Notes / Twisted Every Way

SCENE THREE THE MANAGERS' OFFICE (The PHANTOM's score lies open on the desk. ANDRÉ is impatiently flicking through it) ANDRÉ Ludicrous! Have you seen the score? FIRMIN (entering) Simply ludicrous! ANDRÉ It's the final straw! FIRMIN This is lunacy! Well, you know my views... ANDRÉ Utter lunacy! FIRMIN But we daren't refuse... ANDRÉ (groans) Not another chandelier... FIRMIN Look, my friend, what we have here... (He has two notes from the PHANTOM, one of which he hands to ANDRÉ, who opens it and reads): ANDRÉ 'Dear André, Re my orchestrations: We need another first bassoon. Get a player with tone - and that third trombone has to go! The man could not be deafer, so please preferably one who plays in tune!' FIRMIN (reading his letter): 'Dear Firmin, vis à vis my opera: some chorus-members must be sacked. If you could, find out which has a sense of pitch - wisely, though, I've managed to assign a rather minor rôle to those who cannot act!' (They are interrupted by the arrival of CARLOTTA and PIANGI, both furiously brandishing similar notes) CARLOTTA Outrage! FIRMIN What is it now? CARLOTTA This whole affair is an outrage! FIRMIN Signora, please... ANDRÉ Now what's the matter? CARLOTTA Have you seen the size of my part? ANDRÉ Signora, listen... PIANGI It's an insult! FIRMIN Not you as well! PIANGI Just look at this - it's an insult! FIRMIN Please, understand... ANDRÉ Signor! Signora! CARLOTTA The things I have to do for my art! PIANGI (stabbing a finger at the open score) If you can call this gibberish 'art'! (RAOUL and CHRISTINE enter. CARLOTTA bristles) CARLOTTA (dryly) Ah! Here's our little flower! FIRMIN Ah, Miss Daaé, quite the lady of the hour! ANDRÉ (explaining) You have secured the largest rôle in this 'Don Juan'. CARLOTTA (half to herself) Christine Daaé? She doesn't have the voice! FIRMIN (hearing this, to CARLOTTA) Signora, please! RAOUL (to the MANAGERS) Then I take it you're agreeing. CARLOTTA (aside) She's behind this... ANDRÉ It appears we have no choice. CARLOTTA (unable to contain herself any longer, points accusingly) She's the one behind this! Christine Daaé! CHRISTINE (who has been silent till now, incensed at this) How dare you! CARLOTTA I'm not a fool! CHRISTINE You evil woman! How dare you! CARLOTTA You think I'm blind! CHRISTINE This isn't my fault! I don't want any part in this plot! FIRMIN Miss Daaé, surely... ANDRÉ But why not? PIANGI (baffled, to CARLOTTA) What does she say? FIRMIN (reasonably) It's your decision - (Suddenly rounding on her) But why not? CARLOTTA (to PIANGI) She's backing out! ANDRÉ You have a duty! CHRISTINE I cannot sing it, duty or not! RAOUL (comforting) Christine... Christine... You don't have to... they can't make you... (MEG and GIRY arrive, the latter bearing another note from the PHANTOM) GIRY Please, Monsieur: another note. (The MANAGERS gesture: 'read it'. As she reads, ALL react variously, as they are singled out) GIRY 'Fondest greetings to you all! A few instructions, just before rehearsal starts: Carlotta must be taught to act...' (The PHANTOM's voice gradually takes over from her) PHANTOM'S VOICE ...not her normal trick of strutting round the stage. Our Don Juan must lose some weight - it's not healthy in a man of Piangi's age. And my managers must learn that their place is in an office, not the arts. As for Miss Christine Daaé... No doubt she'll do her best - it's true her voice is good. She knows, though, should she wish to excel, she has much still to learn, if pride will let her return to me, her teacher, her teacher... Your obedient friend... (The PHANTOM's voice fades out and GIRY takes over) GIRY '...and Angel...' (Attention now focuses on RAOUL, whose eyes are suddenly bright with a new thought) RAOUL We have all been blind - and yet the answer is staring us in the face... This could be the chance to ensnare our clever friend... ANDRÉ We're listening... FIRMIN Go on... RAOUL We shall play his game - perform his work - but remember we hold the ace... For, if Miss Daaé sings, he is certain to attend... ANDRÉ (carried along by the idea) We make certain the doors are barred... FIRMIN (likewise) We make certain our men are there... RAOUL We make certain they're armed... RAOUL/ANDRÉ/FIRMIN (savouring their victory) The curtain falls - his reign will end! (ALL have been listening intently. GIRY is the first to express a reaction. CHRISTINE remains silent and withdrawn) GIRY Madness! ANDRÉ I'm not so sure... FIRMIN Not if it works... GIRY This is madness! ANDRÉ The tide will turn! GIRY Monsieur, believe me - there is no way of turning the tide! FIRMIN (to GIRY) You stick to ballet! RAOUL (rounding on GIRY) Then help us! GIRY Monsieur, I can't... RAOUL Instead of warning us... RAOUL/ANDRÉ/FIRMIN Help us! GIRY I wish I could... RAOUL/ANDRÉ/FIRMIN Don't make excuses! RAOUL Or could it be that you're on his side? GIRY (to RAOUL) Monsieur, believe me, I intend no ill... (to ANDRÉ and FIRMIN) But messieurs, be careful - we have seen him kill... ANDRÉ/FIRMIN (to GIRY) We say he'll fall, and fall he will! CARLOTTA She's the one behind this! Christine! This is all her doing! PIANGI This is the truth! Christine Daaé! RAOUL This is his undoing! ANDRÉ/FIRMIN (to RAOUL) If you succeed, you free us all - this so-called 'angel' has to fall! RAOUL Angel of Music, fear my fury - Here is where you fall! GIRY (to RAOUL) Hear my warning! Fear his fury! CARLOTTA What glory can she hope to gain? It's clear to all the girl's insane! ANDRÉ (to FIRMIN) If Christine sings we'll get our man... CHRISTINE (bursting through the hubbub with a great cry) I'll go mad!!! (To RAOUL pleading) Raoul, I'm frightened - don't make me do this... Raoul, it scares me - don't put me through this ordeal by fire... he'll take me, I know... we'll be parted for ever... he won't let me go... What I once used to dream I now dread... if he finds me, it won't ever end... and he'll always be there, singing songs in my head... he'll always be there, singing songs in my head... (ALL stare at her) CARLOTTA She's mad... RAOUL (to CHRISTINE) You said yourself he was nothing but a man... Yet while he lives, he will haunt us till we're dead... (CHRISTINE turns away, unhappily) CHRISTINE Twisted every way, what answer can I give? Am I to risk my life, to win the chance to live? Can I betray the man, who once inspired my voice? Do I become his prey? Do I have any choice? He kills without a thought, he murders all that's good... I know I can't refuse, and yet, I wish I could... Oh God - if I agree, what horrors wait for me in this, the Phantom's opera...? RAOUL (to CHRISTINE, very tenderly) Christine, Christine, don't think that I don't care - but every hope and every prayer rests on you now... (CHRISTINE, overcome by her conflicting emotions, turns away and hurries out. RAOUL strides forward and addresses an imaginary PHANTOM) RAOUL So, it is to be war between us! But this time, clever friend, the disaster will be yours! (As lights fade, ATTENDANTS stretch a red velvet rope across the downstage area. OTHERS bring on gilt chairs. CARLOTTA, PIANGI and GIRY move downstage to take their places for the next scene) SCENE FOUR A REHEARSAL FOR ‘DON JUAN TRIUMPHANT' (REYER supervises the learning of the new piece from the piano. Present are PIANGI, CHRISTINE, CARLOTTA, GIRY and CHORUS) Don Juan, Signor Piangi - here is the phrase. (He demonstrates it) 'Those who tangle with Don Juan...? If you please? PIANGI (still wrong) Those who tangle with Don Juan... REYER No, no. Nearly - but no. 'Those who tan, tan, tan...' PIANGI (still wrong) Those who tangle with Don Juan... CARLOTTA (to the OTHERS) His way is better. At least he make it sound like music! GIRY (to CARLOTTA) Signora - would you speak that way in the presence of the composer? CARLOTTA (deaf to the implications of this remark) The composer is not here. And if he were here, I would... GIRY (cutting in, ominous) Are you certain of that, Signora...? REYER So once again - after seven. (He gives the note and counts in) Five, six, seven... PIANGI (wrong again) Those who tangle with Don Juan... (Gradually EVERYONE starts either to talk or to practise the phrase simultaneously) CARLOTTA Ah, più non posso! CARLOTTA No-one will care CHRISTINE (to PIANGI) Those who tan... tan... (REYER thumps the piano keys, then leaves the piano, and attempts to attract attention using signals. At the height of the mayhem, the piano suddenly begins to demonstrate the music unaided. It plays with great force and rhythm. ALL fall silent and freeze, then suddenly start to sing the piece robotically and accurately. As they continue to sing, CHRISTINE moves away from the group) ALL EXCEPT CHRISTINE Poor young maiden! For the thrill on your tongue of stolen sweets you will have to pay the bill - tangled in the winding sheets! (As the ENSEMBLE becomes background, CHRISTINE, transfixed, sings independently) CHRISTINE In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came... that voice which calls to me and speaks my name...