Many thanks to David for this synopsis!
Act One
Prologue
The story begins with a dream from the anonymous protagonist, known simply as “I”. In the dream she remembers her past, remembers Manderley, and her struggle for freedom. (Ich hab geträumt von Manderley) Freedom to love and be loved. Freedom from the ghost of Rebecca. As the dream comes to life, we are taken back to 1926.
In Monte Carlo (Scenes 1 to 3)
“I” is a young woman again, working as a lady’s companion to a very rich and arrogant American woman named Edith Van Hopper who liked to destroy the self-confidence of innocent “I” by constantly reminding her that she will never be a lady (Du wirst niemals eine Lady).
There they meet the rich British widower Maxim de Winter. Maxim had lost his young wife Rebecca the year before. Maxim seems bitter towards the world.
As everyone comments on the death of the beloved Rebecca, Maxim meets “I” in the breakfast room of the hotel and invites her to sit at his table and after a little chat they go out for a walk together. The guests of the hotel gossip (Er verlor unerwartet seine Frau Rebecca). On the mountains Maxim and “I” grow closer together and start a love affair.
However their romance seems to be suddenly threatened: Mrs. Van Hopper is sick of the old Europe and wants to return to New York. “I” gets very sad and fears she will never see Maxim again (Zeit in einer Flasche).
When Maxim learns that “I” is leaving for New York, he asks “I” to marry him. She, despite the initial shock, accepts. Mrs. Van Hopper enters the room and sees Maxim. As usual she’s inconvenienced but gets a shock when Maxim tells her that “I” will not go with her to New York. They are to be married. Mrs. Van Hopper accuses “I” of betraying her and leaves alone, offended.
Maxim and “I” marry and spend their happy honeymoon in Venice.
Life in Manderley (Scenes 4 to 15)
As they arrive at Manderley, servants are busy preparing the house for the arrival of the couple, commanded by the Housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Die neue Mrs. De Winter). While the servants are curious, and the new Mrs. De Winter is warmly welcomed by Frank Crawley, Maxim’s best friend and estate manager, Mrs. Danvers, the Housekeeper makes it perfectly clear that she doesn’t like the idea of a woman taking the place of her beloved Rebecca.
The next morning, while Mrs. Danvers is taking care of Rebecca’s orchids (Sie ergibt sich nicht), “I” arrives in the morning room. Mrs. Danvers shows the room to her, and points out everything that belonged to Rebecca, including a statue of a Cupid, which Rebecca loved.
When Mrs. Danvers exits the room, “I” picks up the Cupid, but, scared by a sudden voice in the corridor outside the room, she lets the Cupid fall to the floor and breaks it. While she’s trying to hide the fragments, Beatrice, Maxim’s sister, and her husband Gilles, enter the room. They are speculating on what Maxim’s new wife will be like, and they don’t notice “I”. When she makes her presence noticed, Beatrice and Gilles welcome her warmly (Die lieben verwandten).
Evening comes and “I” and Maxim are in the library of Manderley playing chess. Maxim asks “I” if she’s happy with him (Bist du glücklich?), and fears she maybe missing something. “I” asks him about the Ball they used to give at Manderley, and begs that he allows her to give another Ball that year. Maxim agrees and when “I” is thanking him, Mrs. Danvers interrupts their moment of happiness. The Cupid has gone missing, and Mrs. Danvers is very worried that it may have been stolen. “I” ends up admitting that she broke the Cupid. Maxim becomes angry with “I” because of her childish attitudes (Bist du böse?).
At night, “I” thinks in her bedroom about her life in that house so strange to her, and asks Maxim to be with her and show her what love is. At the same time, in the library, Maxim thinks about his own tormented life and how it tortures him to be always thinking about Rebecca. He asks “I” to help him get through that and show him what love his. (Hilf mir durch die Nacht).
“I” makes a phone call to Beatrice because she is worried about Maxim’s angry reactions to almost everything since they arrived in Manderley. Beatrice calms her down, and assures her that in no time he will be back to normal. However when Beatrice ends the phone call, she thinks to herself about what may be happening to her brother…he is very changed… (Was ist nur los mit ihm).
A few days later, a strange man is inside Rebecca’s room, apparently looking for something. The man is Jack Favell, Rebecca’s cousin, who is searching for Rebecca’s jewels and treasures because he needs the money. Mrs. Danvers is afraid that someone may enter the room, since Favell was forbidden to enter Manderley since Rebecca died, because Maxim didn’t like him at all. While he searches for the jewels, assuring Mrs.Danvers he was Rebecca’s favourite cousin, Mrs. Danvers reminds him that Rebecca was used to being loved, but belonged to no one (Sie war gewohnt geliebt zu werden).
“I” hears voices inside the room and stays listening behind the door. Favell notices and opens the door. “I” is presented to Favell who leaves after asking “I” not to tell Maxim he was there. Mrs.Danvers asks “I” if she had already chosen the costume for the Mask Ball. Mrs. Danvers, in what seems to be an act of sympathy suggests a costume based on a portrait of a Lady in White. “I” accepts.
Mrs. Danvers then, shows “I” Rebecca’s room (Rebecca). “I” feels oppressed by the omnipresence of Rebecca.
At the high class Golf Club of Kerrith, people talk about Maxim’s new wife and the upcoming Ball at Manderley. They are all very excited and proud…after all they are superior people…they are British (Wir sind British).
In Manderley’s bay, there’s an old cottage that belonged to Rebecca. Nearby is always Ben, a simpleton who likes to wander and pick up shells. He was very afraid of Rebecca while she was alive, and he’s still afraid that she isn’t gone, though he hopes so (Sie’s fort).
When “I” arrives at the cottage she meets Ben. Maxim arrives a bit later and gets furious with the fact that “I” when to that cottage. “I” runs away in deperation. Maxim remains alone with his ghosts. (Gott, warum?)
“I” goes to Frank Crawley’s office to deliver her list of guests for the ball, and asks Frank why Maxim was so angry with her just because she went to the cottage. Frank explains that Rebecca used to spend nights in that cottage, that it was her love nest. He also says Rebecca was the most beautiful woman he ever saw, but assures “I” that she isn’t worse than Rebecca. She is just different from her. Beauty isn’t everything in the world. (Herlichkeit und Vertrauen).
The Ball finally takes place. Guests are all very excited with it, and happy with the fact that the Balls haven’t ended (Der Ball von Manderley). With the guests also arrives Mrs. Van Hopper. She decides to flirt with Colonel Julian and cheer up the party (I’m an American Woman).
In her room, “I” is really happy, wanting to surprise Maxim with her costume. She wants to cast a spell on everyone. (Heut’ nacht verzauber’ ich die Welt). When she’s ready, she asks her maid to be sure that everyone is downstairs.
She then makes her grand appearance…however no one reacts…everybody is in shock…the costume she’s wearing…Rebecca wore it in the last Ball before she dies. Maxim erupts in fury, and “I” runs away upstairs, crying. From the shadows, Mrs. Danvers appears triumphant… (Finale 1 akt – Rebecca reprise)
In the morning after the Ball, “I” wanders outside Rebecca’s room, convinced Maxim is inside. She’s sad because he’s not able to forget Rebecca. (Und das, und das, und das). But despite what she thought, it is Mrs. Danvers who’s inside the room. She opens the door and “I” is furious. She doesn’t understand why Mrs.Danvers hates her so much. Mrs. Danvers tells her that she tried to take Rebecca’s place (Rebecca – 2nd act version). Completely captured by Mrs. Danvers’ spell, “I” goes to the window of Rebecca’s room. Mrs. Danvers suggests then that she should take her own life, that she will never be happy, and that her death would be best to everyone (Nur ein Schritt).
Suddenly, fire rockets burst into the night. There is an alarm on the Manderley bay (Strandgut). “I” is released from Mrs. Danvers’ spell and runs to the bay. There, people are trying to get anything that may come from the boat that is stuck on the reef while others help in the rescue. “I” asks Frank Crawley where Maxim is but he doesn’t know. She meets Jack Favell in the middle of the crowd and he tells her that they found Rebecca’s boat in the bottom of the ocean, with a corpse inside the cabin. “I” runs away and goes to the Boat House were she finds Ben again (Sie’s fort – reprise) who hides when he feels her coming. When Maxim appears from inside the cottage she apologizes for the dress and says to him that he’s free to love Rebecca. He then finally reveals his dark secret to “I” (Kein lächeln war je so kalt). Knowing now that Maxim always hated Rebecca she promises to stand by him.
On the next day Beatrice goes to Manderley, worried because of the corpse found, but “I” assures her that Maxim has nothing to fear (Die stärke einer Frau). “I” is now the ruler of Manderley, she’s a changed woman. She starts to redecorate the Mansion (Die neue Mrs. De Winter -reprise) and then puts an end to Mrs. Danvers’ reign of terror and casts away Rebecca’s ghost. She’s now Mrs. De Winter (Mrs de Winter bin ich).
Meanwhile a new enquiry is opened. Maxim must answer some questions about the corpse on the boat, who turned out to be the corpse of Rebecca (Die Voruntersuchung). When Maxim bursts into fury, “I” faints. The enquiry is postponed.
Back in Manderley, Favell appears with Mrs. Danvers. She tells him to go away, but he stays. “I” and Frank appear and ask him what he wants from there. He says he wants money (Eine Hand wäscht die andre Hand). When Maxim arrives he tries to blackmail him with a letter Rebecca had sent him the night she died. Maxim asks Colonel Julian to hear what Favell has to say and the Colonel decides to go to London to find out who was the Dr. Baker Rebecca mentioned in her diary. Favell says she was pregnant with his child and Maxim murdered her. “I” and Favell accompany Colonel Julian to London while in Manderley everyone is worried about what may happen (Sie fuhr’n um acht).
When they find out that Rebecca had cancer and was dying, Mrs. Danvers can’t accept it. No one will ever take Rebecca’s place…her ghost will remain in Manderley forever (Ich hör dich singen – Rebecca reprise).
Maxim then goes to the train station to pick up “I”. All their fears are gone. Its time for they to start a new life, now that the nightmare is over. Their love conquered all. They are now free (Jenseits der Nacht).
But when everything seems to be now as it should be, “I” sees what she thinks is the sunrise…but it’s not. It’s Manderley on fire. They hurry and arrive at Manderley in time to see the house burning to the ground. Frank Crawley says Mrs. Danvers went mad and set fire to the mansion. In the middle of the fire, they see Mrs. Danvers burning along with the house. Now the ghosts of the past are definitely buried along with the house. (Manderley in Flammen).
Epilogue
Just like we were taken inside the dream, we are now returning to the beginning of the show. Everything that happened is a memory of the past and it will stay that way. “I” and Maxim are now happy living in a small Hotel near the Mediterranean Sea.
But Last Night she dreamt of Manderley…and of a love that brought them free…