and truly
truly
yes
yes
yes
yes truly a Saviour
is born to me
short pause
no
no there is no Saviour
He begins to walk out with the tree
No
No
there’s no Saviour
Short pause
But the Christmas tree
yes it’s a fine tree
green
and brown
green
and brown
a Christmas tree
in a Christmas tree stand
a Christmas tree in my Christmas tree stand
so green
and brown
so green
and brown
a Christmas tree
in a Christmas tree stand
He goes out with the tree
SEA. A PLAY
Characters
THE SHIPMASTER
THE GUITAR PLAYER
THE WOMAN
THE OLDER MAN
THE OLDER WOMAN
THE MAN
Lights up
Two men (The Shipmaster and The Guitar Player) stand at short distance from each other, turned away from each other.
THE SHIPMASTER
I am the shipmaster
THE GUITAR PLAYER
Who are you
THE SHIPMASTER
I am the shipmaster
short pause
I told you
and I’ve told you so many times
and you’ve asked me about it
so many times
Why can’t you remember it
That I’m the shipmaster
THE GUITAR PLAYER
You are the shipmaster
THE SHIPMASTER
Yes
yes as I said
quite short pause
and now I’ve said it again
And I don’t mind saying it one more time
I am the shipmaster
Quite short pause
And now
quite short pause
now you’ll remember it
and you won’t ask again
you remember it now
don’t you
THE GUITAR PLAYER
I’ll remember it now
You are the shipmaster
quite short pause
you’re the master of ships
THE SHIPMASTER
Yes
yes that’s right
I’m the master of ships
Short pause
I’m the master
of this ship
THE GUITAR PLAYER
But is this a ship
THE SHIPMASTER
Yes
THE GUITAR PLAYER
But there’s no sea here
THE SHIPMASTER
We’re on the sea
we’re on board a ship
THE GUITAR PLAYER
No
no this can’t be a ship
And we’re not on the sea
THE SHIPMASTER
Yes
yes we are
We’re on a ship
We’re on the sea
Pause
Or
pause
or
pause
or perhaps we’re not perhaps
pause
or
pause
or are you and I
the only ones here
Pause
No
no of course not
I did tell you
quite short pause
yes that we’re on board a ship
And I am the shipmaster
And there are many people here
Quite short pause
It’s a big ship
And on a big ship
there are many people
THE GUITAR PLAYER
And where are the others
THE SHIPMASTER
They are here
they’ll come soon
Quite short pause
Because they are here
THE GUITAR PLAYER
But they’re not here now
THE SHIPMASTER
They are here
quite short pause
they’re on board the ship
yes
like you and me
THE GUITAR PLAYER
Yes
Short pause
But I don’t see anyone
THE SHIPMASTER
They’re here just the same
quite short pause
there are many here
there are many many here
quite short pause
it’s not only you and me
who are here
if that’s what you think
quite short pause
your mother and your father
are here
yes for instance
quite short pause
and my mother
and my father
are here
quite short pause
many
many
all
quite short pause
yes some people are here
THE GUITAR PLAYER
It’s not like that
it’s only you and me
who are here
THE SHIPMASTER
And you think that’s what it’s like
THE GUITAR PLAYER
Yes
THE SHIPMASTER
Yes okay
Pause. A woman (The Woman) enters, stops, stands and down
THE GUITAR PLAYER
That’s what it’s like
it’s just you and me here
No one else
THE SHIPMASTER
I hear what you’re saying
THE GUITAR PLAYER
Of course you do
Short pause
But
quite short pause
yes which ship are we on
which ship are you the master of
An older man (The Older Man) enters, stops, stands and looks down
THE SHIPMASTER
I’m the master of this ship
Short pause
THE GUITAR PLAYER
This ship
THE SHIPMASTER
Yes
THE GUITAR PLAYER
So this is a ship
THE SHIPMASTER
I’ve told you
I told you just now
THE GUITAR PLAYER
Yes
quite short pause
but still
THE SHIPMASTER
Yes
Pause
THE GUITAR PLAYER
Can we talk about something else
THE SHIPMASTER
About what
THE GUITAR PLAYER
I don’t know
Where the others are for instance
THE SHIPMASTER
Where the others are
THE GUITAR PLAYER
Yes
THE SHIPMASTER
The others are around
THE GUITAR PLAYER
Yes exactly
We are here
you and I
no one else is here
Yet there are others here somehow
somewhere around
And somehow
yes
we’re on a ship
Short pause
But you’ve been on board many ships
An older woman (The Older Woman) enters, stops, stands and looks down
THE SHIPMASTER
Yes
THE GUITAR PLAYER
You’ve been the master of many ships
THE SHIPMASTER
Yes
Short pause
THE GUITAR PLAYER