The Complete Dramatic Works (52 page)
Read The Complete Dramatic Works Online
Authors: Samuel Beckett
CREAM:
Don’t be telling me they had her on a string all the same the said young lady, remember
that Holy Week 1912 was it or 13.
[
Roar
of
engine.
]
GORMAN:
Eh?
CREAM:
When you think of Simon the man he was don’t be telling me that. [
Pause.
]
Holy Week 1913 now it all comes back to me is that like as if they had her on a string
what she did then.
GORMAN:
Peace to her ashes Mr Cream.
CREAM:
Principles, Gorman, principles without principles I ask you. [
Roar
of
engine.
]
Wasn’t there an army man in it.
GORMAN:
Eh?
CREAM:
Wasn’t there an army man in it?
GORMAN:
In the car?
CREAM:
Eh?
GORMAN:
An army man in the car?
CREAM:
In the Crowther blow-up.
[
Roar
of
engine.
]
GORMAN:
You mean the Lootnant St John Fitzball.
CREAM:
St John Fitzball that’s the man, wasn’t he mixed up in it?
GORMAN:
They were keeping company all right. [
Pause.
]
He died in 14. Wounds.
CREAM:
And his aunt Miss Hester.
GORMAN:
Dead then these how many years is it now how many.
CREAM:
She was a great old one, a little on the high and mighty side perhaps you might say.
GORMAN:
Take fire like gunpowder but a heart of gold if you only knew. [
Roar
of
engine.
]
Her niece has a chip of the old block wouldn’t you say.
CREAM:
Her niece? No recollection.
GORMAN:
No recollection, Miss Victoria, come on now, she was to have married an American
and she’s in the Turrets yet.
CREAM:
I thought they’d sold.
GORMAN:
Sell the Turrets is it they’ll never sell, the family seat three centuries and maybe
more, three centuries Mr Cream.
CREAM:
You might be their historiographer Gorman to hear you talk, what you don’t know about
those people.
GORMAN:
Histryographer no Mr Cream I wouldn’t go so far as that but Miss Victoria right enough
I know her through and through we stop and have a gas like when her aunt was still
in it, ah yes nothing hoity-toity about Miss Victoria you can take my word she has
a great chip of the old block.
CREAM:
Hadn’t she a brother.
GORMAN:
The Lootnant yes, died in 14. Wounds.
[
Deafening
roar
of
engine.
]
CREAM:
The bloody cars such a thing as a quiet chat I ask you. [
Pause.
]
Well I’ll be slipping along I’m holding you back from your work.
GORMAN:
Slipping along what would you want slipping along and we only after meeting for once
in a blue moon.
CREAM:
Well then just a minute and smoke a quick one. [
Pause.
]
What did I do with those cigarettes? [
Pause.
]
You fire ahead don’t mind me.
GORMAN:
When you think, when you think ….
[
Suddenly
complete
silence.
10
seconds.
The
tune
resumes.
The
street
noises
resume
and
submerge
tune
a
moment.
Street
noises
and
tune
together
crescendo.
Tune
finally
rises
above
them
triumphant.
]
Written in English early in 1965. First published in French by Editions de Minuit,
Paris, in 1966. First published in English by Calder and Boyars, London, in 1967.
First produced as
Kommen
und
Gehen,
translated by Elmar Tophoven, at the
Schiller-Theater
Werkstatt, Berlin, on 14 January 1966. First performed in English at the Peacock Theatre,
Dublin, on 28 February 1968 and subsequently at the Royal Festival Hall, London, on
9 December 1968.
CHARACTERS:
FLO
VI
RU
(Ages undeterminable)
Sitting
centre
side
by
side
stage
right
to
left
FLO
,
VI
and
RU
.
Very
erect,
facing
front,
hands
clasped
in
laps.
Silence.
VI:
When did we three last meet?
RU:
Let us not speak.
[
Silence.
Exit
VI
right.
Silence.
]
FLO:
Ru.
RU:
Yes.
FLO:
What do you think of Vi?
RU:
I see little change. [
FLO
moves
to
centre
seat,
whispers
in
RU
’
s
ear.
Appalled.
]
Oh! [
They
look
at
each
other.
FLO
puts
her
finger
to
her
lips.
]
Does she not realize?
FLO:
God grant not.
[
Enter
VI.
FLO
and
RU
turn
back
front,
resume
pose.
VI
sits
right.
Silence.
]
Just sit together as we used to, in the playground at Miss Wade’s.
RU:
On the log.
[
Silence.
Exit
FLO
left.
Silence.
]
Vi.
VI:
Yes.
RU:
How do you find Flo?
VI:
She seems much the same. [
RU
moves
to
centre
seat,
whispers
in
VI
’
s
ear.
Appalled.
] Oh! [
They
look
at
each
other.
RU
puts
her
finger
to
her
lips.
] Has she not been told?
RU:
God forbid.
[
Enter
FLO
.
RU
and
VI
turn
back
front,
resume
pose.
FLO
sits
left.
]
Holding hands … that way.
FLO:
Dreaming of … love.
[
Silence.
Exit
RU
right.
Silence.
]
VI:
Flo.
FLO:
Yes.
VI:
How do you think Ru is looking?
FLO:
One sees little in this light. [
VI
moves
to
centre
seat,
whispers
in
FLO
’
s
ear.
Appalled.
] Oh! [
They
look
at
each
other.
VI
puts
her
finger
to
her
lips.
]
Does she not know?
VI:
Please God not.
[
Enter
RU
.
VI
and
FLO
turn
back
front,
resume
pose.
RU
sits
right.
Silence.
]
May we not speak of the old days? [
Silence.
]
Of what came after? [
Silence.
]
Shall we hold hands in the old way?
[
After
a
moment
they
join
hands
as
follows:
VI
’s
right
hand
with
RU
’
s
right
hand.
VI
’s
left
hand
with
FLO
’
s
left
hand,
FLO
’
s
right
hand
with
RU
’
s
left
hand,
VI
’s
arms
being
above
RU
’
s
left
arm
and
FLO
’
s
right
arm.
The
three
pairs
of
clasped
hands
rest
on
the
three
laps.
Silence.
]
FLO:
I can feel the rings.
[
Silence.
]
CURTAIN
Soft, from above only and concentrated on playing area. Rest of stage as dark as possible.
Full-length coats, buttoned high, dull violet (Ru), dull red (Vi), dull yellow (Flo).
Drab nondescript hats with enough brim to shade faces. Apart from colour differentiation
three figures as alike as possible. Light shoes with rubber soles. Hands made up to
be as visible as possible. No rings apparent.
Narrow benchlike seat, without back, just long enough to accommodate three figures
almost touching. As little visible as possible. It should not be clear what they are
sitting on.
The figures are not seen to go off stage. They should disappear a few steps from lit
area. If dark not sufficient to allow this, recourse should be had to screens or drapes
as little visible as possible. Exits and entrances slow, without sound of feet.
Three very different sounds.
As low as compatible with audibility. Colourless except for three ‘ohs’ and two lines
following.
A piece for television
Written in English in April-May 1965. First televised on BBC2 on 4 July 1966. First
published by Faber and Faber, London, in 1967.
Joe, late fifties, grey hair, old dressing-gown, carpet slippers, in his room.
1. Joe seen from behind sitting on edge of bed, intent pose, getting up, going to
window, opening window, looking out, closing window, drawing curtain, standing intent.
2. Joe do. (=from behind) going from window to door, opening door, looking out, closing
door, locking door, drawing hanging before door, standing intent.
3. Joe do. going from door to cupboard, opening cupboard, looking in, closing cupboard,
locking cupboard, drawing hanging before cupboard, standing intent.
4. Joe do. going from cupboard to bed, kneeling down, looking under bed, getting up,
sitting down on edge of bed as when discovered, beginning to relax.
5. Joe seen from front sitting on edge of bed, relaxed, eyes closed. Hold, then dolly
slowly in to closeup of face. First word of text stops this movement.
Joe’s opening movements followed by camera at constant remove, Joe full length in
frame throughout. No need to record room as whole. After this opening pursuit, between
first and final closeup of face, camera has nine slight moves in towards face, say
four inches each time. Each move is stopped by voice resuming, never camera move and
voice together. This would give position of camera when dolly stopped by first word
of text as one yard from maximum closeup of face. Camera does not move between paragraphs
till clear that pause (say three seconds) longer than between phrases. Then four inches
in say four seconds when movement stopped by voice resuming.
Low, distinct, remote, little colour, absolutely steady rhythm,
slightly slower than normal. Between phrases a beat of one second at least. Between
paragraphs about seven, i.e. three before camera starts to advance and four for advance
before it is stopped by voice resuming.
Practically motionless throughout, eyes unblinking during paragraphs, impassive except
in so far as it reflects mounting tension of
listening.
Brief zones of relaxation between paragraphs when perhaps voice has relented for
the evening and intentness may relax variously till restored by voice resuming.
WOMAN’S VOICE
:
Joe …
[
Eyes
open,
resumption
of
intentness.
]
Joe …
[
Full
intentness.
]
Thought of everything? … Forgotten nothing? … You’re all right now, eh? … No one can
see you now …. No one can get at you now …. Why don’t you put out that light? … There
might be a louse watching you …. Why don’t you go to bed? … What’s wrong with that
bed, Joe? … You changed it, didn’t you? … Made no difference? … Or is the heart already?
… Crumbles when you lie down in the dark …. Dry rotten at last…. Eh Joe?
Camera
move
1
The best’s to come, you said, that last time…. Hurrying me into my coat …. Last I
was favoured with from you … Say it you now, Joe, no one’ll hear you …. Come on, Joe,
no one can say it like you, say it again now and listen to yourself …. The best’s
to come …. You were right for once …. In the end.
Camera
move
2
You know that penny farthing hell you call your mind …. That’s where you think this
is coming from, don’t you? …
That’s where you heard your father …. Isn’t that what you told me? … Started in on
you one June night and went on for years …. On and off …. Behind the eyes …. That’s
how you were able to throttle him in the end …. Mental thuggee you called it …. One
of your happiest fancies …. Mental thuggee …. Otherwise he’d be plaguing you yet ….
Then your mother when her hour came …. ‘Look up, Joe, look up, we’re watching you’
…. Weaker and weaker till you laid her too …. Others …. All the others …. Such love
he got …. God knows why …. Pitying love …. None to touch it …. And look at him now
…. Throttling the dead in his head.
Camera
move
3
Anyone living love you now, Joe? … Anyone living sorry for you now? … That slut that
comes on Saturday, you pay her, don’t you? … Penny a hoist tuppence as long as you
like … Watch yourself you don’t run short, Joe … Ever think of that? … Eh Joe? … What
it’d be if you ran out of us …. Not another soul to still …. Sit there in his stinking
old wrapper hearing himself …. That lifelong adorer …. Weaker and weaker till not
a gasp left there either …. Is it that you want? … Well preserved for his age and
the silence of the grave …. That old paradise you were always harping on …. No Joe
…. Not for the likes of us.
Camera
move
4
I was strong myself when I started …. In on you …. Wasn’t I, Joe? … Normal strength
…. Like those summer evenings in the Green …. In the early days …. Of our idyll ….
When we sat watching the ducks …. Holding hands exchanging vows …. How you admired
my elocution! … Among other charms …. Voice like flint glass …. To borrow your expression
…. Powerful grasp of language you had …. Flint glass …. You could have listened to
it for ever …. And now this …. Squeezed
down to this …. How much longer would you say? … Till the whisper …. You know …. When
you can’t hear the words …. Just the odd one here and there …. That’s the worst ….
Isn’t it, Joe? … Isn’t that what you told me …. Before we expire …. The odd word ….
Straining to hear …. Why must you do that? … When you’re nearly home …. What matter
then …. What we mean …. It should be the best …. Nearly home again …. Another stilled
…. And it’s the worst …. Isn’t that what you said? … The whisper …. The odd word ….
Straining to hear …. Brain tired squeezing …. It stops in the end …. You stop it in
the end …. Imagine if you couldn’t …. Ever think of that? …. If it went on …. The
whisper in your head …. Me whispering at you in your head …. Things you can’t catch
…. On and off …. Till you join us …. Eh Joe?
Camera
move
5
How’s your Lord these days? … Still worth having? … Still lapping it up? … The passion
of our Joe …. Wait till He starts talking to you …. When you’re done with yourself
…. All your dead dead …. Sitting there in your foul old wrapper …. Very fair health
for a man of your years …. Just that lump in your bubo …. Silence of the grave without
the maggots …. To crown your labours …. Till one night …. ‘Thou fool thy soul’ ….
Put your thugs on that …. Eh Joe? … Ever think of that? … When He starts in on you
…. When you’re done with yourself …. If you ever are.
Camera
move
6
Yes, great love God knows why …. Even me …. But I found a better …. As I hope you
heard …. Preferable in all respects …. Kinder …. Stronger …. More intelligent …. Better
looking …. Cleaner …. Truthful …. Faithful …. Sane …. Yes …. I did all right.
Camera
move
7
But there was one didn’t …. You know the one I mean, Joe …. The green one …. The narrow
one …. Always pale …. The pale eyes …. Spirit made light …. To borrow your expression
…. The way they opened after …. Unique …. Are you with me now? … Eh Joe? … There was
love for you …. The best’s to come, you said …. Bundling her into her Avoca sack ….
Her fingers fumbling with the big horn buttons …. Ticket in your pocket for the first
morning flight …. You’ve had her, haven’t you? … You’ve laid her? … Of course he has
…. She went young …. No more old lip from her.
Camera
move
8
Ever know what happened? … She didn’t say? … Just the announcement in the
Independent
…. ‘On Mary’s beads we plead her needs and in the Holy Mass’ …. Will I tell you?
… Not interested? … Well I will just the same …. I think you should know …. That’s
right, Joe, squeeze away …. Don’t lose heart now …. When you’re nearly home …. I’ll
soon be gone …. The last of them …. Unless that poor old slut loves you …. Then yourself
…. That old bonfire …. Years of that stink …. Then the silence …. A dollop of that
…. To crown all …. Till His Nibs …. One dirty winter night …. ‘Mud thou art.’
Camera
move
9
All right …. Warm summer night …. All sleeping …. Sitting on the edge of her bed in
her lavender slip …. You know the one …. Ah she knew you, heavenly powers! … Faint
lap of sea through open window …. Gets up in the end and slips out as she is …. Moon
…. Stock …. Down the garden and under the viaduct ….
Sees from the seaweed the tide is flowing …. Goes on down to the edge and lies down
with her face in the wash …. Cut a long story short doesn’t work …. Gets up in the
end sopping wet and back up to the house …. Gets out the Gillette …. The make you
recommended for her body hair …. Back down the garden and under the viaduct …. Takes
the blade from the holder and lies down at the edge on her side …. Cut another long
story short doesn’t work either …. You know how she always dreaded pain …. Tears a
strip from the slip and ties it round the scratch …. Gets up in the end and back up
to the house …. Slip clinging the way wet silk will …. This all new to you, Joe? …
Eh Joe? … Gets the tablets and back down the garden and under the viaduct …. Takes
a few on the way …. Unconscionable hour by now …. Moon going off the shore behind
the hill …. Stands a bit looking at the beaten silver …. Then starts along the edge
to a place further down near the Rock …. Imagine what in her mind to make her do that
…. Imagine …. Trailing her feet in the water like a child …. Takes a few more on the
way …. Will I go on, Joe? … Eh Joe? … Lies down in the end with her face a few feet
from the tide …. Clawing at the shingle now …. Has it all worked out this time…. Finishes
the tube …. There’s love for you …. Eh Joe? … Scoops a little cup for her face in
the stones …. The green one …. The narrow one …. Always pale …. The pale eyes …. The
look they shed before …. The way they opened after …. Spirit made light …. Wasn’t
that your description, Joe? … [
Voice
drops
to
whisper,
almost
inaudible
except
words
in
italics.
]
All right …. You’ve had the best …. Now
imagine
…. Before she goes …. Face in the cup …. Lips on a
stone
…. Taking Joe with her …. Light gone ….
‘Joe
Joe’
…. No sound …. To the
stones
…. Say it you now, no one’ll hear you …. Say ‘Joe’ it parts the
lips
…
Imagine
the hands …. The
solitaire
…. Against a
stone
…. Imagine the
eyes
…. Spiritlight …. Month of June …. What year of your Lord? ….
Breasts
in the stones …. And the
hands
…. Before they go ….
Imagine
the hands …. What are they at? …. In the
stones
….
[
Image fades, voice as before.
]
What are they fondling? … Till they go ….
There’s
love
for
you
…. Isn’t it, Joe? … Wasn’t it, Joe? …
Eh
Joe?
… Wouldn’t you say? … Compared to us … Compared to Him …..
Eh
Joe?
…
[
Voice and image out. End.
]