Amy’s View is a four-act play set over the course of sixteen years.
Act one begins in 1979, in the living room of Amy’s mother’s home, which is
decorated with paintings done by her late father, an obscure artist. Amy and her
then-boyfriend, Dominic, are waiting for Amy’s mother, Esme, to return from her
theatre performance in London. Esme’s mother-in-law, Evelyn, is keeping them
company while they wait. We quickly learn of a small publication Amy sold when
she was a young girl called Amy’s View, as well as Dominic’s intense interest in
cinema. Dominic has started a publication as well, called Noir et Blanc in which
he reviews films, and which he hopes will lead him to a career in filmmaking.
Amy realizes Noir et Blanc is quite like Amy’s View, “except this time the view
is Dominic’s.
When Esme does finally return, she is instantly concerned about Amy’s wellbeing,
a foreshadowing of the reason Amy has come to visit. Esme and Dominic are
introduced for the first time, and each has a tentatively awkward and distant
demeanor towards the other. Dominic explains more about his magazine: “we ring
people up and we’re terribly nice to them. Then we write something horrid which
appears the next day.” He and Esme somehow share a good laugh over this, but it
worries Amy nonetheless. He continues, adding that, “these are well-known
people".
