Matjaž Zupančič


THE GRUM AWARD 2003
Alja Predan
THE GLOBAL ESPERIMENT
VVESTILLCALLLIFE
Matjaž Zupančič, the leading plagwright of the 'middle' generation, flirts with modern film and television production throughout his dra-matic opus; he plags with genre, especiallg the thriller and the grotesgue, and talks about the problem of self-denial, secrecg and the resulting violence as inherent properties of humanitg.
His plag The Corridor is set in the frame of the so-cailed 'realitg show' television format and, thematicallg, is situated somewhere between OrweH's 1984 and Huxley's Brme New World. Seven (unhap-py) people have been selected, from an immense number of appli-cants, to take part in the direct television transmission of their own lives. Their task is to be confined twenty-four hours a dag to a television studio, where theg communicate, establish relationships, culti-vate friendships, foment hatred, perform the banalities of evergdag life, make love, and nurture doubt or bolster their faith about what theg are doing - in a word, theg live. A considerable amount of prize moneg avvaits the winner- who can ultimatelg be onlg one person. Although the competitors are permitted to withdraw from this post-Sartrean hell, bg doing so, theg forfeit forever ang chance to return. Violence is forbidden, and if a violent act does occur, the perpetrator is excluded from the competition bg the organiser. The priče for this non-doing, this, to ali appearances, perfectlg 'normal' existence, is the constant surveillance of the television cameras. The participants voluntarilg, then, surrender themselves to 'Big Brother', who watches and manipulates their lives as he pleases. The performers are not aware, and cannot see, what if ang of their twenty-four-hour dag is, in the end, being shown to vievvers at home. Theg blindlg believe that evergthing theg do is being registered bg the camera and broadcast live. Things become even more frightening when one of the partici-
pants sows a doubt, suggesting that everything is, in fact, being orchestrated or is determined in advance and that one of them (he himself, it turns out) is a hireling (in Zupančiči words, a 'scholarship-holder') who is directing the game from within to ensure that it is won bg the mentallg handicapped girl.
0rwell and Huxley, pioneers of the once-utopian novel, vvould probablg turn in their graves if theg had to confront the present reali-tg of our 'brave new world' - when gou no longer need totalitarian ideologg, brutal repression, a sense of threat, mistrust, or doubt in order to establish total control over a human being; when, to put it succinctlg, control is no longer a matter of constraint, but of free choice and free will; when a person is readg to seli his principles and his independence for a handful of cash.
Man bas become not onlg a prisoner, but also a slave to his free-dom, and reading The Corridor, it sometimes seems he has a damn hard time dealing with it. 5o he searches for bonds, limitations, blocks and boundaries. The plag treats the current problem of the individuaVs authenticitg and presentation; it shows how desperate we are to please and how, for a bit of small change but stili in ali bloodg seriousness, we act out our own lives, in either the conviction or hope that our life is being broadcast for the eges of the Vievver, who sees ali and knows ali. What else is our modem societg - when we use our windows to see the Internet instead of ventilating our stuffg minds and fat bodies, when we can no longer function vvithout mobile pic-ture phones, video surveillance in bars, or Computer sgstems on our highvvags? What is this vvorld of ours, if not the empire of Big Brother, vvithout vrhom we can no longer imagine our lives. And the 'realitg show' is just the mocking conseguence of the Virtual world's realitg, which nowadags is increasinglg turning out to be the onlg real vvorld. 'Your beliefs are gour realitg,' the playwright sags at one point in his text.
The ultimate cgnicism in Zupančiči plag is the fact that the action takes plače in the corridor, vvhich is supposedlg the onlg real and authentic area free of the cameras' surveillance; it is, therefore, an
area 'controlled' solely by the playwright, reader and theatre audi-ence. The actors turn to the playwright and, consequently, to the audience for their privacg, in order to hide from the control of the cameras. The corridor is an area of Virtual freedom within the realitg of non-freedom. And stili, this area is exploited by readers or audience members for their own vogeurism. The line between puhlic and private, between pseudo- and crypto-existence, has been complete-ly obliterated; traditional humanist values have been vviped out. Only one person can win, which means sincerity is automaticallg eliminat-ed, and solidaritg is a deviation that brings defeat; to sympathise means to lose, to be human - to be defeated. The only possible win-ner is either someone who makes no compromises, an automaton, a total egoist, or someone mentallg disturbed - a person directed from without, who would not think twice about killing in order to win. The movie They Shoot Horses, Don't They? was about self-exhaustion; The Corridor is about staged ruthlessness.
The horror of the play is even greater because we cannot read or understand it the way OrvvelTs and Huxley's readers understood their futuristic noveis when they were first published. We read it not as futuristic fiction, but rather as a cross-section of the present time, a dissection room for the time and plače we help shape, where we are Creative collaborators. It is not only about an experiment performed on a few individuais; it is a metaphor for the global experiment we stili call life. Ruthless and cgnical to the extreme, supported only by Capital and its automatic logic, the Big Brother of the media is ali the more dangerous, foritispracticallg indestructible. It is a global virus, and as such is, of course, the sole and final vvinner. There is no escap-ing from it, and it cannot be prevented. The authentic gesture, with which one might trg to make a stand against the tentacles of this hydra that grasps at our lives, is either romantic nostalgia or theoreti-cal nonsense.
The Corridor is a piay about the supreme cgnicism of Big Brother, who observes with a kindlg smile the nervous tvvitching and kicking of the obscure individual whose mind is dim and whose soul is greedg.
THE CORRIDOR
By Matjaž Zupančič
Translated by Lesley Anne Wade Copyright for the translation
Prešeren Theatre of Kranj and Lesi e y Anne Wade

CHARACTERS
Dorian Adrian Nena Little One Crate Nixon Jana Max
A corndor, with doors in it.
Note:
The plot and characters ofthis plag arefictional.
Any resemblance to the television series 'Big Brother' is completelg intentional.
1.
Ali the characters are standing in the corridor.
MAX: My name is Max. Vours don't interest me. Trn not going to sag l'm pleased you're here. Not that I have angthing against gou. I could com-pliment gou for having come so far. But I won't. Do gou know whg not? Because at the end of this storg ali but one of gou will be the same fuck-ing losers gou are now. Some of gou are stili thinking this is a game. An ordinarg TV show. But this is life. And the one who understands that'11 get evergthing. Onlg one of gou ca n win. Male or female. Now it begins for real. From now on no more privacg. Listen to me carefullg. You're going to open the door and enter. What? A new life? Magbe. If gou win. If gou last out. It's ali fucking well up to gou. What are gou sta ring at? VVithout a word of a lie. If gou start pretending, you're fucked. This show's got one rule and one rule onlg. No pretending. You are what gou are. You behave as if gou were alone. Even if the vvhole fucking countrg is vvatch-ing gou. And something else. There's a bit more. You've got to be so the vievvers like gou. So theg vote for gou, for fuck's sake. But now gou're gonna ask: how ca n I be what I am and evergone like me? This is fucking a rt, see. That's why there'11 be onlg one vvinner. Yes, Trn hard. So gou realise it's no joke here. I know gou get mg language. I know gou've come in off the Street. Here it's for real. You signed a contract. But it's not about a crap piece of paper. It's more than that. Let me teli gou something. I was a big zero once like gou. You're zeros. I know evergthing about gou. But todag l'm Complex Trade. Not those clowns gou see on the TV. I'm the soul of this fucking Corporation. I'm the soul of this show. So be good. You won't regret it. Don't fuck up the biggest TV hit of the last fiftg gears for me. And then gour dreams will come true. It's ali the same to me what gou want. Moneg. If gou win, gou'11 fucking have as much of it as I have. Magbe even more. That's the onlg thing that bothers me. I'm honest though. If gou want to win, gou'11 have to eat gour own
shit. In front of the camera. This is a fair competition. Farne? I don't understand it, but perhaps one of you would like it. Everyone knovving you. Everyone talking about you. Or you're just little exhibitionists. There's one or two of those bere too. Who like showing it in public. But I don't give a fuck. Just don't rely on it. This is a winner's psgche: Charis-ma. Openness. That's not some fucking porno. You know the rules. You're locked in in this fiat; you can't leave until it’s ali over. Ang contact with the outside world is forbidden. Evergthing you do is filmed and can be shovvn. The viewers assess you as you go along. The public votes for each one of you. Whoever gets the most votes, wins. Violence is banned. If angone infringes this, they're eliminated. If angone gets ill, they're also eliminated. Now the game will begin. As long as they want to watch you, gou'11 remain in it. And the longer you're here, the bigger the prize. If angone can't stand it ang more, theg can drop out of course. No problem with them going. There's a beli there on that door. That red button. AH gou have to do is ring it. But then gou can never come back in again. And Ul knock the fucking loser down on the asphalt with mg own hands. Is that dear? This is also a game of endurance. If evergone leaves, the win-ner is the one who holds out till last. Then the votes aren't counted. (Silence.) There's stili one thing that gou don't know yet though. You know there are cameras in everg area. You do evergthing as if gou were on gour own. You make connections. You don't know each other. Now gou have the opportunitg to get to know each other. Everg connection counts. But that's not ali. Where we're standing now is the corridor. This is the best bit. The corridor's mg invention. Mg addition to this fucking game. The corridor belongs onlg to gou. There's no camera here. Genius, eh? You weren't expecting that. That's going to make our lives easier, gou thought. When it gets too tough we'll move into the corridor, gou're thinking. But this won't be ang salvation for gou. You're going to curse this corridor. Because the corridor will provoke gou. To hide gourselves. To deceive gourselves. To plag a double game. And if gou have a good sit down, gou're finished. This is mg idea, mg genius of an idea. You don't bloodg well understand how deep it is, but gou will one dag. (Silence.) Now we'll begin. You live in expectation of mg arrival. From now on Trn gour desting. Your onlg contact with the outside world. Til be visiting gou from time to time. I will inform gou when it's the end. Til appear at the end of the corridor and set gou free. To some l'll be an angel, to others the devil. One will remain with me, the others of gou will go back where tiou belong. To gour greg evergdag shit. You'll take nothing with gou. No glamour, darling. Onlg the shit that you're going to be eating here. And
now a warning: be what you are, because to be really frank - that's ali yoiTve got angwag. And make sure the puhlic recognises that! Don't look at the camera, it's best to forget it. And now another word of advice. Quite franklg. l'm giving it to gou for nothing, even though I don't have to. So: when gou fuck, fuck for gourselves. Do we understand each other? For your own pleasure. And the public will reward gou. That's number one. Use gour brains, be pleasant. And don't relg on the corridor too much. Because the corridor, mg dears, will be gour biggest problem. Let's go, the transmission's starting!
(Blackout.)
2.
Little One is standing in the corridor; Enter Nena.
LITTLE ONE: Hi.
NENA: What are gou doing here?
LITTLE ONE: Come here. Quick.
NENA: What are gou whispering for? No-one ca n hear gou here.
LITTLE ONE: You think so?
NENA: Look around gou. You know what this is? A niče fucking bunker. I reckon l'H be here ali the time.
LITTLE ONE: You're not allovved to do that.
NENA: lt's up to me what I can do.
LITTLE ONE: Gotafag?
NENA: You want a butt?
LITTLE ONE: Yes. Come on, guick.
NENA: Wait a minute. Slow down. Where have I put themthen?
LITTLE ONE: Trn in a hurrg, get it?
NENA: Where's the hurrg, then? It's hardlg started, hasn't it?
LITTLE ONE: Are gou going to give me one or not?
NENA: There we are. There gou go.
LITTLE ONE: light?
NENA: What's the matter with gou, Little One? Haven't gou brought ang-thing with gou at ali?
LITTLE ONE: Well I don't normallg smoke, see.
NENA: Aha. Are you having a crisis?
LITTLE ONE: l've got a problem.
NENA: ThaVsvvhat I mean.
LITTLE ONE: l've got a problem!
NENA: We ali have them.
LITTLE ONE: lt's rot good to smoke in there...
NELA: Bullshit. Do you know how many smokers are watching us?
LITTLE ONE: You thinkso?
NELA: I said so, didn't I? Now teli me what kind of problem you've got. LITTLE ONE: There's no point.
NENA: Tell me.
LITTLE ONE: lcan't...
NENA: What?
LITTLE ONE: Well you know...
NENA: What am I supposed to know?
LITTLE ONE: I can't... you know...
NENA: Oh yeah. You can't crap.
LITTLE ONE: Yes. You know... in front of the camera.
NELA: You can't crap in front of the camera.
LITTLE ONE: Will you stop repeating it?
NENA: But that's what it's about here. If you can't crap in front of the camera, then go home. Because you’re gonna do that here at least once a dag. If you're digestion's normal. Like... more or less normal. And that's the least of it. How the hell did you even manage to get here?
LITTLE ONE: I ca n do evergthing else. Reallg. Evergthing. But just not... NENA: You've got to loosen upa bit. Otheroise you won't last.
LITTLE ONE: Yes I will. That's what l'm smoking for. It speeds up my diges-tion. Maybe itTl make it... easier. Magbe now it'll... (Confiding.) It'llbe easierto... you know.
NENA: VVhatdo I know?
LITTLE ONE: lil be able to fuck in front of the camera more easilg, but... it's reallg difficult... to take a crap.
NENA: You're not nearlg as innocent as you make out, are you?
LITTLE ONE: No, thisisreallg such an intimate thing... I neverimagined... Christ, I rather do it right here, in the corridor... (Stopsspeaking.)
NENA: Are you joking? And who do you think's going to clean up your shit aftergou?
LITTLE ONE: I didn't reallg mean it.
NENA: Ali the better for you that you didn't. Because there isn't even ang ventilation.
(Silence.)
LITTLE ONE: But the studio's... big.
NENA: Ves, O.K.
LITTLE ONE: The whole fiat.
NENA: I prefermyown.
LITTLE ONE: We've evengotwindows.
NENA: Except they don't look out on angthing.
LITTLE ONE: Reallg?
NENA: Reallg. You can look gourself if you don't believe me. Don't gou everlookaround gou?
LITTLE ONE: Trn going now, I think l'm going to... There's something else I want to askgou...
NENA: Whatdoyouwanttoknow?
LITTLE ONE: Can I trust gou?
NENA: What?!
LITTLE ONE: Can I trust gou?
NENA: Go in and do gour Business. And eat plums. What kind of a gues-tionisthat?!
(Little One goes inside. Jana appears.)
JANA: What did she want?
NENA: Afag-end.
JANA: That Little One is dangerous.
NENA: Why?
JANA: I know that sort ofwoman.
NENA: 5he's stili a child.
JANA: Ves. And a verg spoilt one at that. I wouldn't even go out with her fora coffee.
NENA: You're exaggerating.
JANA: If I sag so.
NENA: Oh well. At least she doesn't look like an idiot.
JANA: What's that supposed to mean?
NENA: Go on. Vou were showering for twentg minutes this morning. JANA: Fifteen.
NENA: Fifteen then for God's sake, what's the difference?
JANA: The difference is gou're exaggerating.
NENA: Vou know what? In a week's time gou're going to have skin like an otter.
JANA: So what are gou trging to sag?
NENA: What I want to sag is evergone ca n look like a dick-head once in theirlives. Including gou.
JANA: Not if gou're in a TV programme.
NENA: What TV programme. Vou don't even know how long gou're going to be locked up in here. This is real life, for fuck's sake!
JANA: Real life? So what are gou doing here then? In this corridor?
NENA: I was... 1'm having a little look around. What business is it of gours, angwag?
JANA: There gou are gou see.
NENA: I vvanted to give gou some advice.
JANA: Vou know what, come inside and do what gou think is right. And sag what gou think is right. And stop making a fuss here.
NENA: Who's making a fuss?
JANA: Vou. Because gou don't know gourself what gou want.
NENA: O.K. I need a little time, O.K.?
(Silence.)
JANA: Fine. We ca n meet up here sometime if gou like. Just brieflg. For a little minute. Do gou want to?
NENA: No. No. You're right. Do what gou want. But Tli teli gou straight if you get on mg nerves. In there. Ali right?
JANA: Ali right. Ali right.
NENA: We ali want to win. Me included. I need the cash more than gou. But I don't wantthem to take us foridiots. None of us. O.K.? 5o stop put-ting gourself...
JANA: What?
NENA: In front of evergone else.
JANA: What on earth are gou thinking? That gou can bug evergone about how thegshould bebave?
NENA: No, butit gets on mg nerves...
JANA: And you're rude with it. Full on rude. You push other people around because gou don't dare to do things gourself. O.K., gou just keep on gap-ping and trging to look clever, and ril take showers. We'll see who gets the mostvotes.
(Silence.)
NENA: Fine. Fine. Apart from that you're guite ali right.
JANA: So are gou. Just don't get the idea you're deveter than evergone else.
NENA: I ‘m not anyway. But we have to organise our lives if we want to survive.
JANA: You do it gour way, l'U do it mine. Ali right?
NENA: Dowhatyouwant.
(Silence.)
JANA: For once the men are keeping to themselves. You know what I think?
NENA: What?
JANA: One of them alreadg fancies me.
NENA: Thafsall right.
JANA: Except I don't much like him.
NENA: Are gou surprised? The wag you're behaving now onlg the biggest idiot could like gou. Trn sorrg to have to teli gou that again.
JANA: You'd reallg like to be clever, wouldn't gou? But gou look like the biggest vvhore of ali.
NENA: Yes. I don't have to shovver for twentg minutes because of it. JANA: Fifteen.
NENA: Twenty.
JANA: Shut up. That's for hygiene's sake.
NENA: Aryway it ali makes no difference. The choice isn't great, and at some point we're going to have to start fucking. With vvhoever. Without that you haven't got a chance. You're dropped like a ton of hot bricks. JANA: What about feelings?
NENA: What?!
JANA: Nothing. I'm going back. (Silence.) Did you understand what Max said? About the corridor, I mean?
NENA: Pointless. Just yapping.
JANA: It didn't seem like it to me.
NELA: Pointless. You know what the mainthing is? Thattheg can manipu-late us the vvhole time. Those of us on the set. You never know what will be in the programme. It could be evergthing, could be nothing.
JANA: Tell me why you came here in the first plače. Did angone force you to?
NENA: Because this is the most idiotic thing in the world. You can get rich without knowing a thing in real life. And I need moneg. And... Eve got no other talent I can get it with. If the others think Trn ali for it... let them. Tve done evergthing in real life too.
JANA: Evergthing?
NENA: Well. Nearlg evergthing.
JANA: Thatwasfrankangway. Buti...
NENA: Sag it.
JANA: l'm so happg Tve been chosen. Being here means evergthing to me. I don't know how to describe it. Do gou understand me?
NENA: No.
JANA: lt's not ali the same ang more if Em alive or dead.
NENA: Fucking hell, gou're piling it on.
JANA: Ern onlg telling gou. Whg do gou have to be rude straight away?
NENA: Don’t forget to repeat that... inside there. Your chances will increase.
JANA: Calm down, why don't gou? What’s the matter with gou angway? NENA: Sorry. Em not pleasant.
JANA: You know gou reallg aren't.
(5 ilence.)
NENA: (In a different tone, refreshed.) Did gou know Cve got a sor? JANA: You've got a child?
NENA: Yes. He's nearlg nine. (Silence.) Buthe'snotwatchingme.
JANA: How do gou know?
NENA: How do I know? If I didn't krow I wouldn't have said so. Whg are gou bugging me?
JANA: I onlg asked...
NENA: You're bugging me for no reason. And gou snore, bas angone tol d gou that before?
JANA: What's gourname again?
(Blackout.)
3.
Adrian, Dorian, Nixon and Crate in the corridor.
NIX0N: Shutthe door, gou.
CRATE: lt's alreadg shut.
NIX0N: Right. Now Tm going to teli gou something.
DORIAN: Asecret?
NIX0N: Yes. Tm reallg called... Nixon.
ADRIAN: Oh get awag. You look like Reagan in the last phase of Alzheimers.
NIX0N: Go fuck gourself. It’s mg pseudongm. Here in the corridor Tm Nixon. In there Tm Niki for the public, obviouslg. But reallg Tve been called Nixon since I was small. That‘s what I wanted to teli gou.
CRATE: Whg do theg call gou that though?
NIX0N: Apparentlg I looked a bit like him. As a babg. I had a lot less hair. Combed back. And a little...
ADRIAN: Svvollen mug?
NIX0N: I looked like him, is that ali right?
ADRIAN: But gou don't any more.
CRATE: Why don't you want us to call you that too?
NIX0N: You don’t get it. Because of politics, of course. Nixon was right wing, in čase gou don't know that. But half the vievvers are left wing. At least half, for fuck's sake. And theg won't vote for someone who's named afterthe most fucked up right- vvinger ever.
DORIAN: Didn't he go to China a few times?
NIXON: How did gou know that?
ADRIAN: This one has a command of historg.
NIX0N: That's nothing to do with it. I've been to China a couple of times too, and so what? I ate snake and ali. Theg serve them to gou live. Theg'd cut me off subconsciouslg.
CRATE: Be what gou are, isn't that the trick?
NIXON: Go on in. This corridor's for the men's club.
CRATE: Trn onlg saging that...
NIX0N: Stop being funng. I am what I am. But we ca n teli ali kinds of secrets here in the corridor.
ADRIAN: If gou're an idiot, theg ca n see that. That's the trick. Makes no difference if gou're in there or out here. You want us to call gou Crate, for instance. Sorrg, but that's a lost game. You know what that reminds me of? A crate of beer. And Tve got nothing against gou. But if someone reminds me of a crate of beer, then something's vvrong.
DORIAN: Where did that name come from?
CRATE: I knocked off a crate of beervvhen I wasa kid.
ADRIAN: There gou go. There gou go!
CRATE: Trn not trging to make angthing up here. Those are the rules. If Trn going to keep going, Trn going to do it bg the rules. If not, l'd rather dropout.
NIX0N: What's the matter with gou people? No distance. And we're onlg at the beginning. (To Crate.) You reallg believe that? You believe ali that shit thegVe dumped on gou?
CRATE: lt's not about if I believe it or not. It's about the rules. And if gou break the rules, gou can't win. We either do it for real, or we don't do it at ali.
ADRIAN: He's right in a wag. ThegVe landed us with this corridor to fuck
up ourself-confidence.
NIX0N: DorVt be daft. We'll see who's gonna win. Certainlg not the one who's chicken. You're totallg nervous, Crate.
DORIAN: He's doing ali right.
CRATE: No, he’s right. I'm not doing weli. Well, l'm not doing angthing. And if I sag something I sound like an idiot.
NIX0N: Well sure. But I didn’t mean it that badig.
CRATE: No, I am nervous. I know people can see that. Theg ca n see evergthing.
DORIAN: It can't be seen. Stop blabbering.
CRATE: You ali ignore me. And then I iook like a fat gug who doesn’t know how to make conversation. Who doesn't know...
DORIAN: Howto communicate?
CRATE: Yes.
DORIAN: You're exaggerating. Nobody's ignoring you...
ADRIAN: (To Dorian.) Who gou think gou are, MotherTeresa? The gug's realised a truth about himself. Whg are gou bugging him? Do gou want some advice?
DORIAN: Tell me.
ADRIAN: So gou can see I have confidence in gou.
DORIAN: Tell me.
ADRIAN: You’re making gourself out to be much too devet. But gou can't be deveter than them. Do gou even know what Complex Trade is?
DORIAN: How do gou mean?
ADRIAN: lt's top-notch packaging. Believe me. I know ali about it. Have gou ever heard of Orbitum State?
NIX0N: Mg ex-wife was with Orbitum State.
ADRIAN: Orbitum State went out of business because theg fucked up their packaging. That's whg Organic Food swallowed them up. But Com-plex Trade will swallow up evergthing in the end. Because these gugs know what packaging is. And on top of that that theg've got the media. DORIAN: You know ali about this?
ADRIAN: One hundred percent. Organic Food doesn't stand a chance. Theg jerk off about natural food to the puhlic, and reallg theg're making
cosmetics out of foetuses. DorTt fuck with me.
DORIAN: Why are you competing? Because of the moneg?
ADRIAN: Are gou joking? Do gou see this suit?
DORIAN: Ido.
ADRIAN: Do gou know how much it cost?
DORIAN: Was it expensive?
ADRIAN: Expensive? Are gou fucking with me? This is affluence. I'm a cash machine. (Opens his mouth.) Lookatthat. Go on, look.
DORIAN: What?
ADRIAN: One of these fucking fillings is worth more than gour car. If gou've got one. Get it?
DORIAN: Are theg that exceptional?
ADRIAN: Totallg exceptional. Look at this shoe.
NIKON: Is it the best?
ADRIAN: People vvould die for a shoe like that. But not so theg could have it. Simplg so theg could get to wear it one dag. If the world's a global vil-lage, l’m not the last farm er, for fuck's sake.
DORIAN: You know, Trn pleased to have met gou.
ADRIAN: I believe it. Remember one thing: packaging. That’s mg depart-ment.
DORIAN: Packaging.
ADRIAN: Ves. Trn not saging what's inside isn't important. I’m not an idiot. But theg can ask someone else about that. Then theg have to ask me how to wrap it up. That's why l'm at the top. The onlg one. How to wrap something up so it looks good. Are gou with me? So it sells. I can seli ang old shit, as long as it looks good.
DORIAN: Mhm. Have gou ever dressed up a corpse?
ADRIAN: What kind of a guestion is that now?!
DORIAN: A serious one. A corpse is gour tgpical packaging, isn't it?
ADRIAN: You're not some macabre tgpe, are gou? You haven't got ang weird habits? I'm not living with angone... morbid.
DORIAN: We’re discussing packaging.
ADRIAN: Never, who's stili doing that.
DORIAN: What?
ADRIAN: Dressing up corpses and that.
DORIAN: Why not?
ADRIAN: It doesn't matter what they look like does it, Jesus. Everything gets burned these days.
DORIAN: You're right about that.
ADRIAN: I know I am.
DORIAN: But why are you bere then if you don't need money? If you're so great?
ADRIAN: I know what I want. 1'm interested in winning. I don't pretend to be naive like you. Out bere you're selling your morbid jokes, and in there you play the Dalai Lama. Don’t fuck with me. Do you think anyone's going to be taken in?
DORIAN: Don't avoid the question.
ADRIAN: l've told you, haven't I, why are you bugging me? I want to win, that's ali there isto it.
DORIAN: No it isn't. Max fascinates you. You admire him. You want to be like Max. Isn't that right? You find types like that fascinating. You'd like to be Max, but you haven't got the balls to do it.
ADRIAN: Leave my balls alone, understand?
DORIAN: Don'tworry.
ADRIAN: You know what. You're pretending to be dever again. You're novvhere near the problem. The problem is that there are three cunts in the studio, and there are four of us here. Which means someone's going to get stubbed out in the end. And in front of the camera, my friend. Have you seen ali the places they've put them? It's enough to make you go nuts.
DORIAN: They can film every sguare centimetre.
(Silence.)
NIX0N: Maybe one of us here's gag?
ADRIAN: Don't be stupid. They checked us out thoroughlg. Although that crate of beer...
DORIAN: Shali I teli you something? We‘re starting to make some rela-tionships here. That’s what. Some relationships succeed, others fail. We're gonna have to make contacts, lads. Some work, others don't.
ADRIAN: Ali right. But the cunts take prioritg. Don't theg?
DORIAN: That's to make it more interesting. So there’s a bit of a fjght. Like in nature.
ADRIAN: What nature forfuck's sake? If this was nature, l'd hit her on the head with a wheel, and she'd be mine. We have to go with the flow in this plače.
DORIAN: Force isn't allowed.
NIXON: Shali we just sort out who's going to get who?
ADRIAN: How are we going to agree if we're one too mangi Do gou have ang idea what Trn talking about?
CRATE: I like... one of them ADRIAN: What did he sag?
(Laughs.)
ADRIAN: You know what? I think there won't be ang problem here. No problem at ali.
(Blackout.)
4.
One of the doors is open, the other ciosed. Loud mušic.
NIX0N: Good fun.
DORIAN: Yes.
NIX0N: A man can reta.
DORIAN: Yes.
NIX0N: lt's like there'5 no difference ang more... between here and there.
DORIAN: Shali we go back in?
NIX0N: This was gour idea. You have such good... ideas.
DORIAN: You've got to have some fun too in life. And we've got to live here, haven'twe?
NIX0N: The women are ali right todag.
DORIAN: Mhm.
NlX0N: No-one's getting on mg nerves todag.
DORIAN: No.
NIXON: This kind of party's good for seeing who's who.
DORIAN: Mhm.
(Silence.)
NIX0N: I don't know why it seems like l'm tal ki n g to mgself.
DORIAN: 1'm considering something. I'm thirking about...
NIX0N: I know what you're considering.
DORIAN: Oh reallg?
NIX0N: Reallg. (Silence.) Tell me what you think of the blonde.
DORIAN: Yours?
NIX0N: She's not mine yet. (Silence.) Do you think shebacks off? DORIAN: Sometimes shebacks off.
NIXON: Go on, teli me what you think of her.
DORIAN: She uses up too much vvater.
NIX0N: No, reallg.
DORIAN: What do you want me to sag? Go and sort something out with her. She's got nowhere to go, has she.
NIX0N: God, gou're annoging. When gou're on the programme you gap nineteento the dozen.
DORIAN: Well that's why I come into the corridor. So I don’t have to clap-trap.
NIX0N: You’ve stumbled on the trick alreadg. The corridor'11 fuck you up. DORIAN: You don't get it, do you?
NIX0N: What is it 1'm supposed to get?
DORIAN: The corridor. You're a bigger thick-head than Crate. What does the fact that we're alone here mean? Do you reallg think they'd leave us aione? Unsupervised? Even in one sguare metre?
NIX0N: This isn't actuallg a room. What's this ali about?
DORIAN: Nothing. Unless one of us is being paid an honorarium.
NIX0N: What are you trging to sag?
DORIAN: Someone here isn’t plaging for real. Do you get what l'm sag-ing? 5omeone's bluffing. Provoking. Someone being paid by Complex Trade. Someone controlling us from within.
NIXON: You think so... really?
DORIAN: The corridor'5 a trap. So watch out who you talk with.
NIXON: Fuck. I didrVt think ofthat. Butwho'd...
DORIAN: I don't know.
NIXON: So far everyone's seemed... ali right.
DORIAN: Perhaps ifsavvoman.
NIXON: You shouldn't have tol d me that, it's not good. Now were gonna start getting fed up with each other.
DORIAN: Well you ca n keep it to gourself.
NIXON: That Max is a fucked up genius loser. But how did you find out? DORIAN: Well I don't know if it's true.
NIX0N: Of course it's true. That's what the tri c k of the corridor is!
DORIAN: This is what l'm thinking about ali the time, do you understand menow?
NIX0N: But who? Who, for fuck's sake?
(Silence.)
DORIAN: What'll you do with the cash if you win?
NIXON: I don't know. It's a lot of dosh. But I won't win.
DORIAN: How do you know?
NIXON: Because l'm the only one here who's fucking it up step by step. DORIAN: You've got as much chance as I have.
NIX0N: No. You're the intelligent type. No, seriouslg. You've got the hang of it. You know how to teli a joke. You've got charisma. A kind of fucking... good sense. The public like you for sure. You even shit with feeling for the camera.
DORIAN: Thanks.
NIX0N: If you fuck like that...
DORIAN: Just wait a bit longertill you see me.
NIX0N: l've had the shits for two days now, for example. I've got an arse like a baboon. I bet everyone's laughing at me.
DORIAN: You're such a nervous type. Even worse than Crate.
NIX0N: Yes. You've basicallg got only one problem.
DORIAN: And that is?
NIXON: I reckon you're the urdercover guy.
DORIAN: l've scored zero w1th you, haven’t I?
NIX0N: If it’s anyone, then it’s you. 1’ve been thinking about it for the last few mirutes. I’ve considered everyore. Only you fitthe bili.
DORIAN: You haven't a due about anything. You're getting argry because you're the last one to understand Max's trick They ali got it, even Crate. But not you.
(Jana arrives.)
JANA: You forgot your drink.
NIX0N: Thanks.
JANA: What are you two doing here?
NIX0N: Nothing. You teli us what's going on on the set.
JANA: The Little One's the best. 5he’s gonna beat us ali.
NIX0N: Come on, loosen up a bit. A party's a partg. We're not going to compete the whole time.
JANA: What partg. 5he knows exactly what she's doing. She's the only one who never sets foot in the corridor. 5he's the only one who's screwed up.
NIX0N: She seemed the most up tight one to me.
JANA: No. The Little One bas relaxed. Relaxed completelg. Do you know howshe's dancing?
NIX0N: She's drunk too much. That's why.
JANA: But what's her name, anyway? She won't even teli us her name. DORIAN: Yes. The Little One's getting a lot of votes. And do you know why? She's the only one who's ashamed. People like that.
JANA: How do you mean?
DORIAN: If you're not a bit ashamed you don't sta n d a chance. It's per-verse. You make a bit of an effort. You blush a bit. You can't shit. Ali these little bits of bollocks. Then people identifg with you. And at the same time she cites Homer in passing. That little one is hgper-intelli-gent.
NIX0N: Homer?
DORIAN: He's a Greek...
NIX0N: I know who Homeris. Are you messing with me?
JANA: Anyway I don't think she has the right kind of sex-appeal. She... she only pretends. 5he's less ashamed than angone.
DORIAN: Don't you be so certain.
JANA: She gets on my nerves.
(Silence.)
JANA: And who knows what you have to be like to win anyway?
DORIAN: This is a marathon, darling. The important thing is to stay in the game.
JANA: l've no idea what they want from me. What do theg want from me anyway?! If I just knew what theg want from me!
(Enter Adrian.)
DORIAN: This one for example hasn't a chance of vvinning.
ADRIAN: What are gou blabbing about?
DORIAN: Not me, he thinks he has evergthing under control. The man vvithout ang problems. Macho. Adrian hasn't a chance. He's not human enough.
ADRIAN: Not human enough. Oh bollocks. How nicelg gou said that. And now l'm going to teli gou something. When I get the cash ITI pag for gou to have a holidag by the sea. And a blonde cunt. I think gou're disgust-ing, gou know that?
DORIAN: It doesn’t bother me.
ADRIAN: And anywag, what are gou doing out in the corridor ali the time? Have gou given up completelg alreadg?
JANA: There's no point in arguing.
ADRIAN: Right, babe. Do gou know gou remind me of mg ex-wife?
JANA: Is that a compliment then?
ADRIAN: No. Trn just trging to be a bit human.
NIX0N: You'd be better off going inside. A conversation like this, and it's off the record.
(Enter Nena.)
NENA: That can't be true. That's genius.
ADRIAN: What is?
NENA: Do gou know what's going on in there?
DORIAN: What?
NENA: Theg've been making out on the couch. Theg're going to have it off.
NIX0N: The Little One and four eyes? Buggerme.
ADRIAN: Well that's what we're bere for, isn't it?
NENA: Theg're going to have it off, l'm telling gou.
DORIAN: There gou are. It's the most nervous couple who are going to breakthe ice.
ADRIAN: Trn going to have a look. This I have to see.
NENA: lsn't it enough for gou that the vvhole world's watching them? NIX0N: Is there a television here somevvhere magbe? Have gou noticed we haven't got a television at ali?
ADRIAN: Mg God, gou're guick.
NIX0N: No, this is a good joke. It's like gou're in the desert and gou've got wateronthe knees.
ADRIAN: I have to see what's going on.
NIX0N: Metoo.
(The two ofthem go in.)
DORIAN: IdiotS.
NENA: The vvhole thing's idiotic.
JANA: How do gou mean?
NENA: Like I said. This business has no... no fucking rules vvhatsoever. DORIAN: It has.
NENA: It hasn't.
DORIAN: It has.
NENA: VVhatthen?
DORIAN: VVhoever dares the most, wins.
NENA: That's pointless.
JANA: And where's the limit?
DORIAN: There's no limit, darling. You're gour own limit.
NENA: What's more and what's less?
JANA: You win bg getting the most votes. Isn't that right?
NENA: And what do gou get them for? Eating, sleeping, fucking? Like
animals. We're animals. And this is a zoo. Which cage has the biggest crowds around it? The one with the apes in it. So: become an ape.
JANA: lt’s not true! We worked bard to get bere. Do gou know how mang people would give evergthing to be in our plače?
NENA: That doesn't change the fact that we're apes.
DORIAN: Worse.
NENA: What?!
DORIAN: Worse than apes. Apes have no choice. You did.
NENA: Did I beli. In the end gou take whatever's left. Nothing's left in mg life but what Trn showing now.
JANA: And that's not much, eh?
NENA: You know what? I feel fucking sorrg for gou.
JANA: And gou two are so above it ali, eh? Shali I teli gou something? Those two making out in there are far less apes than gou two. Because theg're takingit seriouslg.
But gou two fail at evergthing. So what are gou doing here then? If there's ang ape angwhere it's amongst the viewers. 1'm competing hon-estlg. Just don't make me lose mg dignitg out here in the corridor!
DORIAN: Forget the competition. Montage is evergthing. Complex Trade is evergthing. Theg choose what will be transmitted. Theg film evergthing and then select. Theg edit. Choose details. The more bizarre theg are, the better theg like them. If theg want to make gou out a cretin, theg will. If theg wantto make gou a star theg will. Leam tolive with it.
NENA: No. I don't believe it. I don't believe that at ali. No, no. You're just gapping. You never stop gapping about something.
DORIAN: Come into the room and take a look through the window. This is a camp. A few huts and then a fence. Wires, cables. No-one can get in. No-one can get out. Theg control evergthing.
(Enter Adrian andNixon.)
ADRIAN: It can’t be true.
JANA: What?
NIXON:Theg're fucking.
ADRIAN: Theg're fucking.
NENA: Itoldgouso.
(Silence.)
DORIAN: Why did you stop vvatching then?
NIXON: Are you serious? Oon't make a complete fool of gourself. The puhlic doesrTt like vogeurs.
NENA: That's rich. That's the best yet. Argone who's got five chanrels at home can watch them, but we crowd out here in the corridor completelg in the shit.
ADRIAN: 111 teli gou one thing. It looks like you've got to be gag if gou want to get a woman here. (Silence.) And don't take that as criticism, is that dear?
5.
Theg are ali standing in the corridor.
MAX: Do gou ever dream? I know gou dream. But why then do gou keep gour dreams a secret, for fuck's sake? lil teli gou why. Because gou stili don't get it. You don't understand why you're here. You’re here so gou can live. But life isn't a fucking debating circle. Life's a drama. Take pos-session of each other. Make the best of gourselves. Devour gourselves. Be victorious. Onlg one will win, do we understand each other? You know whg l'm here. Because the ratings are dropping. And why are theg drop-ping? Because you’re just going round in circles. Perhaps we haven't understood each other. I told gou to be gourselves. But for Chrisfs sake, is that ali gou are? O.K., gou mustn't be violent. But people want a bit of action. People want emotion. There are seven of gou in this fiat. Seven. You fall in love, gou delude gourselves, punish gourselves, dream, kili gourselves, for God's sake, lovver gourselves, force gourselves, is that what gou 'd call violence, I ask gou? It's not violence at ali. These dags everg kid does that who can count up to five. Make up stories, do what gou want, for fuck's sake, but what gou're doing nov« is just bugger ali. You 've got the chance to shock evergone. As far as l’m concerned gou can plag cards too, but do it so that someone will find it interesting. Go as far as no-one has ever gone before gou. Who'll stop gou? You will. Because gou don't dare. Because gou hide in this corridor. I told gou it would destrog gou. You're ali hiding. Ali but two of gou who are daring to do more. If you're onlg going to vvatch them you'd be better off dropping out. Here's the button. Put an end to the agong. But if gou want another chance, then think something up. Call attention to gourself. Thafs ali. Evergone deserves another chance. Even losers like gou lot. Who keep on hanging out in the corridor. What's this now?!
(Blackout.)
6.
UTRE ONE: Crate...
CRATE: Fuck off.
LITTLE ONE: Crate, come inside.
CRATE: l'm not going in there ang more.
LITTLE ONE: You're doing well...
CRATE: Fuck off.
LITTLE ONE: I need gou, gou know? You can't stop now!
CRATE: 0. K. That's what it's about. You need me. It's ali about that.
LITTLE ONE: I need gou... like that as well.
CRATE: Quit gapping. You don't need angone. You onlg need gourself. Well you're right. That's how to win.
LITTLE ONE: That's not trne!
CRATE: Prove it!
LITTLE ONE: How?
CRATE: l'm going to press that button now. Let's go together.
LITTLE ONE: We can't do that. Didn't gou hear what Max said? We're better than the others. We're going to win.
CRATE: Onlg one person ca n win.
LITTLE ONE: We're more daring. We're getting votes. Understand? Do gou understand?!
CRATE: And then what?
LITTLE ONE: Theg like us, see?
CRATE: Who likes us?
LITTLE ONE: Evergone... evergone!
CRATE: Trn an idiot. I don't know what l'm doing bere.
LITTLE ONE: What? For fuck's sake, are gou going now? We're together in this. We're partners, get it? I can't go on without gou now. ITI drop out... ITI look like a complete idiot.
CRATE: ThaVsgour problem.
LITTLE ONE: Oh no. Oh no. You're degrading me. And gou liked it, didn't you? I fucked with gou in front of the whole fucking TV vvorld, and gou think gou don't owe me angthing?
CRATE: I think you value the vievving of this shit too highly. This crap of ours is watched by some idiot at three ir the morning, so he can see how someone's doing even worse than him.
LITTLE ONE: Crate, stop it. I just want to teli you something. Stop it. Listen to me. Listen to me.
CRATE: What is it you want?
LITTLE ONE: I want us to stay together.
CRATE: We can stay together. But not here. That's pointless.
LITTLE ONE: Evergthirg seems pointless to you right now, doesn't it? Before, you spent a year trging hard to get on this programme, and now suddenlg evergthing's dear to you. Bullshit. I'll teli you what's reallg going on with you. You can't stand losing. You’ve worked out that you can't win. But you can't win because you don't believe in gourself. Because you don't trust gourself. Because you think evergthing you do's crap. Because... because... because you don't know how to be gourself. CRATE: But I don't know what my self is! I haven't a due what I am! I onlg knowthat here Lm nothing! Zero!
LITTLE ONE: And now gou want to drag me down too. You want to take it out on me... But l'm not gonna let that happen.
CRATE: What‘s got into gou, Little One? Can gou reallg not see what's going on?
LITTLE ONE: Admit what l've said is true. Admit it, if gou have ang balls! CRATE: l'm not doing this ang more, do gou understand? I'm not doing it. That's it. That’s ali! And do gou know whg? Because it’s messing me up. This is a camp. Magbe I could hold out if there weren't... if there weren't this bloodg corridor. When gou realise what shit you're in for a few sec-onds... and then gou have to go back in... No! I can't breathe ang more. Do gou know what panic's like? It's nothing to do with whether I want to or not, I can't take ang more! I'm not going back in there again!
(He presses the button.)
LITTLE ONE: You bastard! You fucking egoist! And I hooked up with the biggest loser! Now what am I going to do? Everyone's paired off alreadg, apart from that blabbermouth who disgusts me and turns mg stomach and makes me want to puke if I so much as set eges on him! He stinks like shit's pouring out of his colon!
CRATE: You can come with me.
LITTLE ONE: Never! Never! It had to be now when we're on top! We were j ust this much from winning! And you've fucked evergthing up! I bate you! I could kili you!
(The door opens. We see Max behindit in the dark.)
CRATE: Are you coming?
LITTLE ONE: We were almost there... almost...
CRATE: Bge then, Little One.
(He exits. The door closes. Little One remains alone for a while, then Adrian enters.)
ADRIAN: Hi, Babe.
LITTLE ONE: Goaway.
ADRIAN: Are you in a bad mood? Don't be in a bad mood.
LITTLE ONE: Leave me alone.
ADRIAN: Come on now. Are we friends or aren't we?
LITTLE ONE: What do you want?
ADRIAN: What do people want, in general? A little loving, Babe. Am I right? Just... a little loving.
LITTLE ONE: Leave me alone.
ADRIAN: You're on your own now. You misjudged him, what can you do. We ali make mistakes. But I know how to suffer. That's why you and I are going to go back home now.
LITTLE ONE: Fuckoff.
ADRIAN: This is a marathon. You have to save some strength for the end. And a person can't be alone in the world. What would people sag? Not in life either, my sweetheart. Not in life either.
(Goes up to her and licks her across herface. Then he puliš her bg the hand through the door. Nixon enters, lights a cigarette. After a while Nena enters.)
NENA: Has he gone?
NIX0N: Yes.
NENA: I knew he'd go. He had balls.
NIX0N: It feels like someone’s died.
NENA: I feel like someone's been born.
NIXON: Now we'll ali be in couples. I ca n understand him in a way ... NENA: Crate?
NIKON: No. I don't understand him. Adrian.
NENA: What's there to understand about that fat slob?
NIKON: Basically he was very lonelg. Sleeping alone like that the whole time...
NENA: Bullshit. That's the height of sexual delight to him.
NIKON: Everything's crap.
(Silence.)
NENA: How'syours?
NIKON: Stili pouring out of her. What kind of fucking never-ending men-struation is that?
NENA: That's not menstruation. Something's not right.
NIKON: Thanks fortelling me.
NENA: If it doesn't stop she'11 have to...
NIKON: Thafsenough about that, O.K.?
(Silence.)
NENA: Do you love her?
NIKON: What kind of a guestion is that? What's that got to do with any-thing? What do you mean by that idiotic guestion? My goal here is to win.
NENA: Ves. It's been going very well for you latelg.
NIKON: Dogouthinkso?
NENA: Ves. Evergthing you do is so...
NIKON: What?
NENA: Entertaining.
NIKON: Reallg?
NENA: Except you've got a spottg bum.
NIKON: Better my bum than gourface. (Silence.) Thanks for the thought. You're ali right. (Silence.) Vou know... I don't not čare about her.
NENA: I know.
NIKON: Stili, outside I probablg wouldn't give her a second look.
NENA: You wouldn't look at her because gou wouldn't notice her. NIKON: Funny, isn't it. When you think that I hardly know her. NENA: Ves.
NIKON: And now I can't even fuck her any more.
NENA: Fucking isn't everything.
NIKON: Funny.
NENA: What?
NIKON: l've got so used to evergone watching me while I...
NENA: Ves.
NIKON: I don't know if lil ever be able to do it... normallg again. NENA: Nobody's going to be normal again after this.
(B lackout.)
7.
ADRIAN: What's this? Now what's going on?
DORIAN: There's no electricitg.
NENA: This is unbelievable! There are no lights! It's dark everywhere! NIKON: What are you shouting about?
NENA: ComplexTrade haslostitsjuice! Glorij glory hallelujah!
NIKON: That's impossible. This has got to be one of their tricks again. NENA: No. Vou know what this is? This is a fucking holidag. It's the first time it's been dark everywhere! Even the toilefs dark. This is crazg! ADRIAN: Don't be hgsterical. What good is it to angone if it's dark? It's a waste of time. I don't intend to drop dead here. Although I feel like l'm going to. Do you want to finish me off?
NIKON: Coolit.
ADRIAN: l've been having stomach pains ali dag, gou know. I'm going to throvv up. What kind of shit is it gou cook?
NENA: I cooked vvhattheg gave us.
ADRIAN: (ToDorian.) This cunt of gours doesn't know how to cook.
DORIAN: lt's impossible to kili gou. Actuallg gours gets a turn tomorrow. To cook.
ADRIAN: Mine's good for nothing. My Little One j ust sleeps. (To Nixon.) Is she thinking of dropping dead like gours?
NIKON: Shutgourmouth.
ADRIAN: (To Dorian.) Go on, teli us.
DORIAN: What do gou want?
ADRIAN: Tell us what gou think? What crap is this. This darkness.
DORIAN: I don'tknow.
ADRIAN: You don't know. You of ali people, who are so devet. I think it's a fucking breakdown. That's what it is. They've lost control of things a bit. NIKON: (Pointing at Dorian.) He knovvs.
ADRIAN: Knows what?
NIKON: He's with them. Can't gou see how he's behaving ali the time? He's their hired man.
NENA: What are gou bullshitting about, gou idiot?
NIKON: He's bluffing. He's being paid by Complex Trade. He 's bere to fuck us up. To spg on us. Provoke us. To listen to what we're blabbing about in the corridor.
ADRIAN: What?
NIKON: lt's not the corridor. It's him that's the problem.
ADRIAN: Is thistrue?
DORIAN: Tve tol d gou, this is Max's trick. So we'd be suspicious of each other.
ADRIAN: You told us. You told us ali right. But now l'm asking gou why gou said that? Who gave gou that idea?
DORIAN: Use gour brains, if gou've got ang. Trn using mine.
ADRIAN: Hang on. You're gonna apologise for that.
DORIAN: Fuck off.
ADRIAN: But not far. When we're on live. When theg can see us. Remem-ber that. Trn gonna take gou down a peg or two. Even a hired man has a little drop of, vvhatisit...
DORIAN: Dignitg.
ADRIAN: Yes. And l'm gonna knock gou down to zero. But not now, when no-one's vvatching. There's no point now. Waste of energg.
NENA: How do you krow no-one's watchirg us?
ADRIAN: Because even I can hardlg see you, for ChrisVs sake, and Trn standing right in front of you. And we're in the corridor.
NENA: That's irrelevant. There are cameras here too. Except we can't see them.
NIX0N: Do you think so?
NENA: Obviouslg. You can't hide anywhere here. This was Max's trick. So we'd feel safe here.
ADRIAN: What's the matter with you people? We're here so they can watch us. What are you getting angrg for?
(The lights come up.)
ADRIAN: There you go. 5omeone's messing us about. Someone some-where's plaging God.
NENA: What God. There is no God.
ADRIAN: How the hell do gou know?
NENA: There isn't. I know.
ADRIAN: You know my arse.
NIX0N: Stop getting on each other's nerves.
ADRIAN: l'm only saging that somewhere there's some clever dick who's gonna sort evergthing out in the end. Are gou capable of understanding anything at ali that I say?
NENA: (ToNixon.) Isshe getting ang better?
NIX0N: She doesn't want to get up. I don't know if she's got ang blood left in her.
NENA: Shit. Thisisrealigbad.
NIXON: Thanks fortelling me.
NENA: 1'mgoingtoseeher.
DORIAN: Wait till we've talked it over.
NENA: What is there to discuss?
DORIAN: What we're going to do with her.
ADRIAN: What can we do with her?
DORIAN: Weii that's what it's about.
ADRIAN: Menstruation lasts three days, for fuck's sake. Not like this. DORIAN: This is stress related.
NENA: Could you be less fucking rational for a minute?
ADRIAN: You see. Like an old married couple. Shali we have a bit of a swop?
NENA: l'd rather die than be with you.
ADRIAN: What are you taking it so seriouslg for? What is this now? It's ali show. Competition. The more they watch us the more cash the winner gets. Why don't we go for a bit of unauthorised stuff? Who's interested in this fucking faithfulness we've been getting ourselves into?
NENA: Wehavetohelpher.
DORIAN: If she picks up, she'11 win. I don't suppose you've thought of that?
ADRIAN: How do you mean?
DORIAN: 5he's getting votes now. The more blood she loses, the more votes she gets. Did you think that you'd be saved when you got the Little One? A fuck isn't evergthing, darling. You have to show something else as well. You have to lose a little blood.
ADRIAN: If you look at it that way, the woman's luckg.
NENA: What are you two talking about? Have you gone completelg berserk?
ADRIAN: We're talking about lučk. Can't angone talk with you a bit like... in general?
(Enter lana.)
NIKON: How are you, darling? Go back to bed.
JANA: No. I don't want them looking at me. Not now, when Trn like this. NIKON: Like what?
JANA: Unvvell.
NIKON: No-one's looking at you. Everything'sfucked..
NENA: Sit down bere. She's got a temperature.
JANA: Don'ttouch me!
NENA: You're ali right. Just let me look...
JANA: Leave me alone!
NENA: She's covered in blood! What is thisthen?
NIXON: Of course she's bloody if it's flowing through.
JANA: I feel ill.
ADRIAN: What are we going to do now?
NIX0N: We're going to put her back to bed.
NENA: We'll have to wash her first.
DORIAN: Be serious. Look at the State of her. She can't carrg on like this. NIX0N: What would gou do then? If you're so fucking clever?
DORIAN: We mifet get her out.
NIX0N: No. Not get.
DORIAN: We must ring the beli.
NIX0N: No, if I sag no!
NENA: She's going to bleed to death, for Chrisfs sake! We've got to do something!
ADRIAN: I agree. 5he's alreadg covered in blood.
NENA: The woman's burning. This is a fucking infection.
JANA: Don’t ring!
NENA: You have to leave, svveetheart. We can't do angthing for gou here. I'm sorrg.
ADRIAN: Yes. You did reallg well.
NIX0N: You can shut gour gob.
JANA: l'm ali dirtg. Why am I so dirtg?
NIX0N: We’re going to get gou fixed up. These dags gou can fix angthing, for fuck's sake. Angthing can be done. Isn't that right?
DORIAN: Don't be hgsterical.
NIX0N: Who's hgsterical? Where's this god of gours now to sort her out?
JANA: Don't ring. Don't ring. Tm going to take a shovver and it'11 be ali right. (Stands up, falls.)
NENA: Don't move. Hasn't angone got a fucking handkerchief? Where has ali this blood come from, for fuck's sake,? Have gou taken ang tablets? Look at me!
JANA: Leave mealone.
NENA: Some ki n d of buggered up shit of a contraception?
DORIAN: Do you think it was because of the meat paste?
JANA: Leave me be!
NIXON: Don'texcite yourself. I'm bere.
ADRIAN: O.K. We'll wait till tomorrow. I suggest we wait till tomorrow and what will be will be.
NENA: I don’t know if we car wait.
NIKON: Yes. Let's wait till tomorrow. If it's no better in the morning... (Little One comes into the corridor, dressed in her nightdress.)
LITTLE ONE: Kave you ali won or what?
ADRIAN: Little One.
LITTLE ONE: Can't you see what's up with her?
ADRIAN: Go back to bed and wait there for me. This here isn't for you. LITTLE ONE: lt's not her. It's you lot who're fucked.
(Little One goes to the upstage doorcmd rings the beli.)
NIKON: What are you doing? What have you done, for Chrisfs sake? DORIAN: She's rung the beli!
LITTLE ONE: You're imbeciles. Do you want her to die? Is that what you want? Fuck off, you idiots. (Returns to the mm.)
(Silence.)
DORIAN: 5he's right. The Little One's right.
JANA: l'm not going. I don't want to go!
NENA: You must, sweetheart. You must. There's no other way.
JANA: I want to be with you. I haven't got angone else.
ADRIAN: lt's too late now. Vl/eVerungandsomeonehastogoout.
NENA: Could you be guiet for two minutes please? Two minutes? Just two little minutes?
ADRIAN: Tm trying to comfort her. I only want to comfort her! Why are you ali laying into me?
(The dooropens.)
NIKON: Shit. Shit.
JANA: I don't want to! I don't want to leave.
ADRIAN: Somebody's got to leave now, for Chrisfs sake!
DORIAN: She's not going alone. She can't even walk. Someone has to go with her.
(Silence.)
NIX0N: Come on sweetheart. Let's go together. lil help gou. (Picks her up.)
ADRIAN: Wait. If gou go out gou won't be able to come back in again! N E NA: Shut gour stinking gob!
JANA: I dorTtfeel well...
NIX0N: Shh. Don't talk.
JANA: Will gou be with me?
NIX0N: Ul be with gou.
JANA: Where... are we going?
NIX0N: 5omewhere... where itll be better. Itll be better soon. You and I are kind of... familg now. Come on, lean on me... (Stops in front of the door.) What the fuck are gou looking at me for? It's not that she means angthing to me, but I couldn't... I couldn't leave her like this either.
(They exit. Max entersfmm behind.)
MAX: Didn't I teli gou? Avoid the corridor. The corridor's a false hope. The corridor will finish gou. The corridor's gour curse. Just don't start slacking off now. Now there's onlg four of gou left. Now that it's improving. Do gou know it's becoming a hit? This is real drama. Onlg gou must take a little better čare of gour health from now on. What ca n gou do with dreams if gou haven't got gour health? Keep strong. Sta g healthg. Theg write off angone who's sick. O.K., if gouVe gotmoneg, gou can manage. You can teli evergone to fuck off, but theg stili lick gour arse. If gou're poor, though, gou're fucked. And if gou're poor, it's gour own fault. Whg don't gou look after gour health? Whg don't gou make a bit of an effort? Have gou ever vvondered whg Africa is so fucked up? Theg've got gold. ThegVe got oil. Theg've even got crocodiles to make handbags with, for fuck's sake. But theg haven't got health. Evergone's sick there. That's it. You have to look after gour health in life if gou want to win. And gou do want to win, don't gou? Otherwise gou wouldn't have lasted. There's onlg four of gou left. But at least gou don't have to do angthing but live. Is there angthing easier in the world? You're here inside, gou have everg-thing. You eat, drink, fuck. You have a good time. You do evergthing other people do. What the whole fucking world does. And nobodg demands angthing of gou. O.K., gou get a bit of advice here and there,
but Jesus, I ask you, who doesn't need it sometimes? However, you were the chosen ones, dorVt forget that. Not evergone has a chance like gou did to win a prize. Just forliving, for ChrisVs sake. And allovving others to watch them. It’s a huge prize. So forget the cameras in there and start to live. Perhaps gou ask gourselves from time to time why one's better than another. Why people would rather watch one rather than another. You ask gourselves why one succeeds and another doesnl When gou know that, gou'11 know evergthing. You have gour whole life-time. I'm like death; gou don't know when l'm coming. And now go back inside. The public is vvaiting. The cameras are running. That's where life is, for fuck's sake. The corridor is death. Haven't I told gou that alreadg?
(Blackout.)
8.
DORIAN: What do gou want now?
ADRIAN: Theg're putting something in our food.
DORIAN: Don'tbe daft.
ADRIAN: They're poisoning us. Trn telling gou. I don't shit normallg ang more.
DORIAN: You don't move enough.
ADRIAN: Are gou fucking with me?
DORIAN: I mean it seriouslg.
ADRIAN: Don't be an idiot. Look at that.
DORIAN: What?
ADRIAN: Boils. I've got them evergwhere.
DORIAN: This is some kind of allergg... heg, do gou know gou reallg are a bituglg?
ADRIAN: Do gou thinkso?
DORIAN: I mean considering how handsome gou were before.
ADRIAN: Don't teli me that.
DORIAN: No, it’s reallg avvful that this should happen to gou of ali people. ADRIAN: Bastards. There doing something to us... (Silence.) We have to eat evergthing theg give us. But how the hell do we know what they’re giving us?
DORIAN: You're paranoid.
ADRIAN: We've been shut up in this shack. For the whole of fucking eter-nity already. It's exactly that. Some studio. Some fiat. It's j ust a shitty shack. A camp.
I teli you, they're putting something in our food.
DORIAN: Why would they do that?
ADRIAN: You teli me. You know evergthing.
DORIAN: I don't know.
ADRIAN: O.K. I'll teli you. They're experimenting with us. They're fucking us up with different drugs. So we get more down than in real life. That's what. Fucking cunts. This wasn't in the contract, was it. I'm going to wreck it ali forthem. Look what l'm like!
DORIAN: You look good, Adrian. I didn't mean it seriouslg before. You're stili the most good-looking one.
ADRIAN: Am I hell. I look like a pig. A half-eaten one... I ca n put up with angthing, but not that. What's the time?
DORIAN: Half past three.
ADRIAN: Half past three, half past three... is it dag or night?
DORIAN: lt's afternoon.
ADRIAN: How do I know that? Is there a window anywhere?
DORIAN: As many as you want.
ADRIAN: A proper window, for fuck's sake! One that looks out on something! A window's supposed to look out on something. That's what a win-dow's for. Do you know what's outside? A fucking set. Everything's paint-ed! It's ali a fucking illusion! It's only us who's for real here.
(Silence.)
DORIAN: How are you getting on with the Little One?
ADRIAN: What do you mean how. You sleep two metres away from us. Why are you asking?
DORIAN: Just asking. Don't you want to converse?
ADRIAN: You wanted to teli me something.
DORIAN: I only asked how you are getting on with each other. You get on well, don't you?
ADRIAN: Do we, fuck. I get on with her, but she doesn't get on with me.
DORIAN: Really?
ADRIAN: She basically has something against me the whole time. She really tries hard to make me out to be an idiot the whole time.
DORIAN: You have to understand her. Two people can't win. Only one can win. I reckon the Little One is ahead again.
ADRIAN: No. No. Wait. Wait a minute.
DORIAN: What is it?
ADRIAN: Didn't you want to teli me something then?
DORIAN: What would I want to teli you?
ADRIAN: That she's giving me shit.
DORIAN: You said that.
ADRIAN: That's exactly what you wanted to sag.
DORIAN: You imagine what you like. You babble on the whole time and don't listen to angone. Why are you suddenlg so sensitive?
ADRIAN: You know why? Because it's only me who has these fucking spots. They itch so much I could rip my skin off.
DORIAN: I know how you feel...
ADRIAN: No, you don't. If you know, teli me why you haven't got this shit? Why hasn't she got it? She's got skin like a baby. Why is it only me who’sgotthem?
DORIAN: I don'tknow.
ADRIAN: You don't know. Ali right. Because I do. She's giving me something. Orshe's vviping something on me. When l'm asleep.
DORIAN: You can't just condemn her.
ADRIAN: Stop defending her, it doesn't help at ali!
DORIAN: So why are you asking me then!
ADRIAN: That cunt! I'm gonna cut her head off. That's what they want, for fuck's sake! ITI give them a programme no-one wi!1 ever forget! (Goes in. Enter Nena.)
NENA: What did you do that for?
DORIAN: What?
NENA: Stop plaging the fool. You provoked him.
DORIAN: He came to chat of his own accord.
NENA: That's dirtg. He'll start being rough with her. Do you know what '11 happenthen?
DORIAN: If he's ar idiot. You know you car hardly stand him. Why are you pretending differentlg?
NENA: You shouldn't do that. We're in this together. It's not fair.
DORIAN: Calm down, darling. This is a cruel business. I'm stili working for goutoo.
NENA: And what about when there's only you and me left? What will you dothen?
DORIAN: Let the best man win. The one who gets the most votes.
NENA: lt's not about that, is it? It's not about votes. It's about who can last outtothe end.
DORIAN: I didn’t think up this shit. It's not my problem. The ending isn't my problem.
NENA: No. That's my problem. Because then it'11 be my turn, won't it? DORIAN: Listen to me. We did... well to get together, didn'twe?
(Silence.)
NENA: Ali right. Onlg...
DORIAN: Not ali right. Well. And you know what? Not because of the fucking. Because we've got brains.
NENA: I don't know... how to use them here.
(Shouting. Adrian drags Little One bg the hairinto the corridor.)
ADRIAN: You want to poison me? You me?
LITTLE ONE: Let me go... let me go, you pile of shit!
ADRIAN: Now you'll get what's coming to you. (Hitsher.)
NENA: Leave heralone. Idiot!
ADRIAN: That crate of beer was for you, not me!
NENA: Stop it!
DORIAN: Leave him. He's finished. He's broken the rules. He's become violent.
NENA: Leave her, otherwise it'11 be the end of you! Do you hear? You'll drop out! Stop hitting her!
ADRIAN: Fuck off, or ITI start on you!
LITTLE ONE: Ves, go on, gou cretin, gou lunatic, gou spottg powdered coward! You're finished now!
ADRIAN: You're the one who's finished! There! 5ee!
LITTLE ONE: A lousg coffee grinder fucks better than gou! Just hit me, go on, hit me, cretin!
(The door opens. Two securitg guards enter; theg grab Adrian and drag him out. Max is in the background.)
ADRIAN: Leave me alone! Where are gou taking me! I'm the best, but nobodg knovvs it get! Let go of me! I don't want to leave! I have to win! I don't want to stop, let go, gou mother-fuckers! I'm gonna kili gou ali! ITI come back and kili gou ali! ITI leave a bomb at the door for gou, even if it blovvs me to bits as well. You want ali the moneg for gourselves! You want evergthing for gourselves, and gou poison us! You fuckers making cos-metics out of foetuses!
(Theg drag him off. Max is standing in the doormag.)
MAX: The rule was: no force. This is a civilised programme, for fuck's sake. Some ki d could be vvatching gou, have gou forgotten that? Like... a little bit older. He's vvatching gou to learn about the vvorld. And what does he see! Do me a favour. Are gou going to give them something to look at? You're given an inch and gou take a mile. It’s a fact that the more gou swear, the more theg like vvatching gou. So from now on, do what gou want. We won't interfere ang more. There are three of gou remaining. The cleverest. The best. I hope gou've learned something. And I ca n vouch that the sun stili shines out there. And the rain falls. Sometimes there's even a rainbovv, right above gour heads. Isn't that good news? Shali I teli gou something even better? Complex Trade's shares are rising. I vvanted to share that news with gou.
(Blackout.)
9.
Nena enters the corridor. Dorianfollouis behind.
DORIAN: Come back. We're on the programme. What do gou want out here?
NENA: How do gou know we're on the programme?
DORIAN: We're doing well. What's up with gou?
NENA: You teli me what's up with gou. What's up with both of gou?
DORIAN: Donlask idiocies and come on in.
NENA: l'm not going in until gou teli me what's going on.
DORIAN: What's going on is going on. What can I sag?
NENA: Don’t treat me like an idiot.
DORIAN: Are gou jealous orvvhat?
NENA: No, just teli me how to bebave. So I don't look like a moron. DORIAN: Bebave as gou think gou should bebave. That's the secret behind the vvhole thing. What's the matter now?
NENA: You grope each other in front of mg eges. You're seducing her, talking with her... I don't know what l'm supposed be doing there with gou.
DORIAN: Sorrg, Nena. It's nothing personal.
NENA: Nothing personal? But that's what it's about, that we take things personallg, isn't it? That’s the crux of evergthing! Up till now we've been a couple, haven'twe?
DORIAN: If gou're going to create a scene, do it in the studio. I don't intend losing energg out here in the corridor. Do gou stili not understand what it is we're doing? We're moving towards a limit that...
NENA: Shutthatgapping!
DORIAN: You understand, then.
NENA: At the beginning I understood. Now I don't understand ang more. DORIAN: But what's there to understand here? If something's making gou angrg, teli the camera, what are gou doing here? This plače doesn't exist, get it! It's as if gou didn't exist!
NENA: Good, then I fucking don't exist!
(Little One enters; Dorian puts his arm around hershoulder.)
UTRE ONE: Tell her, Dorian.
NENA: Aha, another one come here to die! You know gou don't exist ang more here? That gou onlg think gou exist?
LITTLE ONE: Tell her.
NENA: What's he supposed to teli me?
DORIAN: Trn going to. Can't gou see she’s hgsterical? She has to calm down or she won't understand.
(Silence.)
NENA: What am I supposed to understand?
DORIAN: What's going to happen to you.
NENA: What's going to happen to me. And how the hell do gou know what's going to happen to me? You're in the same pile of shit as me. DORIAN: Not exactly.
(Silence.)
NENA: Wait. Ali along gou two have been... I don't get it...
LITTLE ONE: Tell her.
DORIAN: O.K. Listen. (Silence.) This is the final instruction.
NENA: What do gou mean... instruction?
DORIAN: Do gou know what an instruction is?
NENA: Wait. What are gou talking about?
DORIAN: Theg want us to get together. Little One and me. It's nothing personal. And onlg temporarg.
NENA: You... so gou receive... instructions.
DORIAN: Yes. Sometimes directives arrive.
NENA: Directives. Who are gou then? A fucking aparachik?
DORIAN: Let's just sag that I represent Complex Trade in these matters. NENA: You're nothing but their regular fucking emplogee! It's true then! DORIAN: Complex Trade follovvs events. It checks the public's appraisal. And it decides on the best option.
NENA: So gou reallg are... theirs. Theg're paging gou to direct the whole thing. Nixonwasright.
LITTLE ONE: Dorian's the onlg one with ang brains here.
NENA: He's manipulating evergone! Including gou!
DORIAN: You're exaggerating. I just make sure the narrative doesn't get boring.
NENA: But this is a con trick! People think we are doing this for real. That theg're looking at seven people who didn't know each other. Seven people who theg lock up in a fiat and hang cameras around. And then theg watch what happens to them. How theg live. This is... this is a reallg fucking avvful experiment, that's not to sag, at least in mg opinion it was reallg. Each person invests what theg want to. What theg can. What theg dare to. But this has ali been set up... it's ali a fraud!
DORIAN: Not ali of-it. Complex Trade only uses what you offer yourselves. NENA: What did you two do to Adrian?
DORIAN: Little One has nothing to do with that. She was chosen by Com-plex Trade.
NENA: What did you put in his food, for God's sake?
DORIAN: He'd been bere to o long. He was having a bad influence on the programme. And the puhlic had had enough of him. I tried to help him, but he wouldn't listen to me. That's why he had to go.
NENA: lt's ali a fraud! Vour everyday swindle! I must teli everybody! (Runs into the studio, shouts.) Ca n you hear me? Can you see me? It's ali a big fraud! Look at me! Don't believe what you see! It’s ali a set-up. They're fucking you about! Can you hear me? Can you see me? Are these fucking cameras stili vvorking at ali?
DORIAN: There's no point, Nela. Haven't you heard of censorship yet? Haven't you heard of editing? I have broad authorisation. Vour time's slowly running out. Reconcile gourself to that.
NENA: l'm not going angvvhere! Fuck!
DORIAN: The Little One has to win. And l'm here to help.
NENA: O.K. Let her win. But honestlg. Let them count the votes, for God's sake!
DORIAN: Votes aren't evergthing. People don't understand evergthing. It's in the interesi of Complex Trade for Little One to win.
NENA: You know what I sag to that! This is a very fucked up democracg! DORIAN: No, darling. It's about moneg. Moneg is about power. Democracg is about power.
NENA: Butwhy her?
DORIAN: Because she has potential. To serve Complex Trade.
NENA: But that doesn’t interesi me!
DORIAN: It doesn't interesi gou because gou don’t have ang Information! You onlg live gour own small life. Verg small. And nothing else interests gou. But Complex Trade ca res about a larger life. For the vvhole of fucking societg, if gou like. But gou don't have a due about that. Vou don’t have a due about it because they're higher interests. Which means theg're more complex interests.
NENA: I know what’s honest and what isn’t!
DORIAN: What gou don't know is a great deal more. But some people do know. The things theg do are also in gour interesi. Vou m ust trust them. NENA: I trusted gou! You're a common liar!
DORIAN: And who are gou to spit on me? I have mg own life too. Trn trg-ing to survive too. Have gou ever thought of that perhaps? The firm took me off the streets. Theg gave me evergthing. And Trn going to do everg-thing theg ask me to. Out of gratitude. That's what I call honest. Who gives gou the right to get angrg with me?! Haven't I tol d gou the truth ali along?
NENA: (To Little One.) And gou? Don't gou čare? Don’t gou čare what theg dovvithgou?
LITTLE ONE: Stop being tiresome, Nena. Stop being tiresome for once. You've crept up a long wag, people aren't j ust going to forget gou. If gou mess things up, gou'11 ruin evergthing.
(Silence.)
NENA: I need moneg. Urgentlg. That's why Trn here. Onlg because of that.
DORIAN: That can be arranged.
NENA: How much will I get if I leave?
DORIAN: Don't gou blackmail me or gou'11 get nothing. Can't gou see Trn doing mg best? You‘ll get enough.
NENA: How much is that?
DORIAN: The others got nothing. If gou bug me, gou won't get angthing either.
NENA: What do I have to do? Drop out?
DORIAN: Yes.
NENA: Good, lefsdoit.
DORIAN: Don't be impatient.
NENA: For fuck’s sake, will gou teli me what gou want from me.
DORIAN: We want gou to drop out. But not immediatelg.
NENA: Whenthen, for Chrisfs sake?
DORIAN: After a vvhile. Don't go too fast. The next one to drop out isn't gou. The next to drop out is me.
NENA: You?!
DORIAN: Yes. You two remain alore. You become lovers. This is impor-tant. And only then do you drop out too.
NENA: We become lovers.
DORIAN: Yes.
NENA: The Little One and I become lovers.
DORIAN: Will you stop repeating that?
NENA: That's got to be the best yet.
DORIAN: Do you want ang moneg or don't you?
(Silence.)
NENA: And why dol drop out after that?
DORIAN: How often have you wanted to up till now?
NENA: Atleasta hundred times.
DORIAN: Good. Then you've got at least a hundred reasons. Use your brains. Choose the best one.
NENA: And then?
DORIAN: Only the Little One survives till the end and wins. That's the sce-nario.
NENA: The scenario! The whole thing has a fucking scenario! Right from the very start!
DORIAN: Not from the beginning. The scenario has been taking shape as we've been going along. As we've been going along, Nena. There's something else though... you could be grateful.
NENA: Forwhat?
DORIAN: Now you have the opportunitg to play a role right through to the end. Just as it should be. So far in life you haven't done that once yet. Up till now you've... fucked evergthing up, as you would sag. I so don't like that obscene way of talking. If a person stags around you for long, they become... ali shittg themselves. Have I said the right thing?
NENA: Go fuck gourself. Fuck gourself. I trusted you! I thought we were togetherinthis... thisshit.
DORIAN: I hope you'H both be back on the set in two minutes. (Doriangoesin.)
LITTLE ONE: Leave him. We'll be alone soon.
NENA: What are you saging?
LITTLE ONE: Don't believe him. He doesn't decide angthing. He's not Max. You can stili win.
NENA: Don't be so fucking childish, Little One. Or are gou onlg pretend-ing to be, perhaps?
LITTLE ONE: Don't trust him. Trust me.
(Blackout.)
10.
The corridor is untidg and deserted. Left-over food, cables. Crate, Jana, Nixon and Adrian are sitting upstage behind a glass umil, umtching thefinal scene. Dorian is standing among them.
LITTLE ONE: Where are gou? Where are gou hiding? (Silence.) Do gou want us to plag? I plaged this when 1 was a little girl. I know how to bide well too,... There's so much room bere now... so mang hiding places. And there's nobodg left but us. As ifwe were alone in the world, isn’t it? Well, magbe we are. Who knows what's outside? Magbe there's nobodg left. Magbe there never was angbodg. Where are gou? Do gou want me to find gou? We can plag now we're alone. Now we like each other. Evergthing is ours. We can do whatwewant. (Silence.) Can gou hear me? VVhere are gou?
NENA: Tm bere.
LITTLE ONE: Whg did gou scare me? I was afraid gou'd left. I don't want gou to leave. (Silence.) I want gou to come back to me. What are gou doingbgthedoor?
NENA: Listening.
LITTLE ONE: What are gou listening to?
NENA: 5omeone'sscreaming.
LITTLE ONE: No-one’s screaming!
NENA: I can hear it though!
LITTLE ONE: You j ust think gou can.
NENA: And so what if I j ust think I can? I can hear it, is that ali right? I don't exist bere angwag. 5o it's ali right if that doesn't either.
LITTLE ONE: Comehere...
NENA: The main thing is there's screaming. That's what Tm trging to sag. Even if there isn't angone left angwhere. Don't gou believe I can hear screaming?
LITTLE ONE: Ves, I believe you.
NENA: Then why did you say I couldn't?
LITTLE ONE: Noreason. (Silence.) What's the screaming like?
NENA: Like a scream. Loud.
LITTLE ONE: Don't listen to it and it'll stop.
NENA: How do you know?
LITTLE ONE: When I was a little girl it stopped.
NENA: When you were a little girl... there was screaming too?
LITTLE ONE: Ves.
NENA: The... same?
LITTLE ONE: Ves.
NENA: Look, don't fuck me about. Don’t look at me with those rejecting eyes of gours, because... because Trn completelg normal.
LITTLE ONE: I know you are.
NENA: I ca n just hear someone, thafs ali.
(Silence.)
LITTLE ONE: l'm glad we're alone.
NENA: Look, thafs enough of that. This is the last chance.
LITTLE ONE: Last chance... forvvhat?
NENA: Forme to go.
LITTLE ONE: Don't talk about that. Here I... I don't missangone.
NENA: Do you hearwhat l'm saging to gou?
LITTLE ONE: Do gou hate me?
NENA: No.
LITTLE ONE: I don't want gou to hate me.
NENA: Well I don't.
LITTLE ONE: So whg do gou want to leave then?
NENA: Because ifs the end. I've plaged out mg role, a pa rt from possi-blg... There gou are, I can hear it again. I wish they'd give himatranguil-liser, for Chrisfs sake. A shot up the vein, amateurs.
LITTLE ONE: I wanted to teli gou... that I like being with gou... verg much. NENA: Noshit, Little One.
LITTLE ONE: You come across as such a crude woman... butin bed you're... NENA: There's no need for you to say that. There realiy isn't.
LITTLE ONE: Will you please listen to me? I was only trying to say... you know, I bate men. I prefervvomen. I like you... the best.
NENA: You're getting too emotional. !t's dangerous.
LITTLE ONE: I only want to, so you know... you really mean a lot to me. (Bitence.)
NENA: Kave you gotanyone... out there?
LITTLE ONE: No. What about you? Apart from your child, I mean?
NENA: No.
LITTLE ONE: We could keep up our connection... afterwards too.
NENA: I don't know if there's ang point. You'll have your own lite then. ItTl be different. You've no idea what'll be waiting for gou.
LITTLE ONE: I don't čare. Do you at least like me a little? Please teli me. NENA: Why do gouask?
LITTLE ONE: Because I want to know! It seems like you like me... or are you j ust good at pretending?
NENA: This is pointless. Have you forgotten where you are? You and I don't have it off because we like it, but because others want it. Because they watch us.
LITTLE ONE: We could once, when it gets dark... Towards morning... They always turn out the lights then. Or here. In the corridor. Just for our-selves. You don't exist if you're in the corridor... Isn't that how it is? We ca n love each other here, vvhere we don't exist...
NENA: People thought they were looking at life. That evergthing that happened was real. That we had those desires... that we had those feel-ings. This is what excites those fucked up vogeurs. Whereas they were actuallg just watching ordinarij porn.
LITTLE ONE: Where's the difference? What you do, you do.
NENA: You reallg don't know, do you? You reallg don't know what the difference is. I pity you, Little One.
LITTLE ONE: You're different... But I enjog people vvatching me... like this or in other ways. I enjog pleasing them. If theg think l'm beautiful. If theg think Trn uglg... that's the onlg time I feel bad. I get nervous then. You... gou think gou shouldn't enjog that... that it's something bad. Why
don't you give up? Why does everything have to be the way you thirk is right?
NENA: Now I urderstand why they wanted you.
LITTLE ONE: I like you.
NENA: O.K., Little One. You're ali right. It's not gourfault, O.K.?Just don't getsentimental now.
LITTLE ONE: I love you.
NENA: Because of two orgasms?
LITTLE ONE: Three.
NENA: Ali right, three.
LITTLE ONE: 1 never have ang with men.
NENA: You haven't met the right one yet.
LITTLE ONE: Tve loved you ali along. You know that. From the beginning. There's no need for me to hide it ang longer.
(Silence.)
NENA: Have you ever been to a see a psgchiatrist?
LITTLE ONE: My father was a psgchiatrist.
NENA: Reallg?
LITTLE ONE: And I was his little girl. He loved me a lot. You know why he loved me?
NENA: Tell me.
LITTLE ONE: Because I was something special.
NENA: Something special.
LITTLE ONE: Yes. He showed me to his friends. He gave me tablets. A lot of tablets.
NENA: What kind of tablets?
LITTLE ONE: Different kinds... and then he vvatched... how I behaved. And he wrote down evergthing he saw.
NENA: You were a fucking laboratorg for gour crazg father?
LITTLE ONE: My hairfell outonce... but then he gave me different tablets and it grew back... aftera vvhile. It was just a bit thinner... But his friends said I was a more beautiful girl than before... and I believed them.
NENA: But what did theg do to gou?
LITTLE ONE: They were friendly. Very friendly. Because I was something... special.
NENA: Dor't teli me this. Because l'm not capable of such... special com-passion any more.
LITTLE ONE: What do you mean?
NENA: Nothing. I don't know what to sag.
LITTLE ONE: Tell me that you like me.
(Silence.)
NENA: I like you. In mg own way.
LITTLE ONE: I knew it! Do you love me?
NENA: You're ali right, Little One. Now let‘s leave this alone.
LITTLE ONE: Please don't ever go off and leave me. Don't ever leave me. I couldn't bearit.
(Silence.)
LITTLE ONE: Do you reallg have to go?
NENA: Ves.
LITTLE ONE: Whg? No-one's forcing gou to.
NENA: That's the instruction, whg are gou bull-shitting? I have to drop out.
LITTLE ONE: Forget the instruction. They can't continue without me. I demand that gou stay with me. If I demand it, theg'11 honour mg vvishes. NENA: Until when, Little One?
LITTLE ONE: A little... bitlonger.
NENA: The end will come.
LITTLE ONE: lt'11 be the end when I sag it's the end!
NENA: Vou know what, this whole thing's gone to gour head. Magbe goiTve won, but the end is gonna be when 1 want it to be! And I want it to benovv! This moment.
LITTLE ONE: Don't do this!
NENA: Convince me, ifgoucan!
LITTLE ONE: What if I beg gou?
NENA: l've done what theg demanded. I staged with gou. Now it's time for gou to win. I'm getting hgsterical. Can't gou see that? Trn becoming
like you. Everyone's noticed it. I'm going out now to gour father so he can cure me. He does work here, doesn't he? You've got to have had a huge fucking connection to have got in here at ali.
LITTLE ONE: Why are gou being like this?
NENA: Like what?
LITTLE ONE: Rough. I want gou to be tender... like gou know how to be. NENA: You're the onlg one who's lasted to the end. Where's the problem? LITLE ONE: Td like to be with gou a little longer.
NENA: Sorrg, Little One. There's someone vvaiting for me out there. Who needs me. More than gou. Other people will look after gou.
(Rings.)
LITTLE ONE: Will gou phone me some time?
NENA: Listen to me...
LITTLE ONE: Just premise me that! I won't let gou go until gou do.
NENA: That's enough now! You know what l'm gonna teli gou? Magbe I shouldn't. Because gou're 111. I don't know ali that theg did to gou, but know I couldn't give a fuck. You’re nothing but a puppet. Magbe gou like it like that. Magbe gou don't know how to be otherwise. Magbe it's because of the tablets. But gou don't have one single fucking feeling that could be called... normal. You think evergthing gou want belongs to gou. You're reallg a spoilt brat.
LITTLE ONE: I onlg want people to like me... and admire me!
NENA: People, or me?
LITTLE ONE: Evergone! You took moneg too! For helping me! You're no betterthan I am.
NENA: I neversaid I was, mg dear.
(The dooropens, Max and Dorian enter. Max remains upstage.)
DORIAN: Right, mg girl. Are gou readg? Let's go.
NENA: Yes. Trn readg.
DORIAN: Not gou. Her.
NENA: Pardon?
DORIAN: The Little One is the one dropping out, not gou.
NENA: I don'tunderstand...
DORIAN: A change of scenario, what's there to understand? Let's just say puhlic pressure's too strong. The viewers want you to win. You've knocked her out. Complex Trade has discovered that under such circum-stances, 1t's better to submit to the will of the majority. Let people have their pleasure. Eve n though no-one ir the Corporation knows what to do with you then.
NENA: Whatto do with me...
DORIAN: Yes. With such a, how ca n I put it... misguided existence... in middle age.
NENA: How nicelg you put it.
DORIAN: I know how to sag something niče too.
NENA: l'mthirtg.
DORIAN: Fine, l'm not interested in that. Be as old as you like. Well, what now? Are we just going to sta n d here and look at each other?
(Silence.)
NENA: Are gou... serious? What gou said?
DORIAN: Serious. You‘ve won.
LITTLE ONE: No... you can't... gou can't dothisto me!
NENA: Little one... I didn't...
DORIAN: Leave her be. Let them send her back vvhere she came from. To that fucking sanatorium. Who could have let her out?
LITTLE ONE: You can't do this! Why are gou doing this to me? Why don't gou like me ang more? (To Nena.) You can't leave me!
NENA: Sorrg, Little One. I can't leave gou because Tve never been with gou.
LITTLE ONE: You... liar. You wanted me to fall in love with gou, so that gou could control me more easilg! You destroged me!
DORIAN: Let's go, Little One.
NENA: No-one's dean in this game, nobodg.
DORIAN: Let's go. Ifstheend.
(Little One goes touiards the door; she picks up an old iron stand jerkilg and hits Nena on the head. Nena collapses. Dorian stands aside and beckons; the securitg guards run through the door. This time theg are dressed in black pullovers and each of them has a camera on their shoulder. Little One hits Nena uiith the iron bar; Nena is Iging on the ground covered with blood. The
securitg guards are filming. Dorian is silentlg uiatching the scene. Max entersfrom upstage.)
MAX: Did you film it?
DORIAN: Ve5.
MAX: Good. How soon are the auditions?
DORIAN: I think we've already got a new team. We ca n start in a few dags. MAX: In two dags?
DORIAN: We could.
MAX: Ali right. Take heraway.
(The securitg guards lead Little One auiay.)
MAX: (Speaking to the puhlic.) Now that gou ca n see blood, don't ask gourselves if its real or fake. Ask gourselves if gour lives are real or fake. Seven people have lived their lives in front of gou. Trg to appreciate that. When gou meet gour maker, gou won't ask him if he's real. Vou have to believe! Because vvhatever gou believe is the truth. We're just trging to get gou to value what gou believe in more. And to understand how diffi-cult it is for people to live with their freedom. Vou have witnessed an accident. Don't disapprove, because it was an accident! Accidents hap-pen. Theg happen when people don't know how to live with their freedom ang more. If someone climbs and falls, that's an accident. Who forced them to do it? Faith, that theg could get to the top. But it wasn't strong enough. Some sag: more love and there wou!d be less bloodshed in the vvorld. But I sag to gou: where there's love, there's also blood. Don't for-get: Complex Trade presents gou with real life. It presents gou with people who are willing to share it with gou. CompIex Trade thinks of gou. Complex Trade loves gou.
The End
Igor Lampret
AN EVENT
IS THE SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN MAN AND THE TRUTH
An Internem with Matjaž Zupančič
Matjaž, if it weren't foryou, one could say Slovene theatre mas in crisis, but since you are here, we cannot say that. You have been overtaking your own bibliography with an incredi-ble speed; it has been expanding into an astonishing and diverse body ofmork. Hom do you define the present moment in Slovene theatre, as we are j ust about to join the EU?
In principle, there is nothing wrong with a crisis. On the contrarg, a critical situation causes gou to reflect on things that mag (or mag not) seem obvious to gou. Slovene theatre is, vvithout a doubt, dgnamic, diverse and, when it excels, even innovative. On the other hand, it is too self-involved, a kind of a closed sgstem vvhere there are, in a way, certain allotted
roles, vvhere it seems there is no longer any room for surprise. It is also true that our theatre is exposed to fiercer competition than is theatre in general. I am talking about the fact that Slovene theatre must confront and compete everg dag with the most interesting works in contemporarg European and global drama, not to mention the classics. It has alwags been verg good to have, let's sag, a plag bg Pinter and a new Slovene plag staged in the same theatre at the same time. In such a čase, ambitious comparisons are possible. On the other hand, we do not have enough gualitg foreign touring productions; what we do have are mostlg connected with a few festivals, and even these cultivate onlg a verg specific selection. It would be good to improve this, not because we are entering the EU, but for the sake our own domestic theatre.
Vladimir became a hit plag; your other plays haven't (so far). Given its uiide acclaim, did Vladimir represent any sort of a turning point in your playwriting? What is gour experi-ence uiith productions ofyour work abroad?
In a wag, I mgself was surprised bg the success of Vladimir. It sometimes feels as though certain plags have something the author isn't guite able to entirelg control, if I mag put it that wag. Just look at the Hamlet phenomenon. It is far from being Shakespeare's best plag; in strict dramaturgical terms, it has a bunch of flavvs, inconsistencies, emptg spots, etc. This is no secret. And stili it is the biggest theatrical success of ali time. Jan Kott sags it is like a sponge: vvherever gou put it, it will, ali bg itself, absorb the vvhole of contemporarg life. It seems as if the perfection of the plag lies in its imperfection, in a ki n d of exciting incompleteness, a veiledness... And more than that, it is as if magbe these 'flavvs' are what's interesting. Grotovvski
says the best plays are ones that elicit in us a catalytic effect, the process of se]f-awareness. I don't know; there are no recipes or rules. Vladimir is not a play I vvould want to plače above the others; on the contrarg, in its diction it is more sim-plistic than even my earlier plags. But it obviouslg involves a certain problem that people in different cultural contexts recognise as their own. Some read it as a familg play; Luxem-bourgers or the French, for instance, take it as a political metaphor... The fact is that Vladimir poked its finger at a certain sgmptom we might call the problem of violence with good intentions. That is why, of course, everybody hates it a little; but at the same time, somevvhere deep inside, they also love it a little.
We just staged a play together fTwelve Angry Men by Regi-naldRose), which, among other things, has folloujed a route that has up to now been unusual: it originated as a teievision play, then became a movie, and onlg later uias it a theatricai plag. At the moment, we are uiitnessing a similar trend on a ujiderscale: the real test for established film actors has once again become the theatre stage. What is it about the theatre that is so seductive ?
'Seductive' is just the right word for it, since the theatre is an old pimp. To put it simply: the phenomenon of theatre is as old as man's ancient capacitg to experience his position in nature as something relative, something ambiguous. I am not trging to diminish the importance of ritual and the religious roots of theatre, but for me, it is this surpassing moment that is essential - when man develops the possibilitg of self-image and, therefore, of distance. As far as the production of Twelve Angry Men goes, I vvould like to stress the fact that as a direc-
tor, I have recently been devoting my attention to the guestion of realism in modem theatre practice. This is the same guestion I dealt with when directing Gagariris Way at the Drama in Ljubljana. From one perspective, it seems, in fact, that realism has in a way outlived itself - or that it has at last become the domain of film. This distinction seems essen-tial to me. Pina Bausch says every dancer must always have a reason to dance. The same goes for actors. This is why I was not interested in realism as such when staging these plays; I was interested in realitg. For realitg cannot simply be reproduced in the theatre, it must be created. Unlike life, art is always a kind of order. As a human being, I mag sometimes admit that I don't know why I am alive, but an actor who does not know why, at ang given moment, he is on stage is lost. That's why no matter what play you are directing, you have to enter the creation of each scene through a problem, not through patterns. It is also good to realise that it is actuallg extremely hard work to create a trulg good theatrical mise en scene. Especiallg if you renounce the use of noisy stage effects and begin building on minimalism, on a kind of filigreed, chess-like mise-en scene-script. . . At the same time, these two plags repre-sent a viewpoint. They are both in a way political, commit-ted, sharp, though not actualistic, and Bourke is also extremely witty - that's why these two plags worked for me as something fresh.
Borges wrote a brillicmt short storg about a translator of Aristotle's Poetics - Averroes - who knouis and understands evergthing except the meaning of tragedg and comedg... Is this something that we ourselves know? i/i/hat are gour
thoughts about genre? Is it realig possible to sag things through (established) popular forms, to somehou) build on them? Or do gou have to seek out new genres? What kind of audience do gou desirefor gour texts?
If anything is true, it is only that many of the old schemes no longer work. First of ali, there are no sharp boundaries any-more; this is where film, mušic, painting, etc., have had an effect on theatre and plagvvrighting. Things have simplg moved on in the arts. The conventional division between high a rt and genre a rt has become problematic as well; this has been clearin literature for at least half a centurg - such rigidi-ties have nothing to do vvith living a rt angmore. What, for instance, is tragedy today? One cannot revive Greek tragedg; it is a world unto itself, a strict form, meaningful only for its original time and plače. Reviving the mere form vvithout a living, organic, erotic relationship to one's own time is meaning-less. The same goes for comedg, although things are more complicated there... But if we ask what is going on today vvith the idea of the tragic, or what sounds comic - then entirelg new dimensions open up to us. Here we are talking about the same sort of thing as before, when I was speaking about the difference betvveen realism and realitg.
Your theatre is not, on principle, post-dramatic, but it is most definitelg post-modern, uuhich means, among other things, that it is, fortunatelg, far removed from boredom or a iack of humour. You don't renounce either confiict or prob-lems. . . Do gou think of gourself as a 'mainstream' plag-ujright? Are there stories that are just asking to be staged? Do thegfind gou or do gou find them ? How does gour experience as a director influence gour plaguirighting? In what uiag are
they both intermoven uiith your novel-writing, which is cer-tainly not something sporadicfor you, judging by the volume and continaitg ofit?
I don't know, I may be wrong, but it feels as though my the-atre plags are fairlg unigue; some critics even think they rep-resent a break with the tradition of playwrighting in Slovenia. As I said, I don't know, and I don't spend much time vvondering about this guestion. Mainstream? I am not sure modern Slovene drama is extensive and varied enough to be able to talk about such a thing. Slovene theatre today is j ust a few individual stories. And it has always been like this. If I have to be considered mainstream just because most theatres have recently wanted to perform my work and I have achieved a cer-tain success abroad as well — then, fine, I acceptthis. Never-theless, the most recent Bonn Biennial, for instance, was organised under the motto of difference; it dealt with the issue of foreignness vvithin European theatre. At home, you are mainstream; in Europe, alternative... VVhich means things are relative. Also, it's not only that my playwriting is not monolithic; I search and explore in many directions. I have said several times that for me, story seems unavoidable; it is the shortest distance between a human being and the truth. But story needs to be understood in the language of modern a rt: in theatre, a glass of vvater spilling on a table can be a story; the story can be a chair missing a leg - what is impor-tant is that, vvithin a play and the theatre, the story should always be structured as an event. If it's not, then that's bad. Maybe this is what separates good plags from bad ones. What is Becketfs tal ki n g mouth in space if not a preciselg structured event? As opposed to a novel, a play is always just the tip of
the iceberg, and that is why vvriting a good plag is one of the hardest things to do. That is also why plags are more difficult to read: you have to know how to read betvveen the lines. Drama is a borderline form of literature, but it is, neverthe-iess, literature. Once you learn how to read it, this kind of reading can become an exquisite pleasure.
Brecht (folloujed, for instance, by Houjard Barker) poked a finger at Aristotle preciselg uihere most avant-garde theatre has poked its finger eversince the end ofthe nineteenth cen-tury: at the categorg of recognition, which - much in the same wag as catharsis - concerns both playwrighting and the ‘reading' of this mriting: that is to sag, the staged event in confrontation uiith the audience, the thing that goes on betujeen the stage and the auditorium during the production. What kind of dilemmas do gou see betujeen the recogni-sibleness and the alienation-effect of uihat happens on stage?
The guestions raised by modernistu in its most fortunate moments are stili vital ones. I have to admit I am becoming less and less interested in theories of the post-drama, the post-dramatic, the post-modern, and so on, in theatre. More-over, on the level of key theoretical premises, these theories don't come even ti ose to reaching the povver, precision, or even the intellectual and intuitive depth of some ofthe mod-ernists in theatre. Ang way gou look at it, post-modernism is primarilg a response to modernism; vvithout the dramatic, the post-dramatic is pure euphemism. My first steps in theatre were undoubtedlg influenced by the end of modernism; this fact had an effect on my vvhole generation. There can be no doubt that modernism was burnt out as an artistic practice, and
at the time, we ali vvanted to take and, indeed, did take a dif-ferent route. But modernism asked the right guestions. And sometimes, the right guestion is more important and more stimulating than the ansvver - if, of course, gou don't believe that ali texts have alreadg been written, ali paintings painted, ali answers given. And that it is onlg a guestion of recgcling, of guotations, of an effective and aestheticallg pleasing theatri-cal packaging - for me, this is ali a kind of spiritual con-formism.
Our media is turning into yeUow journalism - and we are being told that the yel!ow will become more and more dominant as time goes on. The theatre is also turning yellow; it resorts to cheap sensationalism and is becoming commer-cialised. Do gou think social-issue theatre mili disappear much the same way as did investigative journalism? Or is it possible to accept it ali as one big challenge? /\ vast segment of theatre today strokes the \/iewer ‘uiith the grain'; your theatre doesn't do that. It seems to stroke the vieuier ‘against the grain', but it‘s not unkind (as if ali the uihile it iuas insisting that petting 'against the grain' mas stili a form of petting)?
Social-issue theatre will not disappear. What will happen is that it will become more and more marginalised - as it has throughout the West. And if we think about it, it belongs on the margins. That's also vvhere intelligent, piercing, and ambiguous humour belongs, together with evergthing else that resists things like the commercialisation of bad taste or a certain insipid pathos that likes to call itself a rt. Things on stage must by ali means be interesting. Sometimes it vvorks and sometimes it doesn't, but this is an essential imperative. But this is also primarilg linked to an individuaVs personalitg -
and of course, to his sense of taste. It doesn't matter vvhether you step into the theatre as playwright, director, actor, etc.; you must always bring your whole being into the working of a scene, in ali seriousness, and in a way, totallg, without reser-vation or speculation. I take theatre verg seriouslg in this sense. The director is part detective, partpimp, part confessor, and part ideologist - but first and foremost, he is a human being with his own sensibilitg, his own attitude toward the vvorld. I was literallg shocked the other dag when the critic Andrej Jaklič dared to use the key word in his masterful analg-sis of Tiuelve Angry Men - feeling. Ves, in the end, this is what it is mostlg about! Feeling. It is about sensitivitg, and one must constantlg fight for this in the theatre. Each dag, one dag at a time.
(February 2, 2004)
Photo: Tone Stojko
Matjaž Zupančič (1959)
VVriter, playwright, director, and associate professor at the department of theatre directing at AGRFT in Ljubljana. He studied theatre directing and dramaturgg in Ljubljana and London. As the author of seven plags, published and staged over the last fifteen gears-7/te Exorcists (1990), Delicious Corpse (1991), The Fly-Killers (1994), Vladimir (1997), The Naked Pianist or Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (2001), and The Corridor (2003) -he belongs to the highest echelon of contemporarg Slovene theatre. He has participated, as both director and plagvvright, in Europe's most important theatre festivals (Avignon, the Bonn Biennial). In 1997, DZS published his expansive novel The Visitor, and in 2000, Mondena issued his novel Shadoms in the Eye. A collection of his plags, entitled The Exorcists, received the Slovene Book Fair's avvard for best literarg debut for the gears 1991-1993, and three of his plags have received the Grum Avvard for the plag of the gear: Vladimir (1998), The Naked Pianist or Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (2001) and The Corridor (2003). His plags have been translated into several foreign languages.
GRUM AWARD 2003
Matjaž Zupančič
THE CORRIDOR
Translation Lesley Anne Wade Introductori) texts Alja Predan, Igor Lampret Translation of intruductorg texts Irena Duša English language editing Rawley Grau
Published bg Prešernovo gledališče Kranj / Prešeren Theatre of Kranj Publishers Borut Veselko and Marinka Poštrak Editor Amelia Kraigher
Cover photo Damjan Švare Design Tanja Radež I |
LagoutAlten, Ljubljana Printed bg Žnidarič, Kranj
PREŠEREN THEATRE OF KRANJ
Glavni trg 6,4000 Kranj, Slovenia Tel.: ++386 (0)4 280 49 00, ++386 (0)4 28049 16 Fax: ++386 (0)4 28049 10 e-mail: presern-gled@s5.net web page: www.presernovogledalisce.com

GORENJSKI GLAS
?V)
MERKUR

GOOO/VEAR
MESTNA OBČINA KRANJ
0 ES
*
NPUhiOi* alov.'nl|<i
OBČINE: RADOVUICA, ŠKOFJA LOKA, TRŽIČ, DOMŽALE, MENGEŠ, JESENICE
ts triglav
GEUTEBRUCK

PETROL
©lek
SKUPiNAsam
k2k
/SKRATEL
THE GRUM AVVARD 2003