The Doll Factory (2023) s01e01 Episode Script

IRIS: Dead or alive?
ROSE: Dead.
MRS SALTER: [WHISPERING]
Shoulders back, sit straight.
Good day.
Are you looking for
something in particular?
We're not so much a
business as a family here.
CUSTOMER OOV: It's all
done on the premises?
MRS SALTER OOV: Every stitch.
CUSTOMER OOV: Twins, how sweet.
MRS SALTER: A mourning doll.
Parents send us an
image of their lost child
to recreate upon the face of a doll.
It's understandable and indeed natural
that one should want
to commemorate a dear,
passed spirit.
After all, as it says in Corinthians,
'We are confident and willing rather
to be absent from the body
and to be present with the Lord'.
The child's soul is gone
but this doll is a symbol of the
earthly vessel she left behind.
We make them for toys as well of course.
MRS SALTER: [CONT.]
A porcelain likeness,
dead or alive.
IRIS: Dead or alive.
MRS SALTER: Whatever's your preference.
IRIS: Is there something
you find interesting?
MRS SALTER: I like to give opportunity
to such disadvantaged girls.
My pleasure.
Well, that's cost you a day's wages.
ROSE: You shouldn't have said anything.
IRIS: Well, I hate it
when they stare at you.
ROSE: You just make it worse.
IRIS: They're covered in
moths, Mrs Salter would go mad
if she saw them like this.
ALBIE: My sister's sick, I
was up all night with her.
IRIS: Well, you should've checked Albie.
ALBIE: You can let
one moth go Miss Iris.
IRIS: Ok.
ALBIE: You don't want that
one, this one's for you.
IRIS: You be more careful
with the threads next time,
remember you're dealing
with a devil, not a woman.
ALBIE: Really?
MRS SALTER: [HISSING]
IRIS: [CHUCKLES] It's just a joke.
ALBIE: What happened to your hand?
Are you alright?
IRIS: I'm fine, here, take
it, take it, it's not a trick.
It's for your sister.
ALBIE: Thanks.
ALBIE: Woah!
SILAS: Albie?
ALBIE: I've got something
nice and fresh for you today.
SILAS: The foreleg of a Megalosaurus?
Severed mermaid's head perhaps?
ALBIE: A bit chilly for a mermaid
in Regent Canal this time of year.
but the other thing, mega
he told me he'll leave you
a knee when he snuffs it.
SILAS: Kind of him.
ALBIE: Two bob.
Thought you'd like that
- [OH]
- a bob for each head.
SILAS: Oh, Albie.
ALBIE: A shilling?
SILAS: Mm mm and you
can visit my workshop.
It's funny to me that the
smell of formaldehyde is worse
to you than the rotting shit
you carry around every day.
ALBIE: It's not natural.
It's natural be a dead thing.
SILAS: [LAUGHS]
You're gonna make an
artist of me little pups.
Those cunts on the committee
can't say no to you,
hey, no they can't.
[BACKGROUND SPEAKING]
MILLAIS: All right Louis?
LOUIS: Don't worry about
mortally wounding me little man!
Jesus.
ROSSETTI: Here we are.
LOUIS: Honestly.
ROSSETTI: Cadaver!
ROSSETTI: Cadaver! Open up!
We're here for Louis's bird.
MILLAIS: He must be away.
LOUIS: Away where?
ROSSETTI: I don't think he's there boys.
MILLAIS: Neither do I,
shall we go for an ale?
ROSSETTI: Took the
words right out my mouth.
HUNT: I like that idea.
ALBIE: You'll have to shit twice
as much as that to catch me Moll.
MOLL: [LAUGHS] Hey, your
sister's got company!
EVIE: You'll pay now my lovely,
I'm not having you leg
it when it's all over.
MOLL: Show me that diamond.
How much more to go?
ALBIE: A full set costs three pounds.
MOLL: How much you got?
EVIE: I'm no fool sir,
if you don't hand me my money
I'm not handing you my cunny.
IRIS: I can't find the daguerreotype
for Rosanne Vickers, have you seen it?
ROSE: No. Um
IRIS: Ow.
Serves you right for creeping around.
Oh, it needs honey and a dressing.
MRS SALTER: [STIRS IN HER SLEEP]
IRIS: Mrs Salter?
What is it?
What's wrong Mrs Salter?
Do you want your laudanum?
ROSE: Iris?
MRS SALTER: [MUMBLING IN HER SLEEP]
IRIS: A baby.
ROSE: Iris?
IRIS: What? She likes it.
[MAKING SOOTHING NOISES]
Oh, I found it.
ROSE: Dead or alive?
IRIS: Dead, too easy.
I forget they're real
children sometimes.
Ow!
ROSE: You should be more careful
then you wouldn't get burnt.
PROMOTER: For you
sir? And for you madam!
IRIS: Oh, thank you.
PROMOTER: Have a good day.
ROSE: Can you get 10 apples
but don't pick any of the bruised ones.
IRIS: Why don't you do it?
PROMOTER: For you sir!
Come and see the model
of the Great Exhibition,
here for one week only. And for you sir!
IRIS: Shall we go and see the
model for the Great Exhibition?
BLUEBELL: It is quite something.
IRIS: Really?
BLUEBELL: Definitely
worth a look and a half.
IRIS: See, Rose, we should go.
- ROSE: Iris.
- IRIS: What?
BLUEBELL: Don't worry lovie,
I'm not contagious.
ROSE: You shouldn't
talk to girls like that.
IRIS: Like what?
ROSE: You know just as well
as me she's a prostitute.
Ask if we can have some
of the blackberries.
IRIS: And some blackberries please.
MARKET TRADER OOV: Yes, madame.
IRIS: Thank you very much.
MARKET TRADER OOV: There you go.
ROSE: Thank you.
IRIS: Sorry, excuse me, sorry.
PROMOTER: There'll be multiple sections,
many marvels, machinery,
raw materials, fine art.
IRIS: Sorry, excuse me.
PROMOTER: Spearheaded
by Prince Albert himself,
the Great Exhibition will
make clear to all the world
Britain's role as an industrial leader.
There will be multiple
sections, many marvels,
a certain number of
exhibits will be selected
by committee via open submissions.
If you are the inventor of a machine,
the creator of an
innovative or unusual product
then consider this your
call to arms gentlemen.
SILAS: Flick?
IRIS: Sorry, excuse me.
Sorry, excuse me.
Albie, Albie. Hand it over.
SILAS: Playing the thief today
Albie, is it?
I wouldn't think you'd need to
after all the money I gave you.
ALBIE: It was only a bob.
SILAS: I employ Albie for
little jobs here and there.
Perhaps one day, as my apprentice.
IRIS: [CHUCKLES]
SILAS: Silas Reed.
IRIS: It's a pleasure to meet you.
ALBIE: I find Mr Silas dead things
for him to stuff and sell in his shop.
- IRIS: Albie!
- ALBIE: It's true.
SILAS: My collection
will be famous one day.
IRIS: Well, I look forward
to seeing it one day.
Perhaps you should submit
to the Great Exhibition.
SILAS: Yes. [LAUGHS]
Yes exactly, that's what I
plan to do, that's why I'm here.
IRIS: Are you hungry?
Would you like one?
They're good today.
Oh, I'm sorry, would you like one?
SILAS: Me? No, thank you but
that's very kind of you Miss ?
Err
IRIS: Whittle.
ALBIE: Miss Iris is a painter.
IRIS: Hardly, I paint the faces
on the dolls at Mrs Salter's.
SILAS: Are you here with someone?
IRIS: Apologies, sorry, I, sorry,
excuse me. Excuse me.
IRIS: There you are, I've been
looking everywhere for you.
ROSE: You ran away from me.
IRIS: No, I didn't.
ROSE: I saw you.
IRIS: I didn't.
ROSE: You know how hard it is
in places like this, for me.
IRIS: Rose I'm sorry I didn't
ROSE: Are you coming?
IRIS: Rose wait, oh
MADAME: Hot brandy is it?
It's been a while
since I saw you in here.
MILLAIS: you've been
walking around Soho all day
with your eyes firmly on the floor
[CROSS SPEAKING]
MADAME: Though we see
your artists often enough.
SILAS: I'm an artist too.
MADAME: Hey, I take it
I'm not your first stop.
LLOYD: Good afternoon.
MILLAIS OOV: Madame,
forgive us our popularity.
MADAME: Popularity, not
if the review in The Times
is anything to go by.
ROSSETTI: Oh.
- MADAME: [UNCLEAR]
- HUNT: Bluebell!
MILLAIS OOV: She's not wrong.
BLUEBELL: My arty boys!
HUNT: How are you Bluebell?
BLUEBELL: I'm alright,
even since this one abandoned me.
LOUIS: Oh, I didn't abandon you.
BLUEBELL: Well, what
would you call it then?
Tells me I'm beautiful,
tells me he wants to paint me,
tells me he wants to do a
whole lot more than that.
[EVERYONE LAUGHS]
LOUIS: I am just in need
of a queen, that's all.
BLUEBELL: And I'm not queen enough?
ROSSETTI: Come and be my queen.
MILLAIS: What would your
Lizzie have to say about that?
BLUEBELL: What are
you looking at? Freak.
ROSSETTI: Look, it's the cadaver!
MILLAIS: Yes, Louis would like
to talk to you about his turtledove.
ROSSETTI OOV: It went mouldy.
Frost [UNCLEAR] it's your bird.
LOUIS: Err yeah so I
went away for a week
and when I returned my
house was full of flies,
my model stormed out,
she won't come back.
HUNT: He's got a background
and a bird but no lady.
ROSSETTI: Can't enter that into
the Royal Academy now can he?
So what the fuck are
you gonna do about it?
Your face, don't worry cadaver,
if it wasn't the maggots
it'd be something else.
Louis's models have a habit
of disappearing on him.
[LAUGHS]
LOUIS: That's not fair, that's not fair.
ROSSETTI: You've given us
a good excuse to go hunting.
Gentlemen! [BANGS ON TABLE]
We shall commence the
search immediately, tonight!
Soho?
HUNT: We've bled Soho dry,
there's no good ladies left there.
ROSSETTI: You should
go for a dark beauty,
your last was fair wasn't she?
MILLAIS OOV: I think for
Ophelia I'll go blonde.
ROSSETTI: No no no no no for
Ophelia you must use Lizzie.
MILLAIS OOV: Perhaps.
ROSSETTI: What's your preference, Reed?
SILAS: Mm?
ROSSETTI: In stunners [UNCLEAR]
SILAS: You're talking about,
- you're talking about ladies.
- VARIOUS: Ah.
ROSSETTI: Oh, he's familiar!
LOUIS: Don't be a prick, Gabriel.
SILAS: There was a girl,
um, I knew her in, in childhood.
MILLAIS OOV: Was she a sweetheart?
SILAS: She had the most remarkable hair.
HUNT: Colour?
SILAS: Red, red hair.
ROSSETTI: Mm now you're talking.
Redheads I can get behind
- with any luck.
- [EVERYONE LAUGHS]
SILAS: Err, I saw a redhead today.
MILLAIS OOV: It's probably unnatural.
SILAS: No no, I would know, I think,
I mean it's very easy to tell
in daylight at least. She
she was very striking.
ROSSETTI: Well, don't leave us hanging.
SILAS: She had a sort of
effervescence.
MILLAIS: Effervescence,
I've never heard that word
used in relation to a lady.
LOUIS: I understand [UNCLEAR]
SILAS: And her skin
ROSSETTI OOV: Yes, do
tell us about her skin.
SILAS: It was pristine.
ROSSETTI: Was she a working girl?
- SILAS: No.
- ROSSETTI: No?
SILAS: She, she works
at Salter's doll shop,
she's very respectable.
ROSSETTI: Can we buy
you a drink cadaver?
LOUIS: Thank you madam!
MADAME: Enjoy, gentlemen.
MILLAIS: Always do.
MADAME: Steer clear of
those artists tonight,
they are in one of their moods.
MILLAIS: Oh, yes, don't mind if I do.
ROSSETTI: A light? Cadaver?
MRS SALTER: None of these.
Oh, I have no use for such a lewd tone.
That shade of red, sir, is
the very colour of the devil
and we're a Christian household.
CHRISTOPHER: I'll find some more
brushes for you to look at ma'am.
MRS SALTER: Mm?
CHRISTOPHER: Fancy
something? How about a smile?
Do you want to have a closer look?
Why don't you [FADES]
MRS SALTER: That's enough.
Bring more options next month,
the bristles on these
are already shoddy.
Girls?
Back to work.
I need that order finishing.
ROSE: You should at least try to pretend
that you didn't enjoy that.
IRIS: What?
ROSE: You know what.
[PANTING/MOANING]
IRIS: [GASPS]
- [PANTING/MOANING]
- IRIS: [GASPS]
ROSE: What are you doing?
If it was Mrs Salter
and not me who found
what you were doing down here
IRIS: Spying, you mean.
ROSE: We would be thrown out!
Is that what you want?
As if my life wasn't bad enough already.
That is disgusting. There's
something wicked in you.
- IRIS: It's just a painting.
- ROSE: It's obscene.
IRIS: Rose, you are suffocating me!
ROSE: Suffocating? You
have no idea what it's like.
IRIS: I am sorry that you got sick,
but it doesn't give you an
excuse to be so cruel to me.
ROSE: Do you think I'm stupid?
Some ugly shop boy gives you one look
and I find you down here doing
but I was the beautiful
one first, remember?
So, I know what it's like,
it is not an excuse
to behave like a slut.
IRIS: I'm sorry you think that,
I was just following your example.
Charles, was that his name?
ROSE: Iris! Iris! [CRYING]
IRIS: [CRYING]
SILAS: Tu
tu mor
Good afternoon.
YOUNG MAN: Good afternoon,
I'm looking for a little thing,
a delicacy for a lady.
SILAS: Something to intrigue?
YOUNG MAN: Mm.
SILAS: A fan?
Crafted from the tissue
of a whale's lung.
YOUNG MAN: What about those?
[CHUCKLES] Why do you
have them wearing clothes?
[CHUCKLES]
YOUNG MAN: How much?
SILAS: They're not for sale.
YOUNG MAN: Err
SILAS: Can I help you
with anything else?
YOUNG MAN: No, thank you.
[BACKGROUND SPEAKING IN THE SHOP]
[BACKGROUND SPEAKING IN THE SHOP]
IRIS: Oh!
ROSE: What?
IRIS: There's a man at the window.
Rose, did you see him?
ROSE: No.
MRS SALTER OOV: Would you
excuse me for a minute?
CUSTOMER OOV: Err yes of course.
MRS SALTER: Careless hussy.
My apologies, where were we?
IRIS: He was sort of staring at me.
ROSE: We both know how
much you'd like that.
SILAS: If you hadn't stolen
Cook's marzipan things
might've worked out differently for you.
Naughty pups. [CHUCKLES]
Time to write our letter.
SILAS: Just be sure to get
the full name in its entirety,
Silas Reed's Shop of
Curiosities, Antique and New.
ALBIE: Mr Silas?
SILAS: Albie.
What you skulking around here for?
And I need it addressed to Miss Whittle,
Salter's Doll Emporium
and I want it delivered.
ALBIE: You're writing to Miss Iris?
SILAS: Yeah. Preferably
before evening time.
YOUNG BOY OOV: Yes, sir.
MRS SALTER: One of you
needs to deliver this.
IRIS: I'll do it.
MRS SALTER: Straight there,
straight back and no loitering.
Every second you're outside
this shop you are Mrs Salter,
and you remember that,
I won't have a drop of disrepute
brought under this roof.
ROSE: I'll go with her.
IRIS: It's no trouble
sister, straight there,
straight back, no loitering.
MRS SALTER: Mm.
LOUIS: Excuse me.
CLARISSA: Ah!
IRIS: Sorry.
IRIS: I'm very sorry about your foot.
CLARISSA: Thank you for joining us.
IRIS: It was you this morning,
you should learn not to stare,
I'm a woman, not an exhibit.
CLARISSA: Do you know of my brother?
He's an artist, a painter, Louis Frost?
Perhaps you've heard of the PRB,
the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood?
Holman Hunt, Gabriel
Rossetti, John Millais?
Louis trained at the Royal Academy,
he had two paintings in
their last exhibition,
he's on the brink of great things,
imagine to be admired
200 years from now.
Everything would be arranged
with the upmost propriety.
IRIS: I'm sorry, I'm
not quite following.
CLARISSA: Well, if
Louis achieves the fame
he deserves you'd be immortalised.
IRIS: Why doesn't he speak.
LOUIS: I want you to be my model.
You have a majesty, your
face is half beautiful,
half bewildering, you're interesting.
It's quite simple, uh
I have to paint you,
you must be my queen.
IRIS: I must be your queen?
LOUIS: Mm-hmm.
CLARISSA: He'll pay a shilling an hour,
I imagine that far exceeds
your current salary.
LOUIS: Have you ever seen
an artist's studio before?
IRIS: No.
LOUIS: To be painted is transformative.
IRIS: I have a sister.
CLARISSA: Bring her with you,
I can find rooms for
the two of you together.
IRIS: No, she caught
smallpox when we were 16,
they said she would die,
she's afraid of everything now,
she would completely disown me
if I left the shop
and after your painting
is finished Mrs Salter
wouldn't have me back,
I know what happens to girls like that.
LOUIS: Well, what if you
just came to visit my studio,
just to see it, Clarissa will chaperone,
I promise, won't you sister?
CLARISSA: Why did you suggest so soon?
LOUIS: The composition
is urgent, you know that.
CLARISSA: We'll have to
move her before she comes,
it'll have to be tonight.
LOUIS: Mm, yes um
CLARISSA: I hate playing
this role for you.
LOUIS: I know, I know but it
is, it's vastly appreciated.
CLARISSA: Just
don't lose this one or
people will start to talk.
I'll have everything arranged.
LOUIS: Thank you.
LOUIS: Miss Whittle, it's dark,
let me accompany you. I
imagine a girl like you
might be afraid to walk alone at night.
IRIS: And what would you
know about a woman's fear?
LOUIS: I'm just hypothesising,
London can be a disquieting
mistress in the dark.
IRIS: Thank you for the escort.
LOUIS: I look forward
to our next meeting.
SILAS: Miss Whittle,
I sent a letter, uh,
about calling on you,
you didn't receive it, Silas Reed,
we met a few days ago.
IRIS: Is Albie alright?
SILAS: I believe he,
yes, I'm sure he is.
I, I made it from my collection,
you mentioned when we met that
you might like to visit one day.
The artist, you should be
wary of him and his friends.
IRIS: Well thank you for this.
SILAS: I had meant to offer
a tour of my collection,
perhaps tomorrow, Monday?
IRIS: Perhaps.
SILAS: Wait.
I'm sorry Miss Whittle,
this must all seem rather forward of me.
IRIS: Did you make this?
SILAS: I can show you how if you like?
But my other exhibits
are far more impressive,
my shop, Silas Reed's
Shop of Curiosities,
Antique and New,
it's situated off a passage
leading off from The Strand.
IRIS: You're Mr Reed?
SILAS: Silas.
IRIS: You can call me Iris.
SILAS: I feel I should apologise,
Louis Frost it's, it's my
fault that he approached you,
I'm the one who,
I told him about you,
about your beauty.
IRIS: There's no need to apologise.
SILAS: Will you come tomorrow, Monday?
5:00, ask any of the
letter writing boys,
they can give you directions,
Silas Reed's Shop of
Curiosities, remember.
IRIS: I'm curious to see
it. Good evening Mr Reed.
SILAS: [CHUCKLES]
WOMAN OOV: [SCREAMING]
WOMAN OOV: [SCREAMING]