Rainbow's End

Dreams vs Reality Quotes

Gladys Queen Dream

“Gladys, curtsying, is presenting a bouquet of flowers to the Queen. Instead of being formal, the Queen pulls her into a hug.”

Gladys Weeds Reality

“Gladys is holding a bunch of weeds. She looks at them as if she can’t understand why she is holding them.”

Dolly Hero Heroine Reality

“DOLLY: Mum’ll be on the radio, she’ll win all the wonderful prizes, she’ll be a hero- GLADYS: [correcting her] Heroine.”

Gladys Dolly Graduate Dream

“Gladys sees Dolly in a robe and a clapboard hat. GLADYS: My girl, a graduate...”

Gladys Dolly Daydream Reality

“Gladys looks around, fearful that her ‘daydream’ has been witness, but it hasn’t.”

Gladys Important Jobs

“She needs to talk to people who are doing something with their lives. People with important jobs, not just picking, like us.”

Gladys Singing Card Quote

“Gladys starts singing ‘I’ve Got the World on a String’. She is looking at Errol’s card.”

Dolly Salesman Dream

“A well-groomed SALESMAN appears. SALESMAN: [posh] May I be of assistance, miss? DOLLY: [posh] Why yars, I’m after a new linoleum.”

Nan Dear Town Aboriginals

“A girl from The Flats? I don’t even see the town Aboriginals working in stores.”

Gladys Water + Dream

“They say the houses’ll have running water”

“A tap appears from nowhere and from it flows blue jewels in an approximation of water.”

I’ve Got the World on a String - Frank Sinatra

“I’d be a silly so-and-so if I should ever let it go”

Done Thousand

“I have done this before Mum. [To herself] Only about a thousand times.”

Devastated Home Sodden

“A flood has devastated their home. Everything below three feet is sodden.”

Nan ruined encyclopedias to Gladys

NAN: “They were your dream” GLADYS [fiercely]: “There only possessions... people is what matters

Nan daydreams outburst.

“ [an outburst] And what bloody good would that do?! Daydreams!”

Nan Dream

“Wedding bells and confetti as Dolly and Errol — pram in the middle — get hitched”

First and Last song in play (non diegetic)

“Que sera, sera,

Whatever will be, will be,

The future’s not ours to see,

Que sera, sera

bad one

A bad one will promise you the world and then do the straight opposite

Errol promise

I’m promising you the world

Nan Good Man

I can recognise a good man when I see one

Description of Rumbalara

White and featureless

Mad whiteness

[referring to Ajax cleaning ad] they’re mad about whiteness

Nan to Gladys don’t get too clever

You? Don’t ever get too clever my girl… You get knocked down when you get too clever

Gladys reading Errol

Could you teach me Errol…the mission managers were terrible… and I got sent off to work for a family… then my darn pride got in the way.

Errol response to Gladys reading

It’d be an honour, Mrs. Banks… Then I’ll have to change too

Nan to rent collector

This is Aboriginal housing

Dolly a real home

A real home is where there are people looking out for each other.