No.32
Melanie tells Joe that she's had a letter from Matt who is really enjoying himself in Adelaide. They chat about Gemma and hope she'll be feeling better about the lost relationship soon. Melanie wonders where her overalls have gone - maybe Bouncer took them.

When Melanie is out of the room, Toby pipes up:

TOBY: It's really embarrassing when Melanie laughs. She sounds like a moose having an asthma attack.

Joe tells Toby not to insult Melanie - she's done a great job with Toby's costume for the school play. Apparently he's playing an alien giving a report on Earth. Joe says he was a Wise Man in his school play, but he got stage fright and forgot his lines.

JOE: I just stood there, like a frozen veggie.

Toby starts to looks a bit worried(!)

Willises
Pam tells Doug that the loss of Adam hasn't helped with their finances. Pam is worried - they're late with the mortgage and new bills are arriving every day. Doug says the building industry is always up and down, but Pam thinks it's mainly down at the moment. Doug will try to call in some debts this morning.

Ramsay Street
Helen moans to Dorothy that the twins didn't even offer her a cup of tea when she popped round. They both think it's strange. Just then, Harold and Madge arrive home from hospital - Madge had her throat operation last night.

DOROTHY: Poor Harold. I expect she's a very difficult patient.
HELEN: Now, now, Dorothy!
DOROTHY: Still, I expect the doctors have had enough of her and put her under sedation!

Helen decides to go over to see Madge - she's been so bored since she hurt her ankle. Dorothy is bored too and Helen suggests that she takes in a border.

No.24
Harold is fussing over Madge and telling her not to speak - it's doctor's orders. Helen comes in and Harold tells her that Madge will have to do speech therapy at some stage, so she projects more from the diaphragm than her throat. He gives Madge a pad and paper to write things down on. Madge writes something so rude, Harold is stunned.

HAROLD: Really, Madge. I never thought I'd see the day when you'd say something like that.

Willises
Doug has been unable to get a cheque from one of his clients. Pam isn't pleased - the client might be skint, but they are too.

PAM: Honestly, Doug, sometimes I think I could send you out to sell Bessie the cow and you'd come back with three magic beans!
DOUG: Yeah, well, I wouldn't mind a big beanstalk in our backyard. Maybe we could all crawl up it and get out of this mess we're in.
PAM: Well, with our luck at the moment, there'd probably be a giant bank manager at the end just waiting for us!

Garden of the Robinsons
Dorothy and Helen are having lunch and talking about Madge. Helen says that Madge enjoys a good argument, but Harold won't rise to it(!). Dorothy is very interested to hear that Madge can't speak at all for the next few days.

DOROTHY: How awful for her(!)

No.24
Madge answers the phone and then realises she can't speak(!) She drags Harold over to the phone, and it turns out to be a wrong number anyway!

Just then, Dorothy drops in, much to Madge's displeasure(!)

DOROTHY: I must say, I'm not surprised your voice wore out, all that shrieking, I expect. I can hear you clean over at my place sometimes. Still, I suppose in your profession it would become second nature, wouldn't it. Screaming like a banshee must be an essential requirement for a bar maid. It's the same for fish wives, I believe. Oh well, I must get back to school, I just thought I'd drop by to cheer you up a bit. Now, if you need anything, just give me a yell!

Madge kicks the door shut behind her!

No.32
Melanie is fed up of working late. Joe tells Melanie that it's not fair for her to pay full rent to him - she does so much to help out with the kids, he feels bad about accepting it.

Toby comes in from his dress rehearsal, fed up because it went very badly. Joe and Melanie suggest they go through it a couple of times - they'll rope in a couple of people to play the parts.

Ramsay Street
Madge and Harold are on their way over to Joe's place. They see Pam on the way and she asks Harold if he needs any help at the Coffee Shop. Harold is surprised - he thought Pam was working as a nurse. Anyway, he doesn't need any help at the moment, but he'll bear Pam in mind. Pam assures him it's not about the money, but she isn't very convincing.

No.32
Toby has cheered up a bit and is giving out scripts. Madge and Harold arrive. Madge is playing a non-speaking part - a tree(!) Melanie is Mother Earth, Joe is crooked politician and Harold is the evil factory owner. Bouncer is playing the animal parts.

(Later)

TOBY: But still many Earthlings refused to believe they were in trouble. Even when the climate started changing and the oceans started to rise. And many species of plants and animals started to die out. (Bouncer plays dead)
HAROLD: Ha, ha! Once more forest isn't going to make any difference!

He starts to chop Madge the tree down. She falls to the ground.

JOE: And naturally, our party will be doing everything possible to preserve our flora and fauna!
HAROLD: Here's your cut!
JOE: Ta!
TOBY:(narrating) Time was running out for Mother Earth (Melanie groans). It began to look like intervention was necessary. We'd have to take over and disarm the ruling powers to help save Mother Earth and her dying planet.

Everyone applauds and Toby looks pleased. He feels a lot better about his lines now.

Harold and Madge head off home.

TOBY: You were a great tree, Grandma!

When they're alone, Melanie tells Joe it's a shame that Toby doesn't have a mum to go along and watch him.

MELANIE: Must make him really sad, sometimes.
JOE: Yeah. Yeah, me too.

Willises
Pam wishes they'd never got involved with the guesthouse and doesn't know what to do financially. Doug suggests a bridging loan, but Pam prefers to sweet-talk the bank manager.

PAM: Don't worry, Douglas. As a wise man once said to me, there's always a path out of the woods somewhere.
DOUG: Did I say that? Well...I lied.

No.26
Dorothy is telling Helen about her teasing of Madge this afternoon. Helen is fed up of being a prisoner in her own home with her leg injury. She's determined to be back to normal soon though. Dorothy tells her that they're going raging tomorrow night - she's made up her mind.

No.32
Toby is just off to bed. Melanie tells Toby that she's going to come along to the play and promises to laugh really loudly in all the funny bits. Toby looks horrified!

TOBY: Boy, am I cactus!