Miss Yesterday: Synopsis

Cast: 3 male / 4 female
Running time (approximate): 1 hour and forty minutes - not including the interval.
Availability: Miss Yesterday is available for both professional and amateur production (contact Casarotto Ramsay for further information and reading scripts)
Acting edition: Miss Yesterday has not been published.

Characters

○ Tammy Laidlaw (15)
○ Roz Butcher (Her friend, 15)
○ Andrew Laidlaw (Her father, 45)
○ Josie Laidlaw (Her mother, 40)
○ Ian Laidlaw (Her brother, 20)
○ Tamara (A mysterious stranger, 45)
○ Carol Winterbursh (A police constable)
○ Security Guard
○ PC Kevin Ratch (A police constable)

Note: The roles of Tamara & Carol, and Security Guard & Rath can be doubled.
Fifteen year old Tammy and her friend Roz are trying to break into school to see tomorrow’s exam papers. Tammy, for whom failure is the norm, is spotted climbing the gate. Roz flees and Tammy is taken to the police station. Refusing to co-operate, she is taken home to face the wrath of her parents Andrew and Josie. They both despair of Tammy, jump to the wrong conclusions and even suggest she should be taken away for treatment! Sadly, Tammy cannot match her brother Ian’s high standards in the eyes of her parents. Locked in silence with her parents, Tammy eventually tries to explain, except her parents have fallen asleep.

Roz comes to see Tammy, although she obviously has a crush on Ian, who shows far more understanding of Tammy’s situation than her parents. Ian offers Tammy some good advice and tells her to be herself. He leaves for a cricket match on his motorcycle. Later, Andrew comes to Tammy and announces Ian has died in a crash.

Alone in a park, Tammy is approached by a stranger who seems to know a lot about Tammy and even appears to read her thoughts. She offers Tammy the opportunity to go back in time 24 hours. Tammy reluctantly agrees and finds herself back at the school-gates.

Again, Tammy is spotted but manages to escape this time. Returning home, she tries to persuade Ian and her parents that Andrew can’t go to his match. As it is 1am in the morning and she sounds very confused, Carol gives Tammy sleeping pills to calm her.

Tammy wakes the next day, just before Ian is due to leave. Unable to convince him to stay, Tammy sabotages his bike and Ian is forced to take the bus to the match. He survives to live another day.

The stranger comes to Tammy’s home, but is extremely ill. By saving her brother, Tammy has altered the future and the entire world has been affected by her decision. Tammy agrees to go back in time again. As Tammy goes back in time, the stranger says she is called Tamara… Tammy’s name.

Back in time and with Ian in the garage, Tammy leaves the bike alone; Ian leaves and Tammy and Roz re-affirm their friendship.

In a montage, Tamara appears and narrates Tammy’s life. Following Ian’s death, she finds purpose and motivation in her life. She becomes a Doctor; gets married and receives a noble prize for finding the cure for a terrible disease. At the close, Tamara reveals herself to be Tammy.

Article by Simon Murgatroyd. Copyright: Haydonning Ltd. Please do not reproduce without permission of the copyright holder.