The Poet, the Lover, and the Lunatic
Scene one
Northampton General Asylum, 1864. Darkness. It is Night. And Silence. The Lunatics shuffle in, collapse. One calls out as if in sleep.
CLARE: Mary! Mary!
(Pause. Lights)
SILENCE: Night and Silence! Who is here?
NIGHT: Just you and me and the lunatics, Mr. Silence.
SILENCE: Thank you, Mr Knight. You always know the answers.
NIGHT: That's what I'm paid for. To know the answers. How to lock up the lunatics, and look after their well-being. Padre!
METHODY: Yes, Mr Knight?
NIGHT: Padre, you're a Methody wastrel.
METHODY: Yes, Mr Knight.
NIGHT: A sinner.
METHODY: Yes, Mr Knight.
SILENCE: A fornicator, full of lusts and wicked desires.
NIGHT: Silence!
SILENCE: Yes, Mr Knight?
NIGHT: Silence!
SILENCE: Yes, Mr Knight.
NIGHT: Where was I?
METHODY: You were dealing with my fornication, my plenitude of lusts, the wickedness of my...
NIGHT: Yes yes yes. You are a fornicator, full of lusts, and....
KNIGHT: Shut up, you filthy mouthed scum! Pretending to be me again?
NIGHT: Sorry.
KNIGHT: Sorry! How many times do I have to tell you that I'm W. F. Knight, House Steward of Northampton General Asylum.
NIGHT: Sorry sorry.
KNIGHT: And as for you Chaplain, I do wish you wouldn't go along with his dreadful fantasies.
METHODY: Sorry, Mr Knight.
KNIGHT: You'll make him worse.
METHODY: Yes, Mr Knight.
KNIGHT: You're a Methody wastrel.
METHODY: Yes, Mr Knight.
SILENCE: A sinner.
KNIGHT: A fornicator.
SILENCE: Full of lusts.
NIGHT: And wicked desires! Don't forget the wicked desires! Oh, the wicked, wicked, wicked desires!
OI: Oi! Some of us are trying to get some sleep!
METHODY: Sleep! Could ye not watch with me one brief hour?
NIGHT: Wicked, wicked, wicked. Desires!
METHODY: Pray that ye be not led into temptation!
SILENCE: Lusts, lusts, oh yes, yes, lusts.
METHODY: Deliver us from evil, oh Lord, (Sings) Oh Lord, open thou our lips.
OI: Go to sleep!
METHODY: Get up you wicked, lustful sinner!
NIGHT: Get up and pray that ye be not led into temptation by the wicked, wicked...
METHODY: Shut up and help me get them all praying!
NIGHT: Pray, damn you, pray.
KNIGHT: As the House Steward of Northampton General Asylum, I feel very strongly that the spirirual well-being of my ah patients should be a ah as it were priority of the first order- Oof! (as Methody hits him)
METHODY: Right. (Sings) Oh Lord, open thou our lips.
ALL: (Sung)And our mouths shall show forth thy praise.
METHODY: Oh Lord, make speed to save us.
ALL: Oh Lord, make haste to help us.
METHODY: Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
ALL: As it was in the beginning, in the beginning, in the beginning...
(repeat...)
CLARE: In the beginning it was the words,
MARTHA: What words, dear?
CLARE: ...the words of James Thomson,
ANN: That's nice. Who's he?
CLARE: I loved to read his poem, called The Seasons,
MARTHA: What?
CLARE: See, Winter comes, to rule the varied year,
Sullen, and sad, with all his rising train,
Vapours, and clouds, and storms.
ANN: It isn't very cheerful, is it?
CLARE Be these my theme,
MARTHA: Which?
CLARE: These, that exalt the soul to solemn thought,
And heavenly musing. Welcome, kindred glooms!
Congenial horrors, hail!
ANN: Horrible stuff.
THE REST OF THE PLAY WILL BE UPLOADED TO THIS PAGE SOON!!!! (6/9/03)