We all live on islands: islands of beliefs and economics; islands of isolation from society, family and even ourselves. 'Islands' is based (very very loosely) on Shakespeare's 'Pericles'. Following the fortunes of Pericles from King to criminal, it examines our responsibility for our destiny. It covers a lot of issues (incest and canibalism among them) and looks at society from many angles. 'Islands' is stylistically very varied too, moving from verse, to naturalism, to vaudaville but always with a strong sense of the visual, and a sense of humour. It is something of an epic...
Duration 2 hours (approx).
All the actors except Pericles perform several parts. Listed below are their main roles.
The script is written with promenade performance in mind. The settings include: the court of Tyre and the forest, court and art-gallery of Antioch. Also a boat, a beach, a squat, a train, a pub that's been swallowed by a sea-serpent and 'heaven'.
'Islands' was given a performed reading by the Royal Shakespeare Company in July 2000 at The Other Place in Stratford. There has not been a full production of this play.
[Years ago Pericles lost a daughter and Marina lost her father. They meet in a brothel.]
MARINA-My first was a pirate with twelve tattoos and a beard that rasped my face. I counted his earrings again and again, thinking if the pain got too much I could grab one and pull and rip and it would all stop. I never even kissed a man before.
[Pericles strokes her lips.]
MARINA -I am still counting.
PERICLES -I don’t want to leave you.
MARINA -I came from a good house. The best. And I was kept very safe. But my
father… (bitter) My father denied me.
PERICLES -And your mother?
MARINA -Had died long before. (She produces the miniature from Act 1)
Here. I wear it always. (Pericles looks at it. Pause.) The seawater
destroyed it. Everything I ever had has been washed away.
PERICLES -I’m sorry I dragged you back to this.
MARINA -Its only abuse if you don’t want it. You will get used to it here.
We all do.
PERICLES -Like you have?
[Pause.]
MARINA -Everyone is talking about you. They say you were aristocracy.
PERICLES -I was. A king.
MARINA -Really? A King?
PERICLES -You believe me?
MARINA -Yes. I crown you King of the Depths.
[She crowns him with a pillow.]
PERICLES -And you shall be my parliament. We shall be a Kingdom of two and rule
the waves.
MARINA -A fine King you are. You’ve given away half your Kingdom already.
Off with his head!
[She takes the pillow.]
PERICLES -I don’t want a Kingdom, I want a Queen. I shall cover her with
jewels and silks.
[He wraps her in sheet.]
MARINA -You have put me in a shroud.
PERICLES -They call to me in my sleep, drowning me in nightmares, and when I
wake I see their faces in every crowd. My imagination, my hope makes me see
them. I am haunted. Beautifully haunted. I catch their names in every half-heard
conversation. In everything I read…
MARINA -We have all lost people we love.
PERICLES -I lost my kingdom. Failed my people. Lost my wife, my daughter. My
allies became enemies.
MARINA -We go on living with the loss.
PERICLES -I am lost without them! Adrift. Katherine. She is with me at every
step. Her voice is still an echo. Her face still in my mind’s eye. And
if for one abstracted moment she evades me, some small thing always brings her
back, with a force that drives the breath from me. And little Marie, her shadow.
Haunting me.
[She looks at him closely.]
MARINA -King of Tyre.
PERICLES -Yes! You know me!
MARINA -I know you. Aged. Altered. But its you.
PERICLES -Are you of Tyre?
MARINA -Yes. I am of Tyre.
[He hugs her. She flinches, then lets him hold her, crying.]