costumed cast, judging by the odd dress suit and plus fours. One or two of the women were in slinky cocktail dresses.
âI always feel half in character here,â Louise said. âA sort of betwixt and between place. Donât worry though. I wonât seduce you here.â
âPity,â I said lightly. I was conscious that we both seemed to be skirting round the edges of the next step â if there was one.
Muted conversations seemed the order of the day here too. I could see Tom sitting at a table with several other men and a pleasant-looking woman of about forty, all talking earnestly. Louise and I found a table nearby and I went to get some coffee. âThis car adviser . . .â I began, as I returned bearing the cups.
âYouâll meet him on Monday.â
âWhoâ?â
At that moment I saw Angie striding in, clad in designer jeans and expensive jewellery, with â of course â large sunglasses on top of her head and an expression that conveyed that she was important. She looked both a joke and formidable, as she swanned over to Tom. I couldnât hear what was being said, but the meaning was clear, because Tom pushed back his chair, got to his feet and walked out, white-faced. As he passed us, he managed a wink. âItâs the push again. Collect the cash and go.â
One of his companions, a man who looked in his mid thirties, with a gentle face and dark hair plastered back, no doubt for thirtiesâ style, stood up to confront Angie. âYou canât do this,â he yelled at her, visibly trembling, as she stalked off to the counter. âNot again.â The room was suddenly hushed.
Angie stopped in her tracks and spun round. âI have done it, Chris,â she said coolly. âOr rather Roger has.â
âWe all know itâs you who wants Tom out.â
âSit down, Chris,â one of his neighbours said quietly. âYou wonât do Tom any good.â He was older, perhaps fifty or so, and certainly wiser. Chris reluctantly obeyed, looking near to tears either with frustration or fear.
âGood is what I want,â Angie said coolly. âThe good of the film. Whatever it takes.â She was infuriatingly calm, seeming almost bored. She must have strong cards in her hands, I thought, to risk being so unpopular.
âThatâs hard to see,â the older man remarked.
âNo doubt it is â for you, Brian,â Angie said.
At this, Brian seemed about to leap up to defend himself, but the third man at the table (âGraham,â Louise hissed) stopped him. The woman (âJoan Burtonâ) said sharply, âDonât, Brian.â
Angie smirked â no other word for it â clearly aware that she was the object of fascinated attention. âWe require high standards here. From both cast
and
extras. Do remember that, Chris. I hope your work lives up to it. Yours too, Brian. And Graham, isnât it?â She then added as an afterthought, âAnd even you, Joan.â
The meaning was crystal clear to everyone. Shut up or get out. No âbackgroundâ for her. They were mere extras.
With that, Angie decided to leave the canteen, perhaps thinking that coffee wasnât such a bright idea after all.
âSure this isnât a scene shoot?â I asked Louise in wonder.
âI wish it was. Sheâs for real, unfortunately. You think thatâs bad. You should hear what she spits out in a one to one confrontation.â
âAs bad as that?â
âOh yes. Thatâs why I didnât intervene just now. It would have made things worse. Luckily she canât give me a lethal wound but others arenât in such a good position. Chris Frant and Graham East are basically non-speaking, although theyâre playing von Ribbentrop and the Prince of Wales respectively. Brian Tegg, the older man, might seem less vulnerable because heâs a supporting actor playing Lord Charing,
Emma Daniels, Ethan Somerville