Catastrophe Practice

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Catastrophe Practice Page 9

by Nicholas Mosley


  NOTES

  1 Quoted in Philip Thody, Sartre (London: Studio Vista, 1971), 41.

  2 Edmund Husserl, The Crisis in European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology, trans. David Carr (Evanston: Northwestern Univ. Press, 1970), 164.

  3 Jacques Monod, Chance and Necessity, trans. Austryn Wainhouse (London: Collins, 1972), 156.

  4 Ibid., 159, 160.

  5 Ibid., 152, 153.

  6 Karl R. Popper, Objective Knowledge (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), 37, 20, 36, 70.

  7 Ibid., 84.

  8 Gregory Bateson, Steps towards an Ecology of Mind (London: Intertext, 1972), 118, 119, 277.

  9 J. Z. Young, A Model of the Brain (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1964), 164.

  10 Ibid, 196.

  11 Ibid, 287.

  12 Susanne Langer, Mind: An Essay on Human Feeling, 2 vols. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 1967), 1:xviii.

  13 Ibid, 150.

  14 Popper, 46.

  LANDFALL

  BARMAN

  who played

  ACKERMAN

  HARRY

  who played

  JASON

  CHAR

  who played

  HELENA

  OLDER HOSTESS who played JUDITH

  YOUNGER HOSTESS (SOPHIE) who played JENNY

  BERT

  who played

  ARIEL

  ACT I

  Before the lights in the auditorium are out, the CURTAIN collapses. It lies at the front of the stage.

  The stage is in darkness. Then neon lights flicker and settle into a glow.

  The SCENE is a refreshment room — as if at an old country house, or at a small local airport.

  On the right are a plate-glass window and a glass door. On the left is a stone gothic doorway.

  There is a bar along the back To the right of the bar is a machine which could be a coffee machine or a juke box. To the left of the bar is a hatch to a food lift.

  There are two stools in front of the bar. Centre, are two tables with four chairs round each.

  Harry is standing by the window, right, looking out. The glass is opaque, or as if there were a mist beyond the window. Harry is a man in his forties. He wears an old overcoat.

  The Barman, a man in his sixties, is crouching behind a table, left, with his hands over his ears. He straightens, dusts himself, looks at Harry. Then he looks up at the flies.

  The characters alternate between acting realistically and theatrically; sometimes they seem to be not acting at all. Always it is as if they are trying to convey some message which can be conveyed in no better way.

  BARMAN

  Headache?

  He puts a hand to his head: then answers himself—

  No.

  He faces the audience. He acts —

  — Is this a dagger? —

  He answers himself —

  No.

  He gets into the position of someone preparing to play a golf shot, to the right. He speaks as if giving a military order —

  — Over the hill, two hundred yards —

  He acts as if beginning to play the golf shot.

  Then he stops and looks at Harry: he calls —

  — Open —

  He stands with his hands on his hips. He mouths, almost inaudibly —

  — Fire?

  Harry turns and looks at him.

  The Barman looks up to the flies. Then he begins to back away as if something were falling towards him from the sky. He ducks behind the table, left, with his hands over his ears again.

  Harry watches him.

  After a time the Barman stands up and dusts himself. He takes up an attitude of boxing.

  There’s a weathership out in the Atlantic.

  It’s surrounded by vastly superior enemy forces —

  He mimes boxing.

  Then he stops. He looks at Harry.

  After a time he puts a hand to his mouth and shouts —

  Mind that donkey!

  HARRY

  You mean, I’m talking the hind leg off a donkey?

  The Barman stares at him.

  Then he moves round the stage.

  BARMAN

  I’ve got to get this place cleaned up. They’re coming in here — up through the sewers. Rats and frogmen. Breaking down the fences. Leaping up the waterfalls. On to the dry land.

  He straightens the curtain at the front of the stage so that it is in a line along the footlights.

  I had a small business once. I used to go out mornings and evenings. And I always knew where I was. Now they’re getting into government. And I’m most of the time in my room —

  He stops and looks over the footlights.

  What do you think this is, a Sunday School?

  He puts his hands on his heart.

  Come along then. Coop! Coop!

  After a time he holds his hands out in front of him as if they contained a bird. Then he opens his hands and shakes them. He looks to the back of the auditorium as if the bird has flown away there.

  HARRY

  Are there aeroplanes flying?

  BARMAN

  Yes, there was one in nineteen hundred and two I think.

  HARRY

  What happened?

  BARMAN

  It went into a tree.

  He turns from the audience and goes behind the bar and puts glasses and bottles from the shelves on to the counter.

  Harry comes to the bar and sits on a stool. After a time he says as if it were the name of a game —

  HARRY

  — Can I have a drink? —

  The Barman seems to follow his lead —

  BARMAN

  — No I haven’t got any change —

  The Barman places the bottles around on the counter as if he were arranging pieces for a game.

  Harry watches him. Then he murmurs —

  HARRY

  On this strange landscape —

  BARMAN

  Do I know you?

  Harry and the Barman look at the pieces on the counter. It is as if they are uncertain of the nature of the game.

  Harry seems to quote —

  HARRY

  — Open your mouth —

  BARMAN

  — And in she pops them —

  After a time Harry bangs on the counter and yells —

  HARRY

  Can we have some discipline in this establishment!

  BARMAN

  Coming, sir! Sorry!

  The Barman takes a glass and fills it.

  Harry looks round the room. He says tentatively —

  HARRY

  What is it, a hairdresser’s?

  The Barman pushes the full glass towards him. Harry says more confidently —

  Broken needles everywhere! Shit —

  BARMAN

  We had a party last night, sir. A lot of young gentlemen —

  Harry seems to quote —

  HARRY

  — On a dark night —

  BARMAN

  — Just down from the trees —

  Harry pores over the counter.

  After a time the Barman goes to the machine at the end of the bar, right, and pulls a lever.

  The machine emits a puff of steam.

  The Barman carries two mugs from the machine and sets them down in front of Harry. Harry watches them. Then he murmurs —

  HARRY

  Where did it go —

  BARMAN

  You remember?

  He looks to the back of the auditorium.

  Harry does not look up.

  The Barman moves off round the stage again.

  You know what this place once was? A bloody great house with lawns and gardens. A polo ground. A moat —

  He wipes his hands on his body as if disgusted.

  HARRY

  No, I think those stories were greatly exaggerated —

  Harry turns away, as if he were bored with the rules of the game.

  BARMAN

  Coming
and going all night.

  HARRY

  With a little black bag —

  BARMAN

  An aerial —

  HARRY

  Like the Defence Ministry?

  They wait. It is as if the Barman is not quite sure if the game is over.

  BARMAN

  Would you like a drink? —

  HARRY

  Oh this one’s on me.

  The Barman seems to quote —

  BARMAN

  — Have you got water and oil —

  HARRY

  — Don’t look now, Daddy —

  Harry picks up a mug and drinks.

  After a time the Barman comes to the front of the stage. He acts —

  BARMAN

  We’re off to Rome! The hula girls beneath the palm trees! A few minutes to go! Just time for a cup of tea! Hold on to me, daddy, or we’ll never cross the road. What did you say this place was? We’re outside our own hotel, daddy —

  He stares out above the audience.

  Harry speaks with his back to the Barman and the audience.

  HARRY

  You live here?

  BARMAN

  In a room downstairs —

  HARRY

  It wasn’t a big house. A lawn and garden —

  The Barman interrupts —

  BARMAN

  She won’t speak to me —

  HARRY

  Who?

  BARMAN

  My wife.

  Harry seems to try to go on with his story —

  HARRY

  — Aeroplanes flew over. There were connections between the control-tower and the ground —

  The Barman interrupts —

  BARMAN

  I’ve got this daughter, see, aged fifteen. They have her out in front of class. She wears a belt, black stockings, and something loose round the top —

  HARRY

  She lay in her pram —

  BARMAN

  Children see by what they learn —

  HARRY

  What did she learn —

  BARMAN

  The sun doesn’t get filtered —

  HARRY

  — At this high altitude?

  They wait.

  After a time the Barman goes to Harry and swats him on the shoulder as if there were an insect there. Then he mimes picking off the insect and dropping it on to the ground.

  The glass door opens, right, and a girl comes in. She is dressed in the uniform of an air hostess. She carries a folder with papers. She comes to the centre of the stage and stands there looking through her papers.

  The Barman watches Harry.

  Harry has turned to the Hostess.

  After a time he says as if he is trying not to act —

  HARRY

  I’m looking for my wife —

  HOSTESS

  Oh, do you know what plane she’s on?

  Harry puts his hands to his head. He gets up and walks round the stage as if in despair. After a time he calls —

  HARRY

  No!

  The Hostess acts as if she is near to tears.

  HOSTESS

  — Then I’m afraid I can’t help you —

  Harry comes and takes her papers out of her hand and leafs through them.

  The Barman turns to the audience. He acts as if he were ad-libbing —

  BARMAN

  The Lord of the Manor could have any girl he wanted on his wedding night. On his wedding night he wanted this girl. The problem was to get her into the manor past his wife —

  Harry jabs a finger at the papers he is holding.

  HARRY

  After —

  HOSTESS

  What —

  HARRY

  — Because I don’t love you —

  The Hostess takes her papers back. She looks through them.

  BARMAN

  — There were two staircases, or spirals, the one going up, the other down. They were joined, but they never met. Occasionally there were windows —

  He looks up to the back of the auditorium. He waves —

  Coo-ee!

  Harry is watching the Hostess.

  HOSTESS

  When they come in?

  Harry says as if quoting —

  HARRY

  — Don’t I know you —

  The Barman speaks as if to the audience —

  BARMAN

  But if they separated, they died —

  Harry turns away from the Hostess. He seems to finish the Barman’s line.

  HARRY

  — Or immediately formed another attachment.

  The Hostess goes out through the gothic door, left.

  Harry goes and sits on a stool at the bar.

  After a time the Barman, facing the audience, calls —

  BARMAN

  How’re you doing?

  HARRY

  All right.

  BARMAN

  Wife and kids?

  HARRY

  All right.

  The Barman goes back to the bar. He puts away the bottles and glasses.

  BARMAN

  — You’ve got to live —

  HARRY

  Where is the necessity.

  The Barman goes to the food lift on the left of the bar and opens the hatch and shouts down in a mock upper-class voice —

  BARMAN

  Will you come up here a moment please?

  He listens; then shouts —

  And bring your tennis things —

  He closes the hatch. He turns to Harry.

  The smell down there! Honestly!

  He tidies the glasses and bottles at the bar.

  I read a book the other day. There was this headmaster, see, aged fifteen. He had them out in front of class. He’d been given carte-blanche by the parents —

  The gothic door opens, left, and the Char comes in. She is a good-looking woman in her sixties. She wears a fur. She speaks with an upper-class accent.

  CHAR

  Did you hear that bang?

  BARMAN

  Yes I thought it was one of me legs coming apart.

  CHAR

  How is the poor little thing?

  BARMAN

  Its breathing.

  The Char glances at the audience. Then she comes to the bar and sits on a stool by Harry. The Barman faces her across the counter.

  BARMAN

  Sign here, please. In blood. You know the symbols? Dip the pen in the inkwell —

  He acts ghostly laughter.

  Then he looks down at the counter.

  There’s one stipulation. You must bring her home before morning.

  HARRY

  Why?

  CHAR

  I’ve lost my keys.

  HARRY

  You want to sleep at my place?

  They wait.

  After a time the Barman comes round to the front of the bar. He acts —

  BARMAN

  The riders are over their handlebars!

  Their arses are up around their ears.

 

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