Once: The Musical E-Book

Enda Walsh

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

Seitenzahl: 71

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

When an Irish busker and a young Czech mother meet through a shared love of music, their songwriting sparks a deep connection and a tender, longing romance that neither of them could have expected. Based on the much-loved Oscar-winning film, Once is an extraordinary, original and irresistibly joyous celebration of love, friendship and music. With music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, it has a book written by Enda Walsh. Once won eight Tony Awards when it opened on Broadway in 2012, including Best Book and Best Musical. It opened in Dublin in February 2013 before transferring to the West End.

Leseprobe

ONCE

Book by

Enda Walsh

Music and Lyrics by

Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová

Based on the motion picture, written and directed by John Carney

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Author’s Note

Original Production

Characters

List of Songs

Once

About the Authors

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Author’s Note

I can’t remember for certain how Once came about and how I came to be attached to it.

Agents were called, I was called, producers badgered, John Tiffany (our director) said it might be fun, a room was booked in London for two days in October 2010 – and that was it, really.

My head was somewhere else, obviously, and it was all a bit of a blur – but me, John and Martin Lowe (our musical director) sat in that room in London with two very good actors, and read John Carney’s screenplay and sang Glen and Markéta’s songs. Whatever scepticism I had coming into those two days pretty much evaporated when I heard that music, and we began to discuss how we might stage this piece.

I was a very peculiar choice to work on this. My work is usually pretty dark, I suppose, and I’m not too sure why that is – but it is what it is – and I’ve been very fortunate over the years that enough people want to produce it. But I am a slave to all story, whether dark or light, and my instincts were pulling me towards this delicate tale of love, which I felt would somehow reaffirm for me the potential of the individual to do some good (that sounds unbelievably glib – I’m sorry). I think I really needed to be involved in Once, to be honest, and it was good to be making it with friends I love and admire.

Writing a play, for me, is about getting out of the way of the characters, allowing them to find the story themselves and not trying to feel like it’s authored in any way. The story of Once existed in movie form but needed its own stage style, and also its own specific stage language and pace. Really the key to that was the ‘Girl’ character, who, on page one, became the driving force, the idiosyncratic swagger of the piece, the person who would change everything.

We wanted to make an ensemble piece of theatre where you’re watching not just two but thirteen people’s lives change. They change in small ways, but in the scale of their own lives, the changes are big.

And yet they’re transformed by a young woman who seems more ‘stopped’ than they are – where all this change is made with the songs of a young man who is as stalled and hurt as the Dublin he lives in.

There’s a lot of comedy and bluster in Once, but subtextually it’s always that little bit lonely and inarticulate. Audiences seem to be connecting to that.

There’s so much about our show I still don’t fully understand – how it arrives and how invisibly it grows on you. It’s in John Carney’s initial story and in our interpretation, and how it is delivered in this simple honesty by an ensemble – but you really feel the audience adding to and mixing up this alchemy and making it all the richer for that.

Once’s success on stage has been so utterly unexpected. I think we all feel very lucky to have stumbled on something so rare.

Enda Walsh

Once was originally developed at the American Repertory Theater (Diane Paulus, Artistic Director; Diane Borger, Producer) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in April 2011.

Once was first performed at New York Theatre Workshop (James C. Nicola, Artistic Director; William Russo, Managing Director) in New York, USA, on 15 November 2011. The cast was as follows:

GUY

Steve Kazee

GIRL

Cristin Milioti

BILLY

Paul Whitty

DA

David Patrick Kelly

EX-GIRLFRIEND

Erikka Walsh

ŠVEC

Lucas Papaelias

ANDREJ

Will Connolly

RÉZA

Elizabeth A. Davis

BARUŠKA

Anne L. Nathan

IVANKA

Claire Candela

BANK MANAGER

Andy Taylor

EMCEE

J. Michael Zygo

EAMON

David Abeles

Director

John Tiffany

Movement

Steven Hoggett

Designer

Bob Crowley

Lighting Designer

Natasha Katz

Sound Designer

Clive Goodwin

Music Supervisor

Martin Lowe

Once subsequently transferred to the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, New York, USA, on 18 March 2012, with the same cast and crew, except for the following:

IVANKA

Ripley Snoo / McKayla Twiggs

It was produced by Robert Cole, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart, Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo, Brian Carmody, Michael G. Wilson, Orin Wolf and The Shubert Organization, in association with New York Theatre Workshop.

Once received its European premiere at the Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, on 22 February 2013, before transferring to the Phoenix Theatre, London, on 9 April 2013 (previews from 16 March). The cast was as follows:

GUY

Declan Bennett

GIRL

Zrinka Cvitešić

BILLY

Aidan Kelly

DA

Michael O’Connor

EX-GIRLFRIEND

Miria Parvin

ŠVEC

Ryan Fletcher

ANDREJ

Jos Slovick

RÉZA

Flora Spencer-Longhurst

BARUŠKA

Valda Aviks

IVANKA

Poppy-Lily Baker / Mia-Jai Bryan / Pacha Anna Green / Nancy Ann Jeans

BANK MANAGER

Jez Unwin

EMCEE

Gabriel Vick

EAMON

Gareth O’Connor

Director

John Tiffany

Movement

Steven Hoggett

Designer

Bob Crowley

Lighting Designer

Natasha Katz

Sound Designer

Clive Goodwin

Music Supervisor

Martin Lowe

It was produced by Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo, Brian Carmody, Michael G. Wilson, Orin Wolf, Michael Rose Ltd, in association with New York Theatre Workshop.

Characters

GUY

GIRL

BILLY

DA

EX-GIRLFRIEND

ŠVEC

ANDREJ

RÉZA

BARUŠKA

IVANKA

BANK MANAGER

EMCEE

EAMON

List of Songs

FIRST HALF

‘Leave’ Guy

‘Falling Slowly’ Guy, Girl, Ensemble

‘North Strand’ Ensemble

‘The Moon’ Girl, Guy

‘Ej Padá, Padá Rosička’ Baruška, Ensemble

‘If You Want Me’ Girl, Ensemble

‘Broken-Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy’ Guy

‘Say It to Me Now’ Guy

‘Abandoned in Bandon’ Bank Manager

‘Gold’ Guy, Ensemble

SECOND HALF

‘Sleeping’ Guy

‘When Your Mind’s Made Up’ Guy, Girl, Ensemble

‘The Hill’ Girl

‘Gold’ (Reprise) Billy, Ensemble

‘The Moon’ (Reprise) Guy, Girl, Ensemble

‘Falling Slowly’ (Reprise) Guy, Girl, Ensemble

FIRST HALF

As the audience takes its seat and waits in the auditorium, there’s a session on stage with musicians and singers belting out songs to one another. It’s raw, chaotic and hugely positive.

Suddenly it’s dark and silent.

A light fades up on the GUY singing ‘Leave’.

Leave

GUY.

I can’t wait for ever is all that you said

Before you stood up

And you won’t disappoint me

I can do that myself

But I’m glad that you’ve come

Now if you don’t mind

Leave, leave,

And free yourself at the same time

Leave, leave,

I don’t understand, you’ve already gone

I hope you feel better

Now that it’s out

What took you so long

And the truth has a habit

Of falling outta your mouth

Well now that it’s come

If you don’t mind

Leave, leave,

And please yourself at the same time

Leave, leave,

Let go of my hand

You said what you came to now

Leave, leave,

Let go of my hand

You said what you have to now

Leave, leave,

Leave, leave,

Let go of my hand

You said what you have to now

Leave, leave…

He’s finished.

He quietly takes the strap off the guitar and slowly lowers the guitar to the ground.

He turns to leave the stage.

Then from the shadows:

GIRL. That song you play – is it yours?

He stops and looks into the darkness but can’t see her just yet.

I know you can talk I just heard you sing – unless you cannot talk and only sing. If you want you can sing me your answer to my question…

GUY (leaving). No thanks.

GIRL. I made you talk just now.

GUY. I could talk already…

GIRL. So you write this song?

GUY. Yeah.

GIRL. It’s very good.

GUY. Thanks.

GIRL. You’re welcome. Hello.

GUY. Hey.

A slight pause.

GIRL. Is it always me who has to start the conversation?

GUY. Well you seem more up for it than I do.

GIRL. It’s not even my language this English.

GUY. You speak it well.

GIRL. I have an accent.

GUY. We all have accents.

GIRL. We are people of the world.

GUY. Right.

GIRL. Do you enjoy being Irish?

GUY. Seriously?