Miss Julie

August Strindberg, Amy Ng

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781350175983
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literatura
• Subtopic: Arte dramático

A new adaptation of Strindberg's thrilling psychological drama, newly politically-charged in Amy Ng's adaptation. It's Chinese New Year in 1940s Hong Kong. Julie is the daughter of the island's British Governor. With her father away for the weekend, Julie comes downstairs to join the servants as they party, initiating a sexually-charged power game with her father's butler. What starts as a game descends into a fight for survival as sex, power, money and race collide on a hot night in the Pearl River Delta. This edition was published to coincide with the premiere at Storyhouse, Chester, in February 2020.

Miss Julie

Characters

Julie, daughter of a ‘Taipan’ (British tycoon in Hong Kong). 20 years old.

John, the Taipan’s chauffeur, 25 years old. Chinese. Good looking and charismatic with a touch of steel.

Christine, the Taipan’s cook, and John’s fiancée. 30 years old.

Chinese New Year’s Eve/Pancake Tuesday, February 1948.

A kitchen in a colonial mansion in Hong Kong, decorated with Chinese New Year couplets on red paper, peach blossoms and tangerines. A dozen green cabbages are stacked up on the countertop. There is a crucifix on the shelf, a large photo of an old woman with her hair pinned up, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, and a shrine to the Earth Deity (Tu Di Gong) on the floor next to the door.

Through the windows, flames and smoke from a burning hillside shanty town can be seen.

Christine stands at a stove, where she stirs three pots of herbal tea. She wears her hair in two plaits. She sweats profusely from the heat, and is wearing only an undervest, while her blouse hangs from the door.

John enters, in a chauffeur’s uniform, carrying two garment bags.

John She’s mad again tonight.

Christine (starts) You’re back. Shut the door, you’ll let in the smog.

John There they were, the lads, practising their lion dance moves, and Miss Julie suddenly rushed out and got under the lion’s body. Oh she can dance! Where did she learn to move like that?

Christine darts towards the door to get her blouse. John teasingly seizes her blouse and holds it aloft.

Christine Hey!

John (grinning) Leave it off. It’s hotter than a ship’s engine room here.

Christine seizes her blouse and puts it on.

Christine I’m cooking.

John It’s the fires. Another shanty town up in flames . . . The smoke is like a cauldron’s lid, sealing off the air, pressing down on the city.

Christine What took you so long?

John I drove the Taipan to St. John’s Cathedral. I had to wait while they raced around the lawn tossing pancakes.

Most of the pancakes fell out and the Taipans just picked them off the grass and ate them. What if there were cockroaches? They’re filthy people, the British.

Christine It’s winter. There are no cockroaches.

John I saw a swarm of flying cockroaches today. In broad daylight. In February. It’s unnatural.

Christine It’s just the heat from the fires driving them out. Why didn’t you come home after the pancake tossing?

John I had to drive the Taipan to the Italian consulate for a Carnival party. You know what he went as? A Manchu princess! Partying like it’s still the nineteen thirties. They should at least have the decency to keep a low profile.

People are angry.

Christine And that took six hours?

John You wouldn’t believe the traffic up to the Peak!

Christine You’re right, I don’t/

John All the/teams were out in force, practising their moves – the red, the green, the black, the gold – my money’s on the gold lion –

Christine You stopped to gamble.

John The lads were blocking the road.

Christine It’s the only road leading up to the Peak! The Taipans use it – the Governor uses it. Show some respect!

John The Brits have forfeited our respect. Sitting on their hands while the city burns – you call that a government?

Christine I don’t care how angry – how can they block the Taipan’s Rolls Royce –

John Perfectly understandable, considering that the Taipan’s daughter was egging them on –

Christine You should have brought Miss Julie back.

John Bring her back? She dragged me out of the car, threw the lion’s rump over me, and raised the lion’s head herself!

Christine It’s not safe.

John She’s an adult. I’m not her keeper.

Christine And what if something did happen to her, and the Taipan found out you were right there –

John Water buffaloes couldn’t have dragged her away. She was just milking it . . . mistaking the cat calls for admiration.

Pathetic.

Christine You can’t blame her. Practically left standing at the altar, poor thing.

John She’s better off without her lieutenant. Cowards, the lot of them.

Christine Jealous?

John Me, jealous? Why should I be jealous?

Christine I’ve seen the way you look at her.

John Ha! Me? She’s too pale! Not a pr...