The Son
Page 8
Pause.
What are you doing?
Pierre is still concentrating on Nicolas, who is about to disappear into his room. Pause.
Pierre? Are you talking to yourself?
Pause. Nicolas takes one last look at him and disappears.
Pierre? What’s the matter with you?
Suddenly, Pierre cracks and starts crying, as if he was crying for the first time. His body is shaken by a very primitive sob, his pain seems almost physical. Sofia rushes over to him.
What’s happening? Pierre? What’s the matter?
Pierre (through his tears) Nothing.
Sofia What’s the matter? Are you thinking about Nicolas?
Pierre nods.
Come on …
Pierre I should have paid more attention to him … I should have … I should …
Sofia Pierre … There was nothing more we could do. We tried everything …
Pierre No.
Sofia Yes, we did … You’ve nothing to blame yourself for. You did everything that was humanly possible.
Pierre shakes his head.
Come on, please.
She hugs him and tries to console him physically.
Pierre (still weeping hot tears) I was trying to think about all the things he could have done … He had so much talent … He was so intelligent … And so sensitive … He could have done so many beautiful things with his life …
Sofia (trying to console him) Pierre …
Pierre (still weeping hot tears) It’s all my fault … I could have done more … I should have … I should … Why did I sign those discharge papers?
Sofia You did your best, Pierre. Believe me. Remember what the doctors told you. It was an illness …
Pierre No, I should have … I …
Sofia Come on, calm down. I know it’s hard. But life goes on. There’s Sacha. And me, I’m here as well. Mm? And this evening, we have friends coming for dinner. Even if it’s hard, life goes on. Life goes on, Pierre.
Pierre (descending still further into his grief) No, it doesn’t go on! It can’t go on!
Sofia Come on, please. Stop crying. Mm? Come here. Come to me.
Pierre can’t stop crying. Sofia hugs him to her even more closely, as if she was his mother. Pause.
Calm down, my love. Calm down … Come on … Shh … Everything will be all right. Mm? Calm down … You’ve nothing to blame yourself for. You did everything you could for him. It was his choice, Pierre. There was no helping him. And nothing you could do to stop him. Do you hear me? Nothing you could do. Come on. Calm down. Calm down, my love. And think about your little boy … He’ll be four soon. Think about him. And everything will be all right. Do you understand me? Everything will be all right.
She cradles him. Little by little his grief is calmed. Pause. Blackout.
About the Authors
Florian Zeller is a French novelist and playwright. He won the prestigious Prix Interallié in 2004 for his third novel, Fascination of Evil. His plays include L’Autre, Le Manège, Si tu mourais, Elle t’attend and La Vérité, La Mère (The Mother), starring Catherine Hiegel (Molière Award for Best Actress in 2011) and Le Père (The Father), Molière Award for Best Play in 2014, starring Robert Hirsch and Isabelle Gelinas (Molière Awards for Best Actor and Actress, Prix du Brigadier in 2015). Une Heure de tranquillité (A Bit of Peace and Quiet) opened with Fabrice Luchini, and has since been adapted for the screen, directed by Patrice Leconte. Le Mensonge (The Lie) was staged in 2015 and L’Envers du décor opened in January 2016 at the Théâtre de Paris, starring Daniel Auteuil, and Avant de s’envoler (The Height of the Storm) at the Théâtre de l’Oeuvre in October 2016. The Son, his most recent play, completing his ‘Family Trilogy’, was produced in Paris in 2018 (Molière nomination) before its London premiere at the Kiln Theatre in 2019.
Christopher Hampton was born in the Azores in 1946. He wrote his first play, When Did You Last See My Mother?, at the age of eighteen. Since then, his plays have included The Philanthropist, Savages, Tales from Hollywood, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, White Chameleon, The Talking Cure and Appomattox. He has translated plays by Ibsen, Molière, von Horváth, Chekhov and Yasmina Reza. This is his sixth translation of a play by Florian Zeller. His television work includes adaptations of The History Man and Hôtel du Lac. His screenplays include The Honorary Consul, The Good Father, Dangerous Liaisons, Mary Reilly, Total Eclipse, The Quiet American, Atonement, Cheri, A Dangerous Method, Carrington, The Secret Agent and Imagining Argentina, the last three of which he also directed.
Also by Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton
THE MOTHER and THE FATHER
THE TRUTH
THE LIE
THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM
also by Christopher Hampton
CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON: PLAYS ONE
The Philanthropist, Total Eclipse, Savages, Treats
APPOMATTOX
screenplays
COLLECTED SCREENPLAYS
Dangerous Liaisons, Carrington, Mary Reilly,
A Bright Shining Lie, The Custom of the Country
TOTAL ECLIPSE
THE SECRET AGENT & NOSTROMO
translations
Yasmina Reza’s
‘ART’
THE UNEXPECTED MAN
CONVERSATIONS AFTER A BURIAL
LIFE X 3
THE GOD OF CARNAGE
Ibsen’s
AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE
Chekhov’s
THE SEAGULL
Ödön von Horváth’s
JUDGMENT DAY
also available
HAMPTON ON HAMPTON
edited by Alistair Owen
Copyright
First published in 2019
by Faber and Faber Ltd
Bloomsbury House
74–77 Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DA
This ebook edition first published in 2019
All rights reserved
© Florian Zeller, 2018
© Christopher Hampton, 2019
The right of Christopher Hampton to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights whatsoever in this work are strictly reserved. Applications for permission for any use whatsoever, including performance rights, must be made in advance, prior to any such proposed use, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates Ltd., Waverley House, 7–12 Noel Street, London W1F 8GQ (info@casarotto.co.uk). Florian Zeller is represented worldwide by Suzanne Sarquier, Drama Paris, 24 Rue Feydeau, Paris 75002 (www.dramaparis.com)
No performance may be given unless a licence has first been obtained
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly
ISBN 978–0–571–35440–5