Authors: Jon Fosse
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