Faustus: That Damned Woman (NHB Modern Plays)

Chris Bush

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781788503242
• Topic: Literatur
• Subtopic: Britisches Drama

'Oh, if you knew the lives we women lead
You'd understand the Devil is a catch.'

In this radical reimagining of the classic cautionary tale, Johanna Faustus makes the ultimate sacrifice and sells her soul to wrestle control of her own destiny. She travels through time and changes the course of human history, but can she escape eternal damnation?

Chris Bush's devilishly provocative new play is inspired by the works of Marlowe, Goethe and other versions of the Faust myth – and explores what women must sacrifice to achieve greatness, and the legacies that are left behind.

Faustus: That Damned Woman was co-produced by Headlong and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, in association with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and first performed at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in 2020 before touring the UK.

'One of the UK's most exciting young playwrights' The Stage

'A writer of great wit and empathy' The Times

ACT ONE

Scene One

Essex, 1645/London 1665.

In London, JOHANNA FAUSTUS, VIOLET and CORNELIA gather. A ceremony of sorts is taking place – rustic, earthy, no airs and graces. In front of them is a large, wide bucket/basin of water. CORNELIA is nervous. VIOLET looks to FAUSTUS. FAUSTUS nods, and VIOLET and CORNELIA thrust FAUSTUS's head down into the water. On this, we snap to –

1645. Essex. A cell. KATHERINE appears, soaking wet and shivering, having just been dunked as part of her witch trial. She has survived, just. She gasps for air. The WITCHFINDER is with her, as is a silent GUARD.

WITCHFINDER. There you have it.

KATHERINE. Please –

WITCHFINDER. See how she could not be drowned? That is the Devil’s doing.

KATHERINE. No.

WITCHFINDER. How else could she survive it?

KATHERINE. I’m not… Always swam, ever since a girl. Always strong.

WITCHFINDER. Supernatural strong.

KATHERINE. No. I promise. I promise.

WITCHFINDER. Unnatural murderer.

KATHERINE. Babies die sometimes – I never –

WITCHFINDER. If doubt remains, put her back under.

In 1665, FAUSTUS comes up from the water, spluttering. Lights down on 1645.

FAUSTUS. Did you see her? Again.

VIOLET and CORNELIA thrust her head back under again. Snap back to –

1645. KATHERINE is being walked round in a circle by the WITCHFINDER. She is beyond exhaustion. She stumbles.

WITCHFINDER. Keep her moving. Don’t let her stop.

KATHERINE. Can’t.

WITCHFINDER. On your feet.

KATHERINE. No.

WITCHFINDER. Then confess.

KATHERINE. Need my daughter.

WITCHFINDER. It ends when you confess.

Suddenly, KATHERINE pounces on the WITCHFINDER, knocking him to the floor.

KATHERINE. Little man, little man, little man. The Devil will come for you too.

The GUARD hauls her off as we snap back into 1665, FAUSTUS hauled out of the water, coughing spluttering.

VIOLET. Steady.

FAUSTUS. Keep going. I can keep going.

FAUSTUS goes back under. Back to 1645. KATHERINE’s mouth is gagged, hands bound.

WITCHFINDER. You have seen how Lucifer speaks through her, gives her unnatural strength, provokes in her these outbursts –

KATHERINE lunges toward him.

And now we shall uncover where he left his mark on her. (To the GUARD.) Take off her dress.

KATHERINE struggles. Back into 1665. FAUSTUS brought out of the water again.

FAUSTUS. More.

VIOLET. That’s enough now.

FAUSTUS. No. I’m close. Please.

More reluctantly, VIOLET and CORNELIA put her head back under. Into –

1645. KATHERINE is at the scaffold, gagged, a rope around her neck. A JUDGE intones.

JUDGE. Katherine Faustus, you have been found guilty of witchcraft, of conspiring with the Devil and signing your name in his book, of laying curses upon Goody Francis, and of the brewing of poisons resulting in the death of Owen Francis, not yet three months old. Therefore you are sentenced to be hanged by the neck until dead, and may God have mercy on your immortal soul. Do you have anything to say?

KATHERINE’s gag is removed.

KATHERINE. Johanna? Where is she? Is she – ?

JUDGE. Calm yourself.

KATHERINE. Should bring her, should see. If she doesn’t see she’ll only imagine it, and that’ll be worse. Could anything be worse? Where is she?

JUDGE. This is your last opportunity to repent. Confess your sins and name your conspirators –

KATHERINE. And ask forgiveness?

JUDGE. Yes. And our Lord Jesus Christ in His Almighty –

KATHERINE. Forgive me then. Forgive me, Johanna. Forgive me, precious child. Wicked mother you have. They shall call me wicked and I can’t deny it. Most monstrous of all, to leave you here. I am abandoning you in the forest when you are a seedling still. Unnatural. Abhorrent, not to see you grown. Could I not have a little more time? One minute more. One minute and I could stretch each second to last a lifetime. Where is she?

JUDGE. Address your saviour.

KATHERINE. Saviour, yes. Saved by her – I will be. I had so much more to teach you. Names of plants and trees and the spaces in between things where the old words fail us and we have to invent our own. So much invention –

JUDGE. That’s enough.

KATHERINE. Never enough.

JUDGE. If you have nothing to say to the Lord –

KATHERINE. Not to him. Not to you. Damn you both. But to her –

JUDGE. Very well.

KATHERINE. The Devil take you.

The rope tightens. KATHERINE spreads her arms out and for a second almost appears to fly. Then suddenly any calm/confidence disappears. She reaches forward.

Wait!

A sense of a rope jerking upwards before the image disappears into darkness.

Scene Two

London, 1665.

Immediately following on, CORNELIA and VIOLET haul FAUSTUS out of the water. For a moment she seems limp, unresponsive.

VIOLET. Johanna? Come on, girl.

VIOLET coaxes some of the water out of FAUSTUS and she splutters back to life.

Easy now.

FAUSTUS. Was that real? Is she real?

VIOLET. Yes.

FAUSTUS. Not a trick?

CORNELIA. No.

FAUSTUS. So where is she now? She must be somewhere – somewhere in the space between things.

CORNELIA. With you. Within you.

FAUSTUS. No. No, I know that much. She’s not been with me for twenty years. I should’ve tried to find her sooner.

VIOLET. We should all be going – before we’re missed.

FAUSTUS. Does the Devil have her?

VIOLET. We don’t deal with the Devil.

FAUSTUS. But did she? (Beat.) What they said about her, was that… ? She saw things sometimes too – things in people they didn’t even know about themselves. And she was – she was strong.

VIOLET. Nothing strange about strength.

FAUSTUS. And I remember she used to tell me – she said if I misbehaved, the crows in the field would come and tell her. But that’s not… Is that just the sort of thing that mothers say?

VIOLET. Most likely.

FAUSTUS. Will you ask her? Please? You brought me out too soon.

VIOLET. You almost drowned. Leave her in pea...