Just a note: This is how I personally write and lay out comic scripts. I’m not a pro in any way, this just is how I set scenes and write actions. All character names are colour coded for a nicer reading experience.
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Characters: Rolly, Lucian, Meg (Rolly’s workmate), Rolly’s boss
Intro: Rolland King (Rolly) is a hairdresser who works at Snips ‘n’ Cuts- a popular salon in his town. There are quite a few regulars who visit, but their top customer is Mr. Lucian Ryder, a fussy, wealthy man who refuses to have anyone cut his hair, except Rolly. He has developed quite a good relationship with Rolly and always has a good ol’ natter with him when the time comes for a cut.
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SCENE: Rolly is in the salon, Lucian walks in
RECEPTIONIST (MEG): Rolly, your regular is here!
ROLLY: Thanks, Meg!
Hey, Lu! What can I do for you?
LUCIAN: Just a trim today, Rolly.
ROLLY: If that’s all you want ✂️
**the two talk while Rolly snips Lucian’s hair**
ROLLY: So, you got much planned this weekend?
LUCIAN: Just a funeral.
ROLLY: Oh, youch.. sorry..
LUCIAN: It’s fine. These things happen, no one lives forever.
ROLLY: That’s.. an interesting take, but I guess you’re right..
*Rolly still cutting hair*
ROLLY: So, were you close to th-
LUCIAN: It’s my father’s.
ROLLY: Ohhh… shi.. okay
LUCIAN: It’s fine. A few months have passed. I’ve learned to cope.
ROLLY: Right, right..
LUCIAN: He left me a headache though.
ROLLY: Oh?
LUCIAN: He and his business partner Sebastian were the owners of the circus in town
ROLLY: Really? I loved that place as a kid! It’s not being knocked down, is it?
LUCIAN: No. My father.. He left it to me.
ROLLY: Wait, you own that place now!? Lu, that’s amazing! Think of all the things you could do with it! You could start a project to really help out the town.
LUCIAN: I could, but it’s just so much responsibility, I don’t know where to start
ROLLY: Have you talked to hubby about it?
LUCIAN: Of course. He said something similar to you, that we could turn it into something great for the town. Speaking of other halves, how is Grayson?
ROLLY: Oh, er.. me and Gray are.. kind of on a break. We just need some time apart
LUCIAN: Oh. Well, I hope things work out for the two of you.
ROLLY: Yeah, me too.. But, back to this circus- Y’know.. you could always keep it just that- A CIRCUS! Continue what your dad started!
LUCIAN: …
ROLLY: You could theme it, make it stand out!
LUCIAN: How? Make all the performers wear fish tails and call it an “Aquatic Circus”?
ROLLY: Very imaginative. I mean, you could.. or, I dunno.. how about something that would suit OUR preferences a little more?
LUCIAN: …where are you going with this?
ROLLY: How about a.. gay circus?
LUCIAN: Are you out of your mind!? We’d get run out of town!
ROLLY: Not if it’s the most dazzling, spectacular thing this town has ever seen! Our guys are full of talent! I bet you could put together an amazing cast of performers. You know I’d be there opening night.
LUCIAN: I don’t know, that might be too.. adventurous.
ROLLY: Come on, Lulu. You need to think big! A circus isn’t just clowns, acrobats and camp sparkle- it’s an entertaining performance! You can have comedy skits, magic tricks, drag performances, exotic dancing, acts that will leave the crowd in awe and on the edges of their seats! And all with a little gay flavour~✨
LUCIAN: …
ROLLY: The more I think about this, Lu, the more I NEED it to happen.
LUCIAN: But where would I even find such acts?
ROLLY: Hey, you can find ANYTHING on the internet, I bet you could find a bunch of queer performers..
ROLLY: Hell, that’s even better, bring all the flags into it!
LUCIAN: Excuse me?
ROLLY: That was “flags” with an “L”. It’s okay, sometimes I hear it too..
LUCIAN: No, I mean- Rolly, this is so overwhelming…
ROLLY: Lu, I’m not gonna force you to do anything, that isn’t my place. But.. just think what it would have been like to have something like that growing up. A place where you could feel accepted, a place full of colorful performers you could watch and feel a connection with because you know they’ve been through the same sh!t you have
LUCIAN: …it would have been wonderful.
ROLLY: Exactly. Your dad’s circus meant a lot to me growing up, and that was without any representation.
LUCIAN: Well, there was that one tightrope walker..
ROLLY: He was gay? Damn, now I don’t feel bad having those dreams about him..
LUCIAN: Rolly, please. 😑
ROLLY: Anyway, you have an amazing chance here to do something incredible for the community. OUR community.
LUCIAN: You know, Rolly, I’ll think about it.. I really will..
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A few minutes later
*Rolly finishes cutting Lucian’s hair*
ROLLY: Well, that’s your trim done. Looking very good! You need anything else?
LUCIAN: No. That’ll be all. Thank you, Rolly.
ROLLY: No problem. *looks at the time* Oh, hey, 5 minutes until I get my smoke break!
LUCIAN: Weren’t you giving that up?
ROLLY: I’m working on it, it’s harder than it sounds.. I got a lot of stress in my life. Clearly you do too. I hope the funeral goes well, Lu. You need anything, you have my number.
LUCIAN: Thank you, Rolly, you’ve become a good friend.
ROLLY: Yeah? You too.
LUCIAN: But, seriously, stop smoking.
ROLLY: Okay, sh!t’s hard, but I’ll try..
*Meg overhears and joins in*
MEG: And swearing.
ROLLY: *playfully* Oh, you just had to get involved!
MEG: Well, you get complaints about that all the time! I don’t want to see you get fired.
ROLLY: I ain’t going nowhere, stop worrying.
LUCIAN: I’ll leave you two to it. How much was that?
ROLLY: Just a trim? I’ll give you the friends and family discount 😉
LUCIAN: I don’t think your boss will like that.
ROLLY: It’s fine, she won’t mind. Just a couple of quid will do.
LUCIAN: Consider this a tip then-
*Lucian hands Rolly a £20 note*
ROLLY: It definitely wasn’t worth THAT much..
LUCIAN: Maybe not to you, but I’m thankful my hair is no longer in my eyes.
ROLLY: Heh, fine. Thanks, Lu 🤍 Take care at the funeral tomorrow.
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THE NEXT DAY
*Rolly gets called by his boss*
BOSS: Rolly, could I talk to you?
ROLLY: Sure..
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NEXT SCENE: Rolly is in his bosses office
ROLLY: What’s up?
BOSS: Just sit down, please.
ROLLY: That’s never a good thing to hear…
*Rolly sits down*
BOSS: You know, Rolly, I think you’ve earned some time off.
ROLLY: Time off? Like, a holiday?
BOSS: Exactly!! A nice long holiday for all your hard work! 😁
ROLLY: A little out of the blue..
BOSS: Well, what do you think?
ROLLY: Sounds great, but… why does this seem a little off?
BOSS: I don’t know what you’re talking about.
ROLLY: It just feels.. insincere. Also extremely sudden.
BOSS: Insincere? It’s completely genuine and I thought I’d surprise you! You like surprises, right? You surprise other people enough.
ROLLY: Okay, how long do you want to get rid of me, exactly?
BOSS: Ohh, let’s say.. a couple of years?
ROLLY: YEARS!? What am I supposed to do for money!?
BOSS: Rolly, you’re a very talented hairdresser, you could easily find somewhere else to cut hair.
ROLLY: “Somewhere else”? Why not here!?
BOSS: *sighs* Rolly, we’ve been receiving.. complaints from customers.
ROLLY: …about?
BOSS: You.
ROLLY: Me!? Wh-what did I do!? All I do is cut and colour hair!!
BOSS: It’s your attitude, mostly. It doesn’t go over well with all of our customers, especially the more elderly ones.
ROLLY: It can’t be that bad…
BOSS: You’re loud, don’t think before you talk and you swear like a sailor.
ROLLY: …
BOSS: Look, we love you, we do, BUT I think the best thing to do would be to step away for a while and come back in a year or two when you’ve maybe.. matured a little bit more. I’ll be ready to welcome you back with open arms!
ROLLY: Are you joking right now? *crosses arms* I thought April Fools was LAST MONTH.
BOSS: See, Rolly, this is exactly what I’m talking about. I’m being VERY serious.
ROLLY: I can’t believe this- how you’ve just sprung it on me..
BOSS: Don’t get upset, hun, things will work out.
ROLLY: How can I not be upset? You haven’t said it outright, but you’re firing me! *pouts* And for an unfair reason..
BOSS: It’s a very valid reason.
ROLLY: Because I’m not mature enough for you?
BOSS: Because you just don’t take anything seriously!!
ROLLY: …
ROLLY: I can’t believe this.. I have bills to pay and a cat to feed. She relies on me..
BOSS: I’m sorry, but you don’t know how hard this decision was to make.
ROLLY: Oh, I’m sure it tore you up inside- No warning or nothing, just straight up “GET OUT OF HERE“. You probably couldn’t wait!
*Rolly stands up*
BOSS: Rolly..
ROLLY: You know what, It’s fine. I’ll go, I’ll go right now.
BOSS: You don’t have to go yet, you can work until the end of the week. You’ll get your final paycheck on Friday.
ROLLY: Thanks, but I’d rather just go home and try to figure out what the hell I’m gonna do now.
*Rolly exits*
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NEXT SCENE: Rolly walking through the salon to the door
MEG: Rolly? What’s up?
ROLLY: N-nothing, I’m just gonna take a break…
MEG: …
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OUTSIDE
ROLLY: The fxck am I gonna do now…
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NEXT SCENE: Rolly goes home and greets his cat, Figs.
ROLLY: Heyyy, Figgy 🤍 You been a good girl while I was away?
*Figs meows*
ROLLY: Of course you have! I’ll get your dinner.
*Rolly prepares and lays down a bowl of food for Figs*
ROLLY: There you go, sweet pea 🤍
*Rolly squats on the floor, stroking Figs*
ROLLY: Daddy’s in a bit of trouble right now, but we’ll be okay. I’ll just have to get creative. At least we’ll have one more paycheck to keep us going. But after that, I’m not sure what’ll happen..
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NEXT SCENE: Rolly and Figs move to the living room / Rolly sits down
Figs nudges a juggling ball over to Rolly’s chair
ROLLY: Oh, you wanna play? Okay, go get it!
*Rolly rolls the ball over to Figs / She plays with the ball*
ROLLY: Haha! You show that ball who’s boss!
ROLLY: !! Oh.. right, that’s a kick in the nuts. I guess I’m my own “boss” for a bit…
*Figs nudges the ball over to Rolly*
ROLLY: It’ll be okay, Figgy, I’ll figure something out..
*Rolly picks up the ball and looks at it*
ROLLY: Hm..
*Figs sits and meows*
ROLLY: What’s up? You want me to roll it again? Okay, goooo!!
*Rolly rolls the ball to Figs again, she nudges it back to Rolly*
ROLLY: What’s going on with you? Why do you keep bringing it back to me? Do you.. *laughs* want me to juggle for you or something?
*Figs meows*
ROLLY: Uhh, okay..
*Rolly grabs a few other juggling balls and starts performing*
ROLLY: Haha! Ah, this takes me back. Let’s see if I can beat my record of 6 balls..
ROLLY: Come on, lucky number 7!
*Rolly pulls out a couple more juggling balls*
ROLLY: This might be a mistake, but we’ll see how it goes. Now, if I start with 5 balls and take 2 more off the table while these are in the air, I might be able to pull it off..
*Rolly juggles with 5 balls and slowly adds the 2 balls sitting on the table / 7 balls are now in the air*
ROLLY: No way! It actually worked!! Though, catching them all at the end might be a problem.. Heheh, you entertained, Figgy?
*Figs lays down on the floor*
ROLLY: Oh. Fair enough.
ROLLY: I wonder if I could do this in the park for a bit of money..
*Figs meows*
ROLLY: You think that would work? Maybe it’s worth a go. I could throw in a few magic tricks, too~
*Rolly stops performing and catches 4/7 balls*
ROLLY: Damn, that’s gonna take some practice..
ROLLY: Anyway, I’ll have to find out how to get a permit or whatever you need for that kind of outdoor thing.. but I’m sure it’ll be fine. Thanks, Figgy 🤍
*Figs meows*
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TWO WEEKS LATER…
NEXT SCENE: Rolly performing in the park / Lucian comes along
LUCIAN: Rolly?
ROLLY: Oh, hi, Lu.
LUCIAN: Isn’t it work hours? What are you doing out here?
ROLLY: Juggling!! Oh, I mean, I lost my job last week..
LUCIAN: What!? Why!? W-what happened!? (Whoever will cut my hair now!?)
ROLLY: It’s okay, I’ll explain later. Right now, I gotta make sure I can pay my bills.
*Rolly starts juggling in front of a small audience, Lucian takes immediate interest*
LUCIAN:!!!
*Rolly catches the balls and bows to his little audience*
LUCIAN: Oh? You have quite an interesting talent.
ROLLY: It’s just a college party trick. I had to do something when I wasn’t studying the absolutely riveting correct ways to wash and dry hair. I do magic too~
LUCIAN: You don’t say…
Rolly, we should talk more about this circus..
ROLLY: Oh?
*Rolly starts juggling again*
ROLLY: Have you found any acts yet?
LUCIAN: Maybe….
ROLLY: Oh, that’s great! What have you found?
LUCIAN: I may have found a clown.
ROLLY: Well, I guess it’s not a circus without a clown.
LUCIAN: Indeed.. a blue-haired clown who can juggle and perform magic tricks.
ROLLY: …alright, Lu, what are you scheming?
LUCIAN: You’re looking for a job, am I right?
*drops juggling balls and one launches into the air*
ROLLY: Wait, you want ME to be your clown!?
*The launched ball falls on Rolly’s head, making a small child laugh*
ROLLY: I *laughing with the kid* er.. th-that was on purpose!
LUCIAN: Rolly, look at this! You’d be perfect!
ROLLY: *picking up the balls* I don’t know if I should be insulted or not, being called a “clown”..
LUCIAN: No, no! Rolly, it’s a compliment to be told that you’re a talented performer!
ROLLY: …..that’s how you’re gonna save it?
LUCIAN: Well, this was your idea, after all.
ROLLY: I dunno… you really want me to be your clown?
LUCIAN: I’d be HONOURED to have you as my clown.
ROLLY: …because of my party tricks?
LUCIAN: Because you’re you. You make people laugh, you have talents that can only be appreciated in a circus–
ROLLY: Wow. Thanks, Lu 😑
LUCIAN: I mean, look at you! You’re out here now performing! You’re an entertainer, my darling!!
ROLLY: Maybe. I do enjoy making smiles.
LUCIAN: Exactly! And you’re clearly desperate for money, from the looks of things.
ROLLY: Yeah. Remember how I told you that me and Gray were having a few problems? Well, we actually broke up last month.
LUCIAN: Oh, Rolly, I’m so sorry, my dear. That’s awful.
ROLLY: Yeah.. he went back to his parents house and I’ve been living on my own in the flat. Not having anyone to split bills with has been a financial ball-ache.
LUCIAN: You should have been honest with me, I would have been happy to lend a hand!
ROLLY: I didn’t want to be a burden, especially with what you were going through. I got your message though. Glad the funeral went okay.
LUCIAN: Thank you, but now really isn’t the time to be talking about that. Let’s get you back on track!
ROLLY: How are we going to do that?
LUCIAN: By turning you into a TRUE performer! Matter of fact, we should go down to the circus together- Right now!
ROLLY: Really? I’ve still got an hour left in this spot though.
LUCIAN: Okay, fine. You finish up AND THEN we’ll go.
ROLLY: Why are you so eager all of a sudden?
LUCIAN: Because looking at you right now, the future seems much brighter.
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~More coming soon~
