The Road to Walsingham

Перевод на английский язык пьесы Юлии Шараповой "Дорога в Вальсингам".
Translation into English. A play by Julia Sharapova "The Road to Walsingham".

SCENE 4.

Ruins of a castle. The floor is lined as a chessboard. Sir Thomas, a richly dressed elderly man, commands people on the board. They are lady Annchen (speaks with accent), sir Edmund, Kate and Mary, a young widow with her husband’s portrait.

Also silent characters: Francis, Henri, Tommy, servants with trays.

SIR THOMAS – Kathy, honey, do you see that square over there?

KATE – I think I do, uncle, but which exactly?

SIR THOMAS – It doesn’t matter. Kate, you must move to the farther border, and we could make a checkmate!

SIR EDMUND – Sir Thomas! My dear brother! When would you tell your people to lay the table?

SIR THOMAS – SIR Edmund, don’t bother me! I’m thinking. So, lady Annchen meets Francis.

Francis moves to lady Annchen. Kate takes an apple from the tray, thus leaving her place.

SIR THOMAS – Kate, come back! Lady Annchen’s surrounding changes. Tommy runs along the black diagonal.

Tommy runs.

SIR THOMAS – How we need an officer for the white diagonal!

Henry enters.

HENRY – Hello, father!

SIR THOMAS – Henry?

Everybody fusses and rushes to him.

HENRY – Mary, my sweet sister!

MARY – Hello, brother! I’m still a widow of your fellow.

KATE – Hello, Henry! Will you kiss your cousin?

HENRY – Kate, how adult you’ve become! Mary, where’s mother?

MARY – She has tortured father too much to live with her.

KATE - Well, the question is who gets tortured.

SIR THOMAS – Get your places!

Everybody returns regretfully.

SIR THOMAS – Hello, my son. We missed you. (They hug). You will be an officer on the white line.

Henry takes the place laughing.

HENRY – Father, what are you doing?

SIR THOMAS – I solve political problems. Don’t you see? Something’s wrong… Sir Edmund, you blockhead, you occupy the wrong square.

Sir Edmund moves.

HENRY - Father, I don’t want to fight, I want to write songs for a Fair Lady. Listen, do you like the name Geraldine?

SIR THOMAS – What, you got married in France?

HENRY – No, father.

SIR THOMAS – Is this your fiancée?

HENRY – No, father. Geraldine is the name of my… muse!

SIR THOMAS – Where is she? I need people to play a game.

HENRY – Father, I think there’s a mistake in your calculations.

Henry leaves his square and commands.

HENRY – Look. Servants are going to make us supper. Lady Annchen leaves the board because dogs and parrots are more interesting for her than her husband. Uncle Edmund is too old for a game. Kate… Cousin Kate, who of these three worthy gentlemen do you choose?

KATE (giggles) – It’s a very difficult question, dear Henry. All of them are dear and near to me. Can I choose you? Can I be your Geraldine?

HENRY – Sorry, cousin, but you don’t have much in common with her. You, how to say, you..

KATE – No details, please.  Well, I’ll make the choice…. Ah, my three gentlemen, who should I choose?

HENRY – Hurry up, Kate, while sir Thomas doesn’t remember about his game.

KATE – All right! All right! I choose Francis!

SIR EDMUND -  My child, what shall we say to the other two gentlemen?

HENRY (sings) - Know that Love is a careless child,

                    And forgets promise past ;

                    He is blind, he is deaf when he list,

                    And in faith never fast.

Uncle Edmund, bless your daughter.

Kate and Francis are down on their knees.

SIR EDMUND – I bless you both!

LADY ANNCHEN – Bravo! We arrange the wedding for tomorrow.

HENRI – Excellent couple!

MARY – Brother, you forgot about me. I want a new husband instead of your deceased fellow.

HENRY – He was my friend, Mary.

MARY – It doesn’t matter. He is dead anyway. Let Tommy marry me.

KATE – No, I have an objection.

MARY – Well, not Tommy then, Henri.

KATE  - I don’t agree.

MARY – Why do you care? You are engaged to Francis! So, gentlemen, who will take me as his wife?!

HENRY – Sister, none of them will marry you. If I were you I would be faithful to your deceased husband.

MARY – What?! Father, did you hear what he said!

SIR THOMAS – Mary, we will raffle you off in the next game.

HENRY (blushing) – Father, how can you say so about your daughter?!

SIR THOMAS – My dear son, you don’t understand, you have been away for too long. Hey, everybody, get your places!

People get their initial positions, servants also come.

SIR THOMAS – Come on, Henry.

HENRY – I don’t want to fight, father! I want to sing.

SIR THOMAS – We’ve always been fighting! Do you want to disgrace our family? Aren’t you Howard?

HENRY – Yes, father, I am Howard since I am your son. But explain me after all, what is the matter?

SIR THOMAS – I put moustache, sword and walls of our castle in pawn to Ragman. Don’t you see we have only tapestries left. And even those are eaten by mice.

HENRY – What? Ragman was here?! But why did you let him in, father?

SIR THOMAS – I needed to buy a chessboard, didn’t I?

So, lady Annchen moves three squares forward and is left to herself. Mary, you are a rook, stand on the back line and don’t cry. I will keep you for castling. Kate…

The creaking sound of Ragman’s cart.