Fosse: Plays Six (18 page)

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

yes let’s go

THE OLDER WOMAN

Because here

we can’t stay here any longer

THE SHIPMASTER

Mum Dad

THE OLDER WOMAN

I don’t like it here

we have to go

we have to be somewhere else

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

quite short pause

we’ll go now

we’ll go somewhere else now

THE OLDER WOMAN

Somewhere where it’s good to be

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

THE SHIPMASTER

I’m so happy to see you

Quite short pause

And how nice that you finally wanted to come on board my ship

THE OLDER WOMAN

We must hurry up

We must get away from here

THE OLDER MAN

Where shall we go

THE OLDER WOMAN

There’s always somewhere

to go

THE OLDER MAN

But where

THE OLDER WOMAN

I don’t know

Short pause

Don’t you know where we are

THE OLDER MAN

No

THE OLDER WOMAN

You don’t know

THE OLDER MAN

No

Pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

And how did we get here

THE OLDER MAN

Where were we before we came here

THE OLDER WOMAN

We would’ve been at home at our place

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

THE OLDER WOMAN

And now we’re here

THE OLDER MAN

And there are others here

And there are no others here

THE OLDER WOMAN

I’m scared

Short pause

I just don’t like it here

THE OLDER MAN

But no matter where we look

and no matter where we go

yes everything’s the same

THE OLDER WOMAN

That’s how it is

THE OLDER MAN

I don’t think we can do anything

THE OLDER WOMAN

What do you mean

THE OLDER MAN

I don’t think we can do anything about it

Short pause

Everything is the way it is

THE OLDER WOMAN

But then

quite short pause

then we must create something else ourselves

THE OLDER MAN

But can we do that

THE OLDER WOMAN

We can imagine it

as something else

THE OLDER MAN

Can we

THE OLDER WOMAN

Yes we can

THE OLDER MAN

How

THE OLDER WOMAN

We can imagine it differently

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

THE OLDER WOMAN

We can imagine

quite short pause

yes what it was like

yes when he

when our son

was born

quite short pause

his childhood years

what they were like

quite short pause

he was such a beautiful child

THE OLDER MAN

And such a friendly child

THE GUITAR PLAYER

But Dad

but Mum

quite short pause

it’s so good to see you again

Short pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

And so good and kind

Pause

THE OLDER MAN

And so

breaks off, quite short pause

yes what can I say

somehow there’s not much to say

what there was

is not something

somehow

that can be said

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Dad

Mum

Don’t you see me

Imagine seeing you here

quite short pause

it’s so unexpected

Short pause

THE OLDER MAN

I can’t remember what he

yes our son

looked like when he was little

THE OLDER WOMAN

No all that’s left are pictures

faded pictures

quite short pause

blurry

almost gone

quite short pause

THE OLDER MAN

And our daughter

Somehow I can’t picture her

THE OLDER WOMAN

continues

but good pictures

yes they are

good pictures

quite short pause

about to disappear

quite short pause

I see him

I see him lying there in his bed

he lies there sleeping

in his bed

yes like that

THE OLDER WOMAN

Yes

Pause

But what there is

quite short pause

yes it’s a little

yes

quite short pause

yes like being here

THE GUITAR PLAYER

But don’t you see me

Mum

Dad

I’m here

quite short pause

you son

quite short pause

I’m here

THE OLDER WOMAN

No it’s not like that

You mustn’t say that the picture of our son

is a little like being here

No

No you mustn’t say that

Pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Mum

Can’t you see me

quite short pause

don’t you see that I’m here

THE OLDER MAN

No

quite short pause

no I won’t say that

THE GUITAR PLAYER

And Dad

quite short pause

it’s so good to see you again

THE OLDER WOMAN

It’s not like that

Pause

THE OLDER MAN

No it’s not like that

Pause

But what is it

THE OLDER WOMAN

You’ve always been the strong one

you must know that

THE OLDER MAN

I

quite short pause

I’ve never been

the strong one have I

THE OLDER WOMAN

Yes you have

THE OLDER MAN

No that’s you

not me

you’ve been the strong one

always

Pause

THE OLDER WOMAN

You’re not who I think you are

THE OLDER MAN

What do you mean

THE OLDER WOMAN

You can’t be the good man

I married

and the man I’ve lived with

all my life

THE OLDER MAN

I can’t

THE OLDER WOMAN

You can’t be him

Quite short pause

Because he wasn’t like that

quite short pause

he was always

my good support

he supported me

in everything

THE OLDER MAN

I have always supported you

And I’m supporting you as much as I can

THE OLDER WOMAN

Yes I’m sorry

I didn’t mean it like that

Long pause

I’m tired

Pause

THE OLDER MAN

I’m tired

too

THE OLDER WOMAN

We’re both tired

THE OLDER MAN

We’re both old and tired

THE OLDER WOMAN

And soon we’ll sleep

THE OLDER MAN

Soon we’ll fall asleep

THE OLDER WOMAN

Sleep forever

THE OLDER MAN

Be gone

THE OLDER WOMAN

We shall soon sleep forever

and be gone

Pause

THE OLDER MAN

Sleep and sleep

The Older Man looks at The Woman

and do you see

do you see

quite short pause

we’re not alone

do you see the woman who stands there

her

over there

do you see

don’t you see how much she looks like

you when you were young

don’t you see

THE OLDER WOMAN

No

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

yes the woman who stands over there

The Older Man points

You see her

You must see her

THE OLDER WOMAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes

yes now I see her

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

THE OLDER WOMAN

But she doesn’t look like

yes like me when I was young

THE OLDER MAN

Yes she does

I can see it

I can see that she looks like

you when you were young

oh yes she does

THE OLDER WOMAN

No

quite short pause

no she can’t

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

yes she does

THE OLDER WOMAN

No

THE OLDER MAN

She’s so like you

that if I didn’t know it couldn’t be

I would’ve thought it was you

when you were young

THE OLDER WOMAN

Don’t talk like that

I get scared

Quite short pause

You mustn’t say things like that

THE OLDER MAN

I think it must be you

THE OLDER WOMAN

Don’t look at her

The Woman turns towards The Older Man and The Older Woman

Now she’s looking at us

THE OLDER MAN

Yes

The Woman lets go of The Man’s hand and starts to walk towards The Older Man and The Older Woman

THE OLDER WOMAN

And now she starts to walk towards us

THE OLDER MAN

But why does she do that

THE OLDER WOMAN

And we were alone here

THE OLDER MAN

There was no one else here

THE OLDER WOMAN

And now she’s walking towards us

THE OLDER MAN

We were all alone

quite short pause

but now she comes walking towards us

THE OLDER WOMAN

She mustn’t come

THE OLDER MAN

What does she want from us

Short pause

We must go

The Older Woman and The Older Man walk slowly away from The Woman

THE WOMAN

Please don’t go

THE OLDER WOMAN

She’s talking to us

THE WOMAN

You mustn’t go

Short pause

Mum

Dad

quite short pause

it’s me

THE OLDER WOMAN

What does she want from us

THE WOMAN

Wait

you can’t just leave me

THE OLDER MAN

I don’t understand what she wants from us

THE WOMAN

Please don’t go

Quite short pause

Mum

Dad

THE OLDER MAN

I don’t know her

THE OLDER WOMAN

Me neither

THE WOMAN

Can’t you wait for me

Quite short pause

Don’t just go

THE OLDER MAN

What does she want from us

THE OLDER WOMAN

I don’t understand

what she wants from us

The Woman stops, stands and looks down. Pause. The Older Man and The Older Woman stop, he lets go of her arm, they move a little away from each other, stand and look down. Pause

THE WOMAN

Don’t just go

Pause

THE SHIPMASTER

I am the shipmaster

Pause

THE OLDER MAN

We can’t be here

THE OLDER WOMAN

No

quite short pause

we must be somewhere else

Pause

THE GUITAR PLAYER

And I am the guitar player

THE SHIPMASTER

You’re the guitar player

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Yes

THE SHIPMASTER

So that’s what you are

THE GUITAR PLAYER

Yes

yes and I’ve told you

yes so many times

Short pause

I’ve been the guitar player

I am the guitar player

Quite short pause

THE SHIPMASTER

So that’s what you’ve been

you’ve been the guitar player

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I am the guitar player

THE SHIPMASTER

So you are the guitar player

Short pause

And what is it like

yes

yes your guitar music

THE GUITAR PLAYER

No

THE SHIPMASTER

No

quite short pause

you can’t just say no

THE GUITAR PLAYER

I don’t say it to be difficult

The Man walks towards The Woman