- Now we seem to be in a more modern time. It's 1979, to be exact.
- Two women are hanging out on a playground while their kids play. We soon find out that one of the women is Victoria, Clive's daughter from Act 1, and the other is Lin, Victoria's friend and also a mother. Lin has a 4 year-old daughter named Cathy, who's played by a man. While the women sit chatting, Cathy recites dirty versions of nursery rhymes.
- When Lin's had enough of the rhymes, she tells Cathy to knock it off and make a painting. Cathy sasses her at first, and she eventually runs away to ride on something called the "big bike."
- Victoria yells offstage to her son Tommy, who seems to be playing with another boy's toy gun. Victoria tells him to knock it off and give the gun back.
- Victoria tries to read a book while Lin talks to her about what a clingy child Cathy is. She says that it's not easy raising Cathy on her own. Already we can see that, compared to the Victorian Era, this modern world offers lot more opportunity for women to make their own choices and be independent from men.
- Eventually, Lin gets fed up with all of Victoria's mm-hmming and tells her to put her book down for two seconds. Lin asks Victoria if she'd like to go see a movie on Friday. She doesn't care what they go see, only that they spend time together.
- Next thing you know, Cathy is running around with a gun. This is also something you definitely wouldn't see in Act 1, where women were forced to be more "feminine" and not to play with guns.
- The two mothers talk about violent toys and whether they make kids more violent. Victoria says she hopes her son Tommy doesn't grow up to be in the army, and Lin responds by saying that her brother's in the army, stationed in Belfast. For those of you who don't know, Northern Ireland is still part of England and many people living there consider it to be a place of English colonization. England is still a colonial power in 1979.
- Next, the women talk about how they don't get along with their fathers. Lin asks Victoria how things are with her husband, and Victoria says everything's fine. Her husband helps with the washing and stuff, so at least he's a bit modern in that sense.
- Lin says she's glad to be a single Mom. Victoria tells her she shouldn't be glad for this, and even after Lin tells Victoria she's a lesbian, Victoria still insists that it's better to have a husband. Lin also reveals that her husband was abusive, and tells Victoria to stop telling her how to raise her daughter.
- Victoria goes back to reading her book, which prompts Lin to say, "I hate men." Victoria argues that men aren't bad; they're just socially taught to be aggressive and stubborn. Lin says she doesn't care; she still hates them.
- Next thing you know, Victoria's brother Edward (remember him from Act 1?) comes onstage. He's all grown up now like Victoria. He says their mother Betty is walking anxiously around the park and asks Victoria to talk to her. Victoria sighs and leaves.
- When Edward and Lin are alone, Lin tells Edward she thinks he's gay. He asks her to stop saying this, since being gay could cost him his job. Looks like the modern world isn't progressive about everything.
- Lin tells Edward she's attracted to Victoria and that she thought Edward would understand.
- Victoria and her mom Betty come back with Tommy. Betty is anxious about a bump that Tommy just got on his head.
- Betty compliments a painting that Cathy has started making and reminisces for a while about living in Africa.
- Betty half apologizes to Lin about the fact that her son Edward is working in the park as a gardener. She's certain that one day, he'll write a great novel about his experiences. You know, because otherwise his life's a big waste.
- Betty keeps blathering on about her children and basically demonstrates to us that she still buys into all the old world beliefs we saw her preaching in Act 1.
- Betty puts her clip-on earrings on Cathy and tells her she has to suffer a little bit of pain if she wants to look beautiful. Meanwhile, she just totally drops the bomb that she's leaving her husband Clive.
- At one point, Betty also gives Cathy her necklace, and Lin breaks character to directly tell us (the audience) that it's the same necklace from Act 1 of the play.
- Lin isn't really into traditional gender roles, so she starts taking the necklace and earrings from Cathy. But Cathy won't give them up because she wants to look like a pretty little princess. She tells her mom she hates her once she's lost the earrings and necklace.
- Once Betty goes, Edward and Victoria are annoyed. They feel like their parents are going to want way more attention now that they're split up.
- Lin and Cathy get ready to leave. Edward asks Cathy if he can have the painting she just made so he can give it to a friend of his named Gerry. Cathy says fine and gives it to him.
- Once Edward and Cathy walk off, Lin asks Victoria if she'd have sex with her. Victoria asks whether it counts as adultery if it's between two women. Lin just says she'd really enjoy it, and that's all that matters.