Page 9 of The Silent Appeal

Subject: Nicky-Rose?

Thank you for a lovely party last night. Don’t know how you managed to keep it secret from Kevin all over Christmas and New Year. I’m terrible at keeping secrets because my heart chakra is always open.

Did you know Nicky-Rose was coming? Only everyone looked so surprised. What a way to arrive home after twenty years, bursting through the door during the speeches for your brother-in-law’s fiftieth birthday!

She must be nearly forty. I remember people talking about what a great dancer she was and how she’d gone to America. Is she still dancing on cruise ships? Didn’t she live in the Bahamas or something?

I’m super excited to read for a part on Monday. Has Kevin spoken to you about casting? Henrietta is by far the best fit for me. She’s sparky and creative, yet also wise and observant when it comes to the people around her. I give Henrietta vibes all the time, I know. Namaste, Emma x

To: Emma Crooks

From: Sarah-Jane MacDonald

Date: January 3, 2025

Subject: Re: Nicky-Rose?

Oh, Emma, you know I hate surprises unless I’m organizing them. When Kevin walked in wearing Crocs, Harley’s school anorak, and Sammy’s Christmas fairy earmuffs over his most threadbare tracksuit, I knew he had no idea the Fairway Players, his family, friends, and key business clients were about to jump out from behind the stage. When Nicky-Rose appeared half an hour later it was my turn—Mum is still in shock.

No, my little sister hasn’t danced herself in years; she and another dancer, her friend Trina, started a company supplying cruise-ship entertainment. She hopped about all over the Caribbean and Florida. The last we heard, the company was doing well and she’d bought a place in Barbados. She kept in touch with Mum more than me, but honestly, she’s been away so long it’s like someone’s come back from the dead when you’ve eBayed their clothes and converted their bedroom into an office.

The Hollow is Kevin’s baby and I don’t want to interfere with his vision for it. My only request is that casting is colorblind and gender-fluid. I know the Fairways are all white and no one—to my knowledge—suffers from gender dysphoria, but still, it’s the intention that counts.

Sarah-Jane MacDonald

Independent Retail Marketing Consultant

Message exchange between Sarah-Jane and Kevin MacDonald on January 3, 2025:

5:34 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

Emma wants to play Henrietta.

5:35 p.m. Kevin wrote:

As do Fran and Karen and I’m sure every other female Fairway under fifty.

5:36 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

Surely Veronica Craye is the most popular role? Glamorous film star and femme fatale, etc.

5:40 p.m. Kevin wrote:

Who only has a handful of lines. Gerda is the role no one wants. Unattractive, dull, nagging, and tiresome. In a play about love, Gerda is a great big loser and no one wants in.

5:41 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

Everyone knows auditioning means a commitment to whatever part they’re given.

5:43 p.m. Kevin wrote:

And if I struggle to cast Gerda, I know I can rely on my wonderful wife to step into the role.

5:45 p.m. Sarah-Jane wrote:

Your wonderful wife will be busy producing the play. On the other hand, if you struggle to cast Veronica Craye…

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