Cold War (NHB Modern Plays) E-Book

Conor McPherson

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 91

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Poland, 1949. Zula is bold and brilliant, a singer who ignites the stage. Wiktor is withdrawn and damaged, a composer longing to write. Irresistibly drawn to each other, they dream of escape. But in Communist-controlled Poland, the desire for freedom can be a dangerous thing. Based on the film by Academy Award winner Paweł Pawlikowski, Cold War is an epic love story spanning the decades and breadth of Europe at its most divided, and a compelling story of passion, redemption, and the journey to be free. This stage adaptation by Conor McPherson was first performed at the Almeida Theatre, London, in November 2023, directed by Rupert Goold, and featuring traditional Polish songs alongside music by Elvis Costello.

Leseprobe

Conor McPherson

COLD WAR

Based on the screenplay by

Paweł Pawlikowski and Janusz Głowacki

Music by

Elvis Costello

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Original Production

Characters

Cold War

About the Authors

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

Cold War was first performed at the Almeida Theatre, London, on 30 November 2023, with the following cast:

ZULA

Anya Chalotra

DANCE CAPTAIN/ENSEMBLE

Ali Goldsmith

ENSEMBLE

Ryan Goscinski

VICE CONSUL

Elliot Harper

KACZMAREK

Elliot Levey

ENSEMBLE

Ediz Mahmut

JULIETTE/ANIA

Anastasia Martin

ENSEMBLE

Alžbeta Matyšáková

MICHEL/MINISTER

Jordan Metcalfe

AIMEE/ENSEMBLE

Katarina Novkovic

WIKTOR

Luke Thallon

ENSEMBLE

Sophie Maria Wojna

IRENA

Alex Young

Book

Conor McPherson

Music

Elvis Costello

Original Film

Paweł Pawlikowski

Director

Rupert Goold

Music Supervisor, Orchestrations and Arrangements

Simon Hale

Choreographer

Ellen Kane

Set Designer

Jon Bausor

Costume Designer

Evie Gurney

Lighting Designer

Paule Constable

Sound Designer

Sinéad Diskin

Musical Director

Jo Cichonska

Orchestral Management

David Gallagher

Casting Director

Amy Ball CDG

Costume Supervisor

Peter Todd

Wigs, Hair and Make-up Supervisor

Moira O’Connell

Assistant Director

Dubheasa Lanipekun

Associate Choreographer

James Cousins

Music Assistant

Manuel Pestana Gageiro

Associate Costume Designer

Phoebe Shu-Ching Chan

Associate Musical Director

Livi van Warmelo

Copyist

James Humphreys

Sound Associate

Bryony Blackler

Folk Music Consultants

Warsaw Village Band

Language Coach

Edyta Nowosielska

Dialect Coach

Fabien Enjalric

Folk Dance Consultants

Orleta

The production was produced by the Almeida Theatre, by arrangement with Apocalypso Pictures, in association with Tanya Seghatchian and John Woodward.

Characters

WIKTOR, a pianist, composer and arranger

ZULA, a singer and dancer

IRENA, a musicologist, teacher and archivist

KACZMAREK, a state-employed administrator

MICHEL, a music producer

JULIETTE, a writer

AIMEE, a singer

ANIA, a young singer

DELIA, a film producer

HERBERT, a film producer

MICHEL, a music producer

And STATE OFFICIALS, SINGERS, DANCERS, WAITERS, BOHEMIANS, PRISON GUARDS, SOLDIERS, a NANNY

Setting

Poland, Berlin, Paris, 1949–1964.

The scenes can move fluidly from place to place with a minimum of set/props.

Note on Text

Words in square brackets are unspoken.

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

ACT ONE

Poland, winter 1949.

In the darkness a voice rings out singing ‘At My Mother’s House’:

GIRL.

U Moje Matecki brzunkali slunecki

A tero nie bendo bo ni ma corecki

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Instrumental verse.

Brzunkajta sklunecki jekiesta brzunkali Kochajta me chlopcy jekiesta kochali

CHORUS.

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Lights rise on a cold village hall in a little rural town.

WIKTOR and IRENA stand listening to two GIRLS singing this song. WIKTOR has headphones on, attached to a reel-to-reel recording device, holding a microphone out towards the music.

IRENA makes notes in a logbook.

GIRL.

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

KACZMAREK stamps up and down, bored, flapping his arms to stay warm. He stops the performance.

KACZMAREK. All right, thank you!

He ushers the GIRLS out.

IRENA. What?

KACZMAREK. I’ve heard that song about fifteen fucking times today – everywhere we go! Too crude. They’re all too crude.

IRENA. That’s the mountain style.

KACZMAREK. Style my arse. Where I come from – every drunk sings like that.

A MAN WITH A HURDY-GURDY starts to audition…

HURDY-GURDY PLAYER.

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

Oj-la-la-la, oj-la-la-la

KACZMAREK. What the hell are we doing out here? Let’s go back.

IRENA. We can’t go back. We have three more villages to…

KACZMAREK. No. I’ve had enough. I need a drink. Anyway – the sun’s going down. The roads’ll be black ice in an hour.

IRENA. Then let me drive.

KACZMAREK (looks at WIKTOR for support). You drive? With respect, my dear, I’m not sure you’d be able to manage our truck.

IRENA. Why not?

KACZMAREK. Look, I’ll be honest with you – when I don’t drive, I get anxious. Out here in the middle of nowhere, in the dark – with you driving, you’re tired, you’ve been up since the crack of dawn, one false gear shift, we end up in a ditch, having to stay the night in some little cottage? With some huge extended family and the old granny crouching there staring at us? I mean purely even on an existential level…

ZULA (interrupting). Is this the auditions?

They turn to see a young woman standing in the doorway.

KACZMAREK. No, we’re finished. No more today.

ZULA. What?! I’ve been standing out here in the snow for two hours!

KACZMAREK. Anyway, we’re not doing auditions. That’s next week.

ZULA. So, what are you doing?

IRENA. Collecting music.

ZULA. What music?

IRENA. Folk music.

KACZMAREK. Don’t tell her anything. Polish music.

ZULA. I have folk music. I know hundreds of songs.

KACZMAREK. But you haven’t even auditioned.

ZULA. That’s why I’m here. Tell me what to sing!

KACZMAREK. We haven’t finished collecting the songs!

ZULA. So collect my songs!

KACZMAREK. We’ll do it at the auditions!

ZULA. When are the auditions?!

KACZMAREK. When we’ve finished collecting the songs!

ZULA. All right, keep your wig on. Where do you want me to stand?

KACZMAREK. Outside! I told you – we’re finished for today.

IRENA. What’s your name?

ZULA (to IRENA). Zuzanna Lichón. Zula.

KACZMAREK (with genial finality). You’re not on the list.

ZULA. What list?

KACZMAREK waves IRENA and WIKTOR out.

KACZMAREK. The list is irrelevant because we’ve had technical difficulties! We have three more towns to visit today!

WIKTOR and IRENA head out.

ZULA. I paid to get here. I have to pay to get back.

KACZMAREK. From where?

ZULA. Murzasichle.

KACZMAREK. Moorza-what-icle?

ZULA. Murzasichle.

KACZMAREK. Where the hell is that?

ZULA. I gave a lorry driver thirty-five zloty to get here.

KACZMAREK. I’m not giving you thirty-five zloty! Come here.

ZULA stands in front of him. He looks at her.

Turn around.

She does so. He looks her up and down.

(Suddenly relenting, giving her a ticket.) All right, here, take it.

ZULA. What is it?

KACZMAREK. For the auditions. It’s next week. Just you. And don’t tell anyone. All right? You’re welcome.

He goes. Voices sing underscore…

ENSEMBLE.

The devil knocked three times

I opened up my door

‘I’ll give you anything you want’

‘My lover’s heart is all’

‘That deal is easy done,’ he swore

He held me with a grin

But when the time has come to pay

You better let me in

Giant windows of a dilapidated ballroom come into focus as the village hall melts away. Sunlight rises in the windows. A table full of food is laid out against one wall.

A dozen young SINGERS and DANCERS come in to where KACZMAREK, WIKTOR and IRENA wait. The young folk wear dishevelled old clothes. ZULA is among the group.

They continue singing under KACZMAREK’s welcome speech.

KACZMAREK. Young friends! You may be wondering what you are doing here, in this stately house. Well, thanks to the beneficence of our esteemed leaders, should you prove yourselves worthy, this may just become your home. Through this door you enter a world of music, song and dance – Irena?

IRENA. Yes, our remit is to find performers for our national music.

KACZMAREK. The music of pain and humiliation…

IRENA. And joy and celebration too.

KACZMAREK. And joy – yes, of course. Like you, yes, I’ve laughed at some of these old folk songs from the fields, from the mountains – didn’t think much of them – why? Because they originated in the minds of an uneducated proletariat? Because they’re not as elevated as the so-called bourgeois ‘classics’? Well, nobody’s laughing now – are they, Irena?

IRENA. No.

KACZMAREK. Because this is the music of victory! You may be wondering: will everyone be allowed through this door? And my answer is: absolutely not. Our government has decreed that only the very cream of our young talent will be permitted to remain. And under the careful supervision of our tutors, Irena Komorowska, and our musical director here, Wiktor Zatoński – should you be accepted, you will rehearse and work and strive to become an elite troupe – to perform on our country’s great stages. To inspire our people – to

express what has been subjugated and lain buried for too long within their souls. So, I invite you now, today, to join the fierce and noble struggle with yourselves and with each other for our limited places. Successful auditionees will be given clean clothes, three meals a day, medical check-ups and unlimited political instruction. So good luck to you all. Hurrah!

The group ravenously attacks the table of food, breaking into little huddles, stuffing their faces. Some take their food outside. WIKTOR and IRENA set up a work table at one end of the room.

ZULA joins a girl, ANIA, and BOY at the other end of the room. She speaks through her stuffed mouth as she devours a sandwich.

ZULA. Do we have to be able to read music?

BOY. Nah. Someone said they want it peasant-style. Whatever that is.

ANIA. Songs from the radio?

BOY. No – old songs. Too shit for the radio.

He takes his food, stuffing some extra up his sweater, and heads out into the sunshine.

ZULA turns to ANIA.

ZULA. What will you sing?

ANIA. Just a song we used to sing in school. You?

ZULA. Don’t know yet. How does it go, this tune of yours?

ANIA considers ZULA.

You can trust me, I’m not going to steal it!

ANIA starts singing ‘Hej Sokoły’:

ANIA. ‘See there by the black water…’

ZULA Everybody knows that one! It would be nice with two voices. Start again.

ZULA joins in with a low harmony. ANIA nods.

ZULA and ANIA.

See there by the black water

A handsome soldier sits on horseback

While his true love stands beside him

Crying for his safe return-o

Hey, hey fly the falcons…

Hearing them, WIKTOR stops working. He stands at the table.

WIKTOR. Girls. Please.

WIKTOR motions them to the table. IRENA continues working, getting the ledgers out, she’s not ready to start auditions. She casts a cold eye on WIKTOR.

Go on.

ZULA and ANIA start their song again. They harmonise beautifully, mesmerising WIKTOR.

ANIA and ZULA.

Hey, hey fly the falcons

Over mountains forests and valleys

Ring ring ring the church bells

Bring my lover home to me-o…

IRENA. Thank you. After delousing, we’ll call you – as per your numbers – when we are ready to start.

The GIRLS turn to leave.

WIKTOR. What else have you got?

ZULA. To sing?

WIKTOR. Yes.

ZULA starts to sing a song, ‘Serdtse’ from the 1934 movie Jolly Fellows.

ZULA.

Kak mnogo laskovykh imyon

No lish’odno iz nikh trevozhit

Unosya pokoy i son

Kak mnogo devushek khoroshikh

Kak mnogo laskovykh imyon

No lish’odno iz nikh trevozhit

Unosya pokoy i son kogda vlyublyon

IRENA. Thank you.

ZULA. And the chorus!

(Singing.