The Year Dot
Dorothy (92) has Lung Cancer, knowing she may only have a year at most, she begins to plan an end of life party. When England goes into lockdown she has to find a way to gather her family one last time.
ACT 1:
Doctors surgery GP’s room. Rain pelts at the window whilst Dorothy (92) has her blood taken by a nurse. Kate(51) her daughter, sits beside her holding her hand and speaking to the GP.
Dorothy and Kate are in Dot’s flat. Dot is in high spirits and chats away to Kate about plans for her ‘end of life’ party, while writing out invitations and how to contact family around the world. A smallish television mumbles on in the background with a small teddy sat next to it.
Kate is at home watching television with her husband as the news of global lockdown comes through. Worried she calls her mum to provide emotional support. Dot is very upset about her party plans and Kate tells her she’ll just have to stay alive a bit longer.
Dot is in her sitting room looking through her plans, it’s beautifully sunny outside and she’s pulled both curtains across and has the fan on. A few teddys sit by the base of the fan. Her phone rings and she answers it. To her right there is a big table covered in photographs of her family in miscellaneous frames and further photographs on the wall.
Dot sits at her dressing table putting on her lipstick. The news is on a TV in the background reporting on the lockdown rules. Clothes are piled up on the back on her chair and many other lipsticks are rolling around on the table. A small brown bear with a red bow tie sits in front of the mirror. Dot chats absentmindedly to the bear about her party being moved to Christmas time.
ACT 2:
Dorothy’s granddaughter Mary (25) comes to stay to care for her as restrictions ease. Dot gets out her plans again for them to look through in the hope that she will be able to reignite party planning. She checks through her rolodex to make sure she has everyone’s contacts.
Dorothy is looking at her photograph collections in her big comfy chair in the sitting room. Mary comes in holding a cute little bear and hands the present to Dorothy. Dorothy names it Mini-Mary.
Dorothy is on her own again, she’s holding the bear with the red tie and sticks a photograph of her late husband on its face and chatting away to it. The bear replies and Dot tells him off.
It’s raining and cold outside, Dorothy listens to her son Miles telling her that people have started getting sick again and he is too unwell to visit at the moment, but he’s sent her a toy dog.
Mary is visiting again although this time it’s gloomy outside. Dot sits in her chair chatting away about her plans now that things are improving. Mary lines up Dorothy’s bear collection (including Mini-Mary) along the table with the photographs all pushed to the back. They write up new invitations and Mary sends them off.
A new lockdown is being announced on Dorothy’s television. Her telephone rings and she presses the mute button on a very old remote. She speaks to her youngest daughter, Liv about her life in Beijing and how they are dealing with the pandemic. Dot thanks Liv for the new teddy which she holds to her chest during the call. The flat is looking rather unkept and the other teddy’s are out in full force.
Dorothy is in her bedroom having a blazing row with someone in the sitting room. She’s all made up and is going through her glamorous looking wardrobe trying to find the perfect scarf to match the outfit.
The phone rings and she totters into the empty room to answer it. The room is a mess, with bears all over the place. There are photo albums on the floor which have been rummaged through and some missing photographs. It’s Kate on the phone explaining that due to lockdown no-one can see her at Christmas. After hanging up the phone Dot re-instigating her argument with the teddy sitting on the couch.
Miles calls and explains that her end of life party won’t happen this year, Dot finds herself squabbling with the bears as well as Miles. Miles finds Dot’s ramblings even more incoherent than usual and Miles hangs up confused. Miles worriedly speaks to his wife about calling his sister Kate to discuss their mother’s deteriorating health.
Dot tries to call everyone in her rolodex and gets frustrated when people aren’t answering. Those who do answer, don’t have the retort Dot is looking for and she ends up slumped in her chair with her teddy bears flung all over the room.
ACT 3:
It’s Christmas day. Dorothy has a volunteer caregiver with her helping her attempt to video call her family. Miles and his wife appear on one screen with their youngest son. Kate and her husband are there too, another screen shows Liv and her family in Tokyo, another shows Mary and her father and one shows a younger family of grandchildren. The connection is spotty and the conversation both difficult and broken.
Dot is pottering around her flat which is looking tidier again. The bears are spotted around in different seating arrangements. Dot has full make up on and a long glamorous gown, all looks as though there is about to be some kind of party. There is snow falling outside as she pours out medication onto the kitchen counter, chatting away the whole time. As she goes to get her water she slips and falls with a thud.
Kate is driving Dot back from hospital and explaining that she’ll have a career full time from now. Dot is upset and frustrated, holding the toy dog from Miles and squeezing it quite hard.
Dorothy is back at her flat looking at her photograph collections once more, in her big comfy chair in the sitting room. The bears she has so far now have photographs (of whichever family member sent them) glued to their faces. Dot natters away to them all about the good old times.
The doorbell rings and Dot trundles over to answer the door. Outside there are boxes and boxes of different teddies all sent from different family members all over the world with little notes.
Dorothy’s carer stands outside her door confused. She can hear loud music and Dot celebrating. When she enters the room she sees Dot all dressed up, surrounded by bears having her party with her family’s faces stuck on the bears (except Miles who is the stuffed dog he gave her!)
