ALEX
Love,
Love changes everything
Hands and faces,
Earth and sky.
Love,
Love changes everything
How you live and
How you die.
Love can make the summer fly,
Or a night seem like a lifetime.
Yes, love,
Love changes everything
Now I tremble at your name
Nothing in the world will ever
Be the same.
Love,
Love changes everything
Days are longer,
Words mean more.
Love,
Love changes everything
Pain is deeper than before.
Love will turn your world around
And that world will last forever.
Yes, love,
Love changes everything,
Brings you glory,
Brings you shame.
Nothing in the world will ever
Be the same.
Why did I go back to see her…?
WOMAN (GIULIETTA)
Alex, it’s all in the past…
ALEX
Off into the world we go
Planning futures
Shaping years.
Love bursts in, and suddenly
All our wisdom disappears.
Love makes fools of everyone
All the rules we make are broken
Yes, love,
Love changes everyone
Live or perish
In its flame.
Love will never, never let you
Be the same.
A VOICE (down in the garden)
The master builder is dead!
OTHER VOICES
His head is all smashed in…. He fell right into the quarry.
HILDE (ROSE) (turns to RAGNAR and says quietly)
I can’t see him up there now.
RAGNAR
This is terrible. So in fact he couldn’t do it.
HILDE (ROSE) (with a kind of quiet, bewildered triumph)
But he got right to the top.
My…my…master builder!
ROSE
The toast of the town?
The hit of the year?
The birth of a star?
The end of a career!
MARCEL
Darling, these things happen…
ROSE
You turn round and tell us
We’re closed for two weeks!
MARCEL
Rose, I thought of everything…
ROSE
You thought of nothing!
MARCEL
…There are posters in the streets
And banners in the squares.
Scream away, feel free,
But at Ibsen, not at me…
ROSE (interrupting)
Why did I agree
To accept this bloody tour?
The only thing in store
Is two weeks of nothing!
ACTORS (in the background, to one another)
Win some, lose some…
What the hell…
ROSE
Working till I drop
For an audience of four:
Three nuns and your mother…
MARCEL
It’s no good complaining…
ROSE
And she only bothered
Because it was raining!
MARCEL
Love…
ROSE
Don’t call me ‘Love’!
MARCEL
This isn’t personal.
ACTORS (departing, to one another)
I don’t care…
The theatre’s my life…
MARCEL
We will start the tour again
In Lyon in two weeks!
Rose, the people there
Are all Ibsen mad, I swear!
Come on, show me a smile!
ROSE (turning away)
God, I’m not in the mood…
MARCEL
What’s a fortnight or so?
ROSE
With no money or food…
MARCEL
Don’t be glum…
ACTORS
Don’t let’s be downhearted!
ROSE
Don’t waste your breath.
ACTORS
We’ll get by…
MARCEL
Now Rose, you must meet this young man!
He’s a dedicated fan —
Been in every evening!
ROSE
Marcel, don’t run away —
I can see your little plan.
ALEX (approaching nervously)
It’s an honor, mam’selle,
I could watch you for hours…
You can’t have forgotten,
I threw you the flowers…
Mam’selle, seeing you on stage
Has changed my life!
ACTORS (exiting, to one another and to ROSE)
Join us in the café
In the square!
ROSE
See you…
The café…
The square…
ALEX (to ROSE, tentatively)
Would you let me walk you there…?
‘Parlez-vous
français?
Je suis sad.
Parlez-vous
français?
I feel bad.
How do you say
‘Ce soir vous êtes si
belle?’
I only know
A word or so,
Like ‘Cat’ and
‘School’ —
Je suis fool.
ACTOR 1 (to COMPANIONS)
Death to him
Who dares mention Ibsen!
ALEX (to ROSE)
One day Montpellier’s
Going to scream…
ACTOR 2
Death to all directors!
ALEX(continuing)
…To get you back!
Shall I order?
An espresso?
Or cappuccino?
ROSE (flatly)
Armagnac.
ACTOR 3
Why we bothered heaven knows.
ACTOR 4
Marcel’s a dreamer.
ACTOR 1
Marcel deserves
The firing squad.
ALEX (to WAITER)
Armagnac.
And a glass of house white for me.
ACTOR 2 (looking across at ROSE)
Who’s she with?
ACTOR 5
Two weeks
Before we meet again.
ROSE (unsmiling)
Two weeks
Before we eat again.
WAITER (returning with the ACTORS’ bill)
Is that all?
ACTORS 1, 2, & 3 (to one another)
The same again?
ACTOR 4 (to WAITER)
The same again.
ACTORS 1, 2, 3, & 4
Here’s the man
Of the hour!
ROSE (to ALEX)
Please promise me
You’ll answer…
MARCEL (to the ACTORS)
Am I allowed
To join you?
ACTORS (To MARCEL)
Who’s with Rose?
ROSE (continuing)
…Truthfully.
ALEX
What’s the question?
ROSE
You must promise first.
ALEX
I promise, I promise.
MARCEL (replying to the ACTORS)
Rose’s young fan!
ROSE
How old are you?
ALEX
In three years
I’ll be twenty.
ACTOR 1 (to ROSE)
Is this your
Younger brother, Rose?
ROSE (ignoring the ACTOR, to ALEX)
Is that all?
ACTOR 1 (hisses loudly back to the OTHERS)
Seventeen!
WAITER (returning to ROSE and ALEX with their drinks)
Is that all?
ROSE
Another armagnac.
ACTORS (shouting across to ROSE)
You’re in with
A chance there!
ALEX
I have this theory:
If you think
What those images mean,
Then clearly
Most of Ibsen’s subtext
Is obscene…
ROSE (dryly)
Seventeen…
ALEX
It makes one very aware…such frightfully modern ideas…
MARCEL (to ROSE)
Darling, it’s only two weeks…
ANNOUNCER
Johnny Lejeune with ‘Parlez-vous français?’ Encore, Johnny!
CROONER
‘Parlez-vous français?
Je suis sad…’
ROSE (calling across to the BARTENDER)
Oh, turn that thing off!
I don’t need some crooner crooning.
Or a stage-door Johnny swooning.
Look, if I’m not very nice to you,
It’s because I have things to worry me.
But thanks for the flowers every night…
I’m resting again.
That’s what actresses say
When they’re not in a play.
You’re a long way from England.
ALEX
Yes.
ROSE
And what brings you to Montpellier?
ALEX
I’m traveling through France
Until my call-up.
ROSE
You mean the army?
ALEX
May I ask a stupid question?
How will you survive for two weeks?
ROSE
I’ll get along somehow.
ALEX
What, with no money?
May I make a bold suggestion?
ROSE
And what kind of ‘bold suggestion’?
ALEX
Come away with me, Rose…
ROSE
With you? Where?
ALEX
I have a villa —
Don’t be suspicious —
You won’t believe it,
The view of the Pyrenees!
I leave this evening —
Come with me…
ROSE (after a pause)
Are you sure you want me to accept?
Very well, then,
I accept.
Here. Have some armagnac.
Not another night
In this hateful city!
ALEX
You’ll need to pack —
We’ll meet at the station.
ROSE
I’ll pick up my script and my dress.
By the way…
ALEX
Yes?
ROSE
…What’s your name?
No — let me guess…
Rupert?
ALEX
No. It’s Alex.
ROSE
Alex.
Hello.
I’m Rose.
ALEX
I know.
ALEX (pacing, finally exploding)
That girl can really act!
I could have sworn that she’d be here!
She’s got a great career —
She should play Salomé!
Maybe I was mad,
But she really seemed sincere…
ROSE
Please say you’re not angry,
I just couldn’t bear it!
Please say you forgive me —
I want you to swear it!
ALEX
Of course I’m not angry —
I knew that you’d make it.
There’s plenty of time…
Here, that’s heavy — I’ll take it.
ROSE
I feel seventeen again!
ALEX
So do I…
ALEX
Seeing is believing,
And in my arms I see her:
She’s here,
Really here,
Really mine now —
She seems at home here…
Seeing is believing.
I dreamt that it would be her:
At last
Life is full,
Life is fine now…
Whatever happens,
One thing is certain:
Each time I see
A train go by,
I’ll think of us,
The night, the sky
Forever…
ROSE
He’s young,
Very young,
But appealing —
I feel I know him…
Seeing is believing,
And I like what I see here.
I like
Where I am,
What I’m feeling…
What are we doing?
Can you believe it?
A starving actress and
A star-struck boy —
Oh well, I might
As well enjoy
The moment…
ALEX
Can you believe it?
BOTH
Seeing is believing!
I never thought I’d be here!
Is this really me?
Am I dreaming?
No way of knowing
Where this is leading…
It’s fun forgetting
Who we are…
Who cares? When now
The world is far
Behind us…
Seeing is believing!
My life is just beginning!
We touched,
And my head
Won’t stop spinning,
From winning
Your love!