WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING sy ANDREW BOVELLit was directed by ostume design was by ABRIEL YORK LIZABETH LAW rA 5 McLachla GABRIELLE YORK (OLDER) wwe Victoria Clark ELIZABETH LAW (YOUNGER) GABRIEL LAW Will Rogers HENRY LAX Richard Topol ANDREW PRICE 4 CHARACTERS GABRIEL LAW GABRIELLE YORK HENRY LAW — Gabri ELIZABETH LAW — Gabriel Law's JOE RYAN — The hu: Law's fa GABRIEL YORK — The « of Gabriel Law and ANDREW PRICE — The of G jel York and the gran NOTE: Gabrielle York and Elizabeth Law are each playe actors as younger and older women. PLACE vatious parts of Ai TIME Back and forth 959 and 2039. e berween the years ANOTE ON PRODUCTION sed seven actors. The ed by the same Henry Law and Gabriel York were Gabriel Law Gabriel Law did not appear as one productions cha lowing cheFAMILY TREE Georgia Bra (1940 Peter York Elizabeth Perry Henry Law (1928 1975) 1982) (1939 Glen York 2009) (1932 2» Gabriel Law Joe Ryan Gabrielle | (1994 ) (1989 Andrew Price 011 WHEN THE RAIN STOPS FALLING begin Gabriel York People pass him Gabriel they carry dare bent es ip. And Gabriel opens his mouth and screams, n che stret. And a w ids at Ge And a fish ry GABRIEL YORK’S ROOM ALICE SPRINGS, 2039 was Frid: ne rarely do not be 1 do not believe in God. GABRIEL, T cannot ex108e who can pay. ich a fish e knew. He was he only swore o as... this i. on a Friday you dont went more like. “Hello? ng to stay calm, ng ro take th piece eraordinary fa et else, like “Your son ger | ia so T hung Tea 8 wut found myself re-read ne over and. over again, its meaning escaping me, when I tasted something salty in the corner of my mouth and realized that I was crying. The tears ks and gathering knew I was erying I could only rememb: ‘so much more. So “Andrew? ...” And 0 and hoped not much. Why do And besides up close is perhaps. dontt wear socks. And what w n't much. Ic isnt anything at all. A one-room bed-sit h floor. Nor the kind of place a father should live. eds a paint and the carpets are worn. And it’ drcy. the room. That night. A washed the walls, the ceilings, even the lig I washed the door handles and the light swit! ners behind the T scrubbed polished che w dusted the books even took to the grouting between the by morning, whe nd soap 3 were stubbedoked around and it st er. And I began to feel angry doing this? Whar does from iow terrible, y been closed. wants. He wants what all young ey mean. Id st is a mystery to years I be easier to explain ROOMS black umbrella. Sh closes her umbre window and stares d Gabrielle York, 24, enters umbrella. She closes i her raincoat and hang Joe Ryan, 50, enters and shakes the umbrella. He closes 0 an adjacent bathroom as Elizab ‘enters from the bathroom and stops, lost in a moments id shakes the water from her black a hook. She fils her bow n a hook. She mbrella. She Elizabeth Law, 30s, enters and black umbrella, She closes it aters and shakes the water from ngs it on a hook. He rémov side the umbrella. He cros es down into the street as she younger from the oom nden takes a place ar th ‘alone as does the older Henry Law, 406, er d shakes the water from bis black and fills her bowl wit he table and eats the younger Gabrielle and the older Henry moves from the window and enters the adj Gabriel athroom and hes d hesitases, lost in a 4 goon and bowl and file nger Elizabeth takes ber place te sable and proceeds to eat ler soup alone as dos older Gabrielle, Joe, er Gabrielle and the older ‘spoon and ce at the younger Gabrielle and the o at the table and pro- spoons to th e older Elizabeth looks up from ELIZABETH. Hi except forthe older ELIZABETH LAW’S ROOM LONDON, 1988 GABRIEL. ELIZABETH (OLDER). | » re what to give you GABRIEL. No. ELIZABETH (OLDER). It's just chat wh led you si youd be here for GABRIEL. A¢ you said DER). GABRIEL. ButI said ELIZABETH (OLDER). Neve Beat.) Did you get very wet GABRIEL. had my umbrella ELIZABETH (OLDER) yes, it’s the day for it Sti idesh so y GABRIEL. (Beat) Have you done something? ELIZABETH (OLDER). What? GABRIEL. Changed something. ELIZABETH (OLDER). I've painted. GABRIEL. By yourself? 1BEI (OLDER). No. I had a man in. GABRIEL. Could you afford that? ELIZABETH (OLDER). I had so GABRIEL ELIZABETH (OLDER). GABRIEL. Next time ELIZABETH GABRIEL. No ELIZABETH. You ate li icked. I'm surprised you I mean I don’t know what you » $0 T walke castes ae a might be swe.) You do eat fish? GABRIEL. Not often. i ELIZABETH. They say its good for you. A re. Especial its simple. Easy t0 to tell them motions. th. (The younger Elizabeth I, Gabriel Henry Law ELIZABETH (YOUNGER). There you ae. (Gbreland the older THE SAME ROOM LONDON, 1959 er fom bis umbrella and coat and bangs it beside and hangs As they speak’ Henry shakes hangs it on a the umbrella HENRY. In London! ELIZABETH. Are you very wet? there are peop PakistanHENRY. (Gos ELIZABETH Tim affaid. (Her elo.) There's a new fishmonger in the | Greek, Do anythin “ HENRY. Why? ELIZABETH. Because the more ordered to the sn street. Lovely moves from the window and for y te adjacent. bathroom.) 1 would we eat when I s where it came from fish soup. I kes sense, Henry. wve with you beca At the bur there you heard such a window HENRY, ELIZAB! HENRY. ELIZABETH, HENRY, What was she doing? IZABETH. Talking HENRY. Well yes, she f ELIZABETH. What did HENRY. She said she had my hat ing.) | was reading this piece on t ine in China due to ice. Absoluce dis- aster. But the greatest e occur in Swiverland, ELIZABETH. Swi ? HENRY. Well, exactly. The whole thing was caused by the eruptio before. In Italy there were ough the streets screa snow. People heavens are bleeding.” They thou d Excuse me ... Your unted a‘ America hundreds of thousands flee escape the weather e course of rein As HENRY. Wel ELIZABETH. ELIZABET ELIZABETH. W 816 suggests 2 degree 0 ng Henry. We HENRY. But I dorit wear ahi ed. Or most of us di wha ... ler me ELIZABETH. No, you don't. Norr takes the water from bi is raincoat and hangs HENRY. So event Switzerland. less, che poor in Swicetland in take more than a spot nbrella,) me and she was breath- rongly as it tums out, sad weather to $i greatest acts of civil disobedience oclooks dow hoje % she’ chrusting hands and 1 1e words jus ELIZABETH. Buc i w HENRY, know. ELIZABETH. Why d stops, rememberin HENRY. No. ELIZABETH. Then whose hat nat is hat’ not the HENRY ELIZABETH HENRY. Exacd ELIZABETH. HENRY. WI ELIZABETH. I'm pregnant. Beat HENRY. Right ELIZABETH. I know iches his bead and rea uld cell you, Henry, ELIZABETH, HENRY. A ELIZABETH. Because I d ELIZABETH. HENRY. Of ELIZABET HENRY. Weill manage Beth. ELIZABETH. Yes but it wasn't meant to happen, was ie? Pethaps ten years ago. When Henry. Because I've got on. I've made a it and to be frank, to be perfect honest I'm just not si (The older Gabrielle York enters and shates the water from her JOE. There you are. (Henry and Eliz JOE RYAN’S AND GABRIELLE YORK’S ROOM ‘ADELAIDE, 2013 LE. Thad my umbrell JOE. GABRIELLE. JOE. Are there’ GABRIELLE that lightning? Did you see it? In Ba JOE. No GABRIELLE Listen. (Sure enough nights like was a kid they wo do ate lost at se JOE. pot. (Joe sakes soup from a large pot on the stove.) Is fish bowl u e brain. Not sure what it does exactl good for you. Good8 a week at least. Not sure Come at GABRIELLE, JOE. Fish. (She m proceeds to eat body said its very good for you. Good fo we it three times a week or somet ing, Love. ¥ thar’ all. Youre not cd who can blame y GABRIELLE. JOE. I lost my d cha ible weather JOE. Did you get we GABRIELLE. [had JOE. You've JOE. You don't smoke. GABRIELLE. I do. JOE. You do no GABRIELLE. JOE. Well, di GABRIELLE. V ngs about Tshould fi GABRIELLE (OLDER). iched. (Gabriel Law enters . and we A ROADHOUSE ON THE COORONG, 1988 Gabriel Law sees the younger Gal GABRIEL. Hello. GABRIELLE. Shit ... Yo GABRIEL. I'm sorry GABRIELLE. Where GABRIEL. I just pulled GABRIELLE, What for? 0 see it, I Coorong, weather. g in Bangladesh GABRIELLE. Yo GABRIEL. Yes GABRIELLE. Are there? GABRIEL. Are there. GABRIELLE. People drow ABRIEL. No. Is just a GABRIELLE. Do GABRIEL. What hi GABRIELLE. S GABRIEL(Beat You ike fish soup? GABRIEL. The last time | jome after vi threw up. Iason a bus 8 warning and with e crap 0 all looked the o h soup GABRIELLE GABRIEL, GABRIELLE, GABRIEL. GABRIELLE, GABRIEL. No GABRIEL. I What? GABRIELLE. GABRIEL GABRIELLE. How long GABRIEL. Not sure. Ad GABRIELLE. I'll h ere © of year. GABRIEL. Why GABRIEL! GABRIEL GABRIELLE. GABRIEL GABRIELLE. GABRIEL. Did GABRIE GABRIEL, the eyes of a stranger youll and water and bird shit on ink hat’ the ugliest place lies 1 beach here for five days a ne world. Or i iest ly che GABRIELLE. You can walk along GABRIEL. I know. GABRIELLE, It ki weet people. You've met me. BRIELLE. What's your name? GABRIEL. Gabriel GABRIELLE. Irs nor. GABRIEL. Icis. What's yours? GABRIELLE. Gabrielle GABRIEL. What are the chances 0 GABRIELLE. Funny name for a bl GABRIEL. Do y GABRIELL GABRIEL. Itn of God, GABRIELLE. I thought it was French GABRIEL. No, its biblical. Gabriel was the archangel GABRIELLE. Are you an GABRIEL. No. Flesh and b GABRIELLE. Were your parents religiou enters and resumes ber pla GABRIEL. My moth: ud GABRIELLE. So did GABRIEL. Are you differe GABRIELLE. No. Ni GABRIEL GABRIELLE. Yor d out. I'l get your sandw stars to go. He doesnt want her to leave. Ever) GABRIEL. Are yours religious? Your parents? GABRIELLE. They were. Catholic. GABRIEL. Lapsed? GABRIELLE. Dead. GABRIEL. Oh, right. GABRIELLE. Mum drowned hers. D: Elizabe nce, I think, h. Exotic th (She in the ocean when I was seve head three years ago.Thar's why n. (Gabriele ox place as the sable oppi re? Where did you GABRIEL ind we are in: ELIZABETH LAW’S ROOM LONDON, 1988 ELIZABETH, Silly really to have be GABRIEL. Are you alig LIZABETH. { grazed ings. A\man helped me to bother these d GABRIEL. I thoug! ELIZAl GABRIEL. Tm ELIZABETH GABRIEL. I'm sorry ELIZABETH. Why? You di GABRIEL. Then why do I fel ELIZABETH. Ie’ every woma ain age. A GABRIEL, old ELIZABETH. No. Bur lam worst fear, of course. Of 2 cer- mes they can seem You don't think your have something ELIZABETH. Do yo: GABRIEL. Of the wa ZABETH, No, Gabriel. OF the sky. D Yes, I'm talking ab GABRIEL. Well they're white, arent they? ELIZABETH. Offawhite. Pure white is GABRIEL. But it’s the ke the colour of me a its always been 1ospital ELIZABETH. Wel it GABRIEL. I was going ELIZABETH. I dont drink GABRIEL. Occasional? ELIZABETH. Dc GABRIEL. I'm sorry ELIZABETH. GABRIEL. It just ELIZABETH. Do yo BRIEL. Yes onal glass of wine. 1 and judge me i care abou ELIZABETH. Don't make a fuss, Gabriel 'm perfectly capable of caring for GABRIEL. I was (Beat. And I know we've tried to have ELIZABETH. Ri GABRIEL. What? ELIZABETH. I had hoped that you had come sim GABRIEL. I have. ELIZABETH. No, Gat there is something GABRIEL. Isi ELIZABETH. N 8 ‘what happened to your fe. Pr happy. Bi GABRIEL. Ies cir mean I was his son. ELIZABETH. The fact quence r GABRIEL. Arent you? ELIZABETH. He didnt care about e. He cared 0 imsel ce and he w ABRIEL. I wa ELIZABETH. W y father recently. is conversation before. to see me. can give you. I dorit nably beca 1 away. What more can | possibly tll you? g through some old boxes re you like more soup? d be iTH. But n. You know thi GABRIEL. All the same... I dont ear ie ELIZABETH. Wel I cart be responsible for what you do an donit eat zeae GABRIEL. I know. ( ‘come so cramped. I can har¢ bed-sit real 1. All these things frot g0. Perhaps I wil child ras and all the birthday ca y an I don't know Irs so unlike you. You dont keep any- ELIZABETH. GABRIEL. W ELIZABETH. GABRIEL. ese stamp albums (0 the back of one of them. must have been, I don't rgotten about it of course, as you do. You t was @ report about the disappearance of aman at Ayres Rock, in Australia, oun (Bei A man was seen climbing the rock at dusk by campers. Several people passed was getting dark. way dow 1e same, wondering what happened to me. You know how ELIZABETH. No, GABRIEL back of this st nd chere it was p album ... A these years later and ing about this man again, cis fir-skinned Engl ing who he was ... and what happened to him. (Hem ELIZABETH (YOUNGER). ‘There you are. (Gab older Elizabeth exit. And we are in:) THE SAME ROOM LONDON, 1962 HENRY. I've lost my umbrella ELIZABETH. Where? HENRY, [ve left it on the train. when you gor of? by the time I did the train had left the ELIZABETH. There's soup in the pot HENRY. Right. ' d HENRY. Terri ELIZABETH. Rel HENRY, Still ELIZABETH. Yes. (Hé HENRY. Where'sELIZABETH, Asleep. HENRY. Someth ELIZABETH. Oh? ig happened on the train, ELIZABET HENRY. A\ look down there, Ie’ at T know b led ini And I looked ar fe were, several and I mean I doit know if they were aware of what had was appalled, I was so ashamed. t wasnt inten HENRY. No, ELIZABE HENRY. ELIZABETH public phone b HENRY. Abso IZABETH. iENRY. ELIZABE) waiting ow where you yy. 'm going mad. I ieant to be a mother iking about, by the way, as you absentmi HENRY. W ELIZABETH. And yor HENRY. No. Atleast h ELIZABETH. Oh HENRY. In the year 1780. The dead n history tears the Caribbean apart. Ir bears the name of a Pope. Callixtus. Credited with establishing the pract Christian church or all repenting sinners. But Callixtus shows no than 22,000 people are killed. The force of the r from the trees before it rips building is let standing on the i Kies, St Lucia, St V C be like to be at the cet ELIZABETH. I HENRY. Yes Beat.) ELIZABETH. “Mar king is stran her) Diderot, HENRY. Vaguely. ELIZABETH. In 1780 as Callixtus wreaks b: on a biblical scale, in Paris Denis Diderot shakes the bout t0 gather in a single c the new knowledge and revo \g the rule of the ari birth of modern democratic thin! times, the dawn of d built. God. nerol of his des- “Able to chink deeply and act decisively to change. For the bet- ter. To save himself. The Enlightenment, Henry. HENRY. The triumph of the intelles ELIZABETH. We are who we thi care determines us to be. NRY. Your mind, Beth. H. He is also che jonal fears. who God... ot Beat.) 29rest of his wa cfore posses his lor, for the d 50 be else seems is can we ever be to be seen ... But I believe we can HENRY. There is no other woman, Be (He exis n, Beth. Only inclement weather But a woman without past wait. This last being said not by 10 rain. Elizaben Joe By exis. And we ers and Elizabeth 30 A PARK ADELAIDE, 2013 lek raining. There isa hat on a park foe Ryan enters h (OE. Dear Son. I hope I'm sending it to the address we have 0 let you know well. 'm not sue if you got my last le nd I'm Te received what to worse, Gabriel hand, Joe sees her or a memory of her.) (Beat.) ’s 1988. I'm twenty four years old. I'm driv 180B. I'm cross Hay Plain hall Adelaide. I'm sitting on 110K’ but I'm itching to g the cops are up and down this st ech and I don't Coorong. I tried TToo sharp. The Coorong’ where I belo ce pretending to Ford passes me, do that, Hate getting Yor something. Then thirty k’s out of Narandarrcan see me, just for a moment to fade. I've seen sheep die. I've cdma die. I kno look. So ind. “Hey ... wake up. Stay with me” and pressure of your hand T'm holding on. I've go re Where's the siren? Why ie. I've seen and grab ye eyes flick op Christ ... where’ the fucking cars o squeeze sand betwe: ‘used you. Sd GABRIEL. W GABRIELLE. Dont thi You can piss off in the morning. ‘0 say something GABRIEL. Do ete, into the twisted metal GABRIELLE. What? to say?” And you say really GABRIEL. Sleep v GABRIELLE. Was JEL. No. Because it doesnt. ned, ‘got what I push me away. ng? Did you see bloke dead beside you but were going t0 make it. So I ease ng o: Listen. (S When I was keep hol i it was just the gulls calling for their mates wind, Buc I was sure there were people drown here. GABRIEL. Beat. A BEACH Sorry. That was an abi don’t have to tell me. ON THE COORONG, 1988 GABRIELLE. I GABRIEL. Tal I don't wa shore. A horizon talk about this. a smoke. GABRIELLE. No, not te used to smoke. Iu well [just GABRIEL. 2... [mean I've heard che word bi ed to hold one. My m: 0 sophis Like that. TI GABRIELLE. On the CéGABRIEL. My father came here once. He sent me a p had picture of the Ninery Mile Beach. 1 wanted to see self I even had thoughts of walking it. Until I saw what 1 miles of beach act GABRIELLE. GABRIEL. Twenty-three words saw it for myst GABRIELLE. GABRIEL. Ni GABRIELLE, GABRIEL, word GABRIEL GABRIELLE. GABRIEL. 7) ngs she wor The past. The These subjects are of GABRIELLE, GABRIEL. I GABRIELLE GABRIEL. I've GABRIELLE, GABRIEL. to keep them from you. On the contrary. Do you remember him? say that I remem the world In on id seen ing from the sky and the earth being covered by LE. Was he mad? : The last postcard he wrote tock with storm lievably red. Wid ve it. “Dear Sot te, know where to look, you can 34 devoured BS. There's sno GABRIELLE. It SABRIEL. No. And fi hers don't leave their children and themselves in the sea. (Beat. saw. Trying to chink wi a roadhouse xdow who chose me, of expect this. You can be stan: sms to water beneath (A flash of light on she hori er Elizabeth enter.) yod.) Keep this to GABRIEL member your first time. (1 ELIZABETH (OLDER) but Gabriel rem (Gabrielle cene beeen him and Rain. The waves pounding on the shore. We are ELIZABETH LAW’S ROOM. LONDON, 1988 GABRIEL. Lec me help. ELIZABETH. Irs fine. SABRIEL. 1'll was ELIZABETH. Yo GABRIEL. But wHENRY’S AND ELIZABETH’S ROOM LONDON, 1965 ELIZABETH. Your face. HENRY. There's been an accidi ELIZABETH. ENRY. ELIZABETH. Let me HENRY HENRY ZABE H. Wil ig he be al 1g... W ‘e's in the bath. (She y way home. Well not 36 n my wallet. an acci poken I be fine. Have you HENRY. No. ELIZABETH. I'l cal HENRY. No. I'd rather not involve them have followed me. They might know where we ELIZABETH. All the more reason to call the HENRY. We dor! Idon did they pick me, Bech? Whats ELIZABETH. HENRY. We could leave London . ELIZABETH. Leave ... Where wou HENRY. Austr ELIZABET! HENRY. Why not? ELIZABETH. We « park. HENRY. I've been thinking about this. ELIZABETH. But Austr i's so far. ‘cleave just because some ENRY. Yes, ELIZABETH. ¢ end of the wor HENRY. I have such a yearning ... to be more than I a ELIZABETH. But youre everything. To mé ything, x more could you be? (The older Elizabet and a glas from her hiding place and p TENRY. I couldn't bear to lose you and Gabriel ELIZABETH. ‘What talking abo HENRY. Som: can see the furure. i have the right to see fenry wasching the ZABETH. Don't older Elizabeth as she wwe are in:)A GRAVEYARD ON THE COORONG, 1988 ng her. She wears her night her me GABRIEL. Yes. GABRIELLE. GABRIEL, To GABRIELLE. graves, He read ne GABRIEL. Your brother was only ei GABRIELLE. Seven. He had GABRIEL. We were bor 's holdi her. I remem= 1¢ beach ... they y hoped in the end Shorts. T-shirt yd been 5 what se lerpants. Eventually ered by the wind. Buried ther over Beat.) 1 least Dad had the deces and had a job. He was dead at pray, ofcourse ix they, parents? They're so fucking cruel GABRIEL. Come with me GABRIELLE. Dont... 'm not ise who you hook piss off back to uple of m gi And I'm not that boy. nd me? We'e too different. ngto be ) Let the dead take care of GABRIELLE. 1 « Beat, GABRIEL, ‘The as packed over there toones g finishes, I'll eave. (He exits.) GABRIELLE (OLDER) yeas old You work roadho g Tuesday nig and clean the bird shit from the headstones of the graves of y S leave here soon you sek, He will be a good man who ake his rou want. You will go mad in that life, But you don't ki hen this man, of w with no 1e Cooro! this stranger walks into the the way from London and orders and ralks about toasted sandwi alle about iHe says let dead take care of the dead. A the engine running lstr ow it we e words, Ww he’s sitsing in to 2 song on the radio. You know the last verse he gravel and he g for your weddi g Wrong A Gabriel. (Sh, ts, GABRIEI L cc f the Re :LLE EN. Let the bee take care of the dead. (Joe JOB. Who are you talking to, Love? (An in JOE AND GABRIELLE’S ROOM ADELAIDE, 2013 |.» Gaby? name's not Gaby. Its Gabrielle. It’s biblical Who am I, Joe? ... Who Tim Joe Ryan. You're my GABRIELLE. 1 dor JOE. You're upset, GABRIELLE. I didn't (Joe stops. He ca JOE. Bur it’s raining, GABRIELLE. ‘Then take your h 1s to comfort her.) Don't JOE. Please, Gabrielle .. don GABRIELLE. Get out... Get the fuck o nd raincoat and le THE CAMP SITE ULURU, 1988 Gabriel and Gabrielle st The older Elizabeth rem her bottle of sof wi The younger Elizabe its at the table opposite her older self: Simu ELIZABETH (OLDER). “Dear Mu Ayers Rock or Uluru as it is standing be of stars. It is more beau- y. Ie is just before dawn known each o} ody who I can love and who might love me i ns but isntGABRIEL GABRIELLE. GABRI ed that rock. A et came back. 1en I choose him, (Beat — e hesitates Gabrielle turns to ex HENRY’S AND ELIZABETH’S ROOM LONDON, 1968 ry moves to the n ard? The Soviets have ir No. I missed done something? ELIZABETH. ¥ HENRY. When? ELIZABETH. Do y HENRY. Wel se. Apparently. ELIZABETH. HENRY. Pethaps you could ELIZABETH. Bolder. HENRY. Yes, like a colo ELIZABETH. Like Red? HENRY. Yes, why not ELIZABETH. Because it’s f wine into his face.) And wine. Jenry? Isn’t it sad that we have d that we have nothing left to talk ab colour of the walls? JENRY. Beth ELIZABETH.ELIZABETH. HENRY. Where's Gal ELIZABETH. They wanted to q the park HENRY. There ELIZABETH. him inappr became ups have said something to his mother. Beth dont let your n aw ELIZABETH. Wel 1g away. Clearly, I was going mad. And thats what se. There's bee ng. I kno husband. He doesnt interfere wit own. Hes a father. HENRY. Where is Gal co speak to id. Isaid this is not right. How dare ching. Against nature. And I sent them the door. I could not they were gone and I was switches and the dark corners behind the fur le and the floor and pol e books and the lampshade and even took to the grouting between the tiles with a toothbrush. And when T finished I looked ind and it looked exactly the same. So I found an old tin of left led into Prague I n I hung the picrures back nd put the books ba ¢ bookshelves and moved the furniture back into pos 7 wardrobe top old. Quite worn. G we had since you were a Given to you by an nside there is a collec- rographs naked, some makes a man like me? ELIZABETH. No, I don't imagine one would ... choose it HENRY. Please, = ELIZABETH. You HENRY. Ofc ELIZABETH. No, country ... out of our course, that satch Englishman to be sent there HENRY. And Gabriel? ELIZABETH. Well, exactly HENRY. I want to see him. ELIZABETH. HENRY. Let ELIZABETH. HENRY. Bech f you have a gs for me then let me say goodbye tELIZABETH. I sending you away and you over to the authorities. 1 love you. Strangel : hasn't changed. I e. And I will remove every trace of you from Gabri : ne the boy asks abou her, and inevital ind blows ‘across the desert. The older Elizabeth exit. And we are:) ON TOP OF ULURU 1970/1988 Perth is am playing on Your loving Dear Gabi Nullabor the desert holds back the sea. The waves smash against the cl er. And with each -s way another I miss you. Dear ce. Caught between the iss you. Dear Gabi ur of blood. I Dear Sor the end. A fish the sky and ABRIEL. There's no li n. No stars. No Just darkness. across the desert, the earth takes on the appear- You think yo tia Boe d only to discover tha land in the iddle of t looking back into the past or e thedaysd ; rine Aad cour knowledge, a wont stop it. Ie too la to nothing. And time w Come with me, Gabriel GABRIEL. Dad? GABRIELLE. Gabri HENRY. Please S GABRIELLE. i 6 He looks Gabri snow) HENRY. Forgive me. (Then Henry falls into darkness.) GABRIELLE. Come back from t Gabriel walks b GABRIELLE, stand on UlAPARK ADELAIDE, 2013 Snowfall. Joe Roan sits on a park bench wearing his raincoat over his ‘pajamas. He looks up at the falling iow as she older Gabrielle enters wearing her raincoat over ker nighgown. GABRIELLE. There yo JOE. Where? GABRIELLE. Siccing on 2 park bench JOE. Am E? Thought | was dancing the walre at a Vienne (She sits down beside him.) The weather is turning against us, Adelaide. GABRIELLE. But ic3 beautiful, Joe ... Its so beautiful. (Beat, GABRIELLE. Have I made your life hell? JOE. No. GABRIELLE. You're a tie. JOE. Being curfed our of the flac on an ugly night in the middle nee ’s not one day I regret “ing with you. Not one. And done you say a word t rac because I know what | feel. And f know thar you cant say the same. [stole you. I know chat. Gor you at a weak moment, You needed someone. And I made sue i was me, One thing you've got to give me credit for though is my patience. T have waited wenty- five years for you ro love me. GABRIELLE. And now fm Joc. Always have been, JOE. 1 know. GABRIELLE. No you don't, Nor really ... The only time I ever saw you angry was when you hie your thumb with a hammer. And 48 you didnt even swear. JOE. No, well 1 don’t like language. It was juse the way [ was JOE. I don'e know wha . GABRIELLE. Ir would tell che world chat JOE. I wish Pd never stopped the car ... Yeah, there you go. I've nT juse pur my foor down and ler you bleed ro death, ‘would have matt ic back to the Coorong and met some ho would have loved me. JOE. Not the way I have loved you. GABRIELLE. You love too much. IE. Don't say that ro me. Because there is some woman in Sale Creek who would know how to be loved by me. And dont tell me youre angry. Who do you think you've been angry at for twenty five Yeats? Loyal old Joe, that’s who. Like a dog, that’s what [ am. And ‘ause I saved you, Because I never measured up co some- thing I never even understood. Buc dont you dare measure me against him. Twenty-five yeas, its been. Against whae A couple of weeks? If thar? I have raised his son a cupboard for twenty-five years. Yes, you made my life hell bur worse you did the same to your son. GABRIELLE. Don't JOE, Its true, Gabrielle. In che end che boy coulda wait ro leave, GABRIELLE. Did he call? JOE. No. GABRIELLE. I choughe char maybe ... JOE, No, He hasn'r called for seven years. (Beat) GABRIELLE. Theyte cruel, aren't they? Children. They’te so fucking cruel, (Slence,) Ive had enough. JOE. Come on then, GABRIELLE. No, Love. I want you to let me go Beat.) There are pills in my bedside drawer. JOE. No. GABRIELLE. Help me do this. JOE, Tcant. GABRIELLE. I'm going anyway. A month, Two. Six at che most 49And I'm gone, I won't know who you are. won't know who Gabriel is? L won’ even know who Iam. JOE. You're asking too much. GABRIELLE. 1 always have. lif. And I've had a miserable one an of it. This goes way back, Joe, way before you. It was your bad luck that you stopped che car bur you did and tha¢s your lor bur mine goes way back... To a lide kid playing on the beach ... and the bastard thar took him, Thar’ all. Not your fault. No Ic. Buc Pve had enough now. I have seen death every way and I'm nor afraid of i, (Beat,) Take me home now ... Make love to me, You big gorgeous thing, JOE. Gorgeous? GABRIELLE. Yeah ... I've always thought so. You've been alright in the sack as like you were shearing and I was the sheep but you ver the years you goc better. You . cantt remember wenty-fifth of November, 2010. Three years ago. I wanr clean sheets and candles and music and when we're Bnished ! want you to lec me go. JOE. What am I going to do withouc you? GABRIELLE. I don't know, Love. Go back to the Coorong. Find that wor Creek. She's probably still there ... (They pro- ceed to exit as Gabriel Law and the younger Gabrielle York appear, The alder Gabrielle hesitates and looks back at ther.) GABRIELLE (YOUNGER). I love being in a car at night. (And swe are ins) ACAR ON THE HAY PLAIN, 1988 Headlights pick out the road ahead as the car moves down the highway at 140 kilometers per bour. But inside the car ail is still. Gabrielle stares into the light cast on the road ahead, GABRIEL. Why? GABRIELLE. Because you can only see so far ahead and that’s enough, for now. GABRIEL. I love you. GABRIELLE. Dont say thar. GABRIEL. Why noe? GABRIELLE. Because ic has o mean something. For you and me of all people ic has to mean some y cime some- body leaves us its going ro be like your father or my parents all over again, That's how hard its going 10 be. So if you rell me you love me, that’ it. Its forever. If you don't mean thar then I don't want to hear it. GABRIEL. | love you ... . I have never been more certain about what I feel ... [love you, Gabrielle York. GABRIELLE (OLDER). You're twenty-four years old. You're staring down the highway. Ics all open road ahead. The Coorong is already starting to feel like just a memory. There’ something think ies hap- e's this bloke sicting at the wheel beside you, bloke who came out of nowhere and saved you from something big and he's saying he loves you and you think you could love him. Maybe. Yeah, you could love him, And for a moment you can see a life wo! you don't trust it You don’ «cust chis. You know you weren't meant co be happy. nd, something eating at you, in it. You could say nothing. For his sake you could lec ir be. For your sake you could let ic go. But you have ro know.GABRIELLE (YOUNGER). What year was your father in che Coorong? GABRIEL. 1968. GABRIELLE. The year my brother was taken. (Gabriel loots across at her asthe weight of cis ragie possibility dawns on birt.) GABRIELLE. ‘The road Gabriel. (The older Gabrielle turns away and leaves.) Warch the road. (We are iar) FOUR ROOMS 1968, 1988, 1988, 2013 Each superimposed upon she other. A telephone is ringing The older Elizabeth sits at she table with a boicle of wine and a glass before her as the younger Elizabeth enters and proceeds to 308 the table for two as the older Elizabeth rises and moves forward t0 answer the phone. ELIZABETH (OLDER). Yes? (Silence — The younger Elizabeth hesitates, place in band.) Who is chist (Th GABRIELLE. My name is Gabrielle York Australia ... There's been an accident ... Gabriel has been killed. (A silence between them as se contains the dam of emotion threaten- ing to break.) Are you there? ELIZABETH. Yes, 'm here... {'m still here. Beat.) GABRIELLE. ‘They said he didn't suffer ELIZABETH. Did they? ... How would they know? Beat.) He mentioned you in a letter. He said chat he thought you were someone he could love and who might love him in return, st wishful thinking on his behalf? ELIZABETH. Tim not sute its something one thinks. Ics some- thing one knows, surely GABRIELLE. | loved ELIZABETH. Did he know? GABRIELLE. [ think so ... I never actually said ic ELIZABETH. Nor did |... I often meant to bur these things, these ‘moments, they slip away. Its terrible bur you reach atime in your li very lite to say ro Gabriel. OF course having nothing co say is just another way of having so much to say thar you dare nor begin. (Bea.) Could 1 ask you to arrange 2 funeral I don't chink I could go to Australia. I's such a long way. GABRIELLE. Yes, I can do char ... I know how to do that. ELIZABETH. T'll send money of course. I have some put away. 1 think 2 cremation would be best. GABRIELLE. If thar’ what you want ... I ean send the ashes 10 England. ELIZABETH. I chink it’s beveer if they stayed there, don't you? fm sure you will find the right thing to do with them. (The older Gabrielle enters carrying the urn containing Gabriel’ ashes, Through the following she places it on the rable and takes a bow! of soup and takes a place at the table.) GABRIELLE. I'm pregnant. (Beat.) ELIZABETH. We me to send money for you to take GABRIELLE. Arent you? ELIZABETH. How old are yc GABRIELLE. Twenty-four. ELIZABETH. Think carefully before you make your decision. You're very young and bringing up a child on your own isa heavy price to pay for a brief affair wich a melancholic English boy. The decision is yours, of course, GABRIELLE. I know thac its a boy 1 will call him Gaby ELIZABETH. Do you thin! It would be tragic if every time you said your Sonis name you were reminded of whae you had lost. GABRIELLE. I asked him once if he hated you ... He said that he tried, Buc that he couldn't. On the « e said ... 1 knew then how strong he was ... 0 love someone who was incapable of being loved. rc asking your permission. IFELIZABET GABRIELLE. I'm not (Beat. have to ask you about Gabriels fathe Beat.) I had a brother. He was taken from the beach by a stranger 968. ( ) Please ELIZABETH. Did Gabriel know GABRIEL. Yes. Ir was che last ¢ scream. Th ¢ made me stumble, ough f sereamning at (Beat) Sometimes I id and then slow: he other three Gabrielle has compl JOE. Its ready. Love ... bed made, candles elle looks up fe 1... No longer with bin.) ui hope this leer finds you. I'm writing er has passed away. She died peaceful- x last choughts were of you. IF you should choose id some things she wanted you to have in a (Joe stands in silence before us, Then b GABRIEL YORK’S ROOM ALICE SPRINGS, 2039 Let us finish with 10. He looks GABRIEL. Andrew? (Andi box. A moment cheek. An ANDREW. I'm sorry I'm late. Iw: GABRIEL. Terrible we. le drowni ‘You haven't heard che news? GABRIEL. No, I dont follow it There are people out there saying GABRIEL. The end of what? ANDREW. The end of the world. ... That's why I wanted to see GABRIEL. 1 imagine it's been quite an ordeal to get here. ANDREW, Yeah ... in so many ways. (Beat GABRIEL. Y g young man. Must have gor that from your mother. ANDREW. I have y GABRIEL. Yes, y : a eyes. And sti ther has done a good job, I can seeANDREW. [t easy for her. GABRIEL. No, (Beat) ‘Are you hungry? Lunch is almost ready ... Ir fish ... ! hope you eat i ANDREN®, Whas fish from che seat GABRIEL. Weil ... str GABRIEL. ‘They say its very good for you. Good for the brain, Or something ANDREW. You shoulds ching [rather eat than fish, ANDREW. No. GABRIEL. Or anyone Ti racher share ic with, (Beat) ANDREW. I brought you something, (He hands Gabriel she gif.) I didetr know wha to get you ... asked in the shop. I said what do you give a father who you havent seen since you were seven yeats old. Then I saw chis. (Gabriel unwraps she gift and pulls owe a splendid new searlet dresing gown.) GABRIEL, Tes beau ANDREW Pat it on. (Gabriel puts the dresing gown over bis suit) Yeah ... that’s it. That's how I remember you .. GABRIEL. I used to have an old one ... when I ANDREW Yeah. You used to wear ic around che house. Beat.) Te suits you. GABRIEL. Do you think so the flar chough. ANDREW Why? : GABRIEL. It makes everything ele look litle old, Pehaps I ec some new fi is the en« OF the world... Besides Tm happy with what I have Beat.) Hoy here, if you need a place. to any trouble, GABRIEL. Ics no rouble. And to it would give us some time. Because there's such a lot to say, Andrew ... such a lot to explain ANDREW. Like why you left when I was so young? GABRIEL. Are you angry ANDREW, Not anymore... I don't chink I could be here if | was il angry. I don't even know if anger is what b there in che first place, leav- ig me with just enough memories to know wha¢ [ had lost. GABRIEL. What do you remember? ANDREW. The touch of your b: y face and che smell of your aftershave and the sound of your laugheer in che morning. GABRIEL. 1 laughed: ANDREW. Yeab, you laughed GABRIEL. Whar at? ANDREW. Acie, I made you laugh. You would see me and your face would light up and you would laugh. GABRIEL, [remember ANDREW. Then why did you leave? (Beat) GABRIEL. something { want 10 show you. (Gabriel exits Andrew moves to the window and looks dewn into the street below as the older and she younger Elizabeth Law and the older and the younger Gabrielle York, Gabriel Laws Joe Ryan and Henry Lawy enter twith a plate each and take their place at the sable. Andrew rures from she window aad takes his place at the end of the table as Gabriel York enters with the old suitcase.) GABRIEL. I wanted co give you something. And I don't have much money ANDREW I dont want — GABRIEL. I know ... Bur I wanted co give you something all same, You see I have spent my life runni carried fragments of if chese few things ise ro me but ics ive you. (He opens the suitcase and swith each object be removes he passe: it othe ancestor who sits inthe place next t0 bine who in term passes is om down the table until ie reaches Andrew at the other end. Gabriel :akes out a piece of dri wood.) My mother kepr this piece of driftwood on her dressing table, I caught het once standing in her room holding it. She had tears in her eyes. [ 3”had. A boy's shoe. I think ic was one of mine iv in her drawer wrapped ined my father's ashes. I knoy che places whe: know what happened to the ashes. ver heard from h ser got round 1g the language so i remains unread and the world re 4, This is my stepfather’ nan and I loved him very ese are the lerters he ser tamed to say that I never replied to them, ANDREW. GABRIEL. You reach a moment in your life ize that jothing to say to your parents. I reached that moment reen years old. It wasnt un st another say that you date not begin ... And by I wish I had more courage, the Coorong, And could barely mention from Uluru. here to look et detives from the Greek and means wat after the Roms 10 devoured his own so (Gabriel look have let people go al know what all these chings mean ar all, I can only tell you that somewhere ar the end of this before the work all she ancestors loo ANDREW. It's beat GABRIEL. Listen ... (hey al ok up .. bearing the same shing in their own time and place.) The rain has sopped.” eas End of PlayPROPERTY LIST Lerters able’ place sectings for two TWiageal bad aiing br ror's Encyclopedie Wind Waves pou SOUND EFFECTS of rain 1g on a shore