Hens on crash barrier. They are petrified.	NIVE (quietly + respectfully): Morag!
Nive sees Morag squashed in the road.	NIVE: Morag!
Close up of the chickens – a pause as they take in what has happened.
Attila sees another lorry approaching.	ATTILA: Look, there’s another one coming!
The hens jump from the barrier and cross over the hard shoulder to safety, avoiding the oncoming truck.	DOT: Oww! NIVE: Come on Dot!
Gathering her breath, Heni accuses Idris.	HENI: This is terrible! This is all your fault Idris! Morag would still be here if it wasn’t for you!
	IDRIS: We should never have left the sheds in the first place!
	DOT: I don’t remember you being dragged out screaming.
	NIVE: Yeah, no one made you come Idris!
Two magpies land a distance down the hard shoulder.	ATTILA: Everyone stop bickering! This is getting us nowhere.
	IDRIS: We always had time for a good bicker back in the sheds.
They The magpies bounce over to the hens hopefully.	MAGPIE 1: Easy, cheesy steady on ladies….What’s all the fuss about? Did everyone get across OK? MAGPIE 2: No fatalities I hope?
Attila points at the motorway.	ATTILA: What is that?
Magpie looks over the hens.	MAGPIE 1: It’s a motorway…
	MAGPIE 2: …wHuman’s build them everywhere…herever there’s open countryside humans build motorways…
	ATTILA: What for?
	MAGPIES: Dunno…
	MAGPIE 2: …Which but iit’s handy for us. Keeps us busy….
	NIVE: Why’s that?
	MAGPIE 2: We’re magpies. We’re in the disposal business…
	MAGPIE 1: Crisps, apple-cores, sandwiches… MAGPIE 2: All the rubbish that gets dropped here…
	MAGPIE 1: and squashed…
	MAGPIE 2: we…dispose of…
	MAGPIE 1: frogs, hedgehogs, squirrels, mice…
Both magpies:	MAGPIE 2: mmm…mice…
[pause]	NIVE: You won’t be disposing of Morag, will you?
	MAGPIE 1: and…chickensBOTH MAGPIES: Morag? Who’s Morag?
Silence. The hens look across the road to where Morag was last seen.
The two magpies look at the hens, understand the situation, leap into the air beating their heavy wings in search of breakfast, cackling.	MAGPIE 2: …right then, who’s for breakfast?
The hens watch the magpies fly off.	NIVE: Oh no…poor Morag!
The hens all look sad. except…
…Heni, miles away, thinking about her stomach…	HENI: How terrible! [Beat]…still, at least they’ve got something to eat.Mmm…breakfast! I’m starving…
	ATTILA (annoyed): Heni! (Beat) Well, we could try over there I suppose.I can’t bear this. Come on!
CUT TO: Attila leads them off to the pine forest. The hens spend time scratching at the ground, covered in pine needles. The hens look to the ground they have scratched over. We hear a blackbird’s song.
Heni is despairing…pecking at the barren ground.	HENI: There’s nothing to eat here.
Attila looks up at the the blackbird in the treetop, which stops singing.	ATTILA: There must be some food around somewhere.
	IDRIS: Ask her…
	ATTILA: Excuse me!
	BLACKBIRD: Oh hello…
	ATTILA: We’re hungry. We’re looking for some breakfast – there doesn’t seem to be anything to eat around here.
	BLACKBIRD: That’s because there’s nothing down there. It’s new, planted by humans been made by humans.
	DOT: L It all looks the same!ike the motorway?
	BLACKBIRD: Yeah. And it’s boring. I’m not surprised nobody’-one’s moved in yet.
The hens look up into the tree to the blackbird.	NNIVE: Please we’re hungry…
	IDRIS …And we’re lost.
	BLACKBIRD: Oh luv, I know a beautiful farm where there’s plenty to eat. They take good care of you there. You chickens need to get yourselves to Mother Reilly’s Farm
	ATTILA AND NIVE: Where? DOT: Go on! HENI (disbelief): Never! IDRIS: There is such a place? BLACKBIRD: The refuge…Where chickens roam free of course…
	BLACKBIRD: Yeah, the other side of the river, just a short flight across the top of the trees.
Attila interrupts.	ATTILA: We can’t actually fly.
	HENI: No, but we do fall very well.
	BLACKBIRD: YI suppose you could walk, I suppose there, along that deer track..
	DOT: Is it far?
The blackbird gestures towards the path.	BLACKBIRD: No. See tThate path, it will lead you all the way through the forest to the river, and f. From there there I’ll take show you the way you to the farm if you want.
	HENS: Ooh, yes please!!!
	ATTILA: If it’s no trouble.
The blackbird hops to the top branches and calls down.	BLACKBIRD: It’s no trouble at all.
The hens walk into the dark forest, following the track.	IDRIS: This is obviously the way. Follow me.
As the blackbird flies off…	BLACKBIRD: Stay on the track! Or you’ll easily get lost. I’ll meet you by the river.
CUT TO: The hens in the forest. It is dark with the odd bright shaft of sunlight.
Time passes. The hens walk in between the pine trees. Hens walk past pine trees.
The hens are now showing signs of weariness.	NIVE: It’s dark and cold in here.
	DOT: My leg hurts. We’re not made for walking. We’ve been in cages too long.
	ATTILA: It can’t be much further, we just have to stick to the path.
	DOT: Does anybody know how long we’ve been walking?
	HENI: I do – ages.
	IDRISS: That’s it! This is stupid. This path’s leading us nowhere. I’m going back.
	ATTILA: What, back across the motorway?
	IDRIS: Why not?And then what? Yet another mess I suppose. ….let’s have a vote.
	HENI: But chickens don’t vote.
Idris leaves the path and walks between the trees. A glint of light shines from a pool in the forest.	IDRIS: (Disgruntled) Ooaabh! Well I suggest that we split up and look for water. Look – over there! There’s water – water! – look!
	ATTILA: Stay on the path.
Idris runs off to the pool of water.
Bath-time singing from Idris.	HENI: Oh, let her go. DOT: Yeah sShe’s been nothing but a pain in the tail feathers.
	ATTILA: No, we’ve got to stick together. Come on everyone.
Idris immerses her head in the water.	IDRIS: Water!?! Water…It’s, it’s water…See!!
The hens run after Idrisher.
Idris splashes about in the water like a duck.	IDRIS: Aaaah…so refreshing!Aaaah…Lovely water so refreshing…
We pull back to reveal it’s a pool of rancid water by a landfill rubbish tip.
Looking at the landfill.	HENI, DOT AND ATTILA: Humans! NIVE: What a mess!
Piles of empty barrels, dumped cars, tractor parts, supermarket trolleys and cans of poison drip into the pool. Black bin bags ripped and shredded are littered around. Idris sips a mouth full of the water.	NIVE: They do make a mess don’t they NIVE: Look!!!
Close up – only a few dead sticklebacks float on the oily water. Idris sips a mouth full of the rancid water.Attila has a suspicious look at it.	HENI: I thought fish were good swimmers.
Idris spits out her mouthful of water.	ATTILA: Idris don’t drink it! I think this water’s been poisoned! Did you swallow any?! Wait!
All hens look to Idris.
Point of view of Idris – all of the hens are looking at her.
	IDRIS: Aaguuuuggh! Yes a little… I’ve been poisoned! Oh my God, I’m going to die!
The hens take a deep collective breath and wait for Idris to die.	HENS: Huuuuhh!
Idris collapses dramatically on the floor. The Hens in a half circle around Idris watch and wait.	IDRIS: Oh woe! Poor me…I had so much to live for…What are you half wits looking at? Why me? I’m not ready to die… Oh the pain! The pain! Oooooohhhhhmaaaoooo…
	HENI: Take your time Idris.
Idris lifts her head and neck higher.	IDRIS: It’s a slow acting poison.
	ATTILA: Come on Idris, Let’s just get to the farm.
Idris opens one eye and sheepishly gets to her feet.
Suddenly and unexpectedly Dot collapses.	DOT: Aagghh!
	ATTILA: Dot, are you alright?
	NIVE: Let me have a look at that.
Dot shows her damaged leg. It has swollen up like a balloon.	DOT: I don’t think I can go any further.
	ATTILA: Look, I think you should stay here. [PAUSE] I’ll go and fetch help.
	HENI: Hang on a minute! Don’t you mean we? What about us always sticking together?
	NIVE: Please don’t leave us.
	ATTILA: Don’t worry, Nive. Dot needs looking after. She’ll be safer if you all stay here. I’ll go on ahead.
	NIVE: I suppose so. HENI: Fair enough. IDRIS: Typical!
	HENI: It’s OK Attila, I’ll look after them.
Attila heads off.	IDRIS (as Attila leavescalls after Attila): You got us into this mess Attila. You better come back!
	HENI: Oh give over Idris. Come on. Let’s find somewhere to roost.