Jon Fosse - Fosse - Plays Six

yes there’s the farmhouse

quite short pause

yes that has always been there

and the old hay barn

oh yes that’s there too

THE MAN

Nothing else

THE WOMAN

Well what do you mean

THE MAN

No

Pause. The Man turns and looks at The Woman

THE WOMAN

No it was nothing

THE MAN

No maybe not

THE WOMAN

Just something you thought

Pause

But did you see something

THE MAN

No it was probably nothing

THE WOMAN

But did you see something

THE MAN

Nothing worth mentioning

THE WOMAN

But what was it

THE MAN

Just forget it

Pause

THE WOMAN

So you saw something

THE MAN

Yes

Pause

THE WOMAN

But you don’t want to say what it was

THE MAN

It’s nothing worth mentioning

THE WOMAN

Not if I didn’t see it

THE MAN

No

THE WOMAN

Because then it was only you who saw it

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

And then it doesn’t exist

THE MAN

Yes I suppose

Pause

THE WOMAN

Shall we move on

THE MAN

Yes

The Man remains where he is. Pause

THE WOMAN

Don’t you want to walk any further

THE MAN

Yes

quite short pause

yes of course

short pause

THE WOMAN

But you don’t have to

quite short pause

if you don’t want to

we don’t have to walk any further

quite short pause

it’s quite alright

yes

of course

quite short pause

it has been a nice walk

yes so far

Short pause

THE MAN

Yes

of course we’ll walk further

Short pause

THE WOMAN

But we don’t have to walk to the very top of the mountain

quite short pause

not if you don’t want to

THE MAN

I said I wanted to

THE WOMAN

Yes

Short pause

But still

THE MAN

Let’s go

THE WOMAN

If you want to

quite short pause

yes let’s go then

THE MAN

I want to

He remains where he is. Long pause

THE WOMAN

But

yes

quite short pause

yes what did you see

THE MAN

Don’t ask about it

THE WOMAN

Sorry

Short pause

It’s just

since I didn’t see it

quite short pause

yes

yes I mean

THE MAN

I’m sure it was nothing

THE WOMAN

Just something you imagined

THE MAN

I’m sure

THE WOMAN

Maybe

quite short pause

in any case I didn’t see anything

Pause

THE MAN

Let’s sit down for a moment

THE WOMAN

Yes why not

The Man and The Woman sit down

Are you tired

THE MAN

No

THE WOMAN

But it’s nice to rest the legs

THE MAN

Yes

THE WOMAN

We’ve been walking for some time

THE MAN

Not for that long

THE WOMAN

No

quite short pause

no but for quite a bit

THE MAN

Yes

Long pause. The Man turns around and looks and then he stands up, again he stands and looks. Pause

THE WOMAN

Do you see anything

Pause

You want something to eat

quite short pause

something to drink

perhaps

Pause

The weather’s not too bad

quite short pause

at least it’s not raining

quite short pause

it’s not so nice to go for a walk then

not when the sun’s burning

either

short pause

this is good weather for walking

short pause

it couldn’t have been much better

quite short pause

no

quite short pause

and wasn’t it good that we finally got to take

this walk

quite short pause

we’ve been talking about it for so long

quite short pause

yes about walking up to that mountain

quite short pause

I don’t even know what it’s called

and

quite short pause

you don’t either I suppose

short pause

no

no I don’t suppose you do

quite short pause

and so far

it’s been a nice walk

quite short pause

hasn’t it

quite short pause

at least that’s what I think

and wasn’t it good that we both

finally found the time to do it

quite short pause

perhaps we should walk a little further

yes before we have something to drink

quite short pause

before we stop to eat

quite short pause

yes we should probably do that

quite short pause

but it was good to sit down for a bit too

quite short pause

have a rest

quite short pause

I can feel it in my legs

yes

that we’ve been walking for some time

quite short pause

can’t you

quite short pause

can you feel it too

quite short pause

The Man walk forwards a little

So it was good to sit down for a bit

Rest for while

The Man continues to walk forwards

You don’t want to sit for a bit longer

rest a bit more

yes

quite short pause

yes we still have quite a distance to cover

quite short pause

it’s a long walk all the way

to the top of the mountain

quite short pause

it looks pretty far

quite short pause

but we’ve got the whole day

quite short pause

that’s good isn’t it

The Woman stands up and looks at The Man

you don’t want to rest any longer

we can just keep walking

yes

yes of course

The Man continues to walk forwards

I’ll come

too

The Man stops and stands and looks

What are you looking at

What is it you see

THE MAN

But don’t you see

THE WOMAN

looks

No

THE MAN

Don’t you see that it shines

quite short pause

yes over there

THE WOMAN

No

THE MAN

points

there from over the mountain

quite short pause

and down the mountain

quite short pause

and then here

THE WOMAN

No

quite short pause

no I don’t see anything

THE MAN

That strong light

THE WOMAN

No

no nothing

I don’t see anything

THE MAN

You don’t see that awfully strong light

THE WOMAN

No

The light begins to fade

THE MAN

And you don’t see that it’s like

yes gleaming space

in the light

THE WOMAN

No

THE MAN

And that the light is like

breaks off. The Man walks unsteadily forwards and The Woman walks after him .

THE WOMAN

I don’t see anything

Wait

wait for me

I’m coming

The Man walks out and you can hear that he collapses. The Woman hurries out after him. Lights down .

Characters

FIRST VOICE

SECOND VOICE

THE SHADOW

YOUNG WOMAN

OLD WOMAN

YOUNG MAN

OLD MAN

FIRST VOICE

I am here

I am here always

Quite short pause

And I have always

been here

quite short pause

but yet