The Complete Dramatic Works (60 page)

Written in French in 1982. First performed at the Avignon Festival in 1982. First
published in English by Faber and Faber, London, in 1984.

A:
[
Finally.
]
Like the look of him?

D:
So so. [
Pause.
]
Why the plinth?

A:
To let the stalls see the feet.

[
Pause.
]

D:
Why the hat?

A:
To help hide the face.

[
Pause.
]

D:
Why the gown?

A:
To have him all black.

[
Pause.
]

D:
What has he on underneath? [
A
moves
towards 
P
.] Say it.

[
A
halts.
]

A:
His night attire.

D:
Colour?

A:
Ash.

[
D
takes
out
a
cigar.
]

D:
Light. [
A
returns,
lights
the
cigar,
stands
still. 
D
smokes.
] How’s the skull?

A:
You’ve seen it.

D:
I forget. [
A
moves
towards 
P
.] Say it.

[
A
halts.
]

A:
Moulting. A few tufts.

D:
Colour?

A:
Ash.

[
Pause.
]

D:
Why hands in pockets?

A:
To help have him all black.

D:
They mustn’t.

A:
I make a note. [
She
takes
out
a
pad,
takes
pencil,
notes
.] Hands exposed.

[
She
puts
back
pad
and
pencil.
]

D:
How are they? [
A
at
a
loss.
Irritably
.]
The hands, how are the hands?

A:
You’ve seen them.

D:
I forget.

A:
Crippled. Fibrous degeneration.

D:
Clawlike?

A:
If you like.

D:
Two claws?

A:
Unless he clench his fists.

D:
He mustn’t.

A:
I make a note. [
She
takes
out
pad,
takes
pencil,
notes
.] Hands limp.

[
She
puts
back
pad
and
pencil.
]

D:
Light. [
A
returns,
relights
the
cigar,
stands
still. 
D
smokes
.] Good. Now let’s have a look. [
A
at
a
loss.
Irritably.
]
Get going. Lose that gown. [
He
consults
his
chronometer.
] Step on it, I have a caucus.

[
A
goes
to 
P
,
takes
off
the
gown.
 
P
submits,
inert. 
A
steps
back,
the
gown
over
her
arm. 
P
in
old
grey
pyjamas,
head
bowed,
fists
clenched.
Pause
.]

A:
Like him better without? [
Pause
.]
He’s shivering.

D:
Not all that. Hat.

[
A
advances,
takes
off
hat,
steps
back,
hat
in
hand.
Pause
.]

A:
Like that cranium?

D:
Needs whitening.

A:
I make a note. [
She
takes
out
pad,
takes
pencil,
notes.
] Whiten cranium.

[
She
puts
back
pad
and
pencil.
]

D:
The hands. [
A
at
a
loss.
Irritably
.]
The fists. Get going. [
A
 
advances,
unclenches
fists,
steps
back
.]
And whiten.

A:
I make a note. [
She
takes
out
pad,
takes
pencil,
notes.
] Whiten hands.

[
She
puts
back
pad
and
pencil.
They
contemplate 
P
.]

D:
[
Finally
.]
Something wrong. [
Distraught.
]
What is it?

A:
[
Timidly.
]
What if we were … were to … join them?

D:
No harm trying. [
A
advances,
joins
the
hands,
steps
back.
] Higher. [
A
advances,
raises
waist
high
the
joined
hands,
steps
back.
]
A touch more. [
A
advances,
raises 
breast-
high
the
joined
hands.
]
Stop! [
A
steps
back
.]
Better. It’s coming. Light.

[
A
returns,
relights
cigar,
stands
still.
D
smokes.
]

A:
He’s shivering.

D:
Bless his heart.

[
Pause
.]

A:
[
Timidly.
]
What about a little … a little … gag?

D:
For God’s sake! This craze for explicitation! Every i dotted to death! Little gag!
For God’s sake!

A:
Sure he won’t utter?

D:
Not a squeak. [
He
consults
his
chronometer.
]
Just time. I’ll go and see how it looks from the house.

[
Exit 
D
,
not
to
appear
again. 
A
subsides
in
the
armchair,
springs
to
her
feet
no
sooner
seated,
takes
out
a
rag,
wipes
vigorously
back
and
seat
of
chair,
discards
rag,
sits
again.
Pause.
]

D:
[
Off,
plaintive.
]
I can’t see the toes. [
Irritably
.]
I’m sitting in the front row of the stalls and can’t see the toes.

A:
[
Rising.
]
I make a note. [
She
takes
out
a
pad,
takes
pencil,
notes.
]
Raise pedestal.

D:
There’s a trace of face.

A:
I make a note.

[
She
takes
out
pad,
takes
pencil,
makes
to
note
.]

D:
Down the head. [
A
at
a
loss.
Irritably.
]
Get going. Down his
head. [
A
puts
back
pad
and
pencil,
goes
to 
P
,
bows
his
head
further,
steps
back.
]
A shade more. [
A
advances,
bows
the
head
further.
]
Stop! [
A
steps
back.
]
Fine. It’s coming. [
Pause.
]
Could do with more nudity.

A:
I make a note.

[
She
takes
out
pad,
makes
to
take
her
pencil.
]

D:
Get going! Get going! [
A
puts
back
the
pad,
goes
to 
P
,
stands
irresolute.
] Bare the neck. [
A
undoes
top
buttons,
parts
the
flaps,
steps
back
.]
The legs. The shins. [
A
ad
vances,
rolls
up
to
below
knee
one
trouser-leg,
steps
back.
] The other. [
Same
for
other
leg,
steps
back.
]
Higher. The knees. [
A
advances,
rolls
up
to
above
knees
both
trouser-
legs
,
steps
back.
]
And whiten.

A:
I make a note. [
She
takes
out
pad,
takes
pencil,
notes.
] Whiten all flesh.

D:
It’s coming. Is Luke around?

A:
[
Calling.
]
Luke! [
Pause.
Louder
.]
Luke!

L:
[
Off,
distant
.]
I hear you. [
Pause.
Nearer.
]
What’s the trouble now?

A:
Luke’s around.

D:
Blackout stage.

L:
What?

[
A
transmits
in
technical
terms.
Fade-out
of
general
light.
Light
on 
P
alone.
 
A
in
shadow.
]

D:
Just the head.

L:
What?

[
A
transmits
in
technical
terms.
Fade-out
of
light
on
P
’s
body.
Light
on
head
alone.
Long
pause.
]

D:
Lovely.

[
Pause
.]

A:
[
Timidly
.]
What if he were to … were to … raise his head … an instant … show his face … just
an instant.

D:
For God’s sake! What next? Raise his head? Where do you think we are? In Patagonia?
Raise his head? For God’s sake! [
Pause
.]
Good. There’s our catastrophe. In the bag. Once more and I’m off.

A:
[
To 
L
.] Once more and he’s off.

[
Fade-up
of
light
on 
P
’
s
body.
Pause.
Fade-up
of
general
light
.]

D:
Stop! [
Pause
.]
Now … let ’em have it. [
Fade-out
of
general
light.
Pause.
Fade-out
of
light
on
body.
Light
on
head
alone.
Long
pause
.]
Terrific! He’ll have them on their feet. I can hear it from here.

[
Pause.
Distant
storm
of
applause. 
P
raises
his
head,
fixes
the
audience.
The
applause
falters,
dies.

Long
pause.

Fade-out
of
light
on
face
.]