Read Brian Friel Plays 2 Online
Authors: Brian Friel
O’Neill
Mabel, I am sorry … please forgive me, Mabel …
Lombard
For it was foretold by prophets and by predictors of futurity that there would come one like him –
A man, glorious, pure, faithful above all
Who will cause mournful weeping in every territory.
He will be a God-like prince
And he will be king for the span of his life.
O’Neill is now crying. Bring down the lights slowly.
for D. E. S. Maxwell
Three
married
couples
all
in
their
late
thirties/early
forties:
Terry
Berna
George
Trish
Frank
Angela
Terry
is
Trish’s
brother.
Angela
and
Berna
are
sisters.
The
action
takes
place
in
the
present
day
on
a
remote
pier
in
north-west
Donegal.
A
stone
pier
at
the
end
of
a
headland
on
the
remote
coast
of
north-west
Donegal
.
The
stonework
is
grained
with
yellow
and
grey
lichen.
The
pier
was
built
in
1905
but
has
not
been
used
since
the
hinterland
became
depopulated
many
decades
ago.
The
pier
extends
across
the
full
width
of
the
stage.
It
begins
stage
left
(the
mainland)
and
juts
out
into
the
sea
so
that
it
is
surrounded
by
water
on
three
sides
–
the
auditorium,
the
area
stage
right,
and
the
back
wall
(left
and
right
from
the
point
of
view
of
the
audience).
From
the
floor
of
the
pier
stone
steps
lead
down
to
the
sea/auditorium.
Steps
also
lead
up
to
the
catwalk,
eighteen
inches
wide
and
about
five
feet
above
the
floor
of
the
pier.
From
the
catwalk
one
can
see
over
the
back
wall
of
the
pier
(about
ten
feet
high)
and
right
across
the
surrounding
countryside
and
sea.
There
are
some
weather-bleached
furnishings
lying
around
the
pier
floor:
fragments
of
fishing
nets,
pieces
of
lobster
pots,
broken
fish-boxes.
Some
rusty
bollards
and
rings.
A
drift
of
sand
in
the
top
right-hand
corner.
Stones
once
used
as
weights
inside
lobster
pots.
A
listing
and
rotting
wooden
stand,
cruciform
in
shape,
on
which
hangs
the
remnant
of
a
life-belt.
People
can
enter
and
exit
only
stage
left.
Wonderful
Tennessee was first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on 30 June 1993. The cast was as follows:
Terry
Donal McCann
Berna
Ingrid Craigie
George
Robert Black
Trish
Marion O’Dwyer
Frank
John Kavanagh
Angela
Catherine Byrne
Directed by
Patrick Mason
Designed by
Joe Vanek
Lighting by
Mick Hughes
A
very
warm
day
in
August.
Early
afternoon.
Silence
and
complete
stillness.
Then
after
a
time
we
become
aware
that
there
are
natural
sounds:
the
gentle
heave
of
the
sea;
a
passing
seagull;
the
slap
and
sigh
of
water
against
the
stone
steps.
This
lasts
until
we
have
established
both
a
place
and
an
environment
of
deep
tranquillity
and
peace.
Now
we
hear
another
sound
from
a
long
distance
away
–
an
approaching
minibus,
and
almost
as
soon
as
we
identify
the
sound,
discrepant
and
abusive
in
this
idyllic
setting,
fade
in
the
sound
of
people
singing
‘Happy
Days
are
Here
Again’
.
Boisterous
singing,
raucous
singing,
slightly
tiddly,
day-excursion
singing
that
is
accompanied
on
the
piano
accordion.
Trish
sings
a
solo
line
and
this
is
greeted
with
laughter,
mockery,
cheers,
encouragement.
Then
everybody
joins
in
again.
Now
the
minibus
has
arrived
and
stops
at
the
end
of
the
pier
(i.e.
stage
left
off)
and
the
idyllic
atmosphere
is
completely
shattered:
doors
banging;
shouting;
laughter;
a
sense
of
excitement
and
anticipation;
animated,
overlapping
chatter:
Trish
Help! We’re lost!
Berna
Where are we?
Terry
This is it.
Trish
You’re lost, Terry; admit it; we’re lost.
Frank
It – is – wonderful!
Angela
This can’t be it, is it?
Terry
Believe me – this is it.
Trish
Help!
Frank
(off)
sings
the
title
line
of
the
song,
‘Happy
Days
are
Here
Again’.
Angela
Where’s this wonderful island? I see no island.
Trish
We’re lost – we’re lost – we’re lost! Help!
Terry
This is where we get the boat, Trish.
Trish
Oh my God – lost!
Frank
Anybody see my camera?
Trish
Lost – lost!
Terry
Isn’t it wonderful?
Frank
Sober up, everybody, please.
Angela
You’re joking, Terry, aren’t you?
Trish
Lost, I’m telling you. This is the back of nowhere.
Terry
This is it – believe me.
George
plays
‘O
Mother,
I
could
weep
for
mirth
/ Joy
fills my heart so fast’. Trish sings, ‘– weep for mirth –’
and
says:
Trish
So could I, George.
And
Frank
simultaneously
sings
the
line,
‘Joy
fills
my
heart
so
fast’
to
George’s
accompaniment.
Berna
Mind the step.
Angela
Admit it, Terry: you’re lost.
Berna
Here’s your camera, Frank.
Trish
Let me out of here. Help!
Frank
Thanks, Berna.
Trish
I’m going straight back with you, Charlie.
Angela
What in God’s name are we doing here?
Terry
Admit it – isn’t it wonderful?
Trish
Wonderful, he says! Help!
Terry
Yes, I think it’s wonderful.
Frank
There’s not a house within a hundred miles.
Berna
Let’s all go back with Charlie.
Trish
Heeeeeeeeelp!
Now George begins to play ‘I Want to be Happy’. Cheers
and
mocking
laughter
at
the
choice.
Through
his
playing:
Angela
Right, George! So do I!
Trish
Happy – here?
Angela
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah! Why not?
Berna
Happy, happy, happy, happy.
Frank
Yes, George, yes.
And
they
join
in
the
song
and
continue
talking
through
it.
Berna
Whose sleeping-bag is this?
Trish
Mine, Berna. Thank you.
Angela
At least we’ll get a bit of sun.
Trish
Hand me that blanket, Berna.
Frank
We’re the first people ever to set foot here.
Berna
Here’s your sun hat, Angela.
Frank
Careful. I’m closing this door.
Trish
Help!
Terry
enters,
animated,
laughing,
excited.
Like
all
the
others
he
is
dressed
in
colourful
summer
clothes.
He
has
a
sleeping-bag
slung
over
his
shoulder
and
carries
two
large
expensive
hampers
filled
with
food
and
drink.
As
Terry
enters,
calling,
off:
Is this your idea of a joke, Terry?
George
stops
playing.
Terry
(
on
) What’s that?
Trish
(
off
) Is this some kind of practical joke?
Terry
Believe me – it’s everything you ever dreamed of.
Frank
(
off
) Wonderful!
Terry
Believe me.
And immediately George strikes up ‘I Want to be
Happy’
again.
Quite right, George! (
sings:
)
‘… But I won’t be happy
Till I make you happy, too’.
George
continues
with
the
song;
and
some
of
the
people
off
join
in
the
singing.
But
Terry’s
laughter
suddenly
stops.
Eagerly,
with
a
hint
of
anxiety,
he
searches
out
the
island
(at
the
back
of
the
auditorium,
right)
and
at
the
same
time
in
a
low,
barely
audible
voice,
he
mumbles/speaks
the
words
of
the
song
the
others
are
singing
off.
Now
he
has
found
the
island.
He
drops
the
hampers.
He
slips
the
straw
hat
off
his
head,
holds
it
against
his
chest
and
gazes
out
to
sea.
After
a
few
seconds
Frank
enters.
Like
Terry
he
is
dressed
in
bright
summer
clothes.
Frank
The minibus is about to –
Terry
is
so
intent
on
the
island
that
he
does
not
hear
him.
Terry, your minibus is about to head home and Charlie wants to know – (
He calls, impatiently:
) Please, Angela!
Terry
Look, Frank.
Frank
Turn it down, Angela, would you?
Terry
There it is.
Frank
That’s a crowd of lunatics you have there. So what time tomorrow is Charlie to come back for us?
Terry
Whenever it’s bright.
Frank
It’ll be sort of bright all night, I hope. Let’s say – what? – seven? – seven thirty?
Terry
That’s fine.
Frank
Seven thirty OK with you?
Terry
(
indifferently
) Fine – fine.
Burst
of
laughter
off.
Frank
Surely to God they can’t keep that pace up all night!
As
he
turns
to
leave,
Berna
enters.
Dressed
for
the
outing
and
carrying
a
hold-all,
various
bags,
a
sleeping-
bag
,
etc.
Berna
(
singing earnestly
) ‘When skies are grey and you say you are blue –’
Frank
Certainly am, Berna.
He
swings
her
round
in
a
dance
and
sings
along
with
her.
Frank and Berna
‘I’ll send the sun smiling through –’
Frank
Wowo-wow-wow-wow! Hey, Terry; some mover that lady of yours! (
exiting
) Right, Charlie. All settled. Seven thirty tomorrow morning.
The
moment
Frank
exits,
Berna’s
brittle-bright
face
is
transformed
with
anxiety.
She
goes
quickly
to
Terry’s
side
and
speaks
in
a
low,
urgent
voice.
George
suddenly
stops playing ‘I Want to be Happy’ in mid-phrase and
plays
‘Jesu
,
Joy
of
Man’s
Desiring’.
Trish
Lovely, George. (
She sings with George
.)
Berna
I want to go home.
Terry
There it is, Berna. Look.
Berna
Take me home, Terry – please.
Terry
Wonderful, isn’t it?
Berna
Please, Terry.
Terry
Just for tonight, Berna – just one night. Believe me – you’ll love it.
Berna
Have you any idea how desperately unhappy I am?
Terry
Berna, I –
Berna
I don’t think I can carry on, Terry.
Terry
Of course you can carry on. The doctor says you’re a lot better. (
He reaches out to touch her
.) Did you remember to take your pills this morning?
The
music
stops.
Berna
(
quietly, almost with
pity
) For God’s sake …
She
moves
quickly
away
from
him
and
busies
herself
with
her
belongings.
The
moment
she
says
‘For
God’s
sake’
the
engine
starts
up.
Again
the
overlapping
voices
off:
Trish
He’s going.
Angela
See you tomorrow morning.
Trish
Help!
Frank
Don’t go, Charlie! Don’t abandon us!
Angela
Thank you, Charlie.
Trish
Stop him! Don’t let him go!
George begins to play ‘Aloha’ and this is greeted with
laughter
and
groans
and
singing.
Frank
Perfect, George! (
He sings a phrase of the song
.)
Trish
Come back, Charlie! Help! Come back!
Angela
’Bye, lovely world!
Frank
continues
singing.
Trish
’Bye, civilization.
Angela
’Bye, Charlie.
Trish
Don’t forget us, Charlie.
All
’Bye … ’bye … ’bye …
Terry
and
Berna
stand
in
silence,
motionless,
watching
the
departing
bus.
Berna
(
softly
) ’Bye, Charlie … ’bye …
The
music,
the
singing,
the
shouting
all
stop.
The
sound
of
the
departing
bus
fades
away.
Silence.
Once
again
the
landscape
is
still
and
totally
silent.
Then
Angela,
unaccompanied
and
at
half
the
song’s
usual
tempo,
belts
out
the
defiant
line
–