The Complete Dramatic Works (57 page)
Read The Complete Dramatic Works Online
Authors: Samuel Beckett
From Largo of Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Trio (
The
Ghost
):
| I.13 | beginning bar 47 |
| I.23 | beginning bar 49 |
| I.31-34 | beginning bar 19 |
| II.26-29 | beginning bar 64 |
| II.35-36 | beginning bar 71 |
| III.1-2, 4-5 | beginning bar 26 |
| III.29 | beginning bar 64 |
| III.36 to end | beginning bar 82 |
A play for television
Written in English in October-November 1976. First televised on BBC2 on 17 April 1977.
First published by Faber and Faber, London, in 1977.
| M | | | Near shot from behind of man sitting on invisible stool bowed over invisible table. Light grey robe and skullcap. Dark ground. Same shot throughout. |
| | | | |
| M 1 | | | M in set. Hat and greatcoat dark, robe and skullcap light. |
| | | | |
| W | | | Close-up of woman’s face reduced as far as possible to eyes and mouth. Same shot throughout. |
| | | | |
| S | | | Long shot of set empty or with M 1. Same shot throughout. |
| | | | |
| V | | | M ’s voice. |
Set:
circular, about 5 m. diameter, surrounded by deep shadow.
Lighting:
a gradual lightening from dark periphery to maximum light at centre.
1. West, roads.
2. North, sanctum.
3. East, closet.
4. Standing position.
5. Camera.
1.
Dark.
5
seconds.
2.
Fade
up
to
M
. 5
seconds.
3.
V
: When I thought of her it was always night. I came in–
4.
Dissolve
to
S
empty.
5
seconds.
M
1
in
hat
and
greatcoat
emerges
from
west
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
east
shadow.
2
seconds.
5.
V
: No–
6.
Dissolve
to
M
.
2
seconds.
7.
V
: No, that is not right. When she appeared it was always night. I came in–
8.
Dissolve
to
S
empty.
5
seconds.
M
1
in
hat
and
greatcoat
emerges
from
west
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
east
shadow.
5
seconds.
9.
V
: Right. Came in, having walked the roads since break of day, brought night home,
stood listening [
5
seconds.
], finally went to closet–
10.
M
1
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
east
shadow.
2
seconds.
11.
V
: Shed my hat and greatcoat, assumed robe and skull, reappeared–
12
.
M
1
in
robe
and
skullcap
emerges
from
east
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
west
shadow.
5
seconds.
13.
V
: Reappeared and stood as before, only facing the other way, exhibiting the other
outline [
5 seconds
.
], finally turned and vanished–
14.
M
1
turns
right
and
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
north
shadow.
5
seconds.
15.
V
: Vanished within my little sanctum and crouched, where none could see me, in the
dark.
16.
Dissolve
to
M
.
5
seconds.
17.
V
: Let us now make sure we have got it right.
18.
Dissolve
to
S
empty.
2
seconds.
M
1
in
hat
and
greatcoat
emerges
from
west
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
east
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
east
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
emerges
in
robe
and
skullcap
from
east
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
west
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
turns
right
and
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
north
shadow.
2
seconds.
19.
V
: Right.
20.
Dissolve
to
M
.
2
seconds.
21.
V
: Then crouching there, in my little sanctum, in the dark, where none could see me,
I began to beg, of her, to appear, to me. Such had long been my use and wont. No sound,
a begging of the mind, to her, to appear, to me. Deep down into the dead of night,
until I wearied, and ceased. Or of course until–
22.
Dissolve
to
W
.
2
seconds.
23.
Dissolve
to
M
.
2
seconds.
24.
V
: For had she never once appeared, all that time, would I have, could I have, gone
on begging, all that time? Not just vanished within my little sanctum and busied myself
with something else, or with nothing, busied myself with nothing? Until the time came,
with break of day, to issue forth again, shed robe and skull, resume my hat and
greatcoat
, and issue forth again, to walk the roads.
25.
Dissolve
to
S
empty.
2
seconds.
M
1
in
robe
and
skullcap
emerges
from
north
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
camera.
2
seconds.
He
turns
left
and
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
east
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
emerges
in
hat
and
greatcoat
from
east
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
west
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
west
shadow.
2
seconds.
26.
V
: Right.
27.
Dissolve
to
M
.
5
seconds.
28.
V
: Let us now distinguish three cases. One: she appeared and–
29.
Dissolve
to
W
.
2
seconds.
30.
Dissolve
to
M
.
2
seconds.
31.
V
: In the same breath was gone.
2
seconds.
Two: she appeared and–
32.
Dissolve
to
W
.
5
seconds.
33.
V
: Lingered.
5
seconds.
With those unseeing eyes I so begged when alive to look at me.
5
seconds.
34.
Dissolve
to
M
.
2
seconds.
35.
V
: Three: she appeared and–
36.
Dissolve
to
W
.
5
seconds.
37.
V
: After a moment–
38.
W
’
s
lips
move,
uttering
inaudibly
:
‘… clouds … but the clouds … of the sky …’,
V
murmuring,
synchronous
with
lips:
‘… but the clouds …’
Lips
cease.
5
seconds.
39.
V
: Right.
40.
Dissolve
to
M
.
5
seconds.
41.
V
: Let us now run through it again.
42.
Dissolve
to
S
empty.
2
seconds,
M
1
in
hat
and
greatcoat
emerges
from
west
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
east
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
east
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
emerges
in
robe
and
skullcap
from
east
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
west
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
turns
right
and
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
north
shadow.
2
seconds.
43.
Dissolve
to
M
.
5
seconds.
44.
Dissolve
to
W
.
2
seconds.
45.
Dissolve
to
M
.
2
seconds.
46.
Dissolve t
o
W
.
5
seconds.
47.
V
: Look at me.
5
seconds.
48.
Dissolve
to
M
.
5
seconds.
49.
Dissolve
to
W
.
2
seconds,
W
’s
lips
move,
uttering
inaudibly:
‘… clouds … but the clouds … of the sky …’,
V
murmur
ing
,
synchronous
with
lips:
‘… but the clouds …’
Lips
cease.
5
seconds.
50.
V
: Speak to me.
5
seconds.
51.
Dissolve
to
M
.
5
seconds.
52.
V
: Right. There was of course a fourth case, or case nought, as I pleased to call it,
by far the commonest, in the proportion say of nine hundred and ninety-nine to one,
or nine hundred and ninety-eight to two, when I begged in vain, deep down into the
dead of night, until I wearied, and ceased, and busied myself with something else,
more … rewarding, such as … such as … cube roots, for example, or with nothing, busied
myself with nothing, that
MINE
, until the time came, with break of day, to issue forth again,
void my little sanctum, shed robe and skull, resume my hat and greatcoat, and issue
forth again, to walk the roads. [
Pause.
]
The back roads.
53.
Dissolve
to
S
empty.
2
seconds.
M
1
in
robe
and
skullcap
emerges
from
north
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
camera.
2
seconds.
He
turns
left
and
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
east
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
emerges
in
hat
and
greatcoat
from
east
shadow,
advances
five
steps
and
stands
facing
west
shadow.
2
seconds.
He
advances
five
steps
to
disappear
in
west
shadow.
2
seconds.
54.
V
: Right.
55.
Dissolve
to
M
.
5
seconds.
56.
Dissolve
to
W
.
5
seconds.
57.
V
: ‘… but the clouds of the sky … when the horizon fades … or a bird’s sleepy cry …
among the deepening shades …’
5
seconds.
58.
Dissolve
to
M
.
5
seconds.
59.
Fade
out
on
M
.
60.
Dark.
5
seconds.
