Read Brian Friel Plays 1 Online
Authors: Brian Friel
BEN
:
(
Urgently
)
Remember just before that last sequence?
SIR
:
(
Consulting
ledger
)
Mm?
BEN
:
I was going to say something to him and you interrupted.
SIR
:
(
Not
listening
) Yes – yes –
(
TOM
looks
around,
then
drifts
aimlessly
off.
)
BEN
:
Maybe I had some intimation of a moment being missed for ever – because there was the sudden necessity to blurt out, to plunge some oversimplification into him before it was too late. And what I was going to say to him was that ever since I was a child I always loved him and always hated her – he was always my hero. And even though it wouldn’t have been the truth, it wouldn’t have been a lie either: no, no; no lie.
SIR
:
I see.
BEN
:
But I suppose it was just as well it wasn’t said like that because he could never receive that kind of directness, and I suppose I could never have said it. But I just hope – I just hope he was able to sense an expression of some k-k-k-k-– of some kind of love for him – even if it was only in my perfidy –
(
He
goes
off
slowly.
)
SIR
:
Yes. (
Back
to
ledger.
) ‘– removed all the furnishings.’ Yes. ‘That afternoon Helen and Tina flew to London, where they now live in different flats and seldom meet. Tina works as a waitress in an all-night café and Helen has had to give up her office job because of an acute nervous breakdown. Ben went to Scotland. He came back after seven months. He has been jailed twice for drunk and disorderly behaviour. Father Tom has retired and is living in a nursing-home in County Wicklow. He has difficulty walking and spends most of his time in bed.’
(
CHARLIE
’
s
brisk
entrance
interrupts
the
reading.
)
CHARLIE
:
Sorry – sorry – sorry – you were looking for me?
SIR
:
It doesn’t matter, Charlie. We’re just finishing up.
CHARLIE
:
If I’m here, I’m not wanted. (
Pause.
) I mean to say – if I’m wanted I’m not here. (
Laughs
in
surprise.
) Dammit, they’re both right! First time that ever happened! Isn’t that a good one! Where’s the missus?
SIR
:
She left a few minutes ago.
CHARLIE
:
Oh-ho! Better catch up with her or there’ll be hair flying. See you. Good luck – good luck. (
Pauses
at
exit
.) When do I clear out this stuff?
SIR
:
Saturday.
CHARLIE
:
Morning or afternoon?
SIR
:
Morning.
CHARLIE
:
Bang goes the sleep-in. Oh, well, good to get it all out of the road. Luck.
(
He
leaves.
)
SIR
:
Goodbye, Charlie. Now – ‘– spends most of his time in bed. Mrs Butler, Anna, emigrated to America, She lived with an aunt in New Jersey for six months and then went to Los Angeles, where she works in the office of a large insurance company –’
(
He
breaks
off
because
he
is
aware
that
the
place
is
not
empty.
Then
he
sees
ANNA
.)
Oh, you’re still here. Heavens, I thought I was alone for a minute. Just the two of us. Not much point in continuing, is there?
ANNA
:
Yes – go on. Please go on.
SIR
:
With this?
ANNA
:
Please.
SIR
:
There’s only – what? – two or three lines left.
ANNA
:
Even so.
SIR
:
‘She shares an apartment with an English girl and they go on holidays together. She owns a car and is thinking of buying an apartment of her own. She has never returned to Ireland.’ And that’s it.
ANNA
:
That’s all?
SIR
:
That’s all I’ve got here.
ANNA
:
Are you sure?
SIR
:
Blank pages.
ANNA
:
I see.
(
She
gets
up
and
begins
to
move
off.
)
SIR
:
Did you expect there’d be something more?
ANNA
:
I just wondered – that’s all.
SIR
:
Is there something missing?
ANNA
:
No. Not a thing. Not a single thing.
SIR
:
Ah. Good, Good. All right, Anna?
(
But
she
has
gone.
He
shrugs
his
shoulders
and
closes
the
book. He
takes
a
last
look
round
the
set
and
begins
to
leave.
As
he
leaves,
bring
down
the
lights.
)
WILLIE DIVER
TOM HOFFNUNG
UNCLE GEORGE
CASIMIR
ALICE
EAMON
CLAIRE
JUDITH
FATHER
(
ANNA’S VOICE
)
for K.H.H.
with affection and gratitude
Aristocrats
was first performed in the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on Thursday, 8 March 1979. The cast was as follows:
| | WILLIE DIVER | Niall O’Brien |
| | TOM HOFFNUNG | Kevin McHugh |
| | UNCLE GEORGE | Bill Foley |
| | CASIMIR | John Kavanagh |
| | ALICE | Dearbhla Molloy |
| | EAMON | Stephen Rea |
| | CLAIRE | Ingrid Craigie |
| | JUDITH | Kate Flynn |
| | FATHER | Geoff Golden |
| | ANNA’S VOICE | Kathleen Barrington |
| | | |
| | Direction | Joe Dowling |
| | Setting and costumes | Wendy Shea |
| | Lighting | Leslie Scott |
The text was first published by the Gallery Press, Dublin, in 1980.
Set
Most of the action takes place outside the south side of the house. Most recently it was a lawn that has not been cared for in years. Before that it was a grass tennis court and before that a croquet lawn – but no trace of these activities remains.
The lawn stretches right across the full front of stage and upstage left (left and right from point of view of audience) where it halts at a tall grey gable with uncurtained windows.
Upstage left is a gazebo with a pagoda roof and badly weather-beaten. A rusty iron seat inside. The gazebo is made of wood and is about to collapse.
A small room – the study – occupies upstage right. One step up into it from the lawn. And it is separated from the lawn by two invisible walls. On the third wall, parallel to the front of stage, is an early Victorian writing desk. The fourth wall, at right angles to front of stage, has a huge marble fireplace. In front of the fireplace is a
chaise-longue.
In the centre of this study a small table, etc., etc., sufficient furnishings to indicate when the Hall flourished and to suggest its present decline.
Downstage right is a broken sundial mounted on a stone plinth.
Time and place
: summer, mid-1970s. Ballybeg Hall, the home of District Justice O’Donnell, a large and decaying house overlooking the village of Ballybeg, County Donegal, Ireland.
Music
(
all
works
by
Chopin,
written
for
piano
)
Act
One
Scherzo No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 31
Ballade in G minor, Op. 23
Waltz in G flat major. Op. 70, No. 1
Sonata no. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 (Third Movement only: Largo)
Waltz in A flat major (Posth.)
Waltz in E flat major (Posth.)
Act
Two
Étude in E major, Op, 10, No. 3
Nocturne in F sharp major, Op. 15, No. 2
Act
Three
Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35 (Third Movement: middle section only)
Ballade in A flat major, Op. 47
Early
afternoon
on
a
very
warm
summer
day.
The
opening
bars
of
Scherzo
No.
2
in
B
flat
minor
fill
the
study
and
the
lawn,
then
fade
to
background.
TOM
HOFFNUNG
is
seated
at
the
table
in
the
study,
copying
the
titles
of
books
into
his
notebook.
He
is
a
quiet,
calm,
measured
American
academic
in
his
mid-fifties.
Inside
the
door
leading
out
to
the
hall
is
WILLIE DIVER
.
He
is
in
his
mid-thirties
and
is
from
the
village.
He
is
standing
on
a
chair
and
attaching
a
small
speaker
to
the
door frame
(he
is
standing
on
his
jacket
to
protect
the
seat
of
the
chair
).
Both
men
work
for
a
few
seconds
in
silence.
Now
UNCLE GEORGE
enters
from
the
hall
.
He
is
in
his
late
seventies;
a
brother
of
Father’s.
Panama
hat,
walking
sticky
very
old
and
creased
off-white
linen
suit
with
an
enormous
red
silk
handkerchief
spilling
out
of
the
breast
pocket,
trousers
stopping
well
above
his
ankles.
His
mouth
never
stops
working,
vigorously
masticating
imaginary
food.
All
his
gestures
are
informed
with
great
energy,
as
if
he
were
involved
in
some
urgent
business.
He
is
half-way
across
the
study
before
he
realizes
that
there
are
other
people
in
the
room.
Then
he
stops,
stands
still,
stares
at
them.
TOM:
Hi!
(
Pause.
)
WILLIE:
Hello, Mister George.
TOM:
Come right through. I’m almost finished here.
(
GEORGE
hesitates
– then
turns
and
exits
through
the
door.
)
TOM:
That’s the third time he’s attempted to come in here. Maybe I should go somewhere else.
WILLIE:
Not at all. He dodges about like that all the time.
TOM:
Does he never speak?
WILLIE:
They say he does. I never heard him.
TOM:
And he’s a brother of the District Justice – is that correct?
WILLIE:
That’s it. Fierce man for the booze when he was only a young fella – drunk himself half-crazy. Then all of a sudden packed it in. And stopped speaking.
TOM:
I wonder why.
WILLIE:
They say about here that when he wasn’t going to be asking for drink, he thought it wasn’t worth saying anything. But brains – d’you see Mister George? – the smartest of the whole connection, they say.
(
He
gets
down
from
the
chair,
removes
his
jacket,
carefully
rubs
the
seat
with
his
sleeve.
)
WILLIE:
Could you give us a second, Tom?
TOM:
How’s it going?
WILLIE:
Nearly finished now.
(
TOM
joins
him
at
the
door.)
TOM:
Judith’s really going to be pleased with this.
WILLIE:
Do you think so?
TOM:
Sure she will. What can I do?
WILLIE:
Show her this when she comes down, will you? There’s a volume control at the side here – loud or soft, whatever way she wants it.
TOM:
Right.
WILLIE:
And if she wants to turn it off altogether, there’s a switch at the bottom here – d’you see?
TOM:
Got it.
WILLIE:
I haven’t put it up too high for her, have I? What d’you think?
TOM:
Looks about right to me.
WILLIE:
An ugly-looking aul’ yoke in a room like this, isn’t it?
TOM:
You wouldn’t notice it. It’s a good job, Willie.
WILLIE:
Indeed and it’s rough enough. But it’ll save her running up and down them stairs every turnabout.
TOM:
Is it on now?
WILLIE:
I’ve still to connect it to the lead from the bedroom. Hold on a minute.
(
WILLIE
goes
out
to
the
hall
.
TOM
returns
to
the
table.
Just
before
he
sits
down,
CASIMIR
enters
left,
carrying
deck-chairs.
CASIMIR
is
the
only
son
of
the
house;
in
his
thirties.
Despite
the
heat
he
is
wearing
a
knitted
V-neck
pullover
under
his
sports
jacket.
One
immediately
gets
a
sense
that
there
is
something
different
about
him – as
he
says
himself, ‘
peculiar’.
But
what
it
is,
is
elusive:
partly
his
shyness,
partly
his
physical
movements,
particularly
the
way
he
walks
– rapid,
jerky,
without
ease
or
grace
– partly
his
erratic
enthusiasm,
partly
his
habit
of
suddenly
grinning
and
giving
a
mirthless
‘ha-ha’
at
unlikely
times,
usually
when
he
is
distressed.
But
he
is
not
a
buffoon
nor
is
he
‘disturbed’.
He
is
a
perfectly
normal
man
with
distinctive
and
perhaps
slightly
exaggerated
mannerisms.
He
now
stands
at
the
step
just
outside
the
study
and
talks
to
TOM
.)
CASIMIR:
Claire.
TOM:
Yeah.
CASIMIR:
Playing the piano.
TOM:
Sure.
CASIMIR:
My sister Claire.
TOM:
I know.
CASIMIR:
Welcome home recital for me.
TOM:
Some welcome.
CASMIR:
Dexterity – simplicity – passion – Claire has everything.
TOM:
She certainly –
(
But
CASIMIR
has
gone
and
now
stands
in
the
middle
of
the
lawn.
)
CASIMIR:
Claire!
CLAIRE:
Yes?
CASIMIR:
Play the G minor Ballade.
(
The
music
stops.
)
CLAIRE:
Which?
CASIMIR:
The G minor.
CLAIRE:
I’m not in the mood for that, Casimir.
CASIMIR:
Special request. Please.
CLAIRE:
Just a bit of it, then.
(
He
stands
listening.
She
begins
in
the
middle
of
the
Ballade
in
G
minor,
Op.
23
just
immediately
before
the
molto
crescendo,
after
three
f
z
bars.
)
CASIMIR:
Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!
(
He
sings
a
few
bars
with
the
piano,
conducting
at
the
same
time
– he
is
radiant
with
delight.
Then
he
returns
to
the
step.
)
CASIMIR:
The G minor. Wonderful, isn’t it?
TOM:
Yeah.
(
CASIMIR
sings
a
few
more
bars.
)
CASIMIR:
When I think of Ballybeg Hall it’s always like this: the sun shining; the doors and windows all open; the place filled with music.
(
He
is
suddenly
off
again
– left
– for
more
deck-chairs.
The
sound
of
static
from
the
speaker.
Then
FATHER
’
s
laboured
breathing.
TOM
listens.)
JUDITH:
That’s the best lunch you’ve had in days. Let me wipe your chin.
(
FATHER
’
s
incoherent
mumbling.
)
JUDITH:
It’s very warm. I don’t think you need this quilt, do you?
(
Incoherent
mumbling.
TOM
goes
to
the
speaker.
He
stands
listening.
)
JUDITH:
Oh, Father, you’ve soiled your pyjamas again! Why didn’t you tell me?
FATHER:
Judith?
JUDITH:
Come on. Let’s get them changed.
FATHER:
Where’s Judith?
JUDITH:
I’m Judith.
FATHER
:
Where’s Judith?
JUDITH
:
I’m here beside you, Father.
FATHER
:
Where’s Claire?
JUDITH:
In the drawing-room.
FATHER:
Where’s Claire?
JUDITH:
Can’t you hear her? She’s playing the piano for you. Lift your leg, Father.
FATHER:
Where’s Alice?
JUDITH:
Everybody’s here.
FATHER:
Where’s Casimir?
JUDITH:
Everybody’s at home. They’re all downstairs.
FATHER:
Where’s Anna?
JUDITH:
Anna’s in Africa – you know that. Now – the other leg. Father please, I can’t get them off unless you help me.
FATHER:
Where’s Judith? Where’s Claire? Where’s Casimir? Where’s Alice? Where’s –
JUDITH:
They’re all here. They’re all downstairs.
FATHER:
Let me tell you something in confidence: Judith betrayed the family.
JUDITH:
Did she?
FATHER:
I don’t wish to make an issue of it. But I can tell you confidentially – Judith betrayed us.
JUDITH:
That’s better. Now you’re more comfortable.
FATHER:
Great betrayal; enormous betrayal.
JUDITH:
Let me feel those tops. Are they wet, too?
FATHER:
But Anna’s praying for her. Did you know that?
JUDITH:
Yes, I know, Father.
FATHER:
Anna has the whole convent praying for her.
JUDITH:
Now let’s get these clean ones on. Lift this leg again.
FATHER:
Where’s Judith? Where’s Alice? Where’s Casimir? Where’s Claire?
(
WILLIE
returns,
carrying
a
parcel
of
two
bottles
of
whiskey.
TOM
pretends
to
consult
his
notebook.
)
WILLIE:
That’s her hooked up. Any sound out of her?
TOM:
Yeah; something was said a moment ago. Seems to be working fine.
(
WILLIE
examines
the
speaker.
)
WILLIE:
Aye, it should be. She’d need to have this whole house rewired – half of them fittings is dangerous.
TOM:
Is she aware of that?
WILLIE:
Sure it would cost her a fortune. Tell her I’ll take a run in later and sink them bare wires. And I’ll leave this (
parcel
) here for her. A drop of whiskey. I thought maybe, you know, with the family back home and all, she might be a bit short. They come last night, didn’t they?
TOM:
And a late night it was, too. This’ll be very welcome. You’ll be going to the wedding, won’t you?
WILLIE:
Me? Oh damn the fear.
TOM:
Will you not?
WILLIE:
Not at all; that’ll be a family affair. What about yourself?
TOM:
I leave tomorrow.
WILLIE:
They’ll manage without us. (
Leaving
)
Well …
TOM:
Okay, Willie. You’ll be back later?
WILLIE:
Aye, sometime. And tell her, too – them groceries she wanted – I left them in the pantry.
TOM:
I’ll tell her.
(
Father’s
voice
suddenly
very
loud
and
very
authoritative.
)
FATHER:
Are you proposing that my time and the time of this court be squandered while the accused goes home and searches for this title which he claims he has in a tin-box somewhere?
(
WILLIE
is
startled
and
delighted.
)