The Lady from the Sea (NHB Classic Plays)

Henrik Ibsen, Elinor Cook

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9781780019765
• Topic: Literatur
• Subtopic: Britisches Drama

Ellida, the lighthouse-keeper's daughter, is trapped in her marriage and longs for the sea. When a former lover returns from years of absence, she is forced to decide between freedom and the new life she has made for herself.

Relocated to the Caribbean in the 1950s, Elinor Cook's version of Henrik Ibsen's shattering 1888 play about duty and self-determination premiered at the Donmar Warehouse, London, in 2017, in a production directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah.

'One of the strangest and most haunting of Ibsen's works… Elinor Cook's sharp adaptation and relocation to a post-colonial British island manages to update the proceedings while also emphasising the social expectations that make this less of a paradise than it looks for the female characters in the play… draws on its Caribbean setting for some fine moments of humour' - Independent

'Elinor Cook's new version clarifies a familiar text… the dialogue [is] updated with a good deal of ingenuity' - Guardian

ACT ONE

The arbour of DOCTOR WANGEL’s garden, at the back of an old colonial wooden house, on a leafy hill, on a Caribbean island, sometime in the mid-1950s.

The garden is fragrant with jasmine, hibiscus and bougainvillea.

A path can be seen, which leads to a deep, almost frighteningly dark lagoon.

There are large tamarind trees at the edges of the garden, and a fence.

Just outside the fence, there is an artist’s easel and a box of watercolours.

BALLESTRED is attempting to hoist a large flag.

BOLETTE, who is carrying an embarrassment of flowers, is watching him.

BALLESTRED Like that?

BOLETTE Sort of…

BALLESTRED It’s a bit tricky…

BOLETTE You’re nearly there.

Keep going…

That’s it!

It looks much better now, doesn’t it?

Like we’re really celebrating something.

They look at the flag, pleased.

BALLESTRED Are you expecting a guest?

The governor himself, I’d imagine, with all this finery…

BOLETTE Um.

Beat.

You might remember Mr Arnholm.

BALLESTRED Rings a bell…

Clever chap.

With the big books and the geometry set.

BOLETTE That’s him.

He’s been in Europe the last eight years…

This will be the first time he’s set foot on the island since 1943.

BALLESTRED Wasn’t he your tutor?

BOLETTE Well, yes.

But.

He’s more of a friend than anything else.

BALLESTRED To your father?

BOLETTE To all of us.

LYNGSTRAND enters.

LYNGSTRAND Hello…?

BOLETTE (To BALLESTRED.) Hold these, will you?

She thrusts a bunch of flowers into BALLESTRED’s hands and turns hastily away from LYNGSTRAND.

LYNGSTRAND Your mother said I should come and visit, if

I was passing.

And I was.

So…

BOLETTE Right.

Yes.

She stares at LYNGSTRAND for a moment, unsure what to say.

More flowers.

There aren’t enough flowers.

LYNGSTRAND looks at the riot of flowers around him.

LYNGSTRAND Um…?

BOLETTE hurries inside.

BALLESTRED Could I just cheat you that way a moment?

LYNGSTRAND What?

BALLESTRED You’re in my light.

LYNGSTRAND moves reluctantly out of the way.

He wanders over to the easel, peers at BALLESTRED’s painting.

LYNGSTRAND Charming…

BALLESTRED It’s the waterfall.

At the lagoon.

LYNGSTRAND Yes, I’d worked that out.

BALLESTRED Although obviously I’m not going to leave it just like that!

LYNGSTRAND Oh good…

BALLESTRED I’m going to add a figure.

Here.

LYNGSTRAND Yes I think it needs it.

BAL...