Age-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder
Screenplay

Cast and Crew

Patient (aka Chris)

Chris Eakins

Doctor

Martin Raphael

Voiceover

Sheila Clements

Producer

Daphne Edwards

Director

Steve Pemberton

Crew (alphabetical order)

John Eakins, Paul Fitzjohn, Ron Fowler, Mick Murphy, Breda Quirke

LS

long shot

CU

Close-up

MS

mid shot

POV

Point-of-view

I went to the doctor yesterday.

Interior. Doctor's surgery. Chris and the doctor are sitting on opposite sides of a table. There is a computer monitor, mouse and keyboard on the table. The monitor is facing away from the camera. Chris' handbag is on the table in front of her. Her mobile phone is next to it.

The doctor is speaking; we do not hear his words. Chris listens, nodding from time to time.

1a. MS doctor and Chris

He diagnosed me with Age-Activated

Chris continues to listen. Abruptly, she looks startled (something the doctor has said has reminded her that she needs to do something). She picks up her phone and starts texting.

2. CU Chris

Attention Deficit Disorder.

Doctor continues to talk for a moment and then stops, looking exasperated. Chris continues to text after he stops speaking, and then stops, lowers her phone, and looks at him expectantly.

1b

This is how it manifests itself.

The doctor sighs and resumes talking.

3 CU doctor

I need to wash my car.

As I start towards the garage I notice that there are some letters on the kitchen table. I put my keys down on the table and

Kitchen. On the table are a pile of letters and Chris' handbag. There is a vase of flowers on the worktop. Her glasses are near to the vase.

Chris comes in from the hall, walking towards the door that leads out to the garden. She is carrying her car keys. She looks at the letters and puts the keys down on table.

1a. LS

separate the post into bills and junk mail.

She picks up the letters. The TV remote was under the pile, but she does not notice this at the moment.

2a. POV

She sorts the letters into two piles - junk and non-junk.

3. MS

At least one letter in the non-junk pile covers her keys.

2b

I go to put the junk mail in the bin

She picks up the "junk" pile and goes to the bin.

1b

and notice that it is full. So I decide to empty it. But then I think that as I will be near the post box when I empty the bin, I may as well pay the bills first.

She begins to move it towards the door that she entered by. She looks at the letters remaining on the table and leaves the bin where it is.

4. LS including bin.

I take my cheque book from my bag and see that there is only one cheque left,

She opens her handbag and rummages through it to find her chequebook. She opens the chequebook to see that there's only one cheque left.

5. MS

so I go to my desk

She puts the chequebook on the table and leaves by the door she came in by.

1c

in my study where I find a bottle of Coke which I had been drinking. I am about to look for a cheque book

Study (really the desk by the front door). A laptop is on the desk, with its lid open. If possible, it is switched on, but the screen is dark. (If not, it can just be switched off altogether.) There is an open bottle of fizzy drink on the table next to the laptop. There is a chair in front of the desk.

Chris comes in and looks at the papers in the top of the desk. She notices the bottle and picks it up.

1a. LS

when I notice that the Coke is warm, so I

She realises that it's warm (surprised expression).

2. CU Chris

decide to put it in the fridge.

She turns to leave the same way that she came in.

1b

As I enter the kitchen, I notice that the flowers on the work-top need water.

Kitchen.

Chris enters and notices the flowers.

1a. LS

I put the Coke down and notice my glasses, which I have been looking for all morning. I decide that I had better take them back to my desk but first

She puts the bottle down and, with an "A-ha!" expression, picks up her glasses. She looks again at the flowers and puts the glasses down.

2a. MS

I must water the flowers. I fill a jug with water when I spot the TV remote on the table. I know we'll be looking for it tonight so I decide to take it back to the living room

She finds a jug and fills it at the sink. She turns to look at the flowers and notices the remote control on the table. She picks it up.

3. LS including sink

but first I must water the flowers. I splash some water on them but some spills on the floor. So I put the remote down

She continues over to the flowers. She waters the flowers, but most of the water goes elsewhere. She puts the remote and the jug down.

2b

to wipe up the spill.

She finds a cloth and mops up the spill.

1b

She wrings out the cloth in the sink and hangs it up. (If there's nowhere to hang it, she could put it into the washing machine.)

4. MS of Chris at sink (maybe through window)

Then I continue down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

She frowns and leaves the kitchen.

Now it's the end of the day: the car isn't washed,

Kitchen.

The room is empty, as Chris left it, except that her handbag is no longer on the table.

1. LS (as shot 1a in previous scene)

the bills aren't paid,

2. CU on letters on table

there's a warm bottle of Coke on the worktop, the flowers are not watered,

3. CU on flowers and bottle

there's only one cheque in my cheque book,

Living room. Chris' handbag is somewhere in the shot.

Chris wanders around looking for some small object, without success.

1a. LS

I can't find the remote

She looks under a newspaper or book.

2. POV. Lifting newspaper or open book

or my glasses and I don't know what I did with the car keys.

She looks down the side of an armchair or sofa, lifting the cushions.

3. MS

She picks up her handbag and briefly looks through it, finding nothing.

4. MS

She resumes her search.

1b

I try to work out why nothing got done today and I'm baffled because I've been busy and now I'm really tired.

Kitchen.

Chris is sitting at the table with her head propped up on her hand. There is a mug nearby on the table. She looks glum. She yawns and picks up the mug. She drains it and puts it back down.

1. MS

She stands up and leaves, going into the hall.

2. LS

I realise that this is a problem and I'll try to get some help, but first

Study.

Chris enters and sits down in front of the laptop. She presses a key or waggles the mouse to wake it up.

1. MS

I'll check my emails...

She starts the email client.

2. CU screen