Night Sequence

Another warm chlorinated night

The pool throws blue light

The harbor sprawling in the garden

The spirit of the earth

Coming up through the ground

Tonight there is no weather

As if out here

You're on a set

Of painted on yachts

Fake glittering stars

The pool turns out to be blue cellophane

The grass is actually paper

The camera moves in

We detach from our unit

Actors uncertain

He motions to someone out of view

Shares a joke

And accepts a drink

From some accomplice

Sipping quiet he's waiting for his monologue

Mynah birds still whirr and click

But all else is still and listening

A makeup girl does his hair and disappears

The actor is actually playing you

We dissolve in close

He finishes his drink

He begins, ahh

'A long time ago...'

He leaves off

Someone hands him a phone

Something terrible has occurred

Is this part of the story?

The audience may at this point choose

If you want a happy ending

Then you may jump to another story

If you wanted to see some more of the yachts

They'll be back in other scenes

Yeah!

If you think you can move along a little faster

Here we go...

The actor is having an argument

We overhear:

'Bu... But... But that's... but that's not possible!

I... I... I know, but why... but when... why wouldn't know...

They'll never know... but why wouldn't... I...

Cue in music

Moonlight Sonata

Sped up with some subtle disco beat

Bring up more starry light

Let a zephyr blow through this garden

A woman appears on the set

It's that famous actress who is the actor's girlfriend in real life

But who is actually also playing your wife in this film

They embrace

She takes the phone from the actor

And dismisses the crew

We're left dangling

We can't wait to find out

If, how, why

If, how, why

We think about the nature of performance

And we see the garden darken

Clouds now cover the stars

The yacht's completely gone

The harbor was a projection

Actress was a hologram

The garden was a stage

Aww, the night is suddenly gone

We're blinking in the sudden light

People push past

The air is filled with smoke, perfume, sweat

Voices shout, some whisper

A cab pulls up

Now this is strange

We climb inside

The actor is in there

He slides over begrudgingly

Wow, he really looks like you close up

We begin our journey

Him on one side, you on the other

I fall asleep

Ha! When I awake I'm confused

Who is who?

Who is who?

Who is who?

Who is who?

The driver turns around

'This would be your stop'

And the cab stops

You get out

We drive on

The actor decides to act like you

He mimics your lazy minions

He has perfected your accent

His makeup and hair are amazing

Even from here

I can't believe they even knew where you live

We pull up outside your house

The actress playing your wife comes out

Out of your house

Carrying a phone

She climbs in the front seat

She hands you I mean, the actor the phone

You deny everything

I mean the actor

No, but that's not true

That's just not true

Cars speed past

The hum of the city

Song of the day

The actor hangs up

On closer examination the phone is a prop

He reads from a script all but concealed

Why?

Why did you give Kilbey my number?

She answers with:

'Maybe this is an imposter

Kilbey is your friend, what do you mean?'

[He replies:]

'I feel like he's watching us all the time

Incorporating us into one of his songs

Writing about our lives

In his dispassionate way'

The cab turns into Cleveland Street

The driver turns around

'Just after these lights then'

There's so much I would like to ask the actress

I lean forward to say something

The taxi stops

We climb out

We come to a warehouse

We go in where they are making a film

We go in where they are making a film

We go in where they are making a film

The garden

A harbor

The pool

The chlorine

The alcohol

A hot night is invoked

A breeze maker emits a gentle breeze

The recorded sounds of a distant drunken party

People, laughter, drifting on the air

Woozy music

Glasses clinking

Ice tinkling

Yachts on the harbor

People on board waving to us

Drinking

Laughing

Waving

Summer

Holiday

Night

Antics

Rockets go up

Framing the bridge

Push out of the crowd

Crowd of extras and wardrobe people

Some wearing swimming costumes

Some in evening wear

More fireworks

More fireworks

Their soft explosions thumping the night

Revelry

Abandonment

Music swelling up

Credits roll

You leave the premises