JENNY
Do you remember the first time you fell in love?
Did it make you happy or sad?
Did you waste away and lie awake all night?
ALEX
Yes, I remember…
I cannot forget…
It’s haunted my life since then…
JENNY
“Pas de tendresse
Et pas de joie,
Loin d’ici,
Loin de toi.
Rien de plus triste
Que mes soupirs,
Lorsque vient le jour
Où il me faut partir…”
ALEX
How do you know that?
JENNY
Mummy used to sing it to me.
That was her love song.
Her very first love song…
Love,
Love changes everything:
How you feel and
What you do…
What…
What would you say to me,
If I told you
I loved you…?
ALEX (with difficulty)
Then I’d have to say to you:
You are bright and sweet and foolish…
Yes, love,
Love changes everything,
But not always
For the best —
Love can sometimes
Be a most
Unwelcome guest…
JENNY
You don’t believe that.
You know you’re fooling yourself.
Why not be honest?
Alex,
Be honest…
GEORGE (to himself, as he types)
“…Beluga caviar…
My finest vintage champagne…
And then a night of dance…
My ashes to be scattered
Among the vines at sunset…”
ROSE
Oh, do stop planning your wake!
You’re bound to outlive us all!
GEORGE (with a twinkle)
“…My funeral oration to be written by Giulietta
Trapani…”
Rose, we should talk —
I’ve got something on my mind.
It’s Jenny,
Jenny and Alex —
The whole thing’s unnatural
For a girl of her age…
ROSE
You needn’t be anxious:
He’s explained all this.
And she’s no longer a child.
It’s just that he’s younger
And you’re getting jealous.
Am I right?
Anyway, I’m filming in Paris,
And it’s her birthday —
We promised we would take her to the circus —
George, you know that I’m right.
GEORGE
Maybe you’re right…
Look, you’re free to keep your lover
And your noisy Paris clique.
A man who’s pushing eighty
Is not exactly chic…
But Jenny’s all I have now —
Don’t let him take her from me…
ROSE
My darling George, I love you!
How dramatic can you be!
GEORGE
You think that I’m dramatic?
Wait.
If we don’t take some action,
We’ll be too late…
CHORUS
Take the journey of a lifetime!
It’s only just a drum-roll away!
On the journey of a lifetime
Every day’s a high-wire day!
CHANTEUSE
If you’ve got what it takes,
The stars and streamers are yours!
Take a risk in the ring
And feel the thrill of applause!
If you reach
For the moon,
If you aim
For the sky,
Then the moon
And the sky
Can be yours —
Come on and try!
There’s a prize
To be won,
Take a risk,
Take a ride,
Right this way,
Have a go,
Try your luck —
And step inside!
If you reach
For the moon,
If you aim
For the sky,
Then the moon
And the sky
Can be yours —
Come on and try!
CHORUS
Take the journey of a lifetime!
It’s only just a drum-roll away!
On the journey of a lifetime
Every day’s a high-wire day!
CHANTEUSE
If you’ve got what it takes,
The stars and streamers are yours!
Take a risk in the ring
And win the thrill of applause!
If you reach
For the moon,
If you aim
For the sky,
Then the moon
And the sky
Can be yours —
Come on and try!
There’s a prize
To be won,
Take a risk,
Take a ride,
Right this way,
Have a go,
Try your luck —
And step inside!
GEORGE
I came to watch the circus
Not an overgrown child!
So either watch the circus
Or just leave us in peace!
ROSE
Don’t get moody.
You were young once.
Take no notice.
JENNY
We weren’t doing anything. We were only talking.
ALEX
I’d better go.
I’ll come and see you later.
Enjoy the show…
JENNY
Why’s he leaving?
You made him go…
After all, I am fifteen…
ALEX
Love, and your
World can become
A madhouse.
Love and your
World can become
A circus.
Love turns around…
Jenny, your
Love is a
Drug that I dare
Not take, a
Drug to make me mad…
Rose, I’d never
Harm the girl…
ALEX, JENNY & ROSE
Breaking
And burning…
Breaking
And bleeding…
In the name of
Love…
ALEX, JENNY, ROSE & GEORGE
And I’m falling,
I am suddenly falling,
And my story
Is older than the stars…
ALEX, JENNY, & ROSE
Suddenly falling,
I can feel myself falling…
Down into this
Madhouse
Of love…
ALEX
Come on, Jenny.
That’s enough now.
Jenny, even mermaids
Have to sleep.
JENNY
I am a mermaid
With golden hair…
ALEX
Come on, Jenny.
Be a good girl.
JENNY (suddenly serious)
Alex, let me hold you…
There’s so much I want to say…
I want you here forever,
In my arms and in my life,
To belong to you entirely…
You know we’re not just cousins…
ALEX (getting up)
We are just cousins, Jenny,
And you’re fifteen years old.
JENNY (pulling him back)
It’s not as if I don’t know passion
From living in our house…
I’ve learnt that feelings can run deep…
ALEX
We’ll talk tomorrow —
Go to sleep.
Taking more…
Than I ought to take…
What are you doing?
Don’t even think it…
You have no right to feel this way,
And yet…
I love her, and I must not love her…
I wish to God we’d never met…
She ought to be
The last one I should think of…
GEORGE
I know he’s
Up there with her now…
ALEX
She ought to be
The last one I should love…
GEORGE
If he is,
My God, I’ll kill him…
ALEX
She ought to be
The last one I should care for…
GEORGE
I should have
Stopped this long ago…
ALEX
The very last…
GEORGE
Selfish little cradle-snatcher…
Twisted, rotten, heartless monster…
Filthy, filthy callous bastard…
I was right…
He’s in there…
There he is…
He’s in there…
Jenny, my Jenny,
I can’t let him take you,
I…
ALEX
George…George…
ALEX
I was saying goodnight to Jenny,
When I heard a noise in the passage…
He must have fallen
And had a heart attack.
HUGO (to ROSE who is bending down to attempt to revive GEORGE)
No, it’s hopeless…
ROSE
He was listening —
Jenny mustn’t know.
If she asks you,
Say he died while sitting by the fire —
Help me to move him in there.
GIULIETTA
George was an original man.
He did not want to change human life.
He rejoiced in the way we are made.
He did not look forward to heaven —
He was happy with the earth.
He loved and understood
The flesh, food, wine, love…
He lived for today, and firmly believed:
If death were given a voice,
That voice would scream through the sky:
Live while you may for I am coming…
So…
Hand me the wine and the dice,
I want my carnival now,
While I have thirst and lust for living!
So gather all you can reap,
Before you’re under the plow —
The hand of death is unforgiving!
Hand me the wine and the dice,
While there are grapes on the vine —
Life is a round of endless pleasures!
The end is always in sight,
But it tastes better with wine —
Why pour your life in tiny measures?
Hand me the wine and the dice,
The time is racing away —
There’s not a taste that’s not worth trying!
And if tomorrow it ends,
I won’t have wasted today —
I will have lived when I am dying!
ROSE
Dear friends and neighbors…. If what I am doing seems strange to you,
I must remind you that I am carrying out the wishes of my husband.
He made me promise to strew his ashes among the vines he loved.
He asked that everyone
should drink his wine, that there should be music and dancing…
ALEX
Why don’t you dance with me?
JENNY (turning away)
How can you think of dancing?
ALEX
George used to say: you can have more than one emotion at
the same time.
The one makes the other more acute and
then it cures it.
GIULIETTA & CHORUS
Hand me the wine and the dice,
While there are grapes on the vine —
Life is a round of endless pleasures!
The end is always in sight,
But it tastes better with wine —
Why pour your life in tiny measures?
Hand me the wine and the dice,
I want my carnival now,
While I have thirst and lust for living!
So gather all you can reap,
Before you’re under the plow —
The hand of death is unforgiving!
GIULIETTA
You must be the famous Alex!
ALEX
You must be Giulietta!
GIULIETTA
Tell me, are you still shooting women?
CHORUS
Hand me the wine and the dice!
ALEX
Rose never could keep a secret.
GIULIETTA
Rose and I hide nothing.
ALEX
I heard you got on well together…
GIULIETTA
Death says: live while you may, for I am coming!
Do you dance with women of your own age?
CHORUS
Hand me the wine and the dice,
The time is racing away —
There’s not a taste that’s not worth trying!
And if tomorrow it ends,
I won’t have wasted today —
I will have lived when I am dying!
Hand me the wine and the dice,
I want my carnival now,
While I have thirst and lust for living!
So gather all you can reap,
Before you’re under the plow —
Life is a round
Of flesh, food, wine, love…
ALEX (a little drunk)
Got the feeling George is watching us —
Only he could make a wake this joyous!
Let’s go back and try a tango!
GIULIETTA
Later.
Don’t you think a quiet stroll
Would be a little more inviting?
ALEX
Your idea sounds far more promising —
There’s a barn that George was fond of sketching.
Take my word:
You ought to see it…
HUGO
Don’t cry, Rose.
You’ll always have wonderful memories.
ROSE
Hugo, go away.
Leave me alone.
I mean it.
MARCEL
George would have been so proud of you!
The bravest thing you’ve done!
Tonight was a wonder!
You’re a wonder…
Rose, you mustn’t cry like this.
George would not have wanted that…
ROSE
Oh God, I miss him so…
MARCEL
Come on, show me a smile…
GIULIETTA
What was that?
ALEX (sitting up)
What?
GIULIETTA
There.
Listen.
ALEX (gets up and looks around)
There’s nothing there. I suppose it must have been a rat.
GIULIETTA
So what do you propose to do, then?
Get married while she’s still at school?
Tell her now.
Don’t be cruel.
ALEX
There has to be a way to say it…
Common sense can be so cold…
GIULIETTA
Common sense
Says: be bold…
ALEX
Yes, it’s a crime to make her love me —
But surely, it’s just as bad to leave her…
And yet, that can be the only answer —
The whole damn thing’s got out of hand…
GIULIETTA
The only crime that I’m aware of
Would be to let our moment die —
Tell her now.
Tell her why.
“A memory of a happy moment,
That’s what this time will one day be” —
Tell her that.
Then you’re free.
ALEX
Will you still be here when I get back?
GIULIETTA
Yes. But don’t be too long, Alex. Don’t be too long.
ALEX
Jenny, this is just as hard for me…
What we feel is wrong…
Unnatural…
Our bodies must not rule our minds…
You’re much too young to understand your feelings…
Can’t you see?
This has to finish…
JENNY
All right, I heard you.
Now please be quiet.
This needs some thinking.
ALEX
When you’re older you will thank me…
Come on, Jenny…
Little mermaid…
JENNY
You say that it’s unnatural.
What exactly does that mean?
When you first met my mother
You were only seventeen.
The thing that is unnatural
Is to keep your feelings in.
And lying to yourself must
Be by far the greatest sin.
Oh yes, it’s all too easy
To pretend I don’t exist…
ALEX
Oh Jenny, can’t you see that
There are things we must resist?
JENNY
Look, I think I know the reason
You’re so keen for this to end —
I saw what you were doing
With your new Italian “friend”.
You’re the one who seems to
Let your body rule your mind.
If that’s what being grown-up means
Then please leave me behind.
ALEX
If my body really ruled me,
Then we both know all too well
You’d end up with a lover
Locked inside a prison cell…
JENNY
No one said that Romeo
Was a monster —
Why are you?
I’m as old as Juliet…
What…
What are you frightened of?
When you know…
You know you love me…
And love,
Love changes everything,
Turns the tide back,
Breaks the rules…
ALEX
Jenny, we’re behaving like a pair of fools…
JENNY
Are you going to marry her?
Giulietta…
Have you said?
Because…
If you don’t marry her…
Would you marry me instead…?
Why…
Why can’t you wait for me…?
Three years is not a lifetime…
ROSE (to JENNY, quietly)
Darling, I just need a moment…
I must have a word with Alex…
I hear you’re leaving us…
Our lives are changing yet again…
I came to say goodbye…
Good luck…
Come back and see us now and then…
Anything but lonely,
Anything but empty rooms.
There’s so much in life to share —
What’s the sense when no one else is there?
Anything but lonely,
Anything but only me.
Quiet years in too much space:
That’s the thing that’s hard to face,
And…
You have a right to go,
But you should also know
That I won’t be alone for long.
Long days with nothing said
Are not what lie ahead —
I’m sorry, but I’m not that strong…
Anything but lonely,
Anything but passing time.
Lonely’s what I’ll never be,
While there’s still some life in me,
And…
I’m still young, don’t forget.
It isn’t over yet —
So many hearts for me to thrill.
If you’re not here to say
How good I look each day,
I’ll have to find someone who will…
Anything but lonely,
Anything but empty rooms.
There’s so much in life to share —
What’s the sense when no one else is there…?
Just promise one thing…
ALEX
All right.
What is it?
ROSE
Don’t ask me questions…
You must promise first…
ALEX
I can’t.
I must know what it is.
ROSE
Don’t leave me!
GIULIETTA
It won’t be long
Before Jenny’s a woman.
What then?
“Hand me the wine and the dice”…
BOTH
Love will never,
Never let you
Be the same…
ALEX
Love will never,
Never let you
Be the same!