Berkoff Steven Berkoff Plays 3

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ISBN: 978-0-571-31845-2
Verlag: Faber & Faber
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 224 Seiten

This is a collection of three history plays, each displaying the sparkling muscularity of language that marks Berkoff out as one of the foremost wordsmiths in the English language. Set in thirteenth-century England, Ritual in Blood looks at the persecution of the Jews. Messiah begins with the image of Christ on the cross and pits His humanity and transcendent goodness against the evil of those who would kill Him. Finally, Berkoff offers a sharp and accessible adaptation of Sophocles's Oedipus tragedy.

Steven Berkoff was born in Stepney, East London and first studied acting at the City Literary Institute in Holborn when he was nineteen. Following full-time training at the Webber Douglas School of Drama, he worked extensively in repertory theatre in England and Scotland, doing every job from understudy to stage management. In 1968 he formed his own company, the London Theatre Group. Through mime, ensemble work and voice, the group developed their own innovative theatrical language. Berkoff's encounter with the great mime teacher Jacques Lecoq in Paris was seminal in this. Steven Berkoff's plays include East, West, Sink the Belgrano!, Kvetch, Ritual in Blood, Oedipus, Messiah: Scenes from a Crucifixion, The Secret Love Life of Ophelia, Decadence, Sit and Shiver, Greek (adapted as an opera by Mark Anthony Turnage), Harry's Christmas, Acapulco, Massage, Sturm und Drang and Brighton Beach Scumbags. He has written an autobiography, Free Association, and many theatre books including I Am Hamlet, Overview and Meditations on Metamorphosis. Among Berkoff's film credits are A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, Octopussy, The Tourist, The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, and his own version of The Tell Tale Heart.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Berkoff, Steven

Leseproben

SCENE NINE

Sheriff John () In a well – head first with his skull crushed in – aah – poor little boy – poor little mite … Why should you wish to harm an innocent child?

Copin Why indeed – for stealing apples? I am no barbarian.

Sheriff John You’re a moneylender. ()

Copin That’s right – I make money grow – that’s my trade – there is no profit in cadavers.

Sheriff John Really Jew – I would have thought you’d make a profit in anything.

Copin Not really Sheriff – since your laws forbid us to trade in little else but money, I’ll leave the cadavers to you.

Sheriff John () Careful Jew – your disrespect for the dead will hang you!

Copin That is if your disrespect for the living has not hung me first.

Sheriff John () What’s your implication Jew?

Jacob () Forgive my father’s speech – he has suffered much today – he would harm no one – recall how many years we have lived peaceably in Lincoln – my father has rendered the community no small service.

Sheriff John We are not malicious men, although I am aware of how your people are prejudiced against us – but facts speak loudest – today a small child is found in well – the last time he was seen, your father was chasing him with a stick.

Copin Lies – chase?! My legs are crippled from the ague!

Jacob It is true what my father says – he could never have climbed the wall as the child claims – furthermore there are witnesses including the learned Rabbi here and myself who were with him that morning – we were all with him during the time stated.

Sheriff John How interesting that your father should have so many witnesses at the appropriate time – and how often have these same learned men been together?

Jacob To my knowledge only once.

Sheriff John () Only once – what a coincidence!

Jacob My wedding – it was to discuss that …

Sheriff John Which happened to be just at the time little Hugh was picking apples … or was it to conspire together – for is it not well known that at certain times of the year the Jews collect together to arrange their heinous crimes – namely the killing of a Christian child.

Copin No! Never! Filthy lies!

Sheriff John () … And is it not stated in your magic Talmud that your race cannot be saved to return to the Holy Land unless a Christian child is sacrificed every year?

Copin Treachery!

Sheriff John And was that not in fact the purpose of your meeting two days ago when suddenly an opportunity presented itself to you in the shape of that innocent child … there you all were, planning your infamous crime, when little Hugh appeared in your garden like the Devil’s omen – how could you resist it!

Copin A plague on the spreader of such filth – never have we been guilty of this.

Sheriff John As you say every time you are condemned for it.

Jacob () Sheriff John, today I was married to this man’s daughter Judith – she is my wife – it was to discuss this wedding that brought these men together, not murder – a wedding, my wedding – can’t you understand that – what must we do to convince you!

Sheriff John () Little Hugh’s broken body was found in Copin’s well …

Rabbi Ben Barachyal Sir, it grieves me to find that Christians still believe that the laws of the Jews sanction this appalling story, while the very reverse is true. Why ascribe every accident, every murder even, wherever it chance to occur, to the Jews? Did not his Holiness Pope Innocent IV officially contradict the baseless and fiendish imputations in his Bull in 1247 which our good King has taken pains to support?

Sheriff John The King’s protection renders no one immune from common law.

Rabbi Ben Barachyal Nor would we demand immunity from these crimes – but first let these crimes be proven! This gentleman could no longer leap walls nor chase sprightly children than I fly to the moon.

Sheriff John () It is not within my jurisdiction to examine you further … that will be done by experts.

Rabbi Ben Barachyal We shrink from no enquiry within the law.

Sheriff John Good!

You may go …

Copin () Go? I’m free?

Sheriff John For the time being – but don’t let your sheep wander far, Rabbi.

Incidentally Copin, I believe Hugh’s father is heavily mortgaged to you?

Copin He is mortgaged for twenty pounds.

Sheriff John And he is finding it difficult to repay, in view of his large family?

Copin I have not pressed him.

Sheriff John () In consideration of his grief it would not go badly with you if you relieved his difficulties …

Copin Did I cause his grief?

Sheriff John () Stony heart! Think well on it Jew – a little magnanimity is sometimes good for you …

Copin () Ah! But would it be?

Sheriff John () Is not kindness its own reward?

Copin Turning the other cheek is not in our book!

Sheriff John () Do not bargain with , Jew!

Copin () I shall be happy to relieve his difficulties and lighten their sorrows for the loss of a son.

Sheriff John Arnold!

Arnold () Hmmn …

Sheriff John Well? …

Arnold () Cunning! Oh they’re cunning, yes, but not careful – not by half.

Sheriff John Meaning?

Arnold The bribe to his accuser has tied him to the stake …

Sheriff John Aah!

Arnold But not quite lit the faggots.

Sheriff John Oh! …

Arnold Step at a time!

Sheriff John Indeed yes.

Arnold But we need more evidence – the old Jew chasing the boy – that’s not good –...