Hi! First of all, thank you for agreeing to read my words! It's really sweet of you!

Edward and the

Shell Mounds is based on a short story I am writing, and the short story is based on a true event
(still with me? Good!).

The facts
In 1887, Professor Edward Sylvestor Morse was travelling from Yokohama to Tokyo by train
when he noticed some unusually shaped mounds in what is now the Omori area. He rode back
by horseback with a small army of students from Tokyo University (because these were the
good old days when "work experience" wasn't just a word… or even two) and discovered that
the mounds were shellfish mounds (also known as kitchen middens or shell heaps).

"Why is this important, Alex?" I hear you cry, because I have excellent hearing. Well, as Edward
explains in the play, they are ancient dumps and offer a huge insight into the daily lives of
prehistoric humans. Japanese school children learn about Edward and his shell heaps to this
very day.

My take on it
I wanted to make the story interesting and relevant. Enter Demelza. She's sort of an
amalgamation of Mary Poppins and Anne Lister. Edward underestimates her from the start
because she is a lady. Eventually though, she helps him see the shell mounds and cements his
place in the history books.

To this end, the moral of the story is not to underestimate the person sitting opposite you on the
train today. They might not be quite as stupid as they look.
Let's talk Edward

Age: 39
Origin: Portland, Maine, USA.
Education: Expelled from school, yet he is an internationally respected scientist.

- Edward has money and status, though not anywhere near as much as Demelza.
- He is very much respected - people from all over the world have seen his collections of
snails - and so he is certainly NOT used to being treated the way Demelza treats him.
- Edward has been alive long enough to know that following the rules gets him what he
wants: academic respect. However, he hasn't quite forgotten his rebellious streak from
his youth.
-
Let's talk Demelza

Age: I see her as in her early 40s but honestly, she could be ten years younger or older than
that.
Origin: London
Education: Privately educated, usually on archaeological dig sites by her father
- She subvents the norm in several ways.
- First, she wears red lipstick. Upper class ladies didn't tend to wear much makeup in the
late 1800s, preferring a more natural look. But she likes it, so she wears it.
- Second, she travels without a chaperone and strikes up a conversation with Edward
(*gasp* A MAN!) This was almost unheard of at the time.
- Third, she smokes. A big deal is made of the smoking because it's the tool she uses to
strike up a conversation with Edward. Women do not smoke in the 1800s.
- Quotes to sum her up: "I find if one just ignores the rules, people quietly make
exceptions for you." "I have money. That means I can behave however I like."

Influences
- There's something Mary Poppins in the way that she engages Edward.
- Anne Lister, as played by Suranne Jones in Gentleman Jack, is definitely an influence.
I'd advise watching a few clips on Youtube.

Anticipated questions

Why does she talk to Edward?

In the short story, she wants to tell Edward about the shell mounds so she can invest in the
archaeological dig. This element hasn't made it into the ten minute version because it's a lot of
exposition. In the ten minute version, she wants to ensure Edward's lecture is lively, because
that's where she is going.

How does she speak?

Received pronunciation. Since her power comes from playing with subverting gender norms,
you might like to try using a slightly deeper voice? (But don't go overboard! (As a sidenote, I've
met teachers who have taken vocal classes to speak more deeply so as to better command
rowdy 12-year-olds).

Does she know who Edward is from the beginning?

Yes. Absolutely. It's enormous fun for her to pretend she doesn't know who he is.