Jon Fosse - Fosse - Plays Six

quite short pause

are you sure

short pause

that we’ve met before

RAMBUKU

Yes

SHE

No

quite short pause

no we haven’t

They let go of each other’s hands, stand there. Long pause. To He

Read

Pause

HE

reads

and then the man moves away from her

and he stands and looks at her

Rambuku walks away from her and stands and looks at her

with a strange expression on his face

quite short pause

an expression which

yes how should I describe it

yes an expression which

SHE

Don’t stand there like that

RAMBUKU

questioningly

Like

SHE

Don’t stand there like that

quite short pause

don’t stand there like that

now that you’re finally here

RAMBUKU

I won’t stand here like that

SHE

No

RAMBUKU

No

quite short pause

I’m finally here

Pause

SHE

I have waited and waited for you

And now you’re here

She and Rambuku look at each other, look down, look at each other again. Long pause. To He, without looking at him

Read

Pause

HE

reads

And then the man turned

and he walked away from her

and she walked after him

Rambuku walks away from her, and She walks after him

she stopped and looked

She stops and looks at Rambuku

she stood there and looked

as he walked away

Rambuku walks away and She stands and looks at him

and then she stood and looked straight ahead

She stands and looks straight ahead

and she said

in a quiet voice

that finally he was there

the finally he came

she said

that finally Rambuku shall

open up

Pause

SHE

Finally Rambuku shall

open up

Long pause. To He

Read then

Keep reading

HE

reads

And then the man came back to her

Rambuku enters, he brings a carafe of water and a glass. Pause

SHE

to He

Yes

quite short pause

yes that’s how it is

She looks at him

isn’t it

isn’t it

Rambuku has come now

right

quite short pause

yes

short pause

Keep reading

Pause

HE

reads

And then the man walked slowly towards her

Rambuku walks slowly towards her

And she walked slowly towards him

She walks slowly towards Rambuku

And they both stopped

they stood and looked at each other

They stop, look at each other

And she said

But there you are

SHE

But there you are

RAMBUKU

You must come now

my dear

I’m waiting for you

Pause. Rambuku pours water in the glass and hands it to her, she drinks the water, gives the glass back to Rambuku

SHE

Thank you

Thank you for being here

You came today

Pause. She turns to He

But you

breaks off. She walks to him, takes the sheets of paper from him, leafs through the pile, picks out one sheet, hands it to him

Read

Pause

HE

reads

I’ve lived here

But soon I’ll live in Rambuku

SHE

Yes

Yes

yes now he has come

now Rambuku has come

quite short pause

and then

quite short pause

neither you

nor I

shall live here anymore

quite short pause

you

I

you and I

shall live in Rambuku

Pause

It’s over now

finally

finally it’s over

Short pause

Read

read what the note says

Pause

HE

reads

I’ve lived here

But soon I’ll live in Rambuku

Long pause

SHE

Yes

Long pause. She goes and takes the sheet of paper from him, puts all the sheets in her bag. Rambuku walks over to her, pours water in the glass, hands it to her and She hands it to He, who drinks it. She takes the glass from He, gives it to Rambuku. She takes He’s arm. Rambuku walks slowly out, holding the carafe and the glass in front of him, and She and He walk slowly, arm in arm, after him and out

Characters

THE WOMAN

THE MAN

THE SECOND WOMAN

Black. Lights up. The Woman stands, looking down. Long pause. The Woman looks up, towards The Man

THE WOMAN

But you see

well

you do understand that

yes

yes that

Yes that I

quite short pause

Wanted to be free

quite short pause

I didn’t want to go round

with all those ties

that I had entered into

quite short pause

and of course I was

yes so young

yes when I became tied

yes when I entered into

quite short pause

yes the ties

quite short pause

yes the ties

you know so well

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

And I wanted to create

Yes my own ties

quite short pause

I wanted

stops

THE MAN

But now you are free

THE WOMAN

Yes I suppose so

THE MAN

And now you don’t want to be free

THE WOMAN

No I don’t want to be free

THE MAN

Why don’t you want to be free

THE WOMAN

Because one

when one is free

one is not free

at all

THE MAN

Why not

THE WOMAN

Because then one

is tied

tied and tied

by just one’s self

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

And the one who is tied

by and to her self

is

stops, short pause

THE MAN

Lonely

THE WOMAN

No

Yes

Pause

THE MAN

But the others they are there

yes they are everywhere

it is impossible to be alone

because the others

they are there

THE WOMAN

Yes

yes exactly

quite short pause

but in relation to the others

one doesn’t become free

short pause

and then there’s my children

THE MAN

Your children

quite short pause

yes your children

of course

yes

yes a child is a tie isn’t it

yes of course

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

And you want to be free

quite short pause

Not be tied

yes

yes to

stops

THE WOMAN

Yes

Pause

THE MAN

And now you are free

THE WOMAN

Yes

Pause

THE MAN

And now you don’t want to be free

THE WOMAN

No

Pause

Or yes

THE MAN

Yes you can be

quite short pause

yes lover

yes

yes

yes with whoever you want

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

With one or the other

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

Go to bed with whoever you want

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

You are free

THE WOMAN

Yes

Pause

But I

stops

THE MAN

Don’t you want to be free

THE WOMAN

Yes

THE MAN

Wasn’t it as you imagined

To be free

THE WOMAN

No

Pause

THE MAN

Freedom is not a good thing

THE WOMAN

No

quite short pause

But it is a condition

THE MAN

It is a condition