Read Charles Causley’s poem, ‘What has happened to Lulu?’
What Has Happened To Lulu?
What has happened to Lulu, mother?
What has happened to Lu?
There’s nothing in her bed but an old rag-doll
And by its side a shoe.
Why is her window wide, mother,
The curtain flapping free,
And only a circle on the dusty shelf
Where her money-box used to be?
Why do you turn your head, mother,
And why do tear drops fall?
And why do you crumple that note on the fire
And say it is nothing at all?
I woke to voices late last night,
I heard an engine roar.
Why do you tell me the things I heard
Were a dream and nothing more?
I heard somebody cry, mother,
In anger or in pain,
But now I ask you why, mother,
You say it was a gust of rain.
Why do you wander about as though
You don’t know what to do?
What has happened to Lulu, mother?
What has happened to Lu?
Charles Causley
Questions
- What has happened to Lulu?
- What caused her to leave?
- Who cried? Why, do you think?
- How did Lulu leave the house?
- What did she take with her?
- How does the mother feel?
- Who is the narrator of the poem?
- What does the mother tell him/her? Why?
Activity 1 – Turn it into drama!
à How can we turn this poem into a piece of drama?
à What characters are needed?
à Where should we start?
à What happens? (for example, Lulu has come home late)
à Why does she go?
Start the play from where Lulu comes in late and progress to where she goes out through the window.
1. Pair work: The argument with parent. Take it in turns to play each role.
2. Individual mime: Lulu packs her bag, opens the window and climbs out.
You may be asked to freeze and thought-track your characters.
Activity 2 – The next morning
Pair work: It is morning time. The parent is making the breakfast and discovers Lulu has left. S/he finds the note. Discuss with your partner what the note might say. Play the scene with one of you as the parent and the other as the voice of Lulu reading out the contents of the letter. Swap roles!
Activity 3 – Writing task (Choose one of the tasks below)
à Write the letter from Lulu to her parent explaining why she is going
à Write a letter from Lulu to her brother/sister/best friend explaining her actions
Activity 4 – Two or three weeks later
Two or three weeks have passed and nothing has been heard of Lulu. In fact, she has found somewhere to live, made new friends and found a job. She decides it’s time to phone home. Why? She doesn’t intend to return yet. How will she feel as she dials? What is her parent doing when the phone rings?
Activity 5 – Two months later
After two months Lulu decides it’s time to go home. She misses her home, her family and friends. She is now outside the front door and about to ring the doorbell..
S How do you think she feels?
S What will her parent’s reaction be?
S Who will answer the door?
S What will be said?
Groups of 2 or 3: Improvise the scene.You may be asked to thought-track your characters, so you need to think about how your character feels, whether they have changed, and whether they will now treat the other characters differently.
- How easy is it for a dramatic situation to evolve from a simple argument?
- Does this sort of thing happen very often? Can you think of any examples?
- How can we prevent minor disagreements escalating?
- What kinds of tensions are created as a result of growing up?
- How do you feel after an argument?
- Have you ever felt like running away?
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