OCR A Level Drama and Theatre H459/47 Deconstructing Texts for Performance The Visit QUESTION PAPAER AND MARKING SCHEM,E

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As a director, outline and explain your vision for directing the actors in this extract to bring out the playwright’s intentions. Annotate the script to show how you would do this. 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The legend ‘Town Hall’ descends. MAN THREE enters, carries off shop-till and shifts counter into position as desk. MAYOR enters. Puts revolver on table, sits. ILL enters, left. A construction-plan is affixed to wall.) ILL. I want to talk to you, Mister Mayor. MAYOR. Take a seat. ILL. As man to man. As your successor. MAYOR. By all means. (ILL stays standing, watches revolver.) Mrs Zachanassian’s panther has escaped. It’s climbing around in the Cathedral. So it’s best to be armed. ILL. Sure. MAYOR. I’ve called up all men owning weapons. We’re not letting the children go to school. ILL (suspiciously). Somewhat drastic measures. MAYOR. It’s big game hunting. (Enter BUTLER.) BUTLER. The World Bank President, Madam. Just flown in from New York. CLAIRE ZACHANASSIAN. I’m not at home. Tell him to fly away again. MAYOR. What’s on your mind? Go on, feel free, unburden yourself. ILL (suspiciously). That’s a fine brand you’re smoking there. MAYOR. A Pegasus. Virginia. ILL. Pretty expensive. MAYOR. Well worth the money. ILL. Your Worship used to smoke another brand. MAYOR. Sailor’s Mates. 4 © OCR 2021 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 ILL. Cheaper. MAYOR. Far too strong. ILL. New tie? MAYOR. Silk. ILL. And I suppose you bought a pair of shoes? MAYOR. I had some made in Kalberstadt. That’s funny, how did you know? ILL. That’s why I’ve come to see you. MAYOR. Whatever’s the matter with you? You look pale. Are you sick? ILL. I’m scared. MAYOR. Scared? ILL. Living standards are going up. MAYOR. That’s real news to me. I’d be glad if they were. ILL. I demand official protection. MAYOR. Eh! Whatever for? ILL. Your Worship knows very well what for. MAYOR. Don’t you trust us? ILL. There’s a million on my head. MAYOR. Apply to the police. ILL. I’ve been to the police. MAYOR. And that reassured you. ILL. When the Police Inspector opened his mouth, I saw a gleaming new gold tooth. MAYOR. You’re forgetting you’re in Guellen. A city of Humanist traditions. Goethe spent a night here. Brahms composed a quartet here. We owe allegiance to our lofty heritage. (MAN THREE enters, left, carrying typewriter.) 5 © OCR 2021 Turn over 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 110 115 MAN. The new typewriter, Mister Mayor. A Remington. MAYOR. It’s to go in the office. (MAN exits, right.) We’ve not deserved your ingratitude. If you’re unable to place any trust in our community, I regret it for your sake. I didn’t expect such a nihilistic attitude from you. After all, we live under the rule of law. ILL. Then arrest that woman. MAYOR. Peculiar. Highly peculiar. ILL. The Police Inspector said that too. MAYOR. God knows, the lady isn’t acting so unreasonably. You did bribe two kids to commit perjury and fling a young girl into the lower depths. ILL. None the less there were quite a few millions down in those lower depths, Mister Mayor. (Silence.) MAYOR. Let me say a few frank words to you. ILL. I wish you would. MAYOR. As man to man, the way you wanted. You haven’t any moral right to demand the arrest of that lady, and furthermore there’s no question of your becoming Mayor. I’m extremely sorry to have to tell you. ILL. Officially? MAYOR. It’s an all-party directive. ILL. I understand. (Crosses slowly to window, left, turns back on MAYOR and stares out.) MAYOR. The fact that we condemn the lady’s proposal does not mean we condone the crime which led to that proposal. The post of Mayor requires certain guarantees of good moral character which you can no longer furnish. You must realize that. We 6 © OCR 2021 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 shall continue of course to show you the same friendship and regard as ever. That goes without saying. (ROBY and TOBY enter, left, with more wreaths and flowers, cross the stage and disappear into the Golden Apostle.) The best thing is to pass over the whole affair in silence. I’ve also requested the local paper not to let any of it get into print. (ILL turns.) ILL. They’ve already begun adorning my coffin, Mister Mayor. For me, silence is too dangerous. MAYOR. But my dear Ill, what makes you think that? You ought to be thankful we’re spreading a cloak of forgetfulness over the while nasty business. ILL. You’ve already condemned me to death. MAYOR. Mr Ill! ILL. That plan proves it! It proves you have! CLAIRE ZACHANASSIAN. Onassis will be coming. The Prince and the Princess. Aga. HUSBAND VIII. Ali? CLAIRE ZACHANASSIAN. All the Riviera crowd. HUSBAND VIII. Reporters? CLAIRE ZACHANASSIAN. From all over the world. The Press always attend when I get married. They need me, and I need them. (Opens another letter.) From Count Holk. HUSBAND VIII. Hopsi, this is our first breakfast together. Must you really spend it reading letters from your former husbands? 7 © OCR 2021 Turn over 160 165 170 175 180 185 190 195 200 CLAIRE ZACHANASSIAN. I have to keep them under observation. HUSBAND VIII. I have problems too. (Rises to his feet, stares down into town.) CLAIRE ZACHANASSIAN. Something wrong with your Porsche? HUSBAND VIII. Small towns like this get me down. I know the lime-tree’s rustling, the birds are singing, the fountain’s plashing, but they were all doing all that half an hour ago. And nothing else is happening at all, either to the landscape or to the people, it’s all a picture of deep, carefree peace and contentment and cosy comfort. No grandeur, no tragedy. Not a trace of the spiritual dedication of a great age. (Enter PRIEST, left, with a rifle slung round his shoulder. Over the table formerly occupied by POLICEMAN he spreads a white cloth marked with a black cross. Leans rifle against wall of hotel. SEXTON helps him on with soutane. Darkness.) PRIEST. Come in, Ill, come into the sacristy. (ILL comes in, left.) It’s dark in here, dark but cool. ILL. I don’t want to bother you, Father. PRIEST. The doors of the Church are open to all. (Perceives that ILL’s gaze has settled on the rifle.) Don’t be surprised at this weapon. Mrs Zachanassian’s black panther is on the prowl. It’s just been up in the choir-loft. Now it’s in Petersens’ Barn. ILL. I need help. PRIEST. What kind of help? ILL. I’m scared. PRIEST. Scared? Of whom? 8 © OCR 2021 205 210 215 220 225 230 235 240 245 ILL. People. PRIEST. That the people will kill you, Ill? ILL. They’re hunting me as if I were a wild animal. PRIEST. You should fear not people, but God; not death in the body, but in the soul. Sexton, button the back of my soutane. (The citizens of Guellen materialize round the entire periphery of the stage; POLICEMAN first, then MAYOR, the FOUR MEN, PAINTER, SCHOOLMASTER, on patrol, rifles at the ready, stalking round.) ILL. My life’s at stake. PRIEST. Your eternal life. ILL. There’s a rise in the standard of living. PRIEST. It’s the spectre of your conscience rising. ILL. The people are happy. The young girls are decking themselves out. The boys have put on bright shirts. The town’s getting ready to celebrate my murder, and I’m dying of terror. PRIEST. All they’re doing is affirming life, that’s all they’re doing, affirming life. ILL. It’s Hell. PRIEST. You are your own Hell. You are older than I am, and you think you know people, but in the end one only knows oneself. Because you once betrayed a young girl for money, many years ago, do you believe the people will betray you now for money? You impute your own nature to others. All too naturally. The cause of our fear and our sin lies in our own hearts. Once you have acknowledged that, you will have conquered your torment and acquired a weapon whereby to master it. ILL. The Siemethofers have acquired a washing-machine. PRIEST. Don’t let that trouble you. 9 © OCR 2021 Turn over 2 As a director, explain and justify how you could stage a performance of The Visit to highlight the key moments of the play. 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