The Complete Dramatic Works (61 page)

Nacht
und
Träume
was written for, and produced by,
Süddeutscher
Rundfunk in 1982. It was first transmitted on 19 May 1983. First published in English
by Faber and Faber, London, in 1984.

1. Fade up on a dark empty room lit only by evening light from a window set high in
back wall.
Left foreground, faintly lit, a man seated at a table. Right profile, head bowed,
grey hair, hands resting on table.
Clearly visible only head and hands and section of table on which they rest.

2. Softly hummed, male voice, last 7 bars of Schubert’s
Lied, Nacht
und
Träume.

3. Fade out evening light.

4. Softly sung, with words, last 3 bars of
Lied
beginning ‘Holde Träume …’

5. Fade down
A
as he bows his head further to rest on hands. Thus minimally lit he remains just
visible throughout dream as first viewed.

6.
A
dreams. Fade up on
B
on an invisible podium about 4 feet above floor level, middle ground, well right
of centre. He is seated at a table in the same posture as
A
dreaming, bowed head resting on hands, but left profile, faintly lit by kinder light
than
A
’s.

7. From dark beyond and above
B
’s head
L
appears and rests gently on it.

8.
B
raises his head,
L
withdraws and disappears.

9. From same dark
R
appears with a cup, conveys it gently to
B
’s lips,
B
drinks,
R
disappears.

10.
R
reappears with a cloth, wipes gently
B
’s brow, disappears with cloth.

11.
B
raises his head further to gaze up at invisible face.

12.
B
raises his right hand, still gazing up, and holds it raised palm upward.

13.
R
reappears and rests gently on
B
’s right hand,
B
still gazing up.

14.
B
transfers gaze to joined hands.

15.
B
raises his left hand and rests it on joined hands.

16. Together hands sink to table and on them
B
’s head.

17.
L
reappears and rests gently on
B
’s head.

18. Fade out dream.

19. Fade up a and evening light.

20.
A
raises head to its opening position.

21.
Lied
as before (2).

22. Fade out evening light.

23. Close of
Lied
as before (4).

24. Fade down a as before (5).

25.
A
dreams. Fade up on
B
as before (6).

26. Move in slowly to close-up of
B
, losing
A
.

27. Dream as before (7–16) in close-up and slower motion.

28. Withdraw slowly to opening viewpoint, recovering
A
.

29. Fade out dream.

30. Fade out
A
.

The première of this play took place at the Harold Clurman Theatre, New York, on 15
June 1983. First published by Faber and Faber, London, in 1984.

V:
We are the last five.

In the present as were we still.

It is spring.

Time passes.

First without words.

I switch on.

[
Light
on 
P
.

BAM
at
3
head
haught, 
BOM
at
1
head
bowed.

Pause.
]

Not good.

I switch off.

[
Light
off 
P
.]

I start again.

We are the last five.

It is spring.

Time passes.

First without words.

I switch on.

[
Light
on 
P
.

BAM
alone
at
3
head
haught.

Pause.
]

Good.

I am alone.

It is spring.

Time passes.

First without words.

In the end Bom appears.

Reappears.

[
BOM
enters
at 
N
,
halts
at
1
head
bowed.

Pause.

BIM
enters
at 
E
,
halts
at
2
head
haught.

Pause.

BIM
exits
at 
E
followed
by 
BOM
.

Pause.

BIM
enters
at 
E
,
halts
at
2
head
bowed.

Pause.

BEM
enters
at 
N
,
halts
at
1
head
haught.

Pause.

BEM
exits
at 
N
followed
by 
BIM
.

Pause.

BEM
enters
at 
N
,
halts
at
1
head
bowed.

Pause.

BAM
exits
at 
W
followed
by 
BEM
.

Pause.

BAM
enters
at 
W
,
halts
at
3
head
bowed.

Pause.
]

Good.

I switch off.

[
Light
off 
P
.]

I start again.

We are the last five.

It is spring.

Time passes.

I switch on.

[
Light
on 
P
.

BAM
alone
at
3
head
h
aught.

Pause.
]

Good.

I am alone.

It is spring.

Time passes.

Now with words.

In the end Bom appears.

Reappears.

[
BOM
enters
at 
N
,
halts
at
1
head
bowed.
]

BOM:
Well?

BOM:
[
Head
bowed
throughout.
]
Nothing. bam: He didn’t say anything?

BOM:
No.

BAM:
You gave him the works?

BOM:
Yes.

BAM:
And he didn’t say anything?

BOM:
No.

BAM:
He wept?

BOM:
Yes.

BAM:
Screamed?

BOM:
Yes.

BAM:
Begged for mercy?

BOM:
Yes.

BAM:
But didn’t say anything?

BOM:
No.

V:
Not good.

I start again.

BAM:
Well?

BOM:
Nothing.

BAM:
He didn’t say it?

V:
Good.

BOM:
No.

BAM:
You gave him the works?

BOM:
Yes.

BAM:
And he didn’t say it?

BOM:
No.

BOM:
He wept?

BOM:
Yes.

BAM:
Screamed?

BOM:
Yes.

BAM:
Begged for mercy?

BOM:
Yes.

BAM:
But didn’t say it?

BOM:
No.

BAM:
Then why stop?

BOM:
He passed out.

BAM:
And you didn’t revive him?

BOM:
I tried.

BAM:
Well?

BOM:
I couldn’t.

[
Pause.
]

BAM:
It’s a lie. [
Pause.
]
He said it to you. [
Pause.
]
Confess he said it to you. [
Pause.
]
You’ll be given the works until you confess.

V:
Good.

In the end Bim appears.

[
BIM
enters
at 
E
,
halts
at
2
head
haught.
]

BAM:
[
To 
BIM
.] Are you free?

BIM:
Yes.

BAM:
Take him away and give him the works until he confesses.

BIM:
What must he confess?

BAM:
That he said it to him.

BIM:
Is that all?

BAM:
Yes.

V:
Not good.

I start again.

BAM:
Take him away and give him the works until he confesses.

BIM:
What must he confess?

BAM:
That he said it to him.

BIM:
Is that all?

BAM:
And what.

V:
Good.

BIM:
Is that all?

BAM:
Yes.

BIM:
Then stop?

BAM:
Yes.

BIM:
Good. [
To
bom.] Come.

[
BIM
exits
at 
E
followed
by
 
BOM
.]

V:
Good.

I am alone.

It is summer.

Time passes.

In the end Bim appears.

Reappears.

[
BIM
enters
at 
E
,
halts
at
2
head
bowed
.]

BAM:
Well?

BIM:
[
Head
bowed
throughout
.]
Nothing.

BAM:
He didn’t say it?

BAM:
No.

BAM:
You gave him the works?

BIM:
Yes.

BAM:
And he didn’t say it?

BIM:
No.

V:
Not good.

I start again.

BAM:
Well?

BIM:
Nothing.

BAM:
He didn’t say where?

V:
Good.

BIM:
Where?

V:
Ah!

BAM:
Where.

BIM:
No.

BAM:
You gave him the works?

BIM:
Yes.

BAM:
And he didn’t say where?

BIM:
No.

BAM:
He wept?

BIM:
Yes.

BAM:
Screamed?

BIM:
Yes.

BAM:
Begged for mercy?

BIM:
Yes.

BAM:
But didn’t say where?

BIM:
No.

BAM:
Then why stop?

BIM:
He passed out.

BAM:
And you didn’t revive him?

BIM:
I tried.

BAM:
Well?

BIM:
I couldn’t.

[
Pause.
]

BAM:
It’s a lie. [
Pause.
]
He said where to you. [
Pause
.]
Confess he said where to you. [
Pause.
]
You’ll be given the works until you confess.

V:
Good. In the end Bem appears.

[
BEM
enters
at
N
,
halts
at
1
head
haught.
]

BAM:
[
To 
BEM
.] Are you free?

BEM:
Yes.

BAM:
Take him away and give him the works until he confesses.

BEM:
What must he confess?

BAM:
That he said where to him.

BEM:
Is that all?

BAM:
Yes.

V:
Not good.

I start again.

BAM:
Take him away and give him the works until he confesses.

BEM:
What must he confess?

BAM:
That he said where to him.

BEM:
Is that all?

BAM:
And where.

V:
Good.

BEM:
Is that all?

ba YeS.

BEM:
Then stop?

BAM:
Yes.

BEM:
Good. [
To 
BIM
.] Come.

[
BEM
exits
at 
N
followed
by 
BIM
.]

V:
Good.

I am alone.

It is autumn.

Time passes.

In the end Bem appears.

Reappears.

[
BEM
enters
at 
N
,
halts
at
1
head
bowed.
]

BAM:
Well?

BEM:
[
Head
bowed
throughout
.]
Nothing.

BAM:
He didn’t say where?

BAM:
No.

V:
So on.

BAM:
It’s a lie. [
Pause
.]
He said where to you. [
Pause
.]
Confess he said where to you. [
Pause.
]
You’ll be given the works until you confess.

BEM:
What must I confess?

BAM:
That he said where to you.

BEM:
Is that all?

BAM:
And where.

BEM:
Is that all?

BAM:
Yes.

BEM:
Then stop?

BAM:
Yes. Come.

[
BAM
exits
at 
W
followed
by
BEM
.]

V:
Good.

It is winter.

Time passes.

In the end I appear.

Reappear.

[
BAM
enters
at 
W
,
halts
at
3
head
bowed.
]

V:
Good.

I am alone.

In the present as were I still.

It is winter.

Without journey.

Time passes.

That is all.

Make sense who may.

I switch off.

[
Light off
P.

Pause
.

Light off
V.
]