INT. GALLERY OF MODERN ART
THE DIRECTOR STANDS AT THE ENTRANCE TO ONE OF THE GALLERIES
DIRECTOR (TO HIMSELF)
Nobody here either. I don't get it.
FX - FOOTFALLS FROM THE CORRIDOR AS SOMEBODY APPROACHES
THE MANAGER OF INSTALLATIONS JOINS THE DIRECTOR
MANAGER
Who's a clever--
DIRECTOR
Damn and blast. What's going on? Absolutely nobody is viewing Tracey Emin's glorious installation.
THE MANAGER WALKS OVER TO AN OVERSIZED CAT LITTER TRAY
MANAGER
Somebody's done a big shit in it. Is that a critique, do you think?
DIRECTOR
What? Outrageous. Remind me to check the CCTV later. Hopefully there'll be some good close-ups. But first we need to find out where the punters have gone.
MANAGER
Well, as I was about --
DIRECTOR
I've just come from Gallery One, where I fully expected to find Damien Hirst's butt-plugged crocodile anuses getting some serious attention. But no. Not a soul in there.
MANAGER (ARTICULATES PRECISELY)
Not arsehole in there?
DIRECTOR
No. Nobody. And it was the same story in all the other galleries. So where are they?
MANAGER
They're watching Sid, the maintenance man.
DIRECTOR
Sid? I thought he was dead. Or am I confusing him with somebody else who got their head stuck in Tracey Emin's magnificent pneumatic vagina?
MANAGER
No, that was Sid. And it was touch and go for a while, but--
DIRECTOR
If he's monkeying around with installations again ...
MANAGER
He readily admits it was his own fault and that he shouldn't have attempted cunnilingus without a crash helmet ...
DIRECTOR
I mean it. If he's--
MANAGER
Now he's joking that it might have turned him a bit gay.
DIRECTOR
Is he indeed? Well, that's as gaybe. But if he's gaying around with things that don't concern him, I'm going to want him in my office and bent over my desk.
MANAGER
Pardon?
DIRECTOR
What?
MANAGER
You said...
DIRECTOR
No I didn't.
MANAGER
OK
DIRECTOR
As I was saying, what's Sid doing that's attracting so much interest?
MANAGER
He's lubricating door hinges.
DIRECTOR
And that's it?
MANAGER
Pretty much. But he's sexing it up quite a bit.
DIRECTOR
How is he sexing up something as mundane as lubricating door hinges?
MANAGER
With a grease gun.
DIRECTOR
It must be a big grease gun.
MANAGER
Oh, it's big.
DIRECTOR
Two handed?
MANAGER
Two handed. With a shoulder rest. And a high-pressure, 300 millimetre, flexible nozzle.
DIRECTOR (TAKES A DEEP BREATH)
That's quite long, isn't it? 300 millimetres?
MANAGER
Twelve inches. And he's naked from the waist up.
DIRECTOR
That's it. I've heard enough. Clearly I've no choice but to subject myself to witnessing this shameless performance first hand. Take the matter firmly in both hands. Man to man. Cheek to jowl. Where can I get my hands on it?
MANAGER
Pardon?
DIRECTOR
Where is he?
MANAGER
In the basement. He's got boxloads of old hinges down there.
DIRECTOR
Carry on.
THE DIRECTOR WALKS OFF AT A MEASURED PACE UNTIL HE ROUNDS A CORNER. HE THEN BREAKS INTO A SPRINT TO THE END OF THE CORRIDOR AND HURLS HIMSELF THROUGH SOME SWING-DOORS, DOWN TWO FLIGHTS OF STAIRS, THROUGH SOME MORE SWING DOORS AND INTO THE CROWDED BASEMENT.
INT. BASEMENT
A RAPT CROWD IS WATCHING A SHIRTLESS SID WHO IS HALFWAY UP A STEP-LADDER, BRANDISHING A TWO-HANDED, SHOULDER-SUPPORTED, FLEXIBLE-NOZZLED GREASE GUN. SID IS SQUIRTING A COPIOUS TRAIL OF VISCOUS GREASE ONTO AN OPEN DOOR HINGE WHICH HAS BEEN SCREWED TO AN UPRIGHT LENGTH OF WOOD.
SID
Ooh YES, you're liking that, aren't you. Take it baby. Take it all. Feel my juice penetrating your inner contours. Now DRAIN me baby, DRAIN me dry.
[MURMURED OOHS AND AAAAHS FROM THE CROWD.]
DIRECTOR (SOFTLY - INTO A HANDSET)
Listen. It's me. I want you to page Sid the maintenance man and tell him that I want him bent over my desk immediately... What? ... No I didn't ... I didn't ... I said in my office, immediately... Absolutely no bending. Got it? Thank you.
FROM THE CORNER OF HIS EYE THE DIRECTOR BECOMES AWARE OF PEOPLE STARING AT HIM. HE TURNS HIS HEAD AND TRACEY EMIN AND DAMIEN HIRST IMMEDIATELY LOOK AWAY, AND STARE OPEN-MOUTHED AT SID.
HE NOTICES THAT THE HEM AT THE BACK OF TRACEY EMIN'S SKIRT IS CAUGHT IN THE TOP OF HER KNICKERS.
DIRECTOR (SILENTLY, TO HIMSELF)
Don't forget - check out the CCTV.
THE DIRECTOR EXITS THE BASEMENT AREA WITH A STEADY GAIT
FX - BING BONG FROM THE TANNOY
THE DIRECTOR STOPS AT THE FOOT OF THE STAIRS AND AWAITS THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
V.O.
Paging Sid the maintenance man. Will Sid the maintenance man please bend over the Director's desk - sorry, not bend over the Director's desk - I mean report to the Director's office - and not bend over his desk - immediately. Thank you.
[RAUCOUS LAUGHTER FROM THE BASEMENT AREA]
THE DIRECTOR ROLLS HIS EYES, SLAPS HIS FOREHEAD AND SIGHS DEEPLY.
HE REACHES INTO HIS JACKET POCKET, BRINGS OUT A PUMP-ACTION BREATH FRESHENER, DIRECTS TWO BURSTS OF ATOMISED MIST INTO HIS OPEN MOUTH, SMACKS HIS LIPS, TAKES A DEEP BREATH AND BOUNDS UP THE STAIRS.
END