Woyzeck E-Book

Georg Büchner

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

Seitenzahl: 110

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

'People like us are unhappy in this world and in the next: if we made it to heaven, we'd have to help make it thunder.' The multi-award-winning Jack Thorne, the playwright behind Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, breathes new life into Georg Büchner's existential masterpiece, Woyzeck, one of the most extraordinary plays ever written. It's 1980s Berlin. The Cold War rages and the world sits at a crossroads between Capitalism and Communism. On the border between East and West, a young soldier and the love of his life are desperately trying to build a better future for their child. But the cost of escaping poverty is high in this searing tale of the people society leaves behind. Jack Thorne's version of Woyzeck premiered at the Old Vic Theatre, London, in May 2017, in a production starring John Boyega in the title role.

Leseprobe

Georg Büchner

WOYZECK

in a new version by

Jack Thorne

NICK HERN BOOKS

London

www.nickhernbooks.co.uk

Contents

Title Page

Original Production

Epigraph

Dedication

Characters

Prologue

Act One

Act Two

Act Three

Epilogue

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

This version of Woyzeck premiered at The Old Vic, London, on 15 May 2017, with the following cast:

ANDREWS

Ben Batt

WOYZECK

John Boyega

YOUNG WOYZECK

Carlo Brathwaite

MAGGIE/MOTHER

Nancy Carroll

DOCTOR MARTENS

Darrell D’Silva

MARIE

Sarah Greene

YOUNG WOYZECK

Reuel Guzman

GDR CITIZEN/ENSEMBLE

Isabella Marshall

YOUNG WOYZECK

Cyrus Odukale

CAPTAIN THOMPSON

Steffan Rhodri

LANDLORD/ENSEMBLE

David Rubin

EAST GERMAN SOLDIER/ENSEMBLE

Theo Solomon

Director

Joe Murphy

Designer

Tom Scutt

Lighting Designer

Neil Austin

Sound Designer

Gareth Fry

Composer

Isobel Waller-Bridge

Movement Director

Polly Bennett

Illusion

Ben Hart

Fight Directors

Rachel Bown-Williams

Ruth Cooper Brown

Casting Director

Jessica Ronane

CDG

The author’s proceeds from sales of this book and amateur licensing of the play will be donated to Young Minds, the charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people in the UK. youngminds.org.uk

‘The present period of history is one of the Wall. When the Berlin one fell, the prepared plans to build walls everywhere were unrolled. Concrete, bureaucratic, surveillance, security, racist, zone walls. Everywhere the walls separate the desperate poor from those who hope against hope to stay relatively rich. The walls cross every sphere from crop cultivation to health care. They exist, too, in the richest metropolises of the world. The Wall is the front line of what, long ago, was called the class war.

…The choice of meaning in the world today is here between the two sides of the wall. The wall is also inside each one of us. Whatever our circumstances, we can choose within ourselves which side of the wall we are attuned to. It is not a wall between good and evil. Both exist on both sides. The choice is between self-respect and self-chaos.’

John Berger, 2004

For Cathy Mason

Characters

WOYZECK [Voy-tzeck], British, early twenties

MARIE, Irish Catholic, early twenties

ANDREWS, British, late twenties/early thirties

MAGGIE, British, early forties

MOTHER, British, early forties

CAPTAIN THOMPSON, British, forties

DOCTOR MARTENS, German, forties

YOUNG WOYZECK, British, ten

Also SINGER, GDR CITIZEN, EAST GERMAN SOLDIER, LANDLORD

MAGGIE and MOTHER need to be played by the same actress.

All other parts played by members of the company, in particular that marked SINGER – who can and will be played by multiple people.

Setting

The play is set in Berlin in 1981.

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

Prologue

A little boy walks out on to stage. He is YOUNG WOYZECK.

He looks down on the floor.

He starts to chalk it out.

He continues this as the audience enter.

As he chalks it, things start to appear.

Around him and behind him.

And then a SINGER appears behind him – with the house lights still up – and opens their mouth and starts to sing.

And as they sing so things are built and transformed and grow.

SINGER.

The sun had set behind yon hills,

Across yon dreary moor,

Weary and lame, a boy there came

Up to a farmer’s door

‘Can you tell me if any there be

That will give me employ,

To plough and sow, and reap and mow,

And be a farmer’s boy?

My father is dead, and Mother is left

With five children, great and small;

And what is worse for Mother still,

I’m the oldest of them all.

Though little, I’ll work as hard as a Turk,

If you’ll give me employ,

To plough and sow, and reap and mow,

And be a farmer’s boy.

And if that you won’t me employ,

One favour I’ve to ask, –

Will you shelter me, till break of day,

From this cold winter’s blast?

At break of day, I’ll trudge away

Elsewhere to seek employ,

To plough and sow, and reap and mow,

And be a farmer’s –’

MOTHER. Frank.

YOUNG WOYZECK runs offstage.

ACT ONE

Scene One

A simple bedroom. MARIE and WOYZECK lie barely dressed on the bed. MARIE is Irish and speaks with an Irish accent, WOYZECK is English and speaks with an English accent. Their German pronunciation is terrible, but it tries hard.

WOYZECK. Ich liebe dich.

MARIE. Ick leeb dich.

He looks at her.

WOYZECK. Ich liebe dich.

MARIE. Ich liebe dich.

WOYZECK. I’ll lick dick.

MARIE. I’ll lick dick means…

WOYZECK. Drum roll.

MARIE laughs.

MARIE. Cos I’ll like this?

WOYZECK. You will.

He looks at her.

Do the thing where you do the air drums.

MARIE. I’m not doing the fucking air drums – tell me what I’ll lick dick means.

WOYZECK. I love you.

MARIE laughs.

MARIE. I’ll lick dick means I love you?

WOYZECK. It’s the reason why I love this language.

MARIE. Say it again.

WOYZECK. I’ll lick dick.

MARIE. Say it properly.

WOYZECK. Ich liebe dich.

MARIE. Ich liebe dich.

WOYZECK. No. I’ll lick your dick.

MARIE. No. I’ll lick your dick. Tell me another.

WOYZECK. Ich will ficken.

MARIE. Ich will ficken. What does that mean?

WOYZECK. Guess.

MARIE. This is going to take ages if you’re going to prick it out on every single one. What does it mean?

WOYZECK. I want to fuck.

She looks at him and then she kisses him and then she hits him.

MARIE. You’re teaching me all the useful stuff, you know that? I’m going to go to the greengrocer’s and all I’m going to be able to say is ‘I love you’ and ‘I want to fuck’. And he’ll say ‘Okay love, but do you want carrots or sprouts with that?’

WOYZECK. Okay, I’ll teach you something good.

MARIE. Thank you.

WOYZECK. Deine Oma masturbiert im stehen!

MARIE. That’s about masturbation, isn’t it?

WOYZECK. It might be.

MARIE. You’re a dick.

WOYZECK. Do you want to know what it means?

MARIE. No, I want to know how to get the bus into town so I can buy cabbage.

WOYZECK. It’s a massive insult round here apparently.

MARIE. Go on then.

WOYZECK. Deine Oma masturbiert im stehen. I wish you’d do your drums.

She does her air drums, they’re magnificent.

Your grandmother masturbates standing up.

MARIE. What?

WOYZECK. Worst thing you can say to a guy – ‘Oi, Franz, you know your granny? She finger-fucks her fanny when she’s standing up.’ I mean, of all the things, right?

He thinks it’s funnier than she does.

MARIE. How do you ask for the bus timetable?

WOYZECK. I don’t know, I haven’t learnt that yet.

MARIE. You’re useless.

He kisses her.

WOYZECK. Du bist ’ne Schlampe!

MARIE. Whatever you just said, if it’s not ‘You’re beautiful’ then I’m going to –

WOYZECK. I said ‘You’re the only girl I’ve ever loved’.

He kisses her again, she kisses back.

MARIE. Did you? Really?

WOYZECK (with a grin). Well. It’s what I wanted to say.

MARIE. And you actually said?

WOYZECK. I called you a slut – but to be really clear –

She hits him, outraged, but with a giggle.

I only learnt the dirty stuff. It’s hard, learning new words.

MARIE. You’re bad.

WOYZECK. You’re beautiful.

MARIE. You’re beautiful.

WOYZECK. You’re more beautiful.

She crawls on top of him. She kisses him some more.

MARIE. What’s I want to fuck again?

WOYZECK. Ich will ficken.

MARIE. Ich will ficken.

He kisses her back.

WOYZECK. Ich will ficken too.

MARIE laughs. He flips her on to her back, they begin to get in to it, then there’s the sound of a baby crying.

They both stop. They lie back on the bed.

You think she’s got a timer thing, just as we – you know – she goes – ‘Mummy don’t fuck Daddy’?

MARIE. No.

WOYZECK. No?

MARIE. No.

WOYZECK. When was the last time she fed?

MARIE. About an hour ago.

WOYZECK. So she’s probably just shit herself then.

MARIE. You want me to go?

WOYZECK. No. I’ll go.

He gets out of bed. He turns around to her. He begins to dress in full military uniform.

This place – it doesn’t need to be scary.

MARIE. I’m not scared.

WOYZECK. We’re going to be fine.

MARIE. I know.

WOYZECK. I’ll get the money together.

MARIE. I know you will.

WOYZECK. I hate you being here.

MARIE. I love being with you.

WOYZECK. Fuck I’m lucky.

MARIE. Yeah. You are.

He walks out towards the baby’s cries. And then he stops again and he looks back at her.

WOYZECK. Sometimes I get…

MARIE. If you’re not going to go, I need to.

WOYZECK. No, I know, I just… Sometimes I feel too lucky, you know. Like that something will – something is too good.

MARIE. We’re fine.

WOYZECK. I’ll lick dick.

MARIE. I’ll lick dick too.

WOYZECK smiles and then exits.

Scene Two

It’s hot. WOYZECK and ANDREWS are standing in full military uniform. They’re sweating. They’re on patrol at a checkpoint.

WOYZECK. And if we see anyone?

ANDREWS. Point your gun, and then take a photo.

WOYZECK. That’s what we’re supposed to do?

ANDREWS. That’s what they said we’re supposed to do.

WOYZECK. And if they shoot us when we’re taking a photo?

ANDREWS. They won’t. Probably.

WOYZECK. Point your gun. Take a photo. And if they keep coming.

ANDREWS. Then issue a warning.

WOYZECK. And then…

ANDREWS….Then you can shoot them.

WOYZECK. Good job the border is so fucking big.

ANDREWS laughs.

ANDREWS. The humble camera. The best way to protect against the Communist rampage.

He shouts across the border.

Ivans can’t afford them, you see.

WOYZECK looks around.

WOYZECK. It’s hot.

ANDREWS. I’ve been hotter.

WOYZECK. When?

ANDREWS. Exercise in Sierra Leone. When they thought they were preparing us for engagement in Afghanistan. Even my socks smelt of ball sweat.

WOYZECK nods. He walks up and down.

WOYZECK. I keep having these dreams. About Marie.

ANDREWS. I have dreams about your Marie too.

WOYZECK. It starts and she’s just standing there and we’re surrounded.

ANDREWS. Okay.

WOYZECK. And this man says – one of the men surrounding us –

ANDREWS. Mostly men, is it?

WOYZECK. – for every item of clothing she takes off I’m going to hurt you. He says. To me.

ANDREWS. What does he look like? The man?

WOYZECK. He’s wearing a mask.

ANDREWS. This sounds like one of your best dreams.

WOYZECK. He hits me with a rubber-headed mallet – just lightly at first and then harder – on the outside of my thighs, outside of my arms, my arse – for the first layers – socks – earrings – her scarf –

ANDREWS. She sounds well dressed.

WOYZECK. As it gets down to her jumper and then her dress and slip – he takes the rubber head off to reveal a steel hammer underneath. And starts hitting my knees, my elbows, the underside of my feet – and then when she’s in her underwear – he takes the steel hammer head off to reveal this sort of blade – which he repeatedly smashes into my ribs as she stands there naked. What do you think that means?

ANDREWS looks at him.

ANDREWS. You wake up with a hard-on?

WOYZECK. No.

ANDREWS. Then you’re fine.

WOYZECK. Yeah?

ANDREWS laughs.

ANDREWS. The twisted way your mind works.

WOYZECK. It’s not that twisted. What’s a hard-on got to do with it?

ANDREWS. Pain, mate. It’s whether you enjoy pain or not.

He suddenly lowers his gun. WOYZECK turns and does the same.

WOYZECK. What?

ANDREWS. Thought I saw something.

He stares at the gates.

You should have got a stiffy, after that dream. I got a stiffy just listening to you have that dream.

He ranges his gun around.

I once had a dream that I accidentally shot my knob off, I woke up and I had a stiffy. Though I think that was more of a reassurance thing.

He lowers his gun. He takes out a camera and takes a picture of the gates.

It was nothing.

WOYZECK stares at the spot a bit longer.

Missed a good one last night.

WOYZECK. Did I?

ANDREWS. Everyone was out.

WOYZECK. I was with Marie.

ANDREWS. Started in The Lion and Unicorn but then we went out, sampled the local life.

WOYZECK. Good?

ANDREWS. Say what you like about the Germans – they know how to brew a lager and they know how to breed a lass.

WOYZECK. You met someone?

ANDREWS. Nice girl, great arse, bit worried she had hairy pits and no way to check – but I’m like, fuck it, you’ll do – we’re snogging – I’ve got my hand in her knickers, she’s got her hand in my cacks. Then this big woman – like eighteen stone – approaches behind me and says something…

WOYZECK. What?

ANDREWS. Fuck knows. She was talking in German. The two hammer off against each other. No idea what they’re saying but they’re saying. Anyway, then the one I’d been snogging, said – I should come with the pair of them.

WOYZECK. Pair of them? The eighteen-stone one too –

ANDREWS. Hey, kid. If you haven’t wrestled a big bird, you haven’t lived. Took me back to their apartment, showed me things I didn’t think I’d ever see.

WOYZECK. You’re a romantic.

ANDREWS laughs.