Swive [Elizabeth]

Ella Hickson

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9781848429260
• eBook ISBN: 9781788503006
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: British Drama
• Index: Literature

'My mother seduced a man so successfully that he altered the constitutional history of this country.'

Elizabeth I is the only unmarried woman to have ever ruled England. And she reigned for forty-four years. Mastermind. Seductress. Survivor.

Created by award-winning writer Ella Hickson and director Natalie Abrahami, Swive [Elizabeth] shines a light on the ways and means by which women in power negotiate patriarchal pressure in order to get their way.

It premiered in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe, London, in December 2019.

One

ELIZABETH P prays.

ELIZABETH P. Be merciful unto me, O God, my father, be merciful unto me; for my soul trusteth in thee; yeah, in the shadow of thy wings I will take my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Be merciful unto me, O God, my father, be merciful unto me; for my soul trusteth in thee; yeah, in the shadow of thy wings I will take my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Be merciful unto me, O God, my father, be merciful unto me; for my soul trusteth in thee; yeah, in the shadow of thy wings I will take my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

Two

CATHERINE PARR emerges – she looks at ELIZABETH P.

CATHERINE. Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH P. My father is dead. He’s left me. Hasn’t he? Catherine?

CATHERINE. Yes.

Beat – ELIZABETH tries to absorb it.

Your brother is King. I’ve come to get you.

ELIZABETH P. Can I stay here?

CATHERINE. Not any more. You need to come and live with Thomas and me.

ELIZABETH P. Do you think he can see me?

CATHERINE. What?

ELIZABETH P. My father, now he is dead – do you think he can see me? Like God?

ELIZABETH looks to the heavens, as if she’s being watched.

Do you think I’m pretty enough that he wouldn’t have killed me?

CATHERINE. What?

ELIZABETH P. If I’d been one of his wives, would he have kept me or killed me – do you think? He kept you.

CATHERINE. Get your things.

Three

ELIZABETH P and CATHERINE run around, having fun, CATHERINE tries to catch her, trips her up.

ELIZABETH P. I can hear Thomas, on the gravel.

CATHERINE. Can you?

ELIZABETH P. You smile when you know you’re going to see him.

CATHERINE. He’s my husband, I love him.

ELIZABETH P. What was it like being married to a king? When you were married to my father?

CATHERINE. Stop it. You need to get ready for your tutor.

ELIZABETH P. Tell me, please.

CATHERINE. You have Greek to learn.

Beat.

Good. Interesting. I liked it.

ELIZABETH P. Liked it?

CATHERINE. The parties and the dinners were interesting.

ELIZABETH P. I don’t believe you. You hated the parties.

Beat.

CATHERINE. When he went away – and he left me as Regent, I had to dispatch troops and they would kneel down in front of me.

ELIZABETH P. If you would knight one, would you hold the sword and whop – chop the head right off him.

CATHERINE. No.

ELIZABETH P. Did you get the clergy to do lectures in your chamber?

CATHERINE. Don’t get excited by the wrong things.

ELIZABETH P. What does that mean? (Beat.) Do you like this dress? Do you think it’s pretty?

CECIL enters – he looks like he’s carrying bad news.

CATHERINE. Mr Cecil?

CECIL. Dowager Queen Catherine.

CATHERINE. Sorry? Who let you in?

CECIL. One of your ladies.

ELIZABETH P. We thought we heard Thomas, it was you.

CECIL. Lady Elizabeth.

Pause.

CATHERINE. What do you mean ‘Lady’?

ELIZABETH P. I’m Princess Elizabeth. You should call me Princess.

Beat.

CECIL. Can we speak privately?

ELIZABETH P. Has my brother cut me out of the succession?

CATHERINE. Elizabeth. To your tutor.

ELIZABETH P. Tell me.

No one speaks.

Do you like my hair, Mr Cecil?

CECIL. It’s charming.

CECIL touches her, lightly on the chin.

ELIZABETH P. You’re not allowed to touch me. I’m a princess.

CECIL. It was only lightly.

CATHERINE. Now.

ELIZABETH P. My stepfather, Lord Admiral Seymour likes it.

Four

Later.

SEYMOUR sits, CATHERINE is on his lap.

ELIZABETH watches.

CATHERINE attends to him, smooths his hair – kisses his face.

CATHERINE. Your hands are cold.

SEYMOUR. They’re alright.

CATHERINE. And your nose.

SEYMOUR. I’ve been –

CATHERINE. At the pub?

SEYMOUR. Me?

CATHERINE. I don’t believe it for a second.

They kiss.

SEYMOUR. The fourth time she married for love and they were very happy.

CATHERINE takes his hand and puts it on her belly.

CATHERINE. The nurse today, took one look at me – and said it was a boy.

SEYMOUR. Did she?

CATHERINE. She did.

SEYMOUR rubs it, he’s pleased.

SEYMOUR. I don’t think I can do another day kneeling in front of a ten-year-old king. He told me to congratulate you on your handwriting.

CATHERINE. What?

SEYMOUR. The last letter you sent him, he said to tell you – he was particularly pleased with your handwriting.

CATHERINE. He’s ten. He can hardly fucking read.

SEYMOUR. Careful. They’ll do you for treason.

Up – I need to go and get changed.

SEYMOUR exits.

CATHERINE sees ELIZABETH P.

CATHERINE. Were you spying?

ELIZABETH P. I can’t sleep. Will I still have my tutor if I’m only a lady? Or will they take him from me?

CATHERINE. Come here – you’re shaking.

CATHERINE holds ELIZABETH P.

ELIZABETH P. I had a bad dream. (Beat.) I was lonely.

CATHERINE. I love you. Thomas and I – we love you. Your brother, the King, loves you.

ELIZABETH P. Does he?

CATHERINE. Of course he does. He’s threatened by you, that’s all.

ELIZABETH P. I tried to light the candles, but I couldn’t reach them. It’s so dark.

CATHERINE holds ELIZABETH P to her – really hard.

CATHERINE. You’re okay. Do you hear me?

ELIZABETH P. You’re crushing my hair, careful.

CATHERINE goes to hug her again. ELIZABETH P steps back.

What’s a whore?

CATHERINE. What?

ELIZABETH P. The maid said my mother was a goggle-eyed whore and that’s why she won’t repair my dress with holes in it.

CATHERINE. What was her name? The maid?

ELIZABETH P. I don’t want to get her in trouble.

CATHERINE. If anyone ever says anything like that to you again.

ELIZABETH P. –

CATHERINE. You look at them, straight in the face – and you remember who you are and then you turn away. With dignity, do you hear me?

ELIZABETH P nods.

Five

ELIZABETH P. Be merciful unto me, O God, my father, be merciful unto me; protect me – look over me, guide me, for my soul trusteth in thee; yeah, in the shadow of thy wings I will take my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.

SEYMOUR enters.

SEYMOUR. You can’t sleep?

ELIZABETH P. Not really.

SEYMOUR. You ever see the dawn in?

ELIZABETH P. Sometimes.

SEYMOUR. I bet that’s / lonely.

ELIZABETH P. / Pink, these days.

SEYMOU...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title page
• Contents
• Original Production
• Acknowledgements
• Dedication
• Characters
• Swive [Elizabeth]
• About the Author
• Copyright and Performing Rights Information