A Tale of Two Cities E-Book

Charles Dickens.

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Serie: NHB Modern Plays
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 125

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

A thrilling, fast-paced adaptation of the classic novel, considered by Dickens 'the best story I have ever written'. An epic story of love, sacrifice and redemption, interweaving one family's intensely personal drama with the terror and chaos of the French Revolution. This version of A Tale of Two Cities premiered at Royal & Derngate, Northampton, in February 2014, featuring a large community ensemble alongside the main cast. Mike Poulton's adaptation is ideal for any amateur theatre companies, schools or youth theatres looking to stage a bold and dramatic version of Dickens' classic.

Leseprobe

Charles Dickens

A TALE OF TWO CITIES

adapted for the stage by

Mike Poulton

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Characters

A Tale of Two Cities

About the Authors

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

This adaptation of A Tale of Two Cities was first performed at Royal & Derngate, Northampton (James Dacre, Artistic Director; Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive), on 25 February 2014 (previews from 21 February), with the following cast:

DEFARGE/ATTORNEY

Ignatius Anthony

   GENERAL/PRIEST/

   GABELLE/GAOLER

SYDNEY CARTON

Oliver Dimsdale

DR MANETTE

Christopher Good

MARQUIS/JUDGE/

Christopher Hunter

   FRENCH ARISTOCRAT/

   PRESIDENT

LUCIE MANETTE

Yolanda Kettle

MISS PROSS/JENNY HERRING

Abigail McKern

MADAME DEFARGE/

Mairead McKinley

   MRS KEATING

MR LORRY/MR STRYVER/

Michael Mears

   COACHMAN

BARSAD/PEASANT FATHER/

Sean Murray

   FRENCH ARISTOCRAT/

   CITIZEN

CHARLES DARNAY

Joshua Silver

PEASANT’S SON

Morgan Thomas,

Finlay Trevellick

GIRL

Miranda Spencer-Pearson

ROYAL & DERNGATE COMMUNITY ENSEMBLE

Will Adams, Catherine Briscoe, Charlie Brixon, Charlie Clee, Jane Davies, Catherine Garlick, Vicky Kelly, Tara Lawrence, George Marlow, John Mitchell, Mo Shapiro, Tom Stone, Victoria Sye, Antonia Underwood, Sue Whyte, Benjamin Williams, Jude Wilton, Adrian Wyman, Diane Wyman

Director

James Dacre

Designer

Mike Britton

Composer

Rachel Portman

Movement Director

Struan Leslie

Musical Director

Tom Brady

Lighting Designer

Paul Keogan

Sound Designer

Adrienne Quartly

Fight Director

Terry King

Orchestrator

David William Hearn

Casting Director

Ginny Schiller CDG

Assistant Director

Eduard Lewis

Assistant Director

Georgia Munnion

(Royal & Derngate Community Ensemble)

Deputy Stage Manager on the Book

Jo Phipps

Scenery, set painting, properties, costuming, wigs and make-up by Royal & Derngate workshops and facilitated in-house by stage-management and technical teams.

Characters

in order of appearance

NARRATOR

CHARLES DARNAY

MR LORRY

JERRY CRUNCHER

JURYMAN

CLERK OF THE COURT

JUDGE

STRYVER

JOHN BARSAD

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

JENNY HERRING

LUCIE MANETTE

DR MANETTE

PAMELA KEATING

SYDNEY CARTON

FOREMAN

WAITER

PEASANT CHILD

MARQUIS ST EVRÉMOND

VALET

BYSTANDER 1

BYSTANDER 2

PEASANT FATHER

COACHMAN

DEFARGE

SERVANT 1

SERVANT 2

MISS PROSS

FRENCHMAN 1

FRENCHMAN 2

FRENCHMAN 3

FRENCHMAN 4

FRENCHMAN 5

FRENCHMAN 6

GABELLE

CITIZEN

MADAME DEFARGE

PRESIDENT 1

COURT OFFICAL

WOMAN IN CROWD

JURYMAN 1

OFFICER 1

OFFICER 2

PRESIDENT 2

JURYMAN 2

JURYMAN 3

JURYMAN 4

JURYMAN 5

JURYMAN 6

WOMAN 1

WOMAN 2

WOMAN 3

PROSECUTOR

GAOLER

GAOLER 1

GAOLER 2

GIRL

GUARD

Plus OFFICERS, A MOB, COACHMEN, SERVANTS, etc.

The action of the play takes place in various locations in London and Paris towards the end of the eighteenth century.

Scene One

1780 – at the Old Bailey. Music. CHARLES DARNAY in the box. A break in proceedings. At one table sit MR LORRY, LUCIE, DR MANETTE, and the Chatham witness, PAMELA KEATING. DR MANETTE is in a world of his own. At a table at the other side of the court, STRYVER prepares his papers. SYDNEY CARTON takes a message from DARNAY to LUCIE then lounges at the table and stares at the ceiling. An angry JURY.

NARRATOR. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness… It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair – we had everything before us! We had nothing before us – we were all going straight to Heaven, we were all going directly to the other place. In short, the times were so like our own as to be almost indistinguishable from them…

MOB starts baying.

In this year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty, a young man, having pleaded –

DARNAY (shouting above the mob). Not guilty! Not guilty! Not guilty! –

NARRATOR. To an act of treason against His Majesty King George III – was put on trial for his life at the Old Bailey.

CROWD pelt DARNAY with vegetables, etc. – the OFFICERS of the court try to restore order.

This young man – this one – Charles Darnay, is accused of spying – spying on His Majesty’s Naval Dockyard at Chatham and with selling information – about England’s little war with thirteen of her troublesome American colonies – to America’s allies, to our old enemy, the French.

Boos and jeers. JERRY CRUNCHER enters, hands some papers to LORRY.

LORRY. Thank you, Jerry.

JERRY. Mr Lorry. (Comes into the crowd.) What’s going off? Is it the forgery case?

LORRY. No – treason. Spying on the Naval Dockyard at Chatham.

JERRY. Oho! Is he for it?

JURYMAN (interrupting). Oh yes. It’ll be quartering. Drawn on a hurdle, hung, taken down and opened up, insides pulled out and privates cut off before his face and burnt, then he’ll be headed and quartered. That’s the sentence.

LORRY. If he’s found guilty.

JURYMAN. We’ll find him guilty! Don’t you worry about that.

CLERK OF THE COURT. His Lordship’s coming back. Silence in the court!

The JUDGE enters and takes his place.

JUDGE. Mr Stryver?

STRYVER. M’Lud?

JUDGE. Any further questions you wish to put to the witnesses?

STRYVER. Yes, M’Lud.

CARTON, without looking at it or him, hands STRYVER a list of questions.

Mr Barsad.

Quickly studies CARTON’s list. BARSAD is put up.

Mr John Barsad? We have heard from Mr Attorney-General that you are a gentleman of unimpeachable character, and that your motives for accusing my client, Mr Darnay, of being a French spy are selfless and patriotic?

BARSAD. Yes, sir. That’s right.

STRYVER. Ever been a spy yourself?

BARSAD. No, sir! I strongly resent the imputation.

STRYVER. What are you then?

BARSAD. A gentleman.

STRYVER. What do you live on?

BARSAD. Income from my property.

STRYVER. Where is your property?

BARSAD. I couldn’t exactly say. Various places. What gentleman knows the extent of his investment?

STRYVER. Was this property inherited?

BARSAD. Yes.

STRYVER. From whom?

BARSAD. Why do you –

STRYVER. From whom?

BARSAD. Well… A relation.

STRYVER. Father? Uncle? Rich aunt?

BARSAD. A distant relation.

STRYVER. Oh? How distant?

BARSAD. Very distant I should say.

STRYVER. So should I. We don’t believe in your property, Mr Barsad. Ever been in prison?

BARSAD. No, sir, I have not!

STRYVER. Sure? You’ve never been in a debtors’ prison?

BARSAD. I don’t see what this has to do with anything.

STRYVER. Let me ask again. Have you ever been in a debtors’ prison?

BARSAD. As it happens –

STRYVER. How many times? Have you been in prison? As it happens?

BARSAD. Two… or three.

STRYVER. Not… er… (Consulting his notes.) five or six? Or more?

BARSAD. I might have been.

STRYVER. You’ve no income from property, have you, Mr Barsad? So, tell the court – do you have any profession?

CARTON hands him another paper.

BARSAD. I’ve told you, I’m a gentleman.

STRYVER. Ever been kicked?

BARSAD. I might have been. I don’t see how that’s –

STRYVER. Are you frequently kicked?

BARSAD. No!

STRYVER. Ever been kicked down stairs?

BARSAD. No! No I wasn’t – never! I know the incident you’re referring to. I was kicked at the top of the stairs. And I happened to fall down them.

STRYVER. My information is that you were kicked down stairs for cheating at dice.

BARSAD. Yes, by a drunk and a liar who accused me of cheating but I never did. I never cheat!

STRYVER. You swear it? Let me remind you that you are still on oath, Mr Barsad.

BARSAD. I do swear it. A thousand times I’ll swear it.

STRYVER. That you never cheat at dice? You give your oath very readily. Do you not in fact make your living by cheating at dice?

BARSAD. No, sir. I am a gentleman and a patriot – the prisoner is guilty of what I accuse him.

STRYVER. That, I believe, Mr Barsad, is for the jury to decide. No further questions for this scoundrel. Beg pardon, M’Lud, for this witness.

CARTON hands him a paper.

M’Lud, with your permission I have a few more questions for the Crown prosecution witness, Miss Jenny Herring.

JUDGE. Very well, Mr Stryver.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. My Lord, is this really necessary?

STRYVER. It is, M’Lud – very necessary.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. I have shown Miss Herring to be a truthful and reliable witness. She was the prisoner’s maid-of-all-work. She of all people must know if her master is a traitor or not.

JUDGE. You presented Barsad as a truthful and reliable witness, Mr Attorney-General. Put up Jenny Herring again.

JENNY HERRING is put in the witness box.

JENNY. What’s up? I’ve told you all I know.

JUDGE. Mr Stryver?

STRYVER. Thank you, M’Lud. Jenny. The court has heard that the prisoner was in the habit of travelling back and forth to France. It was as he was setting out on one such journey that you begged the prisoner to take you with him as a chambermaid and laundress?

JENNY. Not begged exactly. He was in need of an honest servant to do for him, sir.

STRYVER. But he found you instead. You say you began to suspect my client as a spy. Why was that?

JENNY. He was forever coming and going, sir.

STRYVER. To France and back.

JENNY. Yes, sir.

STRYVER. That makes him a spy, does it? Did you know the gentleman had business and property in France?

JENNY. No, sir. I never knew he had any business, sir. Other than spying.

STRYVER. Yet Mr Attorney-General suggests that you were in the best possible position to know his business?

JENNY. Yes I was, sir. It was spying.

STRYVER. You found incriminating lists and letters – sensitive information about the Naval Dockyard at Chatham – in your master’s pockets?

JENNY. I done his linen, sir. Washed for him – I had to turn out his pockets.

STRYVER. I’m sure you did, Jenny. And you found these lists and letters on the journey from Dover to London?

JENNY. Yes, sir. We was coming back from France.

STRYVER. Coming from France – you’re sure?

JENNY. Sure, sir – we was coming home.

STRYVER. Strange. I find that strange. Why should the prisoner be bringing those letters and lists of naval warships back from France? If he were a spy would his purpose not have been to deliver his information in France?

JENNY. Maybe… Well… I don’t rightly understand you, sir.

STRYVER. You’re a very stupid woman, aren’t you, Mrs Herring? The dupe of others? I put it to you that the letters and lists were given you by Barsad there, to be planted in the prisoner’s pockets? Barsad paid you well to lay false information against my client. Is that not the truth?

JENNY. I don’t know Mr Barsad, sir. Never clapped eyes on him.

CARTON hands STRYVER another paper.

STRYVER. Really? Beware of perjury, Jenny. Remember you too are still under oath.

JENNY. I’m a good Christian woman – that’s the God’s honest truth. I love my country, sir, that’s why I informed. I hate America and their allies the French. I am an Englishwoman – I love England. And I hate all foreigners like a good church-going woman should.

Cheers from the MOB.

JUDGE. Silence! – or I shall clear the court.

STRYVER. You love your country, do you? As much as you love the truth?

JENNY. I done it for England!

Cheers.

JUDGE. Silence!

STRYVER. My learned friend, Mr Carton here, believes you live in Bermondsey Street – in Southwark. In a house of ill-fame.

JENNY. It’s a respectable lodging house. Not that it has any bearing on the case.

STRYVER. Does it not? Do you live in Bermondsey Street?

JENNY. Maybe I do. Just at the moment.

STRYVER. Mr Barsad lives in Bermondsey Street.

JENNY. What if he does? It’s a long street. Like I told you, I don’t know Barsad.

STRYVER. Truly? You don’t know the man you share lodgings with? Must be a very long street. Very spacious lodgings if you don’t know the man you live with.

JENNY. I share lodgings with Mr John Stobbart. That is to say he is another gentleman I do for.

STRYVER. Stobbart – just another name Barsad uses.

JENNY. Well, he has lots of names. It’s part of his profession to have names. I’ve never heard until now he uses Barsad.

STRYVER. I believe the jury has heard enough of your lies, Jenny. But – one further thing touching your honesty. Are you not currently accused of stealing a silver teapot?

JENNY. It’s a lie! I never stole that teapot. I told them! It was a mustard pot and I never stole it and it turned out to be only silver-plate anyway.

STRYVER. Thank you, Jenny. No more questions.

Sits down and confers with CARTON.

JUDGE. Miss Lucie Manette.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Miss Manette, I want you to look at the prisoner.

LUCIE. Yes, sir.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Have you seen the prisoner before?

LUCIE. Yes, sir.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Where?

LUCIE. On the packet-ship that brought us out of France. Mr Lorry here, and I went to Paris to bring home my father.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Was the prisoner alone?

LUCIE. At Calais he came aboard with a Monsieur Gabelle, but that gentleman went ashore before we sailed.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Did you observe any conversation between them?

LUCIE. Oh yes – a great deal, sir.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Did papers change hands between them?

LUCIE. I believe so.

MOB murmurs.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. In your passage across the Channel, did you have any conversation with the prisoner?

LUCIE. Yes, sir.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Recall that conversation.

LUCIE. When the gentleman came on board –

JUDGE. By ‘the gentleman’ do you mean the prisoner?

LUCIE. Yes, My Lord.

JUDGE. Then say ‘the prisoner’, Miss Manette.

LUCIE. When the prisoner came on board he noticed my poor father was very frail, and in a poor state of health. There were only the four of us on that crossing. The prisoner did everything for my father’s comfort – showed us how best to shelter from the wind and rain. I’d have been able to do nothing for him without that gentleman’s – without the prisoner’s help. I should be sorry to repay his kindness by doing him harm today.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Miss Manette, if the prisoner does not understand that you are here to speak only the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth then he is the only person in the court who does not understand it. Please go on.

LUCIE. He told me he was travelling on business of a delicate and difficult nature which might get people into trouble… And that he was travelling under an assumed name. He said that his business would take him back and forth between England and France, and would continue to do so for a long time to come.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Did he say what that business was?

LUCIE. I understood it to be family business, sir.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Did he say anything about America? Be sure of your answer, Miss Mannette – England is at war with America. The prisoner is accused of aiding England’s enemy.

LUCIE. I introduced the subject myself, sir. I asked him to explain how the quarrel with the Colonies had arisen, and he said that, so far as he could judge, it was a wrong and foolish one on England’s part.

Murmuring.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Anything else?