Act I, Scene 1
Act One takes place in a British colony in Africa during the Victorian era. Scene One is set on the verandah of the family home where the Union Flag is seen flying. It begins with the cast singing a short, patriotic song about England’s colonial pursuits in Africa. A few characters break from the song to outline their role in the family led by Clive, the husband and father. He introduces his wife Betty, his black servant Joshua, and his 9-year-old son Edward to the audience. Betty is played by a man, Joshua is played by a white man, and Edward is played by a woman. All three express their wishes to be what Clive, and all white men, want them to be. Finally, Clive presents his daughter Victoria, played by a dummy, his mother-in-law Maud, and the governess Ellen.
All exit from the stage except Betty and Clive, who discuss the activities of their day. Clive talks about his business speaking to warring native tribes while Betty tells him about her reading and piano-playing. Clive announces that a friend of theirs from England, Harry Bagley, is coming to visit. Clive thinks Harry is odd but brave, calling him a great admirer of Betty’s, while Betty has an unfavorable opinion of him. She also mentions to Clive that she’s had some trouble with Joshua, who refused to retrieve a book Betty requested and told her to get it for herself. Clive calls Joshua to the verandah and chastises him, but winks at Joshua which Betty does not see. They spot Harry riding toward them, he waves to Clive and Betty, and the rest of the family joins them outside.
Clive takes a moment to speak with his children about their day. He speaks with dummy Victoria, but she does not answer. Edward comes out carrying Victoria’s doll, and after a scolding from Clive he insists that he is only minding it for Victoria. As Clive and Edward walk to meet Harry, the women talk about what Harry is likely to do while visiting, since he has not been in a house for a year. Ellen leaves with Victoria to put her to bed. Clive re-enters supporting Caroline Saunders (played by the same actor playing Ellen), admiring her ‘amazing spirit’ for riding to their house alone in search of safety after hearing the drums of the tribes. Maud panics, certain their house will be attacked, but Clive assures her that the native tribes’ conflicts are trivial, and that Mrs. Saunders prefers the company of civilized society. Betty is suspicious of Mrs. Saunders, wondering why she has ridden all the way to their house even though they are not her closest neighbors. Clive makes it clear that Mrs. Saunders will be properly cared for while at their home and she eventually revives.
Betty exits while Harry Bagley and Edward enter the scene. Clive greets Harry, introduces him to Mrs. Saunders, and dismisses Edward for bed. Maud helps Mrs. Saunders to her feet and into the house. Clive and Harry briefly talk about their work and the growing conflict between native tribes. They decide to sleep with guns that night and arm Joshua as well in case of any trouble. Betty enters just as Joshua and Clive leave to secure the property. Harry and Betty have a private conversation speaking of their feelings for one another, but Betty runs back to the house when Harry tries to embrace her. Meanwhile, Joshua returns and has been discreetly observing them. When Harry becomes aware of Joshua after Betty is gone, he asks if he wants to have sex in a barn. Joshua agrees, and they leave.
Act I, Scene 2
Outside and some distance away from the house, Clive and Mrs. Saunders have a heated conversation. Mrs. Saunders intends to ride back to her own house, and Clive is trying to persuade her to stay by describing various horrible consequences she might face if caught by the natives. He chides her for causing him sexual frustration since she arrived at the house, and Mrs. Saunders tells him that she had expected sincere hospitality and care. She explains that she rode all the way to the house solely for protection because her closest neighbor, a seventy-two year old major, attempted to seduce her the last time she called on him for help. She thought Clive might do the same, but expected him to take ‘no’ for an answer. However, when Clive works his way up her legs and under her skirt, she ultimately gives in to the pleasure while remaining conflicted about leaving. Clive quickly reaches orgasm and comes out from her skirts, leaving Mrs. Saunders unsatisfied, and they both leave for the family Christmas picnic.
All the others except Ellen come into the opening and begin their picnic with champagne and crackers. After a toast to Queen Victoria, Betty and Ellen begin to play catch with a ball while the men watch, who offer words of surprise and congratulations whenever they make a catch. Edward stops the game because Betty and Ellen ‘spoil it,’ and starts a new one with Harry and Clive. Edward, however, is not good at throwing or catching and the game ends when Clive criticizes him. Instead, a game of hide and seek is started with Harry as ‘it.’ Clive and Harry remain while everyone goes off to hide, with Joshua standing guard with a gun. Harry tells Clive that he admires him. Clive and his family, to Harry, are the true representation of the empire, not the discovery and claiming of new lands. When he goes, Joshua warns Clive that the stable boys are not to be trusted and hints at Betty’s affair with Harry. The ensuing game of hide and seek is used as a cover for the various characters to carry on with their secret affairs: Betty and Harry speak of running away together, Clive is seen chasing after Mrs. Saunders, Edward and Harry discuss their own sexual relationship, and Ellen makes advances on Betty as Betty confesses her love for Harry. Clive brings the entire family back onstage to watch Harry conjure the British flag from his sleeve, and the scene ends with Joshua singing ‘In the Deep Midwinter,’ a Christmas carol Ellen taught him.
Act I, Scene 3
Betty, Maud, Mrs. Saunders, and Victoria are seated in the house with the blinds drawn. Their conversation suggests there has been some trouble with the native servants at the house, who are now being flogged in the yard by the men. Maud is in favor of the beatings, Mrs. Saunders expresses her discontent, and Betty isn’t sure what to make of Clive’s treatment of the natives. Edward, tired of watching the punishment, joins the women in the house and Mrs. Saunders leaves to check on the activities. Maud tells Betty to look at Mrs. Saunders as a warning of what happens when a woman is left without a husband. Edward begins to play with Victoria’s doll again, claiming it as his own and refusing to let it go in spite of his mother explaining that none of the boys would talk to him if they found out, that he would not be accepted onto the cricket team, and that he wouldn’t grow up to be a man like Clive. Edward says he doesn’t want to be like Clive because he hates him, and Betty slaps him before bursting into tears. Betty attributes Edward’s behavior to Ellen not doing her job, and Ellen slaps Edward again. Edward begins to cry and runs off, and Ellen apologizes to Betty before also leaving the room crying. Maud, holding Victoria, imitates the scene by slapping her doll.
Mrs. Saunders and Joshua return to the room, with Mrs. Saunders asking Joshua if he minded beating his own people. He reports that the natives ‘have had justice.’ Clive and Harry also return, and Edward runs in to confess that he has been playing with the doll again. Clive approves of Edward’s bravery in apologizing and forgives him. Everyone heads out to the verandah for drinks, but Clive and Betty lag behind to talk. Clive expresses his doubts and fears in his responsibility to civilize the natives, who he considers to be like wild animals. Betty attempts to comfort him, and Clive reveals that Joshua has told him about Betty kissing Harry. Betty denounces herself as weak and wicked, and Clive urges her to resist her ‘dark female lust’ or it will destroy the family. His opinion of her has changed, but he forgives her and they go out onto the verandah.
Edward sneaks back in to play with the doll once more. Joshua sees Edward while heading towards the verandah and mocks him. Joshua goes, and Betty comes in search of Edward. She hugs him as apology for hitting him earlier. As Joshua passes through once more Betty asks him to give her thread from her sewing box, and Joshua refuses again. Edward, prodded by Betty, reprimands Joshua and demands he obey Betty’s order. Betty goes to hug Edward again, but he denies her contact. The scene ends with all characters singing a song called ‘A Boy’s Best Friend,’ which talks about the importance for boys to have good relationships with their mothers.
Act I, Scene 4
On the verandah again, in the early morning, Joshua and Edward come out of the house. Edward asks Joshua to tell him a story, and Joshua complies with a creation story where the Earth and people are descended from a goddess and a tree with hundreds of eyes. But, Joshua tells Edward that it is a bad story, and the story of Adam and Eve is true. Clive and Harry come out and talk about some trouble between British soldiers and African natives the previous night. None of the British soldiers were hurt but they set a village on fire, which Clive says was necessary and will draw the British army to Africa. Joshua and Clive return to the house for breakfast and Edward stops Harry to talk with him in Clive’s absence. Edward is hurt that Harry has not been speaking with him and threatens to tell Clive of their relationship. Harry begs him not to tell anyone, and Edward promises that he won’t. But Harry responds that he will be leaving soon to fulfill his duty to the Empire, which upsets Edward again. Ellen arrives to get Edward for breakfast and Harry leaves quickly. Betty enters as Edward refuses to come to breakfast, and she doesn’t have any more luck with Edward than Ellen. She finally threatens to tell Clive and Edward stubbornly complies.
After Edward goes in, Ellen stops Betty to ask about the fate of her position as governess to the children. Betty tries to comfort Ellen by assuring her that she will find a good husband and have children of her own to raise. Ellen insists that she wants none of those things but only wants to stay with Betty because she loves her. Betty dismisses everything Ellen says as not the truth but an effect of the loneliness and climate of Africa. Ellen walks back into the house and Clive comes onto the verandah. Betty asks for his forgiveness and Clive dismisses her as well. Harry joins Clive outside, and Clive tells Harry that he knows of the affair. Harry attempts to apologize but Clive stops him, saying there is no need because the friendship between men cannot be spoiled by women as the weaker sex. Clive gives a passionate speech about his pride and England and the importance of male comradeship as the ‘light that burns brightly between men.’ Harry misinterprets Clive’s words as an indication of homosexuality and takes hold of Clive, who is shocked and disgusted.
To remedy this, Clive tells Harry that he must marry a woman and calls Mrs. Saunders to the verandah. Harry proposes to her but she rejects Harry’s request and informs Clive that Joshua’s parents were among those killed by the British soldiers. Clive calls for Joshua, and offers him a weak apology by giving him the day off to go to his parents’ funeral. Joshua declines and asks to leave. Betty and Edward come to investigate the commotion, and Harry tries to send Edward back to the house. Ellen comes out to help Harry and Betty get Edward inside, and he finally goes when Clive insists. Betty and Ellen follow him into the house as Maud comes out, but Clive sends her into the house and calls Ellen back out. He prods Harry into another marriage proposal, this time for Ellen, and Clive urges them to discuss their engagement. Joshua returns with a drink for Clive and tells him about Ellen’s feelings for Betty. Clive is insulted and rudely orders Joshua to leave.
Act I, Scene 5
The verandah has been transformed to hold Harry and Ellen’s wedding. While setting things on a table, Joshua sees Edward with Victoria’s doll again and cuts it open with a knife, shaking all the sawdust out of the doll, and throws it under the table. Maud, Clive, and Betty enter, and Edward joins them to make an arch for Harry and Ellen. Ellen takes Betty aside and asks what will happen during her wedding night with Harry. Betty responds that all she needs to do is keep still because Harry will know what to do and tells her that she is not getting married to enjoy herself. Betty complains to Clive that the necklace she wanted to wear at the wedding has been stolen. Edward immediately names Joshua as the thief, but Harry says that Edward took it himself. Clive voices his disturbance that Edward stole the necklace and tried to blame it on Joshua, causing Edward to run off.
Mrs. Saunders enters and announces that she will leave the next day since her home has been sold. She intends to go to England and buy a farm to introduce threshing machines there. Clive praises her ‘amazing spirit’ and kisses her, which prompts Betty to attack Mrs. Saunders. Harry and Clive manage to separate them, and Clive berates Mrs. Saunders for abusing his hospitality and orders her to leave the house. She goes, and Edward comes back with Betty’s necklace claiming to have been taking care of it for her.
Joshua, meanwhile, has been drinking steadily during the scene. Ellen returns to the verandah and Clive calls for speeches to be made. Harry reluctantly makes a polite but insincere speech about his good fortune in winning Ellen’s love and attaining the married state he always hoped for. As Harry and Ellen go to cut the cake, Harry steps on the doll under the table. Edward tells everyone that he saw Joshua put it under there, but Clive warns Edward not to tell lies again and hits him in his fury. Clive then begins to make a speech wishing the new couple joy and peace. During the speech Joshua aims a gun at Clive, and only Edward sees him. Edward does not warn his father or any of the others, but puts his hands over his ears.
Act II, Scene 1
Act II takes place in London 1979, over a hundred years since the events of Act I but for the characters only 25 years have passed. The same actors from Act I are also used in Act II to play different roles – no new actors are introduced.
Scene 1 opens on a play-center in a park during a winter afternoon where Victoria, four-year-old Cathy (played by a man), and Cathy’s mother Lin are sitting. Victoria reads a book while Cathy recites rude poetry to her mother. Lin suggests Cathy paint a picture, but Cathy decides not to and runs off to play when Victoria tells her that the ‘big bike’ is open. As they watch their children playing outside, Lin tells Victoria about the issues she experiences while raising Cathy as a single mother. Victoria, however, remains occupied with her book to Lin’s frustration, but she accepts Lin’s invitation to go to the movies together. Cathy runs in with a toy gun, pretending to shoot them, and then leaves again. Victoria voices her hesitation over letting her son Tommy play with toy guns in the hopes that she will ‘get it out of his system’ and not join the army when he gets older. This leads Lin to mention her brother is in the army and currently stationed in Belfast.
Because Lin participated in an Irish nationalist march protesting the presence of British troops in Belfast her father now refuses to speak with her. Victoria does not have a good relationship with Clive either, but her marriage to Martin is in a better state. Lin reveals that she left her abusive husband two years ago and is now a lesbian. Edward (now played by a man) joins the women in the play-center and tells Victoria that Betty is walking in the park too. She leaves to meet Betty, and Lin scolds Cathy for painting without an apron on. Lin asks Edward if he is gay. Edward is taken aback, but Lin continues by saying that she is interested in Victoria and thought Edward would understand. Edward denies her claims and voices his concerns that someone might have overheard Lin, which could result in the loss of his job. Betty and Victoria return, Betty constantly talking. Sometimes she lectures Victoria on her way of parenting and sometimes rambling about fashion and gardening. Betty mentions that she is going to leave Clive and may need to get a job to support herself. To everyone’s surprise, Cathy has covered her painting entirely with black paint. To distract her from this, Betty takes off her earrings and puts them on Cathy. She continues to indulge Cathy by also handing over her hat and necklace, the same necklace from Act I. Lin begins to take the accessories off Cathy to give back to Betty, and Cathy throws a tantrum.
Betty says her goodbyes, and just before she leaves Victoria confirms that she really does mean to leave Clive. Betty resumes her walk through the park, calling for Tommy to stop hitting a little girl and to say goodbye to her. Victoria and Edward discuss their concern about Betty leaving their father. Lin scolds Cathy again, calls her ‘pigface,’ and tries to bribe her into good behavior by telling her they’ll have doughnuts for tea if she’s good and ‘dogshit on toast’ if she’s not. Cathy doesn’t take any of these threats seriously and laughs so much that she lies on the floor. Edward asks Cathy if he can have her black painting for his friend, 32-year old Gerry. Cathy agrees, saying she doesn’t care, and Edward takes the painting and leaves. Lin asks Victoria if she will have sex with her, and Victoria wonders what Martin would say. She asks Lin if it would be considered adultery and Lin says Victoria would enjoy it.
Act II, Scene 2
It is now Spring. The scene is set in a grassy area with a swing, a bench, and a pond nearby. Edward is gardening while Gerry sits on a bench and watches. They argue about Gerry staying out late at night and deliberately avoiding checking in with Edward. Edward apologizes for asking and exits. Gerry addresses the audience and talks about the necessity of occasionally being away from Edward for their relationship to continue. He indifferently describes a sexual encounter with a male stranger on a train and how he was disappointed when the man wanted to talk afterwards. The next time he saw the same man at the train station, Gerry walked to the other end of the platform to pick up someone else who didn’t say anything but only smiled.
Cathy gets on the swing and recites another playful poem about Batman, Robin, and Robin’s supersonic fart. She finishes and leaves. Martin, Victoria, and Betty come walking slowly along the path. Martin is watching Tommy feeding bread to the ducks. Victoria and Betty talk about Betty’s divorce, and Betty tells Victoria that she is afraid to be alone. Victoria joins Martin near the pond and discuss the details of her accepting a job in Manchester. Martin expresses some insecurity about the fate of their family if she does leave and asks that she let him know what to do with the house and with Tommy.
Cathy and Lin come into the park, joining Betty at the bench. Martin continues his speech, this time noting that he is supportive of women’s empowerment but that Victoria’s ‘liberation’ makes her cry too often. Cathy pretends to shoot Victoria with her toy rifle and tells her to fall over because The Dead Hand Gang always insists that Cathy fall over too. When Cathy leaves, Martin speaks again to Victoria about their sex life. He says he only wants to give her pleasure but is frustrated in not being able to do so, and implies that she is to blame for his loss of erection the night before. He encourages her to continue experimenting with bisexuality but also feels insulted that she has not yet decided to take the job or not. Martin and Victoria both leave the stage.
Betty and Lin begin discussing children and parenting. Betty asks Lin if she misses her husband, though Lin does not, and Betty says she would have been afraid to have been on her own with the children. Using her own situation for comparison, Betty expresses her concern over Lin being a single mother while Lin attempts to convince Betty of her independence and ability to raise Cathy. Women, according to Betty, are less interesting than men because they do not have a sense of humor and spoil things with their emotions. Martin and Victoria rejoin them, with Martin still talking about sex and how important it is that he makes Victoria happy. Betty asks if Martin can walk her home, and he agrees so that he can also get home to work on his novel about women from the women’s point of view. They exit, and Victoria and Lin embrace. Victoria vents her frustrations to Lin about Martin being difficult and her attempts to please him, then asks Lin several questions to ensure that Lin loves her. Lin suggests Victoria leave Martin and live with her, but Victoria immediately dismisses the idea as silly, which upsets Lin. During their argument Lin reveals that her brother Bill has been killed in Belfast. Cathy comes in and asks who has been killed. When learning that Bill died, Cathy asks for his gun. Lin tries to get Cathy ready to go home, but Cathy resists. All three begin shouting and Lin, overwhelmed and frustrated, hits Cathy. Cathy runs off. Victoria and Lin stare at each other for a moment, then laugh and embrace. They then realize that Tommy is missing and start to call for him. Cathy returns and begins to help in the search, eventually spotting Tommy in the bushes. While Victoria collects Tommy, Lin returns to Cathy and they all go.
Gerry comes onstage, followed shortly by Edward. They start to argue about Gerry’s lack of commitment and how Edward is becoming too much like a wife. Gerry thinks Edward is faking his femininity, but Edward maintains that he enjoys the feminine role and that Gerry is suppressing his authentic expression, just as his parents did. Gerry announces he will pick up his things from their shared flat the next morning and leaves. Edward seats himself on the bench and Victoria comes back to the park asking Edward if he has seen Tommy’s toy car that he dropped somewhere. She gives up looking and sits with Edward, holding hands to console him. Edward tells Victoria that he would rather be a woman. They both agree that they are sick of men, and Edward says he thinks he is a lesbian.
Act II, Scene 3
During a summer night, Victoria, Lin, and Edward arrive drunk at the park and begin a sort of ritual from one of Victoria’s books. They call on a goddess of sex to join them. Lin pretends to see the goddess in an attempt to scare Victoria and Edward. Victoria calls to the goddess again, disappointed that the ceremony has not worked, and tells the others about a community where women were priestesses and men were unimportant. They hear someone walking towards them, and Lin and Edward dare Victoria to have sex with the stranger as the priestesses did. She asks the stranger if he would like to join them, but the man turns out to be Martin looking for Victoria. He notices that they are drunk, and they all pull him down to have sex. Another stranger arrives, and Lin recognizes him as her late brother, though he is only named ‘Soldier.’ Lin asks if he’s come to tell them something, but he responds that he only wants sex. Lin collapses as the soldier leaves, and Victoria goes to comfort Lin. Lin invites Victoria to go home with her and Edward, and the three leave together while Martin goes alone.
Gerry enters with another address to the audience about picking up strangers for sex at night and his preference for living alone. He calls for Edward, and the Edward from Act I comes onstage. He tells Gerry that he loves him and requests they repeat their sexual activity, the same request he made to Harry in Act I. All of the cast enters to sing the song ‘Cloud Nine,’ with each verse becoming increasingly abnormal.
Act II, Scene 4
Back in the park during a late summer afternoon, Cathy, Edward, and Martin enter. Cathy is reciting another poem about true love, marriage, and children. Martin will be babysitting Tommy and Cathy for the night, so Edward is giving him various instructions. Betty comes and tells them of her new job while letting Cathy count her money. She assures Martin that Victoria will come back to him after living with Lin and sorting herself out. Cathy hears ice cream bells and takes Martin and Betty off with her while Edward remains.
Gerry enters and speaks briefly with Edward. Edward tells him that he lives with Victoria and Lin, that he does housework, and that the three of them sleep together. Cathy comes in to give Edward an ice cream and leaves again. Gerry asks Edward out for a meal sometime, and Edward agrees. He leaves, and Harry comes onstage. He and Gerry pick each other up and leave together.
Betty returns and Maud comes in after, who repeats her warning about Mrs. Saunder’s independence and women left unprotected. Ellen comes in and asks Betty again about what she should expect during sex with a man, the same question she asked on her wedding day. Betty tells her just to keep still, and Ellen says not to forget her. Maud and Ellen leave, and Betty addresses the audience regarding her experiences with masturbation as a child. She has rediscovered her enjoyment of it this year, and it gave her the power she needed to defy Clive and Maud to the point where she feels like a separate person from them.
Victoria and Lin then come in, and Betty offers to give them money to buy a house where they can all live together. She tells them that she knows they’ve been sleeping together, but Victoria says she does not want to live with her mother. Cathy comes in with a nosebleed and tells them that The Dead Hand Gang took her ice cream and her money. Martin enters and Lin criticizes him for not keep an eye on Cathy when he was meant to. Martin responds that Cathy is not his daughter and he works very hard at being a caretaker for the children. Lin leaves to confront the gang and Martin takes Cathy for another ice cream. Victoria goes with them and leaves Betty alone.
Gerry re-enters and Betty greets him amicably. They talk about living alone and being lonely, and Betty invites Gerry to have dinner with her. Gerry tells Betty not to worry so much. They continue to talk about their living situations and Gerry says that he may be living with Edward again. During their conversation Betty comes to realize that Edward is gay, and that he may have tried to tell her before. She is not very upset over this and comments that Edward seems to be happy. Gerry goes and Clive from Act I comes onstage. He expresses his disbelief in the woman Betty has become and regret over the state of Africa before taking his leave. Betty from Act I arrives, and the two Bettys embrace.
