The Complete Dramatic Works (47 page)

OPENER:
[
With
 
VOICE
and
MUSIC
.] As though they had linked their arms.

OPENER:
[
With
 
VOICE
and
 
MUSIC
] Good.

OPENER:
[
With
 
VOICE
and
MUSIC,
fervently.
] Good!

CURTAIN

Written in English in late 1962-3. First published in German, as
Spiel,
in
Theater
Heute
(July 1963). First published in English by Faber and Faber, London, in 1964. First
performance was of
Spiel,
translated by Erika and Elmar Tophoven, at the Ulmer Theater, Ulm-Donau, on 14 June
1963. First performed in Britain by the National Theatre Company at the Old Vic Theatre,
London, on 7 April 1964.

[
Spots
off.
Blackout.
Five
seconds.
Strong
spots 
simul
taneously
on
three
faces.
Three
seconds.
Voices
normal
strength.
]

[
Spots
off.
Blackout.
Five
seconds.
Spot
on
 
W
1.]

W1:
I said to him, Give her up. I swore by all I held most sacred–

[
Spot
from
 
W
1
to
 
W
2.]

W2:
One morning as I was sitting stitching by the open window she burst in and flew at
me. Give him up, she screamed, he’s mine. Her photographs were kind to her. Seeing
her now for the first time full length in the flesh I understood why he preferred
me.

[
Spot
from
W
2
to
M
.]

M:
We were not long together when she smelled the rat. Give up that whore, she said,
or I’ll cut my throat–[
Hiccup.
] pardon–so help me God. I knew she could have no proof. So I told her I did not know
what she was talking about.

[
Spot
from
M
to
W
2.]

W2:
What are you talking about? I said, stitching away.
Someone
yours? Give up whom? I smell you off him, she screamed, he stinks of bitch.

[
Spot
from 
W
2
to 
W
1.]

W1:
Though I had him dogged for months by a first-rate man, no shadow of proof was forthcoming.
And there was no denying that he continued as … assiduous as ever. This, and his horror
of the merely Platonic thing, made me
sometimes
wonder if I were not accusing him unjustly. Yes.

[
Spot
from
 
W
1
to
M
.]

M:
What have you to complain of? I said. Have I been neglecting you? How could we be
together in the way we are if there were someone else? Loving her as I did, with all
my heart,
I could not but feel sorry for her.

[
Spot
from
M
to
W
2.]

W2:
Fearing she was about to offer me violence I rang for Erskine and had her shown out.
Her parting words, as he could testify, if he is still living, and has not forgotten,
coming and going on the earth, letting people in, showing people out, were to the
effect that she would settle my hash. I confess this did alarm me a little, at the
time.

[
Spot
from
 
W
2
to 
M
.]

M:
She was not convinced. I might have known. I smell her off you, she kept saying.
There was no answer to this. So I took her in my arms and swore I could not live without
her. I meant it, what is more. Yes, I am sure I did. She did not repulse me.

[
Spot
from
M
to
 
W
1.]

W1:
Judge then of my astonishment when one fine morning, as I was sitting stricken in
the morning room, he slunk in, fell on his knees before me, buried his face in my
lap and … confessed.

[
Spot
from
W
1
to
M
.]

M:
She put a bloodhound on me, but I had a little chat with him. He was glad of the
extra money.

[
Spot
from
M
to
W
2.]

W2:
Why don’t you get out, I said, when he started moaning about his home life, there
is obviously nothing between you any more. Or is there?

[
Spot
from 
W
2
to
W
1.]

W1:
I confess my first feeling was one of wonderment. What a male!

[
Spot
from
 
W
1
to
M
.
He
opens
his
mouth
to
speak.
Spot
from 
M
to 
W
2.]

W2:
Anything between us, he said, what do you take me for, a something machine? And of
course with him no danger of the … spiritual thing. Then why don’t you get out? I
said. I sometimes wondered if he was not living with her for her money.

[
Spot
from
W
2
to
M
.]

M:
The next thing was the scene between them. I can’t have her crashing in here, she
said, threatening to take my life. I
must have looked incredulous. Ask Erskine, she said, if you don’t believe me. But
she threatens to take her own, I said. Not yours? she said. No, I said, hers. We had
fun trying to work this out.

[
Spot
from
 
M
to
 
W
1.]

W1:
Then I forgave him. To what will love not stoop! I
suggested
a little jaunt to celebrate, to the Riviera or our darling Grand Canary. He was looking
pale. Peaked. But this was not possible just then. Professional commitments.

[
Spot
from
W
1
to
W
2.]

W2:
She came again. Just strolled in. All honey. Licking her lips. Poor thing. I was
doing my nails, by the open window. He has told me all about it, she said. Who he,
I said filing away, and what it? I know what torture you must be going through, she
said, and I have dropped in to say I bear you no ill-feeling. I rang for Erskine.

[
Spot
from
W
2
to
M
.]

M:
Then I got frightened and made a clean breast of it. She was looking more and more
desperate. She had a razor in her vanity-bag. Adulterers, take warning, never admit.

[
Spot
from
M
to
W
1.]

W1:
When I was satisfied it was all over I went to have a gloat. Just a common tart.
What he could have found in her when he had me–

[
Spot
from
 
W
1
to
 
W
2.]

W2:
When he came again we had it out. I felt like death. He went on about why he had
to tell her. Too risky and so on. That meant he had gone back to her. Back to that!

[
Spot
from
 
W
2
to
 
W
1.]

W1:
Pudding face, puffy, spots, blubber mouth, jowls, no neck, dugs you could–

[
Spot
from
 
W
1
to
 
W
2.]

W2:
He went on and on. I could hear a mower. An old hand mower. I stopped him and said
that whatever I might feel I had no silly threats to offer–but not much stomach for
her leavings either. He thought that over for a bit.

[
Spot
from 
W
2
to
 
W
1.]

W1:
Calves like a flunkey–

[
Spot
from
W
1
to
 
M
.]

M:
When I saw her again she knew. She was looking–[
Hiccup.
]–wretched. Pardon. Some fool was cutting grass. A little rush, then another. The
problem was how to convince her that no … revival of intimacy was involved. I couldn’t.
I might have known. So I took her in my arms and said I could not go on living without
her. I don’t believe I could have.

[
Spot
from
M
to
 
W
2.]

W2:
The only solution was to go away together. He swore we should as soon as he had put
his affairs in order. In the meantime we were to carry on as before. By that he meant
as best we could.

[
Spot
from
W
2
to 
W
1.]

W1:
So he was mine again. All mine. I was happy again. I went about singing. The world–

[
Spot
from 
W
1
to
 
M
.]

M:
At home all heart to heart, new leaf and bygones bygones. I ran into your ex-doxy,
she said one night, on the pillow, you’re well out of that. Rather uncalled for, I
thought. I am indeed, sweetheart, I said, I am indeed. God what vermin women. Thanks
to you, angel, I said.

[
Spot
from
 
M
to
W
1
.
]

W1:
Then I began to smell her off him again. Yes.

[
Spot
from
 
W
1
to
 
W
2.]

W2:
When he stopped coming I was prepared. More or less.

[
Spot
from
W
2
to
 
M
.]

M:
Finally it was all too much. I simply could no longer–

[
Spot
from
 
M
to
 
W
1
.
]

W1:
Before I could do anything he disappeared. That meant she had won. That slut! I couldn’t
credit it. I lay stricken for weeks. Then I drove over to her place. It was all bolted
and barred. All grey with frozen dew. On the way back by Ash and Snodland–

[
Spot
from
 
W
1
to
M
.]

M:
I simply could no longer–

[
Spot
from
 
M
to
 
W
2.]

W2:
I made a bundle of his things and burnt them. It was November and the bonfire was
going. All night I smelt them smouldering.

[
Spot
off
W
2.
Blackout.
Five
seconds.
Spots
half
previous
strength
simultaneously
on
three
faces.
Three
seconds.
Voices
proportionately
lower.
]