Leonard's Neighbours It's My Shout: Short Films from Wales

FOOTSTEPS

TYPEWRITER CLICKS

They're saying it's rude,

playing that damn piano, night after night.

Isn't it? Well?

I know, Leonard.

And every day I write notes.

Yes. Every day.

And they haven't taken a blind bit of notice, have they?

No, Leonard.

HE GRUMBLES I haven't slept properly for weeks.

I know. You keep saying.

As I said,

time and time again,

you are being very inconsiderate

playing the piano

in the middle of the night.

Yours sincerely,

Leonard from upstairs.

FOOTSTEPS

Good.

That's right.

Watch your dynamics.

HE GROANS

Dad?

HE CONTINUES TO GROAN

Dad?

Daddy?

KETTLE WHISTLES

KETTLE RATTLES AND WHISTLES

-I don't think they're home.

-No, doesn't seem so.

Be nice to know what they look like, living in my house, as they do.

It's not just your house any more.

Don't you think I know that?

They're being selfish, that's what it is.

Selfish.

Perhaps it's time to try a new approach.

An invitation, perhaps.

Anything for a decent night's sleep.

TYPEWRITER CLICKS

METRONOME TICKS, CANE RAPS ON FLOOR

Half four, I said.

-They're probably just out somewhere.

-Out? All they seem to do is go out.

Go out and play that bloody piano!

Your idea, this was, making me look like a bloody fool.

It was just an idea.

I'm sick of your new ideas, they bring me nothing but trouble.

I don't want you here any more.

-You don't mean that.

-I do.

But you need me.

I thought so too, but it's not right.

Not any more.

But I'm all you've got.

All the more reason.

Go!

GASPING BREATHS

METRONOME TICKS

PIANO PLAYS

Tempo.

Yes, keep the tempo, son.

James, are you ready?

-James.

-I'm not coming.

-What?

I just said, I'm not coming.

Will you stop that racket, boy?!

Don't listen, son, keep playing.

James, I swear if you do this to me one more time...

CANE RAPS ON FLOOR

And what will you do? Oh, wait, don't tell me.

Keep playing, son.

It's not fair.

I carried your picture in my pocket,

-and to think all that time you were with HIM!

-Stop.

Most wives would at least have the decency to let the ink dry

on the goddamn telegram!

-I thought you were dead.

-So did I!

Maybe it was better that way.

James.

-SOBBING:

-James!

METRONOME TICKS

Hello?

You in there?

I just wanted to know if you got my note.

Don't bother, then. What do you care?

I'm not angry.

I just want to talk to you.

# Peace. #

PIANO PLAYS

What have I told you?!

You are not to play in here, ever.

Get out.

Get out, out, out, out, out...

DOOR SLAMS SHUT

KEY IN LOCK

METRONOME TICKS

PIANO PLAYS SLOWLY

To you upstairs,

I don't know what you're doing up there,

but I can hardly think for all that banging around.

You there, boy?

Yes, Leonard. I'm here.

METRONOME TICKS

PIANO, TICKING STOPS

Leonard's Neighbours came from

when I lived on Cathedral Road,

in a flat,

and I'd go into care homes and I'd choose a scene for each week,

and we'd sort of take in prompts and we'd do a poem or a short story,

or we'd be writing postcards and things like that.

'I'm interested in people.

'I like hearing about them.

'I just take things on, I absorb things, and then,'

when it comes to sit down to write things,

it all comes flooding out and I think, "That's really interesting,

"that person said this happened to them," and it's like, "Yeah,

"I'm going to steal that and write about it," but change the names.

So when I wrote the script,

which I set in Pontcanna, with a Leonard...

We now have an actual Leonard.

As I said...

And also I wrote my Leonard character as Jewish,

-and you are also Jewish, aren't you?

-Yes.

So there's actually quite a few parallels

that are quite interesting.

But you would have been the Leonard, I think,

if my Leonard had had a nicer life

and done a bit more for himself, like you've done,

and travelled the world.

I'd like to think he would have been a bit more like you,

rather than how he is now, because my Leonard's not very happy.

Yours sincerely,

Leonard from upstairs.

You know, someone asked me how I heard about It's My Shout today,

and I think I just saw it on Facebook,

and it was the first script I've ever written,

so I didn't expect to get anywhere.

So this year we had 250 scripts, over 250 script submissions,

which is the most we've ever had.

Once we have the final 50,

we have people from the BBC, BBC Wales,

who will read the final 50, as well as Kurt Thomas,

who is the script development mentor.

They all read the top 50 and come to the top ten, each,

which is then around the table,

people from It's My Shout as well as the BBC will come

up with the final nine films.

So, yeah. And I think what the panel really liked

about Leonard's Neighbours

was the fact that it was quite accomplished,

especially now knowing that it's the first script that Jodie has ever

written, it's quite an accomplishment for her too.

Your idea, this was, making me look like a bloody fool.

It was just an idea.

I'm sick of you and your ideas. You bring me nothing but trouble.

Where is the key?

Leonard, where is the key?

I don't know, I put it somewhere.

-I forget now.

-Sit down!

-Why are you in this room?

-Casting is interesting.

I mean, it's my first-ever casting,

so to have it as my first film is a little bit surreal.

And action!

It's a real strong character piece, kind of heavy on theme,

that's something I really wanted to do.

So, yeah, I really jumped at that chance

and ideas started popping

and I think you know that when you get into a script,

you know this is the one I wanted to go for.

Are you saying it's unlevel?

Is it the monitor?

-Oh, the monitor is unlevel. So look on this one.

-Oh, OK, yeah.

It's enjoyable watching all the crew and the cast and everyone together.

It's enjoyable standing at the back and seeing how everyone does it.

But the weird thing is hearing someone say your words

that you've been poring over for months and months and months.

James, are you ready?

-SHE SIGHS

-James.

And also what they do with those words,

so in my mind it sounded different,

so then they say it and I'm like,

"Wow, that's actually... That's really sad."

-James.

-I'm not coming.

-What?

I just said, I'm not coming.

Would you stop with that damn racket?!

Yeah, but it's nice to have it kind of brought to life.

But, yeah, a really odd experience. Cool, though.