MS-UoR-1227-7-12-8

[0001] Stage in darkness but for

MOUTH, upstage audieh ^{[place = overwritten] n}ce right, about 8' above stage
level, faintly lit from close up and below, rest of face
in shadow. Invisible microphone.

[0002] AUDITOR, downstage audience left, tall standing figure,
sex undeterminable, enveloped from head to foot in
loose black djellaba, with hood, fully faintly lit,
standing on invisible podium about 4' high, shown by
attitude alone to be facing diagonally across stage intent
on MOUTH, dead still throughout but for four brief
movements where indicated. See Note 1.

[0003] As house lights down MOUTH's voice unintelligible
behind curtain. House lights out. Voice continues
unintelligible behind curtain 10 seconds. With rise
of curtain ad-libbing from text as required leading
when curtain fully up and attention sufficient into:

[0004] ...out...into this world...this world...tiny little thing...
before its time...in a godfor-...what?...girl?...yes...tiny little
girl...into this...out into this...before her to ^{[place = overwritten] i}mr ^{[place = overwritten] e}...godforsaken
hole called...called..no matter...

[0005]parents unknown...unheard of...he

having vanished...thin air...no sooner buttoned up his breeches...
she similarly...eight months later...almost to the tick...[0006]so no love...
spared that...no love such as normally vented on the speechless infant
...in the home...no...nor indeed for that matter any of any kind...no
love of any kind...at any subsequent stage...so typical affair...
nothing of any note

[0007] till coming up to seventy ^{[place = supralinear] SIXTY WHEN...WHAT?...SEVENTY?...GOOD GOD...COMING UP TO SEVENTY} when...wandering in
a field...looking aimlessly for cowslips...to make a ball...a few
steps then stop...stare into space...then on...a few more...stop and
stare again...so on...drifting around...when suddenly...gradually...

[0007] all went out...all that early April morning light...and she found
herself in the-...what?...who?...no...SHE!...SHE ^{[place = margin left] [₰]} !...(pause and movement
1)...found herself in the...dark...and if not exactly ^{[place = inline] ...}
insentient...insentient...for she could still hear the buzzing...so-
called!...in the ears...and a ray of light came and went...came and
went...such as the moon might cast...drifting...in and out of cloud...
but so dulled...feeling...feeling so dulled...she did not know...
what position she was in!...imagine!...what position she was in!...