A mother and father discuss their son Ben's pathological lying and the upcoming visit of a judgmental relative. They navigate the stresses of parenting with dry wit and mutual exhaustion.
MUM: He swore blind the quiche wasn’t him. It’s getting… even more out of control.
DAD: What does Doctor internet say?
MUM: Why do you immediately assume I’ve been on the… OK, OK, there’s this blog done by a mum in New Zealand with a kid like Ben and that’s, you know, a little bit reassuring…
DAD: Because…?
MUM: Well I suppose… because her kid’s slightly worse.
DAD: Oh that’s alright then, we know that of the five billion people on earth at least one lies more than Ben… I think I’d rather my boy was best.
Create a free account to explore more
Upgrade to Pro for full access — £6.99/month
Director's Notes
Want expert coaching on this scene?
Browse our curated list of acting coaches, dialect specialists, and more.
Need representation?
Browse verified agents and casting directors in our directory.
How well does this scene match you?
Save your casting profile to see match scores on every scene.
Try Headshot AnalyserGo Pro
£6.99/mo
- ✓ Unlimited scene reading
- ✓ PDF downloads
- ✓ Director's Notes
- ✓ Headshot Analyser
- ✓ Cover Letter Generator
- ✓ Practice Mode
- ✓ Agent Connect
- + 1,000+ scenes
More from Outnumbered
The Swimming Pool Confrontation
from Outnumbered
A father gets into an increasingly absurd and public argument with another parent at a swimming gala after being baselessly accused of suspicious behavior. The situation escalates into a shouting match involving Jimmy Savile and social commentary, much to the embarrassment of his daughter who is watching from the pool.
The Driving Lesson Debacle
from Outnumbered
A family gathers in the kitchen as Dad recounts the terror of giving Jake a driving lesson, while Ben expresses a sudden, manipulative interest in psychology. The scene highlights the chaotic domestic friction between parents and their teenage children over life skills and academic frustrations.
The Racist Complaint
from Outnumbered
Pete attempts to downplay a formal complaint filed against him at work for making an insensitive joke to a student. His wife, Sue, becomes increasingly frustrated as she realizes he has been hiding multiple disciplinary incidents from her under the guise of not wanting to worry her.
The Printer's Revenge
from Outnumbered
A stressed mother attempts to organize her household while dealing with her teenage son's reluctance to start driving lessons and her younger son's eccentric philosophical theories. The situation boils over when she discovers the printer has malfunctioned and the paper supply has been depleted for a school project on knuckle-cracking.
Similar Scenes
Act I, Scene 1 — The Course of True Love
from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Hermia and Lysander lament the difficulties of their forbidden love before Lysander proposes a plan to flee Athens and marry in secret at his aunt's house. They exchange vows of loyalty and agree to meet in the woods the following night.
The Rules of Golf
from Happy Gilmore
Virginia attempts to discipline Happy regarding his unprofessional behavior on the golf course, warning him that his career is at stake. Happy uses the opportunity to charm her into a date, leveraging his participation in the tournament as a bargaining chip.
The Fake Sex Plan
from Easy A
Olive Penderghast proposes a deceptive plan to help her friend Brandon improve his social standing by faking a sexual encounter. They discuss the mechanics of high school popularity and the power of rumors to reshape one's identity. Brandon eventually agrees to the scheme, setting the stage for a complicated social experiment.
Act II — The Engagement Diary
from The Importance of Being Earnest
Algernon, posing as the fictional 'Ernest', attempts to woo Cecily in the garden. He is bewildered to discover that Cecily has already documented their entire romance and engagement in her diary long before they actually met.