THE OTHER SIDE

An original radio drama by Ella Stanton

CAST
ADA/NARRATOR: Lead teenage girl with a strong cockney
accent.

FLORENCE: Teenage girl’s friend.

MASTER BIRKEN: Owner of the orphanage and the murderer.

RICH MAN: Brings the teenage girl to the

orphanage.
 SCENE ONE: EXT. STREETS OF BETHNAL GREEN - MORNING
SOUND: CACOPHANY OF DIFFERENT COMMOTION
INCLUDING LAUGHTER, CASUAL
CHATTER, MARKET SELLERS TRYING TO
SELL THEIR GOODS, HORSES
TROTTING ON COBBLED ROADS.
INT. HOME OF ADA AND HER SISTERS – MORNING

SOUND: ONE PENNY FALLS ONTO A WOODEN TABLE

ADA: Oh Bugger! I better get out again.

This ain’t going to last us one
week.
SOUND: AGGRESSIVE COUGHING, BABYS CRYING
AND FLOORBOARDS CREAKING
ADA: (shouts) Alma, Alice I’m going to
work yeah, I’ll be back before you
know it with bread and potatoes.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS FAST ON WOODERN FLOOR
WITH URGENCY.
ADA: (whispers) I’m bloody hoping there
is gentleman out today with all the
shillings in the whole o London.
SOUND: DOOR SLAMS
SCENE 2: EXT. STREETS OF ISLINGTON - AFTERNOON
SOUND: CACOPHANY OF DIFFERENT COMMOTION
INCLUDING LAUGHTER, CASUAL CHATTER,
MARKET SELLERS TRYING TO SELL THEIR
GOODS, HORSES TROTTING ON COBBLED
ROADS.
ADA: (tense) Alright, this better go well
Or I’m going workhouse.
Come on Ada same way every time
just make sure he is distracted and
then grab the money.
RICH MAN: (ignorantly) I would like three
Rashes of bacon.
SOUND: PENNIES FALLING ON THE FLOOR, FAST
BREATHING.
ADA: (quietly) Oh bugger!
RICH MAN: (aggressively)How dare you handle
me you filthy child
children like you
thieving dirty little rats
deserve nothing more but to rot
in an orphanage.

Your coming with me.

ADA: (shouts) Get off me.

SOUND: HORSES TROTTING.

SILENCE.
QUICK FOOTSTEPS AND DOOR CREEKS
OPEN.
ADA: ( whispers)I knew this would
happen.
SCENE 3: INT. ORPHANAGE IN PADDINGTON – EVENING.
MASTER BIRKIN: (unfriendly) Hello there Edmund
Who do we have here?
RICH MAN: This little child tried to
pick pocket me earlier
today in Islington.
MASTER BIRKIN: pause. I see, interesting.
(aggressively) what is your name
child?
ADA: I ain’t telling you.
Who does this man think he is
MASTER BIRKIN: *laughs*
(sarcastically) Oh are you not?
What if I told you that I will
escort you to a factory if you
don’t?
ADA: Fine, I’m Ada.
MASTER BIRKIN: Thank you, Edmund you may leave.
ADA: The only reason why I tried to
Pick pocket him is because my
Parents are dead, and I have two
Younger sisters to look after.
I have no pennies left.
MASTER BIRKIN: (unsympathetically) Oh poor child.
It’s great you’re here then, your
Off the streets and have no one to
care for anymore except yourself.
ADA: What?
MASTER BIRKIN: Don’t you dare what me child! It
Is pardon master Birkin from now
on.
ADA: (helpless) My sisters are going to
go starving Master Birkin.
MASTER BIRKIN: (unconvincing) I wouldn’t worry
I’m sure Edmund will find them
soon and he can take them to
another orphanage in Brixton.
ADA: (alarmed) Brixton? Isn’t that the
Other side of London?
MASTER BIRKIN: How dare you complain.
what about we leave them on their
own and they starve to death?

ADA: No.
MASTER BIRKIN: Enough of that nonsense. Your now
Going to get a tour of my
Beautiful orphanage.
ADA: Clearly, I’ve already had enough
Of this man. I need to get out
now, and why is he describing
this hideous building as
beautiful what a twit.

MASTER BIRKIN: (shouts) Florence.

FLORENCE: (timidly) Yes Master Birkin.

MASTER BIRKIN: Could you give this girl a tour of
the orphanage.
FLORENCE: Yes Master Birkin.
MASTER BIRKIN: Enjoy your tour.

SCENE 4: INT. ORPHANGE CORRIDOR - EVENING

FLORENCE: Hello I’m Florence, what’s your

name.
ADA: Hello I’m Ada.
FLORENCE: Its very nice to meet you I’ve been
lonely.
ADA: Yes you too, but I need to get out
Of here now. My younger sisters are
On their own they were barely
Surviving when I was with em let
alone by themselves.
FLORENCE: Oh my, yes we need to get you out
But you must know about my dear
Friend Charlotte who tried to
Escape.
SOUND: SLLOW PACED WALKING ON WOODEN FLOOR
BOARDS.
ADA: (concerned) Alright, what happened
then?

FLORENCE: She was just like you determined to

Leave as soon as she got here but I
was selfish and didn’t tell her
about the possible escape routes
because I didn’t want her to leave
she was my best friend and it would
be so hard living in this orphanage
without her.
She hardly knew the place, and then
one night she decided she was
going to leave but

SOUND: LIGHTING A CANDLE AND LIGHT FOOTED

QUICK FOOTSTEPS ON WOODERN FLOOR.
and she didn’t tell me. Charlotte
then got caught we all awoke to
 screaming.
SOUND: HIGH PITCH SCREAMS AND A CANE BEING
WHIPPED.

but we were all told that it was

nothing but she never came back
*silence*
It was covered up.
This same story has been
Happening for years before I got
here as well.
ADA: Oh dammit
That sounds horrid and I hope you
alright Florence but I have to get
out for my sisters.
FLORENCE: (upset) Yes I’m fine thank you.
I think I might want to escape with
You and report Master Birkin. But no
One will listen to me I’m just an
Orphan.
ADA: (excited)I know but I can help you
And my sisters we can try and keep
trying until everyone knows what
is going on at the orphanage.
ADA: Bless her heart she needs to get
Out.
FLORENCE: (determined) Thanks so much, you
Have given me so much hope its hard
Stuck in here to keep up the hope I
Had when I first arrived.
SOUND: LOUD FOOTSTEPS ON WOODERN FLOOR
APPROACHING.
MASTER BIRKIN: (antagonised) Girls what are you
 Still doing here?
Florence, I thought I just told
you to give this child a tour.
What are you still doing here?
get on with it.
FLORENCE: Sorry Master Birkin, Ada just had
Some questions about our schedule.
MASTER BIRKIN: *Growls*
ADA: (laughs) That man has no patience
FLORENCE: (laughs) I know
Follow me.
SCENE 5 INT. CHILDRENS DORMITORY- EVENING 8PM
SOUND: SNORNING AND HEAVY BREATHING
SLEEP NOISES.
FLORENCE: So Ada what’s the plan?
ADA: We are going through the main
Corridor to the second staircase
down past the dusty infirmary and
then down to the kitchen and out
back door.
FLORENCE: Yes, where we can find the key in
The blue pot under the sink.
ADA: Exactly, and then we run straight
through the courtyard and go
through the small gape in the
fence that you told me about.
SOUND: LIGHTING A MATCH, SLOW FOOTSTEPS
ON WOODERN FLOOR, DOOR CREAKS OPEN

ADA: (Whispers)Its time.

FLORENCE: ( Whispers) Ada, I think I’m
having second thoughts. What if
what if we get caught?
ADA: (whispers)No Florence, you got
This far you ain’t going back
Now do it for Charlotte, we can
do this.
FLORENCE:
(whispers)Okay but we are not
getting caught.
ADA: ( whispers) Lets go.
SOUND: QUIET FOOTSTEPS WALKING DOWN
A RUGGED STAIRCASE

ADA: (whispers) Be quiet we are about

To walk past Master Birkin’s
Dormitory.
FLORENCE: Shhh!
SOUND: SLEEP NOISES INCLUDING LOUD
SNORES.
SOUND: FLOORBOARD CREEKS LOUDLY,
SNORING STOPS AND DOOR QUICKLY
OPENS.
ADA: (Shouts) Run!
FLORENCE: Oh my.
SOUND: RUNNING AND THE SOUND OF PANS
CLASHING
MASTER BIRKIN: (shouts) Get back here
right this instance!
ADA: (Urgently) We don’t have time to
find the key and open the door
he will already be here by then.
FLORENCE: (urgently) There could be
Another way. Look over their
there is a door!
ADA: What if it’s a dead end.
FLORENCE: Look at me Ada we have no other
Way, we are going to be murdered
If we just stand here.
SOUND: RUNNING ON HARD GROUND
FOLLOWED BY SCREAMS.
FLORENCE: (Screams) Charlotte!
SOUND: KNIFE SLASHES
ADA: (Startled) Shes dead.
(timid) And so are all the other
bodies in here.
FLORENCE: (Voice cracks with sadness) No.
SOUND: DOOR CREAKS OPEN FOLLOWED BY
SLOW PACED LOUD FOOTSTEPS AND
SARCASTIC CLAPPING.
MASTER BIRKIN: Fantastic! you have solved it
Ada. But its unfortunate you
couldn’t make it out…
ADA: I’m not letting you get away
with this.

The end.