First published in 2001 by Oberon Books Ltd.
521 Caledonian Road, London N7 9RH
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7607 3637 / Fax: +44 (0) 20 7607 3629
e-mail: info@oberonbooks.com
www.oberonbooks.com
Copyright © Will Eno, 2001
Will Eno is hereby identified as author of this work in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author has asserted his moral rights.
CAUTION: All rights whatsoever in these plays are strictly reserved. Application for permission for any use whatsoever, including performance rights, must be made in writing, in advance, prior to such proposed use, to Mark Subias, United Talent Agency, 888 Seventh Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10106, USA. No performance may be given unless a license has first been obtained.
You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
PB ISBN: 9781840022346
E ISBN: 9781783198443
Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY.
eBook conversion by Lapiz Digital Services, India.
Visit www.oberonbooks.com to read more about all our books and to buy them. You will also find features, author interviews and news of any author events, and you can sign up for e-newsletters so that you’re always first to hear about our new releases.
It went down.
– ANONYMOUS
We tried everything.
– ANONYMOUS
Great thanks, great people, near and far
Near
Jack Bradley, Tara Hull, Patrick Dickie, Sue Higginson. And The Gate, The Gate, The Pearly Gate! And the Dark Lady, too.
Far
Gordon Lish, Noy Holland, Sam Michel, Sam Lipsyte, Michael Kimball, David Perry and Joanna P Adler. And the Fair Lady, too.
Introduction
TRAGEDY: a tragedy
Something is on the television, relentlessly. A plane crash, probably. Evening dresses and travel guides washing up on a beach out-of-season. Or, it is one of those new little wars. A scene of an empty street where something important recently happened, a scene of people burning certain flags, waving certain others, or throwing rocks and sticks at a space-age military. Before it all, whatever it is, stands a dashing reporter, talking. Perfectly groomed, dressed in appropriate clothing, properly grave as the moment demands. His teeth are amazing. He shouldn’t be there. (Maybe he should be throwing a rock or burning some country’s flag. Maybe he could cry. Or help sift through the money and underwear coming in with the tide.) The words flow out of him in local time, keeping time with the urgency or melancholy behind him. Real life on earth, on television. The reporter stands and waits. Then he speaks again. He stands for us, somehow, standing there. He stands for us standing here wondering what we’re standing here for. Us, in the wrong place, the wrong time, in a sort of rapture, with life behind us. Us, with only the early technology of our vocabulary, a tongue, trying to identify the rapturous, trying to sum up the miraculous, standing right in front of it. Possibly.
Will Eno
London, 2001
JOHN IN THE FIELD
FRANK IN THE STUDIO
CONSTANCE AT THE HOME
MICHAEL, LEGAL ADVISOR
THE WITNESS
Setting
The setting is a live television broadcast. Each character is at the place described in his name, except Michael, who is at various locations, and may enter and exit the stage. THE WITNESS will appear with JOHN IN THE FIELD. FRANK IN THE STUDIO sits upstage center. Each speaks as if toward a camera. CONSTANCE AT THE HOME, where noted, turns to address a second camera.
Wardrobe
FRANK IN THE STUDIO might wear a blue suit, white shirt, and red tie. JOHN IN THE FIELD, more casual clothes, a windbreaker, a sport shirt. CONSTANCE AT THE HOME, a skirt-and-jacket suit. MICHAEL, LEGAL ADVISOR, a white shirt and a tie, and perhaps at times a London Fog-style raincoat. THE WITNESS is dressed plainly. All, save THE WITNESS, wear small earphones.
Additional Notes
When in doubt on any point with respect to staging, it may be helpful to refer to a news telecast. Which is not to say that this play is meant primarily as a comment on the news media. It is not.
A reading of Tragedy: a tragedy was first held at the Royal National Theatre Studio in June 2000. The Gate would like to thank Sue Higginson (Head of Studio) and Jack Bradley (Literary Manager) at the Royal National Theatre for making it possible for Tragedy: a tragedy to be performed at The Gate.
The production at The Gate Theatre was generously supported by The Jerwood Charitable Foundation: Jerwood Young Designers at The Gate.
For The Gate Theatre:
Artistic Director, Erica Whyman
Producer, Tara Hull
General Manager, Julie Derevycka
Production Manager, Robert Scythes
Technical Manager, Jo Walker
Education Officer, Herta Queirazza
Literary Manager, Kate Wild
Box Office, Paul Long
Tragedy: a tragedy was first performed at The Gate Theatre, London, on 5 April 2001, with the following cast:
JOHN IN THE FIELD, Tim Flavin
FRANK IN THE STUDIO, Vincent Marzello
CONSTANCE AT THE HOME, Joanne Mcquinn
MICHAEL, LEGAL ADVISOR, Roderick Smith
THE WITNESS, George Innes
THE TECHNICIAN, Chris Jamba
Director, Paul Miller
Designer, Simon Daw
Lighting Designer, Sarah Gilmartin
Composer/Sound Designer, Dominic Shovelton
Assistant Director, Alex Scrivenor
Assistant Designer, Emmett J. de Monterey
Casting Director, Matt Lesalle
Stage Manager, Maria Dicks
Deputy Stage Manager, Julia Wickham