"' Lear's Dawghters
The Women's Theatre Group and Elaine Feinstein
I{E
rÁ"
Introduttion
Lear's Daughters (1,987) is the co-creation of Eiaine
Feinstein (an English novelist, poet, ánd translator
born in 1930) and the Women's Theatre Group
(WfG), 'one of the first and most enduring of
hMfr Britain's feminist companies' (Bennett: 51). By
virtue of its communa1 genesis the play puts the
very idea ofauthorship to the question and
challenges long-entrenched notions circulating
around the individuality of the author. Those
notions have a great dea7 to do with who gains a
place in the traditional canon and how that place
@e. is constructed and sustained. Shakespeare is a
b singular example of an authoritative wdting
M presence that anchors canonical notions of
r excellence and cultural value, and it is no accident
U that WTG undertook the revision of a major
!!, Shakespearean tragedy from the perspective ofa
feminist collective.
D Lizbeth Goodman, in a discussion of the work's
l- collaborative origins, summarizes that'Feinstein
worked with the company [Gwenda Hughes, Janys
Chambers, Hilary Ellis, Maureen Hibbert, and
HazelMaycockl in devising some ideas, and then
went away to write the script independently. The
script which she submitted, however, was found to
be unsatisfactory by the company. A rushed series
l, of workshops followed, out of which emerged a
revised version of the script, which was used in
l the first touring production of l9B7' (1993a: 97).
I
Goodman notes the different ways of attributing
t
authorship to both Feinstein and the WTG in
I
handbills andprograrnmes, not to mention in the
first published version of the play, which ascribes
the 'idea to Elaine Feinstein' [Griffin and Aston:
19] while stating that the play was 'written by:
AdjoaAndoh, Janys Chambers, Gwenda Hughes,
Polly lrvin, Hazel Maycock, Llzz Poulter, and
Sandra Yaw' (20), a list significantly different from
the list Goodman produces in both Contemporary
F
I Feminist Theatres and 'Women's Alternative
I
Shakespeares.'
The inconsistencies of authorial attribution that
aTe paft ofthe play's cultura1 plesence produced,
in Goodman's estimation, 'an underlying
discomfort [in audiences and critics] with the
notion of the [communally] devised work. This
discomfort may be re7ated to the 1ack of an
individua1 author, a situation which eliminates the
identifiable "subject" (or individuai) to be
criticized in relation to the "object" which is the
play' (1993a: 99). The way in which the play
troubles traditional notions of authorship reminds
us of the theatre as the site of collaborative effort,
and of the difficulties that arise when positing
the dramatist as the sole and uncomplicated
source ofthe voices that speak from the stage.
This situation has 1ong vexed Shakespeare
studies, where enormous effort has been expended
on addressing so-called corrupt texts. The
purpose ofthis effort has been to restore and
identify an uncontaminated,'authentíc'
Shakespearean voice to texts that likely came into
being as a function of complex coilaborations
among different playwrights, directors, actors, and
editors.
An adaptation that is a preque1 to King Lear,blt
also an adaptaIion in the sense that it reshapes the
ways in which a production comes into being,
Lear's Daughters exemplifies the innovative
stíategies of the WTG, which emerged in the early
1970s as a women's street theatre 'performing for
demonstrations and similar events'but 'did not
formalise itself until 1,974' (Itzin 230). The WTG is
distinctive for its more radtcal pIecepts, including
the decision to 'avoid working in the hierarchica1,
competitive stíuctules which characterise the
male-dominated estabiishment theatre and medta'
(230), which effectively meant frequent attempts
at deploying group writing strategies; the attention
to feminist content and methodologies; the
extensive use of improvisation; multiracial
casting; the support ofyounger writers through
extensive and open-ended workshops ofnew
work; the virtual exclusion of men; and the use of
 Ledü
WTG AND FE]NSTEIN

.altelnative peffoImance venues. In addition to Furthermore, as Goodman notes, ín Lear's 7hú Tifr!
Prettg Uglg, a show for youth about fashion, and In
Our Way, an 'adult show exploring the effect of sex
D aught er sthe' prince sse s are carefully balanced
againsi each other in terms of cb,aracter and color'
-,,
discrimination on women wotkers' (lMandor: 65), (1993b: 222).-Ihe first production, for instance,
ry- §ffiMs .jl!
WTG has staged numerous new ploductions
through the 1970s and BOs, a11 of which exhibit the
used a white woman for the role of cordelia and
two black women for the roles of Goneril and
T"a,riinln d'
kind of social conscience for which WTG is justly
Tfoeffi,m
Regan, and the second used black women to plav
famous: My Mlanga il9BOJ deals with drug the roles of a11 three daughters, and white women
dumping in the Third World (Wandor:66); Neta to play the roles of the fool and the nanny. As a
Anatomies (19B1), by Timberlake Wertenbaker, result of such casüng choices, issues of ethnicit_v
focuses on how'nineteenth-century women and class (servants are white in the 1atter inverted
adventuíeísdressed as men' flMandor: 67); and scheme of things, mistresses are black) complicate
Time Pteces (19B2) explores issues relating to the story of the daughters. Moreove r , in Lear's Chom
women's history_making. Daughters, the daughters gain identity not in
Lear's Daughters 'takes its shape from the "gaps" relation to a particular patriarchal hierarchy, but [fi§-D[,]L_§-t
in Shakespeate's King Lear' (Griffin and Aston: 11) rather, from the distinctive features with which
B_EG§-§
and does this, in Susan Bennett's words, to they are identified: Cordelia with words, Regan
'challenge the authori§ of Shakespeare, the with touch; Goneril with colour. Goodman notes |3135ERJ[-
cumulative power of mainstIeam production, and that'In the final image of Lear's Daughters, the
the operation of that authority in the politics of THE, F-Ci0n_,
crown is thrown into the air and caught by all
culture' (51). The play has been called a'landmark three daughtels at once. The shrinking spotlight Tt{E §l]tsim]
in feminist "reinventing" of Shakespeare' highlights the black and white of hands on gold
(Goodman 7993b: 220) and Goodman suggests that
the play questions 'a11 ofhistory as presented in
just before the final blackout' (1993b: 222-223).
The vision ofa potential solídarity and the fuI
standard texts . . . [since history] may íeplesent a symbolic empowerment associated with grasping
genealogy of "false fathers"' (220). Shakespeare, in the crown radically remake Shakespeare. Here, TfuDqgil.
this reading, is aligned with conventional forms of adaptation, even as it puts to the question the l,I.6ir upl
history-making that require disruption, in this case ideology ofthe Shakespeaíean §ouTce, asks us not FOOL Tfoell
through a discourse that undoes orthodox gender to disregard the Shakespearean source text, nor rrirose de
assumptions about the primacy of the male even to judge it as flawed, inferíor, or politically Tbe C&,ec
experience. In the play, the'daughters'stories are incorrect. Rather, Lear's Daughtars asks us to Da da dal
re-told by the androgynous fool' (Griffin and consider narrative alternatives that disrupt the Da da dar
Aston: 11), a comment on the way in which the sedimentation of convention gathered round its [§r §iifiBü
authority ofthe narrator is traditionally souíce. Knoch eu
understood. Furthermore, Griffin's and Aston's \r'tro's ,í,ne
reading of the fool's function suggests that s/he Godfrey.
'detaíls the fictions, myths, and structures which Select bibliography Godfrey.,c
are deployed by men to imprison women ín Entries marked * are partícularly accessibie. Godfrey t
patriarchal ideology, to separate them from the plar t
themselves, their bodies and their desires so that Bennett, S. (1996) Performing NostalgLa: Shffing
Shakespeare and the Contemporcryu Past, London: (looks a a
they are only ever daughters, wives, or mothers' Aíe \-ou ír
Routledge.
(1 1-12). *Goodman, L. (1993a) Contemporarlj Feminist Theatres: (thinks)
The father's materíal absence from this scenario To Each Her Own, London: Routledge. The play-
is one of the major ways in which the play -* (l993b) 'Women's Alternative Shakespeares and (hoas up l
rewrites Shakespeare's version ofthe story. The Women's Alternatives to Shakespeare in Three pri:
depth of characterlzationthat Goneril, Regan, and Contemporary British Theater,' in Marianne Novy (hoWs upl
Cordelia receive through the nurse's telling of (ed,) Cross-Cultural Perfotmances: Dífference ín Women's TWo serv;
'fairy tales' (Griffin and Aston: 24) fromthetr Ra-Visions of Shakespeare, Urbana and Chicago:
(hoaslry l
childhood, along with the focus they receive as University of I11inois Press: 206-226.
Griffin, G., and Ashton E. (eds) (1991) Herstoru: Plags by One king
staged characters, píesents aradical alternative to (hoWs up l
Women for Woman, vol. 1, Sheffield: Sheffield
the way in which audiences have come to expect One Quee
Academic Press.
the telling of Lear's story, with his pathetic request *
Itzin, C. (1 9B0) Srages in the Reuolution : Politícal Theatre
for his daughters to show which of them loves him in Bitain Since 1968, London: Eyre Methuen.
most and its implicit assumption that it is the Wandor, M. (1986_) Caty on, t]nderstudies: Theatre and .liofe: when !
daughters' fault that Lear is driven to a tragic end. Sexual Politics, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. is made is m;

216
 §" Lear's Daugftters
The Women's Theatre Group and Elaine Feinstein

By Adjoa Andoh, Janys Chambers, Gwenda Hughes, Pol1y Irvin, Hazel Maycock, Lizz Poulter and Sand,ra
Yaw (all of The Women's Theatre Group), frorn an idea by Elaine Feinstein. Reprinted by permission of
The Women's Theatre Group and Elaine Feinstein.

d
üe
characters (thinks)
Or
CoRDELIA (same finger business.)
Three daughters,
REGAN
Two mothers,
CoN ERT L Óne father,
and the Fool.
THE FooL
Qloints to herself.1
THE NURSE/NANNY Now:
Six parts,
Scene l Four actors. . .

(looks at fingers, thinks.)

The beginning The Fool.
(smiles.)
(Light up on the FooL.) Right.
pooi, There was an o1d man called Lear One stage,
whose daughters, da dadada, fear, One audience,
The Queen was their mum, One castle,
Da da da da son, (stands up| moues centre stage, takes out blinnfoW..)
Da da da da da dadahere. One prop.
(she shakes her head.) G)uts it on)
Knock, knock. Watch!
Who's there? (into game of blindman'sbluff.)
Godfrey. ALL One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three,
Godfrey who? One, Two, Three.
Godfrey tickets for FooL Goneíil!
the play tonight. ALL No. one, TWo, Three, one, Two, Three,
(looks at audience,) One, Two, Three.
Are you ready? poot cordelial
(thinks.)
(CoRDELIÁ turns to audience.)
The play.
(holds up three flngers.) CoRDELlA l like words. Words are like stones,
Three princesses. healy and solid and every one different, you
(holds up two fingers.) can feel their shape and their weight on your
Two servants. tongue. I iike their roughness and their
(holds up one finger.) smoothness, and when I am silent, I am trying
One king offstage. to get them right. Not just for beautiful things,
bt (holds up one finger on otherhand.) iike the feel of old 1ace, but for the smell of wet
One Queen dead. soil, or the tug of the brush through my hair. I

Noía: When speeches are interruptedby another character, the point in the sentence at which the interruption
is made is marked /.
WTG AND FEINSTEIN

learnt to readby myself. The first thing I ever Scena 2 Rf'G§le il

did on my own. And the voices were so ríclt and C,o§FrLil{
strong that now, I read a11 through the summer Three Sisfers, the Nurse together REG-dIs q
in a garden den ofraspberry canes and coRI}E|.[Í
blackberries, and I look up at the sky, and it's NURSE (ío GONERIL) When you were born, the
o.rtaooi
fu11 of words. Queen wore nothing but her clown. legs- Ái
ALL One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three, CoRDELIA What, nothing?
REGA§ q
One, Two, Three. NuRsE Lear was not there. He was in the library iI CoRDFItri
FooL Regan! looking at something. You came out like a dart, |\
head first, thenbody, a11 over scarlet, covered in 1r.€flBtri
(REGAN turns to audience.) blood. The crown fe1l off and oveT yout FooL wtr
REGAN I iove the feel ofwood, ofbark cracked encírcling you, youí whole body.
and mutilated by 1ightning 01 cuTves smooth and GoN ERl L Wlrat then? "ai4'rr
m5lhri
worn by wind and rain. I love the musty smeli NURSE And then a comet rushed through the sky, wa§lsa
of old wood decaying, or of new wood freshly 1eaving aredtrail in the black. (whispers) Andit anothcr
cut. Sometimes when I touch it, I can almost was twelve o'clock midday. 'Theí€ill
feel the wood breathing still, its breath, my GONERIL I remember it. I remember it quite Naúry_'
breath. When i carve, it is as if there is a shape clearly. I remember being born quite clearly. I c€rtaini
lying within the wood already, waiting to be heard music. ctrre€Ít, l
released, moving my knife independent of the REGÁN What about me? spooniq
hand that holds it. So on some days I carve NURSE When you were born, the Queen was peg on.
slowly, carefully, holding my breath, frightened sitting on her throne. At midnight you dropped fog 1gítlíN
of what I might cíeate, whilst on other days I out onto the velvet plush like a ruby. said. fig
carve passionately, wanting to release this CORDELIA Where was Daddy this time? the scalr
shape, this being, because I know that one day NuRsE Sti11 in the library. least sm
the shape that appears wi1l be particular - my REGAN And then what happened? said_ Áü
shape, me. NURSE A volcano erupted. but I sha
ALL One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three, REGAN A volcano? Can I brj
One, Two, Three. NURSE Yes, the lava got ever5rwhere. We were By ele
FooL Gonerii! cleaning for days. y7ells rra
REGAN I remember it. I heard music too. J
came, ti
(GoNER]L turns to audience.) NURSE And was it beautiful? mu§t be
GONERIL When Ilook the worldbreaks into REGAN Yes, oh yes.
CoRDELIA Now me. What happened when I was (NURSE l
colours. When I was small - finding paints and
time")
brushes in the chest, opening tiny pots and born? 1
Setting them out, taking water - I cou]dn't NURSE When you were born .. . NURSE s(,l
believe how the colours sharpened under the (NURSE looks at her, She draws Cor.olLta to her, FooL she
wet brush! And now I paint a1l the time, every whispers in her ear.) NURSE Bd
minute, big canvas, big strokes, getting it right. FooL ,oh,
Selfportrait . ., on athrone . . . scarlet, gold, GONER]L What? hetped h
black - it's outside. Trees cracked by lightning, a nBceN What? you be §
knot ofraspberly canes andblackberries. . . GONERIL What did she say? NURSE Tti
And my sisters, beside me, oul faces upward, REGAN What did she say? J FooL she
smiling - sky full of stars, My painting. And one (CoRDELIA and Nunsn look at each other,) NURSE I&
day, I'11 get it right. GoNER]L Nothing. Nothing happened did it?
FooL I dol
ALL One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three, Nothing.
trouble-
One, Two, Three. NURSE And afterwatds we had cake. Victoria ) NURSE I1l
the/ll co
(FooL turns to audience.) sponge on a doily in the parlour with the c]ock
are, alwa
FooL I1ike money. And myself. And money. ticking. The cake was cut into three.
REGAN A piece for each ofus. (FooL ho
(FooL moues down ight. NÁNNv moues upstage NURSE A piece for Lear. A piece for the Queen. ) gloues in l
centre, sits, and sísters gather upstage centre And a piece for me. NURsE.)
aroundher.) REGAN Did it taste nice? FooL Th.€
FooL Thíee princesses, living in a castle, NuRSE Ask Lear. buying. o
listening to fairy-tales in the nursery. (The Nunsn moues awag.) (FooL pi.

-ar.r--,

REGÁN What did she say7
GoNERIL What did she say?
REGAN Come on, Cordelia!
coRDELIA (slowlg) She said that the Queen was
outdoors. And I grew like a red rose out ofher
legs. And there was a hurricane.
REGAN lt's the same, it's the same.
tT ,i CoRDELIÁ And Lear was there. ! l
rL íi
1in (Lights down, Light up on FooL'áown ight.1
FooL When she came, there was just a note. It
said, 'I'm coming soon. Nanny.'So I went about
. my business. If the. note had any significance it
h§, was wasted on me. Two weeks later there was
lit another note, pinned under my cereal bowl.
'There's been a set-back, but wait for me there.
Nanny.' I was seven or maybe twelve, I can't be
I cettain, but Goneri] was definitely two. The
Queen, their mother then, had taken to
spooning honey over the flowerbeds. She wore a
peg on each finger andhad ordered the hair to
Dd t be removed from al1 over her body. Everyone
said there was something wlong. She'd tipped
the scales. she needed a friend or a nursá ór 'at
t
least something to cheer her up a bit', everyone
saíd. A third note came. 'Sorry it's taken so long,
but I shall be with you by midday tomoríow.
Can I bring my ducks?' Signed Nanny or Nurse.
By eleven o'clock next day I was at the city
i walls watching for a new face. At midday she
came, riding sideways on a donkey. I knew it
must be her.
(NuRSE moues into q)ace as if enteing for the first
\ time.)
NURSE Sorry I'm late.
Foor, She said_
Er.
NURSE But these things take time.
FooL 'Oh, don't worry, no matter', I said and I
helped her carry her things to her room. 'Will
you be stopping 1ong7' I asked.
NURSE That'S not really up to me.
i FooL She said.
NURSE I do as I'm toid.
FooL I don't know if you're expected, that's the
trouble.
rt NuRSE make myself indispensable. Soon
I'11
r they'11 come to rely. You know how these folks
are, always make the same mistakes.
(roor holds out hand for monea. NuRsn places
b gloues in Fool's hand. roor throws bag to
NURSE.)
FooL Three
daughters. With two mothers - one
buying, one selling. One paying, one paid.
(FooL picks up the quEEN's ueil.)
LEAR,S DAUGHTERS
Scene 3
The Fool is the Queen
(FooL sifs onbox upstage. Arranges ueil as the
QUEEN. Duing this scene roor speaks as FooL
arid qurrN.)
FooL (QUEEN) Nurse! Nurse!
NURSE Yes, your majesty,
FooL (QUEEN) Is it neaíly morning?
NURSE The birds are just beginning.
FooL (QUEEN) Don't talk to me about birds. The
doctor was putting live pigeons on my feet all
day yesterday.
FooL To help her conceive.
NURSE What is thís? (picks up cup)
FooL (QUEEN; The doctor gave it to me.
NURSE What for?
FooL (QUEEN) To help me sleep.
NURSE He's a fake, What are you doing with
these? (plicks up ledgers)
FooL (QUEEN) Keeping the accounts/
FooL The budget is in chaos. Taxes aren't being
paid, and there's no income from the fields.
NURsE You should leave all that business to him.
FooL (QUEEN) He is very distressed by reading
documents like these,/
FooL so by and large he doesn't read them.
NURSE Ábout your children.
FooL (QUEEN) I want them taken away.
NURSE You don't see them enough.
FooL (QUEEN; South.
NURSE He won't like that.
FooL (QUEEN; I could go with them. For a
holiday.
BOTH He won't like that.
FooL (QUEEN; No, he won't, he 1ikes to have me
near him.
NuRsE I'11 bring them in to see you then, shall I?
FooL (QUEEN) I'm too tired.
NURSE Later on this afternoon.
FooL (QUEEN) They wear me out.
NuRsE That's settled then. I'11 go and anange it.
Good.
(NuRSE crosses downleft, í)auses at exit, Curtsies.
FooL dumps QUEEN and moues down centre,)
FooL Lear'S daughters. Three princesses creeping
down the stairs, learning about afather, who is
also a king.
(Going downstairs.)
(GONERIL, REGAN, CoRDELIA centre stage. FooL
circles the sisters and as each one speaks mirrors
actjons andwords. FooL frsf looks at GONERIL
andturns sud^denlg and.points CoRDELIA.)
'o
219
WTG AND FEINSTEIN

CORDELIA The flrst time I go downstairs, I run,
bare foot cold on the stone steps. Careful I tell
myself. Slow down. Don't slip. But I have to run
because of the shadows. In my new white shift,
satin rustling as I go downstairs. Lookíng up,
there is a huge oak door, with a handle high
above my head. I reach up, wanting to be let in,
banging my hands on the door until it opens.
There are too many lights and too many faces.
And then the one face, cl,ear and sharp, stooping
right down and swinging me high above the
floor, up to the ceiling, up to the rafters. In a
giant's arms, my feet are touching the sky, and
then . . . down. The sme11 of a breath, warm and
sweet, soft iips wet on my cheek, bristles
scratching my chin and neck, and down on to
the table, and I turn, holding my skirt, round
and round. Look, Daddy, look, Daddy, look,
1ook, look.
(roor touches REGAN.)
REGAN I'm not scared going downstairs. It's dark
and very late. Goneril is asleep, lying across her
(holds up little finger - it is straight) and it's never
been straight since. Look. (bends little finger)
(FooL moues dounstage. Looks at notes - the
running order.)
The Guided Tour. (r'ool- walks round centre
stage) The nursery. Books, paints, a knife - for
catving - and a Nanny. Down the stairs the
parlour -l,ace, cake, a knife - for slicing -
medicines, honey, account books - to keep
things in order.
NuRsE (inteiects) And the Nurse.
FooL Down the stairs. The.dining room. The
kitchen. The storeroom. The Counting House -
for the king! A knife - for the guard. And
Qloints) the Fool's room. (moues to its spot) And
underneath, the sewers, full of Rats. Now. (gefs
comfg) The Fooi.
3"!
When I was born, nothing happened. There ,!
was no bright star, no hurricane, no visitors
came from afar. Obviously my parents hadn't i
read the right books so my arrival was
1

completely over1ooked. i
bed, with one hand and foot hanging over the
side, frowning and talking in her sleep, like she
ú
always does. Cordelia is sleeping curled up tight Scene 4 lt
in a ball. Sheets and blankets wrapped tight
around her. And I am on my own. Downstairs I The Fool and Sisters
go, breathing shallow and seeing nobody. The
o
(FooL moues Centre stege and joins
and sisters n
stairs are rough on my feet. Passing a door I
hear men's voices shouting and calling. The
NANNY. GONER]L stands at thebacklooking out of
window. FooL is counting its moneg.)
]
door is open and looking in, 1 can see my
[!
Father. He is singing, banging his fist on the CORDELIA What was your father like?
table, not quite in tune, not quite in time, And FooL Don't know. Gl
his arm is around Mother's neck. I think it's REGAN What was your mother 1ike?
Mother. He has ahand inside her dress, holding FooL (Concentratlng) Don't know. nt
her breast. Not tender, he's just holding her. CORDELIA How long have youbeen here? ol
And Mother's face. It is Mother. I'm certain it is. FooL Notlong.
Her face is blank, without expression, 1ike a REGAN How old are yotl?
figure made of wax. I'm scared now. (turns back FooL WoIk or pieasure?
to mirror) REGÁN What?
FooL Is this question work or pleasure?
(r o ot touche§ GoNERIL.) REGAN Pleasure.
GONERIL The first time I go downstairs, I sit on FooL Don't know.
his throne to see what it is like. It has a high REGAN Work then, f,
back, carved and uncomfortable. He ]ikes that,
(roor holds out hand. REGÁN giues ít a coin.)
]ikes to fee1 its weight behind his back. lt is so
big my feet cannot reach the edge. I stay on a FooL What was thé question? ú
long time, sitting quietly, looking about me. REGAN Howold areyol? q
When he comes in, I am smiling, and he is FooL seventeen.
angry because he knows what I am thinking and CORDELIA How do you know?
I smile on - because I want him to know. FooL It'S a feeling I've got.
(r o or addresses audience.)
REcAN And what's thaqfeel like7
FooL Time for acttange.
FooL The first time I went downstairs I was CORDELIA What were you before you Came
pushed. And it bloody hurt. I broke my finger here?
 {ÜnÉL-

LEAR,S DAUGHTERS

s never FooL I was a singer called Somers. Not with a'U' demeans his status - he is a demi-god. He has
W) you understand, as in summeí and winter, but competed against the best and won. His
with an 'O', as in some and none. countrymen weep with pride, and disbelief.
hc
GONERIL You're lying. Nanny woke Fool at 4 a.m.
FooL I am not. I was a singer of filthy and NURSE (interjects) It's time.
wanton songs and I heard voices. For money. FooL It practised smiling in the mirror (mimes

il
üre
l- for GONERIL I meant it's a lie that you haven't been smiling in a mirror) and put on its man's man
he here long. You were here when I was little. suit.
FooL That was some other Foo1. (Ltghts up on centre §íagd. GONERIL at window,
Ep GoNERIL That Foo1 looked exactly 1ike you. REGAN stands on tl"unk. C]RDELIA crossas fo

il
FooL It's the clothes, they come with the job. And mirror.)
the expression. (it smiles bightlg) It's a tradition,
te there's always been a Foo1. GONERIL He's been away fot a very 1ong time.
REGAN I am up even before Nurse, watching a
iru§€ -

il
(GoNERIL is about to speak but returns instead to watery sun creep up oveT the fields.
'
theuindow.) CORDELIA Nanny makes me spit on her apíon So
)Ánd she can wipe a piece of dirt from my cheek.
r_ (gds. REGAN What did you mean, you heard voices for
money? GONERIL I am so excited. I have missed him so

il
tere FooL Heard voices, had fits, saw devils, foamed much.
Drs at the mouth. Standard stuff. I did it to frighten REGAN We are going to get out.
rrln't the godless into returning to the faith. (CoRDELIA cross€s dotun to left stage. GoNERIL
Sometimes I fell backwards into fires, but that moues down stage to centTe. F.EGAN stands to ight

il
Cost extla. o/connntr,.)
REGAN You did that for money? GONERIL I am going to see him again. Touch him
FooL Of course. Skilled work. Did you expect me again. Sme1l him. He always smells 1ovely.
to do it for the good of my soul and a bowl of REGAN It is drizzLing,
soup? GoNERIL It is November but it is mild. The sky is

H
CORDELIA Are you aínar' or awornan? clear, crisp blue. No nin - a77 dry.
üld. FooL Depends who's asking. CORDELIA Goneril and Regan look beautiful.
rg out of REGAN Well, which? REGAN Cordelia chatters 1ike some excited lace-

ll
FooL Which would you rather? It's all the same to covered guinea-fowl.
me. CORDELIA Nanny holds me high above her head.
GONERIL How can you? (FooL looks at her) How It makes me laugh,
can you be so . . . accommodating? GONERIL Cordelia isn't very well - sniffir and
FooL It's what I'm paid for. Time's up. crying at the slightest thing.

fl CORDELIA If you weren't a Fool, what would you

be?
FooL Time'S up. (REGAN hands rooy another
REGAN Goneril sits with her hands, two tight fists
balled up in her 1ap. She doesn't want him
home.
coin)What was the question? GoNERlL Regan keeps wriggling at my side.

n CORDELIA If you weren't a Foo1, what would you

be?
FooL A dog with no masteIs.
REGAN There are crowds ofpeople in the streets,
mud-spattered and sodden.
GONERIL So many ordinary people have turned

lt . out to greet him.

Scene 5 CORDELIA I can see nothing but people's
backs as they leap and stretch higher and
ú,t)
higher.
Lear returns tfiumpthant from a
REGAN When they See ouT coach they surge
qrorting tournement

il
forward.
GONERIL Cheering and singing.
(It stafts to rain. poor mimes getttng uet.)
REGAN Something soft and rotten-smelling hits
FooL Three princesses sitting in a room, listening the side of my face.
to the rain fal], and hoping for the sun. GONERIL They love him.
Lear returns triumphant from some sporting REGAN It slides slowly down my jaw and neck.
touTnament. At sixty-five he is sti1l the most They are sti11 shouting, but their faces have
ágile horseman andbest archer. The title'King' changed.

221
 WTG AND FEINSTEIN

GONERIL It isholiday. He has come home.

a 'If she isn't with me then she must be with . . .'
REcAN The coachbegins to rock vio]ently. Three means a private detective.
CORDEL]A The people cheer and cry so I do as Three sisters, playing in the nursery, with the
we11. mother who sells, but not the mother who
GONERIL 1 can see him in the distance. buvs.
CoRDELIA The crowd slowly parts and there he is. Three daughters, visiting in the parlour, with
GONERIL He is so upright. the mother
CORDELIA I'd forgotten his face. who's paid and the mother who's paying,
GONER]L I can see no-one else in this huge crowd
- just him.
CORDELIA He reaches towards Mother and,kisses Scene 6
her. She lets go of my hand.
GoNERIL He smiles, parts his lips, shows his The sisters and theír Mother
teeth. He puts one hand on my shoulder. and
pushes me away. (FooL is QUEEN. Stands centre stage with ueil.
Sisters and NANNY úr?f€r. NANNY stands to side.
CORDELIA He puts his hand on oul heads one at a
Sisters stand around QUEEN. As theg ask their
time as if he is healing us.
questíons, the sisters circlethe QUEEN. NANNY
GoNER]L And then he lifts Cordelia high into the
aír and kisses her on each cheek. claps her hands as sisters enter.)
REGAN We don't even get out of the coach, GONERIL He1lo majesty.
CoRDELIA He lifts me back into the coach and REGAN Mother.
Father, Mother, my sisters andl are all together CoRDELIA Majesty.
again. NANNY Curtsy to the Queen.
REGAN Mother leaves our coach and joins him in CoRDEL]A He]lo Mother.
his. REGAN Majesty.
GONERIL Throughout the drive back to the castle GoNERlL Mother.
I look out of the window. NÁNNY Kiss your mother.
REGAN I want to lay my head on Goneril's 1,ap,but
that space is sti1l occupied by her fists. (Sisíers klss qulnN. She flinches.)
GONER]L As Nanny takes us awaylte touches my REGAN Do you like my hair?
cheek. coRDELIÁ Daddy likes mv hair, nq
CoRDEL]A We all 1ove each other. REGAN Do you 1ike it? l
GoNERIL I don't fee1 it. FooL (QUEEN) Do Ilike it? (looks at NÁNNY) Do I n
CORDELIA I don't remember everything, but 1ike it?
when I do, I remember exactlg. CoRDELIA Do you like my dress?
0d
FooL Theíe are only three things I can't Rffi
GONERIL Come and See my painting.
remember. I can't remember names. I can't G{t
CORDELIA Do you like it?
remember faces and I've forgotten what the GONERiL I'm painting heaven.
cil
üird thing nffi
is. CORDELIA Do you 1ike the colour of it?
G,m
\If they'd only been the two instead of three, GONER]L Why do we have a sun and a moon?
R]EG
1things might have been different. REGAN Do you like it?
l.^ c,[N|
,'Cos two is nice, it'S manageab]e. CORDEL]A Am I too young to wearblack?
&m
Ét'smore easily understandable. NANNY You are tiring the Queen!
c{Dl
Two is one - holding hands with another. REGAN Can I go out?
jFirst and last, Gloil
GoNERIL Why are we always shut in?
,Bottom and top, nEG
CORDELIA Do you 1ike it?
'Master and servant, GONERIL Canwe go out with you?
col
lMother and child. Foo
REGAN Canwe go out?
]Two is what one is, and the other isn't, a §ÁM
CORDELIA Can I do a handstand?
ipair. REGAN Can I go out?
iWhereas three. You're asking for troubie, CoRDELIÁ I can stand on my head.
F
iBad news travels in threes. GONERIL Do you ever go out? Foo
: Three splits two into half, leaving piggy in trrél1 NANNY Keep your voice down. [t
i middle, li 6,,
:'"
CORDELIA Can you stand on your head?
{r
i Two against one. GONERIL Do you ever go out? fl

Z22

-ilF*-
bl .,. ,;;::"a+ulu.e, "

,F.
LEAR,S DAUGHTERS
l|

h_.. FooL (QUEEN; He doesn't}ike shouting. FooL ThTee pnncesseslistening Öown the stairs
coRDELIA Do you stand on your head for Daddy? with the mother who 1ives - for the mother who
r the FooL (QUEEN; Keep your voice down. is dying.
üo coRDELIA Do you like it?
NÁNNv He won't 1ike these boys' manners. Scene 7
íith CoRDELIA Why are you always inbed?
FooL (QUEEN; I don't like these boys' manneís, The Nurse and the §rsfars
REGÁN Do you like it? (GoNERIL standsloollng out of uindow. REGAN is
coRDELIA Does he 1ike you inbed? sithng on trur,rk, NaNNv brushes CoRDELIA's hair
FooL (QUEEN) Stop these boys' manners!
dolan stage.)
CORDELIA Are you going to have ab_Úy?
NÁNNY You are not aboy. REGAN Te11 us about when we were little.
GONER]L Why does tte want aboy? GONERIL Cordelia's stil1 little.
FooL IQUEEN) You ale not aboy. NURSE You are a1l sti11 small.
d GoNERlL Why do you want aboy? REGAN Smaller then.
§ide. NURSE When Goneril was very smal1 you weren't
FooL (QUEEN) You aíe not aboy.
cn REGAN Do you wantaboy? there. (looks af CORDELIA) And neither were
NY FooL (QUEEN) Do I want a boy? (looks at NANNY) you.
REGAN Are you §ick? REGÁN No, do when we were al1 three there.
CORDEL]A Why don't you have aboy? NURSE Even Lear?
GONERIL Are you sick? REGAN (pause) Yes.
CORDELIA Will he be cross? NURSE Once, Lear had notbeen there, and then
REGAN Is that why you're sick? suddenly he was. It rained for forty days and
CoRDELIA Is he cross with you? nights before he came home and when he did,
GONERIL Is that why you're sick? the sun came out. The king walked over the
CORDELIA Does he 7ike yoa? water to meet us.
GoN§-R\L He likes Cordelia. CORDELIA over the wateí?
REGAN Is that why you're sick? GONERIL (fo CORDELIA) OveI abridge.
CORDELIA Does he love you? NURSE Yes. That's better. over a bridge. We had
GONERIL Do you love him? to build abridge to get to him. The Queen
REGAN Are you sick? ctosseü ttre brróge atrü e.r er5bod5 trad to ctreqt .
GONERIL Had to?
(§isfers stop circling QuEEN. Start pulling at ueil.) NURSE Yes. (smoothly) Because it was important
Y)DoI to see the Queen at Lear's side.
CORDELIA Wi11 you die? CORDELIA Then did we ctoss over?
REGAN What wi11 happen to us? NURSE I think Sol yes.
GONERIL If you die? REGAN Who went first?
CORDELIA Are you going to die? NURSE I can't remember.
REGAN Who wi11 be Queen? REGAN Ibet I did.
GONERIL If you die? GoNERlL In order of age.
on? REGAN Will itbe Goneril? CORDELIA Youngest first.
CORDELIA What wi1l happen to us? REGAN We went across the bridge together.
GONERIL Ifyou die? Everybody cheered. Nanny went quite deaf with
CORDELIA Will Nanny be our mother? the cheering.
GONERIL If you die? NURSE Did I?
REGAN Mother? REGAN Daddy gave you a plesent.
CORDEL]A Mother, wi1l you die? NuRsE (Iaughing) Did he?
FooL (QUEEN) Stop! CORDELIA It was cake.
NANNY Stop! NI]RSE Was it?
REGAN You were there.
(QunnN collapses to floor.) NURSE Was I? (pause) If you want me there.
FooL Knock, knock, who's there? GONER]L No. (slorzlg, concentrahng. She moues to
(nool shrugs shouldersin answer.) NANNv) Nanny stayed on this side of the bridge.
NURSE That is my place. (curtsies fo GONERIL)
(r'oot picks up ueil and caries it carefullg, draped
ouer its arms, back to its spot.) (Silence.)
 WTG ÁND FEINSTEIN

GONERIL (measured) I stayed with Nanny. (smiles REGÁN You'll be fine, You'll be fine.
af NÁNNY) GoNtRlL Will it take long?
REGAN So did I. REGAN No, I don't think so.
CORDELIA And so did the Queen. So Daddy must
have come to us- íCoRDELlA enters.)
NURSE Yes, he must have come to uS. coRDELIA He said I'm his special girl and I've got
coRDELIA (satisfied\ One big happy family. to 1ook after him, I'm not going.with you, I've
FooL (QUEEN) (offcentre srage) Nurse! Nurse! got to hold his hand. (GoNERIL goes to trunk.
(Theg all look off. Knol, QuEEN has died. NuRsE REGAN slumps onbench) Nanny! (NURSE enters)
goes off. GoNERIL takes ouer brushing Daddy says Mummy's gone to hvó with God and
CoRDELIA's hair. coBnnrle shotas pain.) I canwear a long black dre ss with gloves. Get
me ready.
CORDEL]A Stop it, Goneril, you're hurting me. NURSE Turn around.
CoRDELIA He said Mummy would be pieased to
(GoN ERIL stops brushing. Pain continues.)
know she'd ieft everything in such good hands,
CORDELiA Goneril, stop itl lt's pulling. Goneri1, Do you think she can see us now?
please, stop it, you're hurting me! Stop it, NURSE Keep your head still.
Goneril, stop it! CORDELIA He said when we come out of the
church al1 the people will cheer when I stand
next to him because I will be so brave. Do you
Scene B think they will?
NURSE There you are. You'll do.
F7.tneral prep aratíonl CORDELIA (turns to look in mirror) oh. Look,
FooL (putting ueil down in bundle) The Queen is Nanny, look, I look really grown up. Just like a
dead! Long 1ive the Queen! Bui who will take Queen.
her place at the King's right hand? Cordeiia the REGAN (sharylg) Goneril. Look.
favourite, Goneril the eldest, or Regan the (GONERIL c/oss6s to windou.t. Looks at NURSE.
outsider? NURSE goes to window.)
(CORDELIA leaues centre srage. GONERIL goes to CORDELIA What is it?
trunk and puts head on hands. nncaN picűs up
hair brush from floor.) (GoNERIL indicates ío NANNY to take C}RDEL]A
aulay quicklg. NANNv looks out of the window)
REGAN We'd better get changed. We can't go
downstairs dressed like this. NURSE Come with me.
6coNnnrr, ls=
shaking. REGAN cTosses to her) Don't cry. (REGAN (izlzlren NuRsn and Coxorlla haue gone, REGAN
comforts her) Don't cry . . . you're laughi.,gt Stop and connRtl look to the window agáin, after a
it! Why are you 1aughing? while yncaN furns away.)
(GONERIL stops. Shakes head.) GONER]L How can he? Today.
RtGAN He's disgusting.
GONERIL He'll be vely upset. He'll have to GONERIL He's got his hand right up her skirt.
manage on his own now. REGAN Anyone Can see him. Not just us, Doesn't
(They b^oth start to laugh. roor laughs quietlg taith he cate?
GONER]L He's unbuttoning himself.
m
them offstage. They stop laughing.)
REGAN Come away.
fi
t
REGAN How will we ma:nage without her? GONERIL He's so. . . How darehe? q
GONERIL Don't worry. I'11 take care of everything
noW.
RECAN Who is she?
GONERIL I don't know.
c
REGAN We should change. REGAN Doesn't she mind him pawing her 1ike
ill
GoNERIL No. He'll be down there all in black. that? d
mt
Dressed for sorrow. We'tl be fine as we ale.
(They smile. REGAN turns away) Regan. I feel
(Theg turn awag from window.) d
ml
sick. GoNERIL What will happen now? Do you think he
will marry her? ,ill
(GONERIL holdsher stomach. Cies.) REGAN I don't know. d
il
224

-*-..qt.-
 ? LEAR,S DAUGHTERS

GoNERIL If he does he'11 have a son. I know it. (FooL is astonished. Mouth falls open.)
He'l1 try unti1 he does. I'11 never be Queen.
Time's up. You 1ose.
(FooL enters fromlefl, ulhistling'Sing a song of FooL Not fair. Not fair,
§xpence'. Circles centre stage and then looks out of NURSE You 1ose. You owe me one favour.
and I've got uindnu ouer shoulders oíGoNERIL azrd RncaN.) FooL Can't make me.
you, I've NURSE True. But you've got an aptitude for
FooL (laughing Sings) Wasn't that a dainty dish to
b trunk. servitude.
set before the King? (FooL returns to its spot.
*,sE enters) Whistlas) Time passes. (whistles) It rains. And
FooL oh! A rhyming game. Snotty.
NURSE Botty.
ith God and every spling the river outside the castle
rve§. Get ovetflows, flooding the sewers and disturbing
FooL (hooting andlaughing) Potty.
the rats. (pause) one morning a stone is thrown
NURSE Clotty.
through the window, breaking the glass and
FooL Not a word. S' not a word. You lose, I win!
pleased to Oh, Nanny, Nanny. Can 1 sleep in your bed
cracking the mirror. It 1ands in the middle of the
pd hands. floor. (makes popping sound. 9isters centre stage
tonight? (leansbackwards across NuRSE's lap)
look at spot and then turn awau in boredom) Leat
NURSE Can I afford it?
takes to riding in his carriage with the shutters
FooL I'1l waive the fee.
of the down and going the long way round to avoid the NuRsE (to audience) Now that's what I ca1l a joke.
r l stand crowds, And the Fool amuses the Nanny, and FooL Would you prefer it if I set aprice? It can be
l- Do you the Nanny amuses the Foo1, as they wait for the artanged.
rain to stop. NuRsE Well, at least I could complain then if I
wasn't pleased. (roor turns fromher, sulking)
I.ook, Foo1 feeling hult? (FooL sirlks) I thought Foo1
Scene 9 was above such things. You're a funny Fool.
tust like a
What are you after?
The Nurse tells the Fool the storg FooL I'm after everyone else. I'm an
of the Píed Piper afterthought. Oh, tell me a story, Nanny. Tell
NURSE. me the one about the Fool who becomes rich
(FooL crosses to stage ight to íhe NANNY'S and famous, inherits the earth and travels the
Spot ) sky on arnagic calpet. That's my favourite,
FooL (sings) Nanny put the kettle on, NURSE oh, that one.
oRDELIÁ
Nanny put the kettle on, Fooi There's no such tale.
indou,) NURSE Please yourself.
Nanny put the kettle on,
We'll a11 7tave tea? FooL Nanneeey. (beggtng) Nanny, Nanny.
NURsE Alright, A very long way from here there
c, REGAN (NANNv is sitttng darning ueil. Pause.) is a 1and that is very beautifu1, but where it is
'after a
NURSE Who's there? always raining. The 1and is full of tiny towns
FooL Nanny. and villages. Ifyou 1ook at it from above they
NURSE Nannywho? are scattered about 1ike crumbs of cake. And in
FooL Nanny your business. the middle of it all there is a river, and by the
skirt. river a castle.
-Doesn't (NuRsE s,?orfs. FooL laughs.) FooL I know the very spot.
FooL I'm tired and I'm hungry. (fed-up) Is there NuRSE And over the castle the sun always
anything in the pantry? shines. And in the castle there lives a king and
NURSE Empty. ali his court. Landowners, merchants, clerics,
FooL Game? bankers.
NURSE out ofseason. FooL YeS, yes, what about me?
FooL No! Word game. Empty. NURSE And every so often the people look up
r like NURSE Full. from their work in the fields and hold their
FooL Stomach. babies up high to see the castle because it looks
NURSE Pregnant. so beautiful. But each day it gets harder for them
FooL Queen. to do this because ofone thing.
t think he NURSE Princess. FooL The debris of a passing swan. (whistles,
FooL Goned1. mimes splat in eye)
NURSE (tiumphantlg) Regan. NURSE RatS.

aaq
 _ij§E:llF-

rr-TG FEINSTEIN
^ND

I
FooL Rat§?
NURSE But that evening the
NURSE Big, hungry rats, scavenging for food,
FooL Fool
trampling down the meagre crops, scampering
NURSE is back
in and out of the mean houses. Ánd one-day
FooL Good!
there comes a terrible famine. And then the rats
NuRsE outside the castle, playing a different tune,
move.
and out of the wet flelds and diiches, out of the
FooL Move? Move where?
mean houses, come the children, mud-
NuRsE Into the castle, where food is sti1l ptentiful.
splattered and sodden.
And by day the king and his men struggie with
FooL No.
the poor that batter against their gatei"begging
NuRsE And as the ki-ng and his men 1ook out of
for food, andby night with the rais that rá
the castle windows, they see the shadows fil1
through their stores and kitchens gnaw even at
I with.this dark army, and, strangest of all in this
the king's throne.
strange story, as they look at the children's teeth
FooL Yes, yes, gnaw, gnaw, nibble, nibble, what glinting in the'moon]ight, at the long fingers
about me?
scratching at the doors, the men seJnot-
NURSE This is you now.
children but
FooL Good.
NURSE But then one day there comes into the (FooL gags NURSE,)
castle a strange figure who is called the
FooL Rabbits.
FooL Fool. NuRsE rats. Clambering up the walls, scrabbling
NURSE No-one knows whether this
through the slits in the windows, chewing their
FooL Fool way up through the thick walls and floorq
NURSE is a woman oí ar.r.an] for it has a woman's
whetting their teeth against the stones.
voice, but walks with the carriage and stature of
FooL No!
a man. The
p'oor, Fool l NURsE And soon they have gnawed the flesh from
the bodies of the king and his men, picking over
NURSE announces itself as a rat-catc|ter
the bones and leaving every one bare.
L (triumphantlg) Ha-Ha!
oo
F

NuRsE and offers

FooL What about my money? You've forgotten
to rid the place of the vermin. about my money. (angnly)
The king and his men agree and ask the
NURSE As dawn breaks over the town, the song
FooL Fool of
the
NURSE what the
FooL Fool FooL Foo1
NURSE changes
NURSE would like in return and the
FooL Fool FooL to one of demand
NuRsE and, chattering and tumbling, the
NURSE replies
FooL money.
roor gold coins
NuRSE children
NURSE So it is agreed.
FooL LotS of it,
FooL fall into ű
NURSE íun into l. i

NURSE Whereupon the

FooL the Fool's lap. §m
FooL Fool NuRSE the fields where the Fool waits for them
NURSE draws out its pipe (rool mimes smoking Fuq
and they follow across the fields and are never
pipe) andbegins to play, (FooL chenges to
seen again. I
playin^g,a pipe) so that the rats .-u.r.,"to follow, FooL No, no, no, üút
o,ut of the castle, into the river, into ffi,@
which they N URSE But sometimes
all plunge and drown.
FooL No. üü
FooL Ha Ha! And now I get paid. r-m
NURSE at night
NURSE No sooner has this happened than the lM
king FooL No.
and his court fepent of theii targain, refusing rm3
to N U RSE the sound of music
pay the
FooL No. üm
FooL Swine! NURSE and laughter
mm
NU,R.SE Fool its fee, saying 'Why should we
pay FooL No. mq
this creature, neither man nol woman?' and, m@q
NURSE canbe heard
they drive it from the land.
FooL No.
í
FooL Never! q
NURSE as though íiom a
@
l
226
i
l
 LEAR,S DAUGHTERS

FooL No! FooL (LEAR) What? Pardon?

NURSE (shouting) Better World. CORDELIA I'm . . . (she going to retr)eat aboue) I'm
FooL lt's stopped. The rain's stopped. Ha,ha,ha. tired, Daddy. Cordelia tired.
(triumphantly) FooL (LEAR) Spin. Spin. Spin.
dífferent tune, CORDELIA Spin for Daddy. (begtns to spin)
rcs. out ofthe (FooL c/ossas back to downleft.)
FooL (LEAR) Don't let me down, darling. There's
mud- my peach.
Scene 70 CoRDELIA There's my peach.
FooL (LEAR) Such 1ovely hair and 1ips.
l look out of Inuestment CoRDELIA And tongues
hedows fill FooL (LEAR) Spin.
t of all in this (roor takes piece of paper. Reads.) CoRDELIA and bulging eyes,
bf,dren's teeth FooL scene One, Fool introduces play. Good. FooL (LEAR) Spin.
ng fingers (reads. Keeps paper) Scene Two, Nanny and the CoRDELIA shouting and cheering.
:e not princesses. Scene Three, Nanny and the Queen, FooL (LEAR) Shouting and cheering.
Fool is Queen. Good. (keeps paper) Scene Foat. CoRDELIA I'm falling. No. I don't wa6t to,
(reads paper) Princess, princess, pdncess. Scene Cordelia not want to be Daddy's girl. (coRDELIA
Ten, Nanny tells a11 about her 1ove 1ife? (spits. collapses on floor)
Crumbles paper and throtus it aside) Scene
scrabbling (REGAN enteTs up ight. Crosses to doun centre,
l" Eleven, princess, prin. . . (reads quicklg) AIt. thenback to window.)
hewing their Scene Thirteen Foo1 talks about investment,
l floors, Investmentis. . . (rhinks) Investmentis . . . REGAN Nurse!
ne§. Money, cash, dosh, 1o11y, crinks, ackets, makes (NURSE enters.)
the world go round, doubloons, duckets, crowns,
|heflesh from pieces of eight, muck and brass. Money - What happened the night Mother died?
Ticking over Investment. (pluts coin doun front of skirt. Mimes NURSE I don't understand.
rubbing tummu) Nest egg, pension, taken care of, REGAN The night she died. I can't remember_ You
: forgotten rainy day, looked after, old age. (smiles, waits, and us, what happened?
starts to uiggle as if erupnon under skit,t. Looks NURSE I put you all to bed, you were over-tired- I
r, üe song of under skirt, Gasps with delight Gasps. Reaches sat up watching in case you were di§tuöed_
under slctrt and pulls out fool doll. Cradles it as Cordelia cried out, but you slept soundly.
child)Investment. Three princesses a1l grown REGAN What else?
older, thinking about their father and counting NURSE You wanted a story, so I told you one.
the cost. REGAN About what, about Mother?
the NURSt About all oiyou.
(CoRDELIA centre stage, lookíng in mirror. yooy REGAN Te11 me. (NURSE doesnotrespond)Te7l
stags in its place. CORDELIA humming 'Polly put me!
thekettle on'.)
(NuRSE cros§cs to tnmk and síts.)
FooL (LEAR) Cordelia, where's my Cordelia?
CORDELIA Here Father - here I am. NURSE I told you of the time youI FatheT Came
i for them FooL (LEAR) Oh, see my pletty chick. Come my home and you all went to meet him.
l are never pretty, dance for Daddy. REGAN over the bridge.
CORDELIA For you, only for you? NURSE YeS.
FooL (LEAR) Of course for me. REGAN I remember. You brushed our hair.
CORDELIA But everyone is watching. NURSE I often did.
FooL (LEAR) Don'tbe silly. REGAN You brushed our hair and you were lying.
CORDELIA I'm shy, NURSE No.
FooL (LEAR) You'te not fuying. REGAN He came to uS. It rained for forty days.
CORDELIA I'm too big. when he came home the sun came out. It was
FooL (LEÁR) Spin for Daddy. lies.
CoRDELlÁ I can't. NURSE It was a story. You were a1l upset. It WaS
FooL (LEAR) Spin! (CoRDEuapícksup skitt) for comfort.
Gather round gentlemen, please. Show them REGAN Teli me about Mother.
Lear's baby. NURSE HoW?
CoRDELIA I'm not your baby. REGAN What was she 1ike?

ZZ/

}
WTG AND FEINSTEIN

NURSE She was a beautiful woman, but delicate, NURSE How 1ong?
REGAN Two months.
j-{
űl
A11 perfume and7ace.
M{
REGAN YeS. (NuRSE putshandon REGAN's stomach. Shakes
d
@@q
NuRSE When she married your father, it was a head. ynceN exits.)
1ove-match.
(GoNERlL enters.) űd
RtGAN You're lying again. @{
NURSE She meant the world to him. GoNERIL Nurse? Where's Cordelia? í@
REGAN How did she die? NURSE Downstairs, with your father.
NuRSE She was delicate. GONERIL Regan? M
REGAN What did Father do? NURSE Downstairs. (GONERIL looks) In the cellars GelW
NURSE It was a love-match. 1ooking for wood. Why don't you paint? :Mn!
REGAN Te1l me the truth. Tel1 me the truth, Tell GoNER]L It's raining too hard. I can't see the ffiMili
me the truth!
colours. (silence) Have you been down there? fl
cüi
(REGAN walks towards NuRsE.) NURSE Where? d
GoNERIL The cellars.
NURSE Alright. I used to hear him in the room
NURSE Ofcourse.
,below, whining on at her to 1et him fuck her, He GONERIL I went down there once. When I was
.,l
ii wouldn't give up on her having a son. She very smaii. Father took me. I couldn'tbelieve it, Mq
always gave in, that's why she was always tired,
Rooms and rooms of food, a1l those cheeses and
d
REGAN A love-match.
flour and racks of meat, hanging from the
NURSE Shebrought alarge dowry. Substantial,
She was beautiful.
ceiling. ,&
NURSE We're wel1 provided for against the bad
REGAN And when she died?
NuRsE Miscarriage. Her third. Cordelia had weather. E
finished it for her. She died in the night so he GONERIL He took me down all these corridors, I
mM
\

was spared abedside scene. I was not. I had
been up all night. I was tired. He came in the
morning to 1ook at the Queen, lying in her white
dress. I'd cleaned her up andlatd her out. He
]ooked at her for a long moment arrd then he
stormed out.
REGAN We saw him, Goneri1 and I, out of the
window. The day of the funeral.
NuRSE Yes. She wasirnportanttohim. She
otganizedthe budget. Looked after his interests,
Night after night when he wasn't with heí,
adding and subtracting to balance the figures,
REGAN Did she 1ove us?
NuRsE Oh yes, when she had the time. She took
you all away once. She came in here with his
light all around her, 1ike a net. We sat in the
shadows and she told me she wanted to leave
him and take ali of you with her. I said nothing
- packed ourbelongings in the trunk. I should
have guessed but I never did until the time
came that I wasn't to go as well. I took my
cloak from the trunk and came in here and I
never moved for three days. But in the
end she had to bring you back. And then it was
a11 up with us and no-one ever 1eft again
exceptby his say-so. She didn't have 1ong after
that.
REGAN No.
(N U RS E gets up and mou es fo RE G A N .
face and examines ít.)
could hardly keep up and then he stopped and
ül
fumbled in his pocket and took out a key, He {E
opened a door and pushed me inside. And the d
room was fu1l of goid. Everywhere clowns, fr
coins, breastplates, gold bars, a11 glowing in the
W
candlelight. I nevel knew that gold had so many el
colours, He shut the door and bent down to me í
and whispered, 'When you ale Queen, this wii1
be yours. This will be our secTet - just you and
L
q
me - and you mustn't te11.'And then he put his ,t
hand (sílence) on my shoulder. I never did tel1 ü
anyone. (she smiles) Unti1 now. (NuRsE §49s
nothing) I went looking for that room again,
l
once. The night Father came home and the
,r
mM
crowds cheered and he pushed me away to kiss il,W
Cordelia. I couldn't find it. I must have taken a fi
wíong turning and I came into this corridor, q
with a torch shining at the end of it, and set into
thefloor... fi
NIJRSE YeS.
GONERIL Bars. As I walked past, these hands ,&
q
came out from them, clawing and scratching,
]
Nanny. There were peopie in there. Shut in, I
don't know how many. By him. He's the king,
He must know they're there.
(GoNERIL moues back to the window.)
NURSE He knows.
Holds her GoNERIL I can't put it all together. This is our
secret. Just you and me. And the cheering
 LEAR,S DAUGHTERS

crowds and those people. Can you? (the NuRsE GONERIL No.
can't speak) And now this. REGAN Why not?
gch. Shakes NURSE What? GONERIL I'm too busy.
GONERIL This. (holds out ledger) He came in last REGAN You have to Come. It's our celebration.
night and pushed it at me. 'Your mother used to GONERIL I must finish this.
do this sp you cannow.'It's the accounts. REGAN Come down with me.
Column§ and columns of figures. GONERIL No.
NURSE I know.
(\ilence.)
(Silence.)
REGAN Goneril.
In the cellars
GONER]L I have to get out ofthis place soon. GONERIL What?
xint?
NURSE You will. REGAN This wedding. (there is silence) What do
t see the
GoNERrí (At taindaw) There he is now. Going out you feel about it?
nt,n üere? GONERIL Nothing.
riding, Something must have annoyed him, to go
out riding in this weatheí. How sma1l he looksl REGAN I don't understand.
from up Úere. a wooden man on a wooden l GONERIL I fee1 nothing about it.
horse. REGAN Do you want this marriage?
|hen I was
GoNERIL Wanting doesn't come into it.
h'tbelieve it. (NURSE exits. Curtsies fo GoNERIL. Lights down
REGAN When I lie in bed at night, I can feel my
cheeses and centre stage. Lights up o,1? FooL.)
heart beating so fast, it's 1ike I'm living at twice
l

Dm üe the pace. I'm running out of 1ife. How can you

Scene 77 feel nothing about it?
st the bad GONERIL It's our job. It's what we're here for. To
Fool introduce 8 melTiage rnarry andbreed.
corridors, I REGAN Like dogs?
;topped and FooL LeaI letuíns triumphant from yet another
GoNERIL Like dogs. Valuable merchandise. I can
a key. He sporting tournament . . . Grouse-shooting! Lear's
show you the figures here ifyou like.
l€_ And the countlymen grow thin, his coffers fat. So, Plenty REGAN I'm scared.
crowns, of grouse about. And remember that at seventy-
GONERIL It's what we're here for.
xr-ing in the five he is sti11 the most agile horseman and REGAN I'm going to have ababy. Seven monÜs'
had so many (mímes flging an arrow) archer. Nanny! If a trap's
time. Nurse says.
dorvn to me calg7,tt thlee íats, can the one in the middle
GONERIL How could you be so stupid?
en, üis will survive? (NURSE looks coldly aí FooL) No, REGAN Oh Goneril? I'm not stupid, but I'm not
ust you and because it's dead-centre! The river is rising
stone, írot dead. You, you've always been the
n he put his again. But how to stop the tide of unrest? What
first, the cleverest, the best, and Cordelia, she's
did tell
g.er did one king say to anotheT when the flood came the, the pretty, the lovable, Lear's darling. Then
RsE sa3ls in? I can't stop it, can ute? Three daughters
there's me, in the middle, neither fish nor fowl,
m again, alone can't plug a dyke. We need a finger. Three do you see? I've had nothing that's, that's for
and the fingers! (holds up three flngers)
me, just for me. I've been number two, between
awa5r to kiss FooL (LEAR) Not my little Cordelia one and three, but nothing. §o I've taken
ave taken a FooL We1l, two then. (holds up two fingers) Two
everything, can fee1 or touch
corridor, fingers to plug the dyke! One called Albany, one
or sme11 or do"\r".yt
or be, everything to try and find
, and set into
called Cornwall. somethlng, to find me, do you see?
(Lights down onEooL. Up on centre stage.) GONERIL Come here, Regan. You see these
ledgers? What do they say to you7
g hands REGAN Listen to me?
cratching. Scene 72 GONERIL You see these figures! (REGAN furn§
. Shut in, I ewaa I goes to mirror. GoNERIL pulls her back to
s the king.
§isúars ilíscuss getting mawied trunk. Forces her to look at ledger)
REGAN Let go of my arrru, (struggling)
(GoNERIL and nncaN on stage. GoNERIL is
GONERIL They say Regan, Second Daughter of
) reading ledger.)
Lear, is worth this much, and these figures here
REGAN Are you getting changed? . . . (REGAN ties to look awag) Look at them?
[is is our GONERIL No. These flgures say My Lord Duke of Cornwall,
teering REGAN Aren't you coming down? owns this much. These figures say Regan wil1

229
r-----:= rr

WTG ÁND FEINSTEIN

{rnarry Cornwall and then Cornwall will own (roor walks to window, humming the Wedding cW
I
more and Lear will get a grandson a-Jegitimate March. GoNERlL arrd RBGaN kneeling at altar. Fur
Iheir and they will a]l be contente& men) FooL stands on window seat. NIJRSE and I*áúM
I
Ho.ever, Regan, Second Daughteri-ÍLear, with coRDELlA watch.1 cNml!
lbastard child, is worth fhis much! 1cotlentl nps (d
out page from ledger, crumbles it and throws it on FooL Who gives this wo:man?
e&ilm
floor. nncarv pulls awag to mirror, staring hard (When anstueing questions REGAN, CoRDELIA, mciln;
ínto it) Get rid of it! GoNERIL alrd NuRsn all speak together and take úílL
REGAN (looking Ín mirror) I can't see your dffirent poses.) ilJr,il[
features. Your expression in the mirror. Your G|Ítm
face is blank. CoRDELlA So beautiful.
fiíilm
GoNERIL/
GONERIL You're imagining things.
;;^_'"'Ipromise, Ido, , *,u} y;:trItrí:ő c(lr!
-N§,lilil
REGAN It's him. You've got his face.
NANNY Lear triumphant.
(GoNERIL exits. Lighttng change, REGÁN pacing ü€Nful
FooL To 1ove, honour and obey.
. _ floor. NURSE enters carrging cup and cloth.) NÁNNY That is my place. That is (spoken [Gr
REGAN Will it take 1ong7 my place. happily ki
NuRsE No, I don't think so. It will hurt. GoNERIL/ !d
(REGAN nods. It is hurting alreadg.) REGAN
I promise, T do, I will.
with big
smiles) t
REGAN What was it?
CORDELIA Spin for Daddy. cffi
FooL JuSt cause or impediment? h
NURSE Rue and pennyroyal. (there is pain. REGAN
groans alouilYou mustn't Scíeam. Bite on this.
NANNY And you mustn't tell. And -\ ffÁ,m!
you mustn'i tell. tl
will.
l
(NuRSE hands RBcaN cloth. There is pain. NURSE coL[
urT;:,Z;
goes to REGAN and holds her.) i;Ji§,", I promise, ] do, I
F F
REGAN I'm going to die. You've poisoned me. CoRDELIA Just the two of us. ) rúxil
NURSE You're not going to die yet. FooL Who gives this wornan? (menacing)
&
Wp
REGAN (in pain) Please let itbe over. (pain) NANNY Lear triumphant. (loud)
Please. CORDEL]A So beautiful. (whisperet| Lc
GONERIL,/REGAN I swear to. (whispered)
(NURSE puts rag in RBGAN's mouth. REGAN M
groans. NURSE standsbehind REGAN. Holdsher.)
FooL Love, honour and obey? H
NURSE Breathe. Breathe. You have to push.
NANNY That is my place, that is my piace. ni
REGAN oh, Jesus.
(whispered)
GoNERIL/REGAN I promise. I do, I will. ,r"l
NURSE You have to. (whispered) M
RtGAN I'm frightened. CoRDELIA Spin for Daddy. (loud) .d
.lq
NURSE Push. Push. FooL JuSt cause o1 impediment7
(There is a pause.) NANNY And you mustn't tell. (louQ
CoRDELIA Just the two of us. (whisperet|
REGÁN What do I look like? G oN E RI L / RE GAN TIiumphant. (whísp er es
NuRsE You look as if you're laughing. FooL Kiss the bride. (happilg)
(There is no more pushing. nncaN collapses to CORDELIA She means the world
foor. Nunsn looks down.) to him. ) 6potrnUua
NÁNNv Shebrings alarge dowry,
It would have been a boy. ""rhappu)
GONERIL/REGAN To 1ove and
REGAN I'11 get out of here soon.
NURSE You will.
cherish. J
FooL Catch the flowers.
(Lights down Lights up on FooL.) CoRDELIA Daddy's girl,
NANNy Cordelia the favourite. | 6pot
"nUua
Scene 73 GoNERIL/REGAN To love and andhappu)
cherish, l
The uleddings FooL Cut the cake.
CoRDELIA Together again. l
FooL Two bridegrooms waiting downstairs. Two NANNr A knife for slicing. | (spoken loud
brides waiting to be swept off their feet. GONERIL/REGAN Toloveand I andhappg)
cherish. )

230
 LEAR,S DAUGHTERS

be Wedding GoNERIL/REGAN To 1ove and cherish. FooL Knock, knock.

lq at altar. FooL Kiss the bride. (menacing) NURSE Who's there?
a aJId NANNv She brings a7arge dowry. (loud) FooL Letters.
CORDELIA She means the world to him. NURSE Letters who?
(whísperedy FooL Let us in, I've got a note for you.
GONERIL/REGÁN To love and cherish. (tuhispered)
coRDELIÁ, noor, Catch the flowers. (Handsletter to NURSE. Hurriesbackto FooL's
'ler and take spot )
coRDELIA Daddy's glr1. (loud)
NANNv Cordelia the favourite. (whispered) NuRsE (openingletter, fnds moneg inside) My
GoNERIL/REGAN To love and cherish. (whispered) services are no longer required. Who does he
mkenhapptly FooL Cut the cake. think he is? who is he to throw me aside when
th big smiles) CORDELIA Toget7let affi. he no ionger wants me to do the job he chose for
NANNr A knife for sltcing. (loud) me in the first place! Oh no, I didn't choose it; I
GoNERiL/REceN Cherish. was pooí. Just like the Queen when she didn't
(spoken (GoNER]L goes for LEAR'S [FooL's] eges uith make the right sort of boy-child for him -
happily knife. Action freezes. All turn to audience, beginto finished. We11, she died, didn't she? (mimics)
tuithbig walk down stage. Chattenng, repeahng secüons of Yes, but . . . Yes but what? Why did she die?
smiles) aboue plus.) How? You don't know. I do. i was there. And
now me. How many more? How many more of
GONERIL Thank you for coming. Yes, he is
us wil1 he throw away when we no longer suit?
handsome, isn't he?
Goneril? Regan? Cordelia even? (mimics) Oh-no-
NANNY With his light shining a1l around her, like
not-Cordelia-she'11-always-fi t. Wi11 she thou§E'.fT
a net.
(spoken as CORDELIA As they Came out of the church the @the castle steps and
her head would have cracked open like an egg. I
aboue) people cheered and cried so I did as wel1.
could have taught them bad things. Have I? I've
FooL One day this will all be yours.
nearly bitten my tongue in two. And sometimes
ns) Qlushing wag to front) And the King said, 'I have I haven't bothered. Well, they've learnt. From-
decided I cannot part with you both yet, Live
me-with-me-without-me. Al1 but her. Cordelia-
here a while longer.'
Well, we'11 see, Money he gives me. Fieces of
ú)
(Silence. Then all begin to speak again. GoNERIL silver. What do I want with his gold? I had a
holding knife moues upstage. GoNERIL drops baby once. Did you know? I had to give mybaby
ace. lmife) away so that I had milk for his. Milk. When hjs
l_
REGAN Goneril! Queen died I looked at my shrunken breasts in
the bit of mirror Ihad and then I put it in the
(Chatter starts again. GONERIL slowly moues to coffin. What to do7 Eat farewe11 cake in the
window. In the chatter we hear the name parlour? Stab it to crurnbs! Leave him a note,
'GoNERIL' emerging until it turns into a collectiue
'Cordelia's mine - I swapped her at birth for
cra ) youI son. Love Nanny.' That would rock his
",d) ALL Gonelil! little world. But is it true? You'li never know. I
red) GONERIL (on window seat, as though to throw do. Walk down the stails, out of the castle,
herself out) Nanny! I can't see! The 1ace is through the city, out of the city, beyond into the
scoring into my eyes. I can't see anything. countryside, back to where I belong, people I
qnkmloud Nanny! Nannyl know. Learl There are lats gnawing at youl
andhappg) throne and I'li not be in it but I'11 watch the
(NANNY catches GONERIL. FooL runs all|au.
Lights out. GONERIL arrd nncaN moue offcentre. spectacle from afat, smiling, knowing it is what
NANNY returns to her spot, roor walks from its I've always wanted to happen.
spot across stage to NANNY.) (NuRsE gathers her belongtngs. Takes off apron.
rykenloud Walks to centre stage. coRDELIA is looking
mdhappy) through window.)
Scene 14
CORDELIA They've gone. I saw Goneril Stop on
The Nurse reueals all the skyline and I thought for a moment they
were turning and coming back. But they didn't.
7nkmloud (roor scuttles across fo NURSE'S spot. Has letter (walks round room) She's left her paints behind. I
aúltawu) behind its back.) suppose I can give her them when they visit.
 WTG AND FEINSTEIN
Ih
She can get some more. Just us now, Nanny.
You and me, and the Fool. You're very quiet.
King Pong!
(laughs again and mimes being hit in fece)
furl
NURSE I'm leaving. And the King doesn't 1augh.
CORDELIA Leaving? A mán goes up to a woman in the street. 'How
NURSE They've gone . . . you're to be married rnuch?'he says. She is outraged. 'What do you
soon - when he's decided on your husband. I'm think I am?' and the mansays, 'We know what
not needed anymole. He says. you aíe, iove, we're just discussing the price'.
And the King laughs - and he laughs. He laughs
CNURSE goes to exit.)
as though he would burst. Taking the Fool's ear
CORDELIA Nanny! (NANNY turns)You never liked he twists it to open its mouth, He places a coin
me, did you? (NURSE doesn't anauer) No. No-one on the edge of its tongue and the Foo1, (mimes
does but him. (NuRsE turns to go) Nanny, listen. swallowing coin, gulps) Three, two, one and the
I've got two voices. Ever since going downstairs Foo1 - standing on the table looking after
and Daddy lifting me onto the table, I've talked number one. A Father waiting outside. Two
like a child, used the words of a child. No-one mothers, one dead oT gone missing, the other ffi
likes it but him. But I do have another voice. In leaving. Three daughters, paying the price.
my head I have words I never say to anyone - Pmill
never have said to anyone. Til1 now. I can do it, (Lights up centre §fagú. GONERIL, REGAN,
CORDELIA standin line, GonnRIl inmiddle.) 19il i
you see. (goes up to NANNv) Nanny, don't go. I L-,!núe
could go and see him, he listens to me, I'm his GONER]L Looking up, I can't see the sky. There's ffi.ú
little girl (trails off. Realízes the dífficulfu.
,.. too much red. Red in my eyes. Red on my Moú
Starts agaín) I could speak to him as a woman, hands. They touched and feltbut I cannot Iernr
as one adult to another, he'd listen, he'd . . . recognize them. My father's daughter, and still bcful
(stops. Knous)
'
he gives me stop and start. Controiiing by my T,6Gfr
NANNY It doesn't tnatter, Cordelía, (turns. hatred, the order of my 1ife. Lear's daughter. Ttirífri
Whispers somethíng ío CoRDELIA. NURSE exifs, Blood in my eyes and lost to heaven. ehiffil
ulalks to FooL) Money he gives me! Pieces of REGAN I used to carve with my knife, create nkl
silver? What do I want with his gold? Here, Fool.
Grovel for it, Fool, for that I sha11 never do!
beauty from distortion, soft curves from the
knottiest, most gnarled woods. When 1ife was at
üry
íffi
(NANNY tempts FooL uith moneg, Throws it up in its dullest, most suffocating, I would be full of §tíFL
the air andhits the poor around the face uith f.st, energy, curiosity. And then 'Get rid of it', she "G
said, 'Get rid of it', andlhat was a11, The vei1 was tffi
flattening FooL fo ground. NANNv exitsthrough
audience. Bangtng doors. roor gets up.) pulled away from my eyes and I could see what md
hehad done to het,had done to me, And so I fuj
CORDELIA Fool! shal1 set my face to a new game which will not mff
(roor gathers moneu. Goes to coRpnlra uho is be beautiful, but there '11 be a passion still and I'11 p.rh
sitttng at windoul seat, crying. FooL fos§es coinin be there with it til1 the end, my end, carved out Sild
air. Decides, Sits next fo CoRDELIA and starts to at her hands - arLdl would not have it any other .@n
crg, aping it badla. A caicature o/cononlta. Way. @q
CORDELIÁ looks at roor and stops crging.) CoRDELIA Words are like stones, heavy and solid ile-d
and every one different. I hold two in my hands, um,{
(FooL moues quicklg to front stage, Lights up on testing their weight, 'Yes', to please, 'no', to
FooL.) c
please myself, 'yes', I shall and'no', I will not. ilbl
FooL That very night the Foo1 went downstairs, 'Yes' for you and'no' for me. I love words. I like
stood on the table andbegart its turn. their roughness and their smoothness, and when "*a
dl{
How many kisses does it take to keep a king I'm silent I'm trying to get them right. I shall be Tti
happy? silent now, weighing these words, and when I d{
1 03. choose to speak, 1 shal1 choose the right one. i@ü
One to kiss his tears away. (Ltghts on FooL on its spot. Bows to audience.) *Ú{
one to kiss his fevered brow.
FooL An ü@É
One to kiss him deep in passion and 100 to kiss
ending. A beginning. (throws crown into
circle, the sisters all reach up and catch it. Freeze.) ftJ
his arse!
Time's up. fu.C
(mimes beinghit in face)
(Holds out hand for money.)
d
And the King doesn't laugh.
Who's the biggest stinker in the world? (Blackout.) -d
^nl
-i
1