The Complete Dramatic Works (56 page)

Written in English in 1975. First published by Grove Press, New York, in 1976. First
televised on BBC2 on 17 April 1977.

1.
Fade
up
to
general
view
from
A. 10
seconds.

2.
V
: Good evening. Mine is a faint voice. Kindly tune
accordingly
. [
Pause.
]
Good evening. Mine is a faint voice. Kindly tune accordingly. [
Pause.
]
It will not be raised, nor lowered, whatever happens. [
Pause.
]
Look. [
Long pause.
] The familiar chamber. [
Pause.
]
At the far end a window. [
Pause.
]
On the right the indispensable door. [
Pause.
]
On the left, against the wall, some kind of pallet. [
Pause.
]
The light: faint, omnipresent. No visible source. As if all
luminous
. Faintly luminous. No shadow. [
Pause
.]
No shadow. Colour: none. All grey. Shades of grey. [
Pause.
]
The colour grey if you wish, shades of the colour grey. [
Pause.
] Forgive my stating the obvious. [
Pause.
]
Keep that sound down. [
Pause.
]
Now look closer. [
Pause.
]
Floor.

3.
Cut to close-up of floor. Smooth grey rectangle 0.70 m. x 1.50 m. 5 seconds.

4.
V
: Dust. [
Pause.
]
Having seen that specimen of floor you have seen it all. Wall.

5.
Cut to close-up of wall. Smooth grey rectangle 0.70 m. x 1.50 m. 5 seconds.

6.
V
: Dust. [
Pause.
]
Knowing this, the kind of wall–

7.
Close-up
of
wall
continued.
5
seconds.

8.
V
: The kind of floor–

9.
Cut
to
close-up
of
floor.
5
seconds.

10.
V
: Look again.

11.
Cut
to
general
view
from
A.
5
seconds.

12.
V
: Door.

13.
Cut to close-up of whole door. Smooth grey rectangle 0.70 m. x 2 m. Imperceptibly
ajar. No knob. Faint music. 5 seconds.

14.
V
: Window.

15.
Cut to close-up of whole window. Opaque sheet of glass 0.70 m. x 1.50 m. Imperceptibly
ajar. No knob. 5 seconds.

16.
V
: Pallet.

17.
Cut to close-up from above of whole pallet. 0.70 x 2 m. Grey sheet. Grey rectangular
pillow at window end. 5 seconds.

18.
V
: Knowing all this, the kind of pallet–

19.
Close-up
of
whole
pallet
continued.
5
seconds.

20.
V
: The kind of window–

21.
Cut
to
close-up
of
whole
window.
5
seconds.

22.
V
: The kind of door–

23.
Cut
to
close-up
of
whole
door.
Faint
music.
5
seconds.

24.
V
: The kind of wall–

25.
Cut
to
close-up
of
wall
as
before.
5
seconds.

26.
V
: The kind of floor.

27.
Cut
to
close-up
of
floor
as
before.
5
seconds.

28.
V
: Look again.

29.
Cut
to
general
view.
5
seconds.

30.
V
: Sole sign of life a seated figure.

31.
Move
in
slowly
from
A
to
B
whence
medium
shot
of
F
and
door. 
F
is
seated
on
a
stool,
bowed
forward,
face
hidden,
clutching
with
both
hands
a
small
cassette
not
identifiable
as
such
at
this
range.
Faint
music.
5
seconds.

32.
Move
in
from
B
to
C
whence
near
shot
of
F
and
door.
Cassette
now
identifiable.
Music
slightly
louder,
5
seconds.

33.
Move
in
from
C
to
close-up
of
head,
hands,
cassette. Clutching
hands,
head
bowed,
face
hidden.
Music
slightly
louder.
5
seconds.

34.
Move
slowly
back
to
A via
C
and
B
(
no
stops
).
Music 
pro
gressively
fainter
till
at
level
of B
it
ceases
to
be
heard.

35.
General view from A. 5 seconds.

1.
V
: He will now think he hears her.

2.
F
raises
head
sharply,
turns
still
crouched
to
door,
fleeting
face,
tense
pose.
5
seconds.

3.
V
: No one.

4.
F
relapses
into
opening
pose
,
bowed
over
cassette.
5
seconds.

5.
V
: Again.

6
.
Same
as
2.

7.
V
: Now to door.

8.
F
gets
up,
lays
cassette
on
stool,
goes
to
door,
listens
with
right
ear
against
door,
back
to
camera.
5
seconds.

9.
V
: No one. [
Pause
5
seconds.
]
Open.

10.
With
right
hand
 
F
pushes
door
open
half-way
clockwise,
looks
out,
back
to
camera.
2
seconds.

11.
V
: No one.

12.
F
removes
hand
from
door
which
closes
slowly
of
itself, stands
irresolute,
back
to
camera.
2
seconds.

13.
V
: Now to window.

14.
F
goes
to
window,
stands
irresolute,
back
to
camera.
5
seconds.

15.
V
: Open.

16.
With
right
hand
 
F
pushes
window
open
half-way
clockwise,
looks
out,
back
to
camera.
5
seconds.

17.
V
: No one.

18.
F
removes
hand
from
window
which
closes
slowly
of
itself,
stands
irresolute,
back
to
camera.
2
seconds.

19.
V
: Now to pallet.

20.
F
goes
to
head
of
pallet
(window
end),
stands
looking
down
at
it.
5
seconds.

21.
F
turns
to
wall
at
head
of
pallet,
goes
to
wall,
looks
at
his
face
in
mirror
hanging
on
wall,
invisible
from
A.

22.
V
: [
Surprised.
]
Ah!

23.
After
5
seconds
F
bows
his
head,
stands
before
mirror
with
bowed
head.
2
seconds.

24.
V
: Now to door.

25.
F
goes
to
stool,
takes
up
cassette,
sits,
settles
into
opening
pose,
bowed
over
cassette.
2
seconds.

26.
Same
as I
.31.

27.
Same
as
I.32.

28.
Same
as I
.33.

29.
Same
as
I.34.

30.
Same
as I
.35.

31.
V
: He will now again think he hears her.

32.
Same
as
II.2.

33.
F
gets
up,
lays
cassette
on
stool,
goes
to
door,
opens
it
as
before,
looks
out,
stoops
forward.
10
seconds.

34.
F
straightens
up,
releases
door
which
closes
slowly
of
itself,
stands
irresolute,
goes
to
stool,
takes
up
cassette,
sits
irresolute,
settles
finally
into
opening
pose,
bowed
over
cassette.
5
seconds.

35.
Faint
music
audible
for
first
time
at
A.
It
grows
louder.
5
seconds.

36.
V
: Stop.

37.
Music
stops.
General
view
from
A.
5
seconds.

38.
V
: Repeat.

1.
Immediately
after
‘Repeat’
cut
to
near
shot
from
C
o
f
F
and
door.
Music
audible.
5
seconds.

2.
Move
in
to
close-up
of
head,
hands,
cassette.
Music
slightly
louder.
5
seconds.

3.
Music
stops.
Action
II.2.
5
seconds.

4.
Action
II.4.
Music
resumes.
5
seconds.

5.
Move
back
to
near
shot
from
C of
F
and
door.
Music
audible.
5
seconds.

6
.
Music
stops.
Action
II.
2.
Near
shot
from
C of
F
and
door.
5
seconds.

7
. Action
II.8.
Near
shot
from
C
of
stool,
cassette, 
F
with
right
ear
to
door.
5
seconds.

8.
Action
II.
10.
Crescendo
creak
of
door
opening.
Near
shot
from
C
of
stool,
cassette, 
F
with
right
hand
holding
door
open.
5
seconds.

9.
Cut
to
view
of
corridor
seen
from
door.
Long
narrow
(0.70
m.)
grey
rectangle
between
grey
walls,
empty,
far
end
in
darkness.
5
seconds.

10.
Cut
back
to
near
shot
from
C
of
stool,
cassette, 
F
holding
door
open.
5
seconds.

11.
Action II
.12.
Decrescendo
creak
of
door
slowly
closing.
Near
shot
from
C
of
stool,
cassette, 
F
standing
irresolute,
door.
5
seconds.

12.
Cut
to
close-up
from
above
of
cassette
on
stool,
small
grey
rectangle
on
larger
rectangle
of
seat.
5
seconds.

13.
Cut back to near shot of stool, cassette,
 
F
standing 
irresolute
, door. 5 seconds.

14.
Action II
.14
seen
from
C.
Near
shot
from
C of
F
and
window.
5
seconds.

15.
Action
II.16
seen
from
C.
Crescendo
creak
of
window
opening.
Faint
sound
of
rain.
Near
shot
from
C of
F
with
right
hand
holding
window
open.
5
seconds.

16.
Cut
to
view
from
window.
Night.
Rain
falling
in
dim
light.
Sound
of
rain
slightly
louder.
5
seconds.

17.
Cut
back
to
near
shot
from
C of
F
with
right
hand
holding
window
open.
Faint
sound
of
rain.
5
seconds.

18.
Action II
.18
seen
from
C.
Decrescendo
creak
of
window
slowly
closing.
Near
shot
from
C of
F
and
window.
5
seconds.

19.
Action II
.20
seen
from
C.
Near
shot
from
C
of 
F
,
mirror,
head
of
pallet.

20.
Cut
to
close-up
from
above
of
whole
pallet.

21.
Move
down
to
tighter
close-up
of
pallet
moving
slowly
from
pillow
to
foot
and
back
to
pillow.
5
seconds
on
pillow.

22.
Move
back
to
close-up
from
above
of
whole
pallet.
5
seconds.

23.
Cut
back
to
near
shot
from
C
of 
F
,
mirror,
head
of
pallet.
5
seconds.

24.
Cut
to
close-up
of
mirror
reflecting
nothing.
Small
grey
rectangle
(same
dimensions
as
cassette)
against
larger
rectangle
of
wall.
5
seconds.

25.
Cut
back
to
near
shot
from
C of
F
,
mirror,
head
of
pallet.
5
seconds.

26.
Action II
.21
seen
from
C.
Near
shot
from
C of
F
and
mirror.
5
seconds.

27.
Cut
to
close-up
of
F
’s
face
in
mirror.
5
seconds.
Eyes
close.
5
seconds.
Eyes
open.
5
seconds.
Head
bows.
Top
of
head
in
mirror.
5
seconds.

28.
Cut
back
to
near
shot
from
C of
F
with
bowed
head,
mirror,
head
of
pallet.
5
seconds.

29.
Action II
.25
seen
from
C.
Near
shot
from
C of
F
settling
into
opening
pose.
Music
audible
once
settled.
10
seconds.

30.
Music
stops.
Action II
.2
seen
from
C.
Faint
sound
of
steps
approaching.
They
stop.
Faint
sound
of
knock
on
door.
5
seconds.
Second
knock,
no
louder.
5
seconds.

31.
Action II
.33
seen
from
C.
Crescendo
creak
of
door
slowly
opening.
Near
shot
from
C
of
stool,
cassette, 
F
holding
door
open,
stooping
forward.
10
seconds.

32.
Cut
to
near
shot
of
small
boy
full
length
in
corridor
before
open
door.
Dressed
in
black
oilskin
with
hood
glistening
with
rain.
White
face
raised
to
invisible 
F
.
5
seconds.
Boy
shakes
head
faintly.
Face
still,
raised.
5
seconds.
Boy
shakes
head
again.
Face
still,
raised.
5
seconds.
Boy
turns
and
goes.
Sound
of
receding
steps.
Register
from
the
same
position
his
slow
recession
till
he
vanishes
in
dark
at
end
of
corridor.
5
seconds
on
empty
corridor.

33.
Cut
back
to
near
shot
from
C
of
stool,
cassette, 
F
holding
door
open.
5
seconds.

34.
Action II
.34
seen
from
C.
Decrescendo
creak
of
door
slowly
closing.
5
seconds.

35.
Cut
to
general
view
from
A.
5
seconds.

36.
Music
audible
at
A.
It
grows.
10
seconds.

37.
With
growing
music
move
in
slowly
to
close-up
of
head
bowed
right
down
over
cassette
now
held
in
arms
and
invisible.
Hold
till
end
of
Largo.

38.
Silence. 
F
raises
head.
Face
seen
clearly
for
second
time.
10
seconds.

39.
Move
slowly
back
to
A.

40.
General
view
from
A.
5
seconds.

41.
Fade
out.