Royal Court Theatre. - The River

Eliot, Burnt Norton, Four QuartetsCharacters THE MAN THE WOMAN THE OTHER WOMAN SettingThe cabin on the cliffs, above the river.Note on TextA forward slash (/) indicates interrupted speech.This text went to press before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.Darkness. The river.BecomesA cabin. Door off to bedroom at the back. Table. Chairs. Sink. Spiders. Spiders.

A WOMANs voice, singing, off. WOMANS VOICE (singing). I went out to a hazel wood Because a fire was in my head And cut and peeled a hazel wand And hooked a berry to a thread Enter THE WOMAN, from the bedroom. THE WOMAN (singing). And when white moths were on the wing And moth-like stars were flickering out I dropped the berry in the stream And caught a little silver trout She turns, and looks towards the window. Stops. Here. (Calls.) Quick! Come here. Quickly. Enter THE MAN, carrying assorted fly-fishing equipment. THE MAN (to himself). Torch. Reel. Reel.

Spare reel. Leader. Fly-box. Flies THE WOMAN. Quickly. THE MAN. Forceps. Scotch. Baccy. Gink. Priest. Priest.

Wheres my priest? THE WOMAN. You are missing the most incredible thing. THE MAN. Wheres it gone? It was right here. Here in this drawer. Wheres it gone? THE WOMAN.

Just stop what youre doing and come here now. THE MAN. What? THE WOMAN. Now. Right now. THE MAN. Oh. Oh.

Ive seen it. Beat. THE WOMAN. What? THE MAN. Ive seen it before. THE WOMAN. THE MAN. THE MAN.

Yes it has. THE WOMAN. No it hasnt. Not like this. THE MAN. Just like that.

Theyre all the same. THE WOMAN. No two sunsets are the same. THE MAN. Have you seen my priest? THE WOMAN. THE MAN. THE MAN.

Its a small piece of rams horn with a leather handle, about yay big with THE WOMAN. Describe the sunset. If youve seen it before THE MAN. We dont have time. THE WOMAN. Before anything else happens.

Before this relationship moves on one inch. Describe it. Describe my sunset. They look at each other. THE MAN (to himself). August. (Aloud.) Blood red as far as the headland turning to lilac-blue wisps above the bluff. (Aloud.) Blood red as far as the headland turning to lilac-blue wisps above the bluff.

Trails of apricot, feathering out through blue, dark blue, and aquamarine to an iris ring of obsidian and above that the Evening Star. (Finds it.) Yes! You little beauty. Were all set. Beat. THE WOMAN. That was a magical moment. That evening at the cabin.

When they watched the sun set. Our sunset he called it. And she remembered the moment for ever. THE MAN. Why arent you dressed? Its nearly dark. THE WOMAN.

Im not coming. THE MAN. What? THE WOMAN. I have sunburn. And my book just got good. THE MAN.

Whats the date today? THE WOMAN. To the Lighthouse. THE MAN. August 21st. THE WOMAN. Virginia Woolf. THE MAN.

What does that make tomorrow? THE WOMAN. Its about these people who go to a lighthouse THE MAN. August 22nd. THE WOMAN. Or do they? Will they actually make it THE MAN. Which is? THE WOMAN.

To the lighthouse? THE MAN. The New Moon! Tonight theres no moon. Its warm. Cumulus cloud. Big sunset THE WOMAN. You dont say? THE MAN.

Once a year, when theres no moon. Late summer, when the rivers in spate, thats when they move. The sea trout. The sea trout are running! The storm last night. No rain for weeks. The pools get low, then whoosh! A million tons of water drops from the sky.

In one night. Theyre out there, right now, with no moon, a neap tide THE WOMAN. Look. You / tried to THE MAN. This happens / once every year. THE WOMAN.

You tried to teach me THE MAN (interrupting). Once! THE WOMAN. You tried to teach me to cast all day on the beach. All I did was make knots. I couldnt do it in broad / daylight. Its easy. Its easy.

You / just feel it. THE WOMAN. How am I going to do it in the pitch bloody dark. THE MAN (interrupting). There are monsters out there. Huge monsters.

In the water. Right now! THE WOMAN. Youre really selling this. Pause. THE MAN. The tables moved. THE WOMAN.

What? THE MAN. What? No I was just THE WOMAN. I can move it back. THE MAN. No, its fine. I was just saying I dont know why.

Its no big deal. THE WOMAN. Ill move it back. THE MAN. What? Dont. THE WOMAN.

Its the work of a moment. Here. (Picks it up.) Oww. THE MAN. Whats wrong? Are you okay. Im fine. THE MAN. Show me. THE WOMAN. THE WOMAN.

Its just a splinter. THE MAN. Let me look at it. THE WOMAN. Ow. THE MAN.

Let me see. THE WOMAN. Its a splinter. THE MAN. Show me it. THE WOMAN.

I said Im fine. THE MAN. Its bleeding. Come here. Let me see. He takes out a knife. THE WOMAN. He takes out a knife. THE WOMAN.

What are you doing? THE MAN. Im going to get it out. THE WOMAN. Not with that youre not THE MAN. Trust me. Wait. Wait.

The other end. It went in this way. THE MAN. Keep still. Ready. Fuck it. THE MAN. Ready. Steady. THE WOMAN. Ow. He pulls it out. THE MAN. He pulls it out. THE MAN.

Now suck it. THE WOMAN. Im sucking it. THE MAN. Suck it hard. THE WOMAN.

Stop saying that. Im sucking it. THE MAN. Ill put a plaster on it. THE WOMAN. I dont need a plaster.

Besides, I deserved it. THE MAN. What? THE WOMAN. I never should have moved it. THE MAN. Look THE WOMAN.

New girlfriend. Shows up. Moves the table THE MAN. Look I dont THE WOMAN. First time here. Moves the table. THE MAN.

Okay THE WOMAN. No warning. Just moves it. THE MAN. Look THE WOMAN. THE MAN. THE MAN.

To be absolutely clear, I dont care if you move the table. I dont care if you break a glass. I dont care if you smash a window or accidentally burn the cabin to the ground with me inside. I do care if you dont come with me, now, to the (Stops.) Wait. Wait there. (Pulls book out, flicks pages.) Wait. Wait. Wait.

Wait there. Dont move. (Stops.) Here. Read this. Just read that. And if after youve read it, you dont want to come, you dont have to.

Deal? But read it. Read the poem. Read it aloud. THE WOMAN. You want me to read this aloud. THE MAN.

Read the title. THE WOMAN. Aloud. THE MAN. Yes. BOTH (she reads).

After / Moonless Midnight. THE MAN. After