Sheila

• Sheila is a pretty girl in her early twenties, very pleased with life and rather excited.'


  Act 1
• ...except for all last summer, when you never came near me, and I wondered what had happened to you.'


  Act 1
• You're squiffy.'


  Act 1
• (who has put ring on, admiringly) I think it's perfect. Now I really feel engaged.'


  Act 1
• ...I can't help thinking about this girl - destroying herself so horribly - and I've been so happy tonight.'


  Act 1
• But these girls aren't cheap labour - they're people.'


  Act 1
• I went to the manager at Milwards and I told him that if they didn't get rid of that girl, I'd never go near the place again...'


  Act 1
• When I was looking at myself in the mirror I caught sight of her smiling at the assistant, and I was furious with her.'


  Act 1
• ...this girl...held the dress up...and it just suited her. She was the right type for it, just as I was wrong type.'


  Act 1
• It's the only time I've ever done anything like that, and I'll never, never do it again to anybody.'


  Act 1
• You gave yourself away as soon as he mentioned her other name.'


  Act 1
• Why - you fool - he knows. Of course he knows. And I hate to think how much he knows that we don't know yet.'


  Act 1
• No, Mother - please!'


  Act 2
• I feel you're beginning all wrong.'


  Act 2
• We all started like that - so confident, so pleased with ourselves until he began asking us questions.'


  Act 2
• You mustn't try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl. If you do, then the Inspector will just break it down.'


  Act 2
• This isn't the time to pretend that Eric isn't used to drink. He's been steadily drinking too much for the last two years.'


  Act 2
• No, he's giving us the rope - so that we'll hang ourselves.'


  Act 2
• I want to understand exactly what happens when a man says he's so busy at the works that he can hardly ever find time to come and see the girl he's supposed to be in love with.'

  Act 2
• And probably between us we killed her.'


  Act 2
• ...we've no excuse now for putting on airs and...if we've any sense we won't try.'


  Act 2
• Mother, I think it was cruel and vile.'


  Act 2
• Mother - I begged you and begged you to stop.'


  Act 2
• I behaved badly too. I know I did. I'm ashamed of it. But now you're beginning all over again to pretend nothing much has happened -'


  Act 3
• ...you don't seem to have learnt anything.'


  Act 3
• ...if all that's come out tonight is true, then it doesn't much matter who it was who made us confess.'

  Act 3
• And Eric's absolutely right. And it's the best thing any one of us has said tonight and it makes me feel a bit less ashamed of us.'


  Act 3
• But that won't bring Eva Smith back to life, will it?'


  Act 3
• ...it frightens me the way you talk...'


  Act 3