The Venetian Twins Book and lyrics by Nick Enright Music by Terence Clarke Based on the play by Carlo Goldoni Currency Press, Sydney
CURRENCY PLAYS First published in 1996 by Currency Press Pty Ltd, PO Box 2287, Strawberry Hills, NSW, 2012, Australia enquiries@currency.com.au www.currency.com.au in association with State Theatre Company of South Australia. This reprint published in 2008. Reprinted 2010 Book and lyrics copyright Nick Enright, 1996. COPYING FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10% of this book, whichever is the greater, to be copied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that that educational institution (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. For details of the CAL licence for educational institutions contact CAL, 19/157 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW, 2000. Tel: (02) 9394 7600; fax: (02) 9394 7601; email: info@copyright.com.au COPYING FOR OTHER PURPOSES Except as permitted under the Act, for example a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All enquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above. Any performance or public reading of The Venetian Twins is forbidden unless a licence has been received from the author s agent. The purchase of this book in no way gives the purchaser the right to perform the play in public, whether by means of a staged production or a reading. All applications for public performance should be addressed to Cameron Cresswell Agency, Locked Bag 848, Surry Hills NSW 2010, ph 61 2 9319 7199, email info@cameronsmanagement.com.au. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA CIP DATA Enright, Nicholas 1950 2003 The venetian twins : a musical comedy 978 0 86819 474 5 I. Clarke, Terence. II. Goldoni, Carlo, 1707 1793. Due gemelli veneziani. III. Title: Due gemelli veneziani. (Series: Australian playhouse series). A822.3 Typeset by Currency Press. Printed by Ligare Book Printers, Riverwood. Cover design by Laura McLean, Currency Press.
The Venetian Twins Sydney Theatre Company in the Opera House Drama Theatre, Sydney, on 26 October 1979, with the following cast: ZANETTO / TONINO COLOMBINA ROSAURA BRIGHELLA THE JUDGE PANCRAZIO BEATRICE FLORINDO LELIO ARLECCHINO Drew Forsythe Valerie Bader Annie Byron Barry Lovett John Frawley Jon Ewing Jennifer McGregor Tony Sheldon Tony Taylor John McTernan Director, John Bell Set and costumes designer, Stephen Curtis Choreographer, Keith Bain and Nancye Hayes Musical director, Terence Clarke A NOTE ON THE TEXT This show, like many of its kind, was full of topicalities and local jokes, ever-changing ad-libs, as well as actors business. I have tried to record on the page some of the original cast s brilliant rhythms and its own jokes. So long as the story and the relationships are respected, the piece will serve (or withstand!) the actors spontaneous invention. But please don t (as the late Gloria Dawn would have said) work blue ; the tone of innocence (fart jokes and all) is deliberate and should be respected. Nick Enright
CHARACTERS THE JUDGE ROSINA, his daughter COLOMBINA, her maid ZANETTO, suitor to ROSINA from Bergamo PANCRAZIO, friend to the JUDGE BEATRICE, a Venetian lady betrothed to TONINO FLORINDO, Veronese friend to TONINO LELIO, the JUDGE s nephew TONINO, a Venetian gentleman, identical twin to ZANETTO ARLECCHINO, servant to ZANETTO POLICEMAN JEWELLER The POLICEMAN and JEWELLER are doubled by members of the company. ZANETTO and TONINO are to be played by the same actor. The action of The Venetian Twins takes place within a single day in the Italian city of Verona about the middle of the eighteenth century. Scene divisions are indicated in Act One; but it is recommended that, as in the original production, the action should proceed without either break or scene-change on a stage as bare as possible.
ACT ONE PROLOGUE A bare stage. This theatre, tonight. LELIO/ARLECCHINO: Twins! Twins! Twins, twins, two for the show! Here is a story from long long ago, A story of brothers, a story of twins, Parted at birth but alike as two pins. ARLECCHINO: Twins, Venetian twins. So our story begins well, where would you think? Venice? LELIO: No opening in Venice, Perugia or Cremona, We open in a Judge s house One day in old Verona ARLECCHINO: Twins, twins, peas in a pod, Double your blessings, a bonus from God, Each had a dimple, each had a mole, Two baby brothers, two halves of a whole SCENE ONE Verona. The JUDGE s house. COLOMBINA primps at ROSINA s dressing-table. ROSINA enters, half-dressed. ROSINA: Colombina? Colombina! How dare you! Get up this minute. COLOMBINA: I m not ready yet.
ROSINA: Neither am I. Look at me! You re paid to dress me, not sit primping yourself at my mirror. COLOMBINA: I ve spent all morning helping you, Signora, and now it s my turn. ROSINA COLOMBINA: He ll have to face it sooner or later. ROSINA: But he ll be here any minute. COLOMBINA ROSINA: Get up! Get up! COLOMBINA: Get out! ROSINA: Daddy! Daddy! The JUDGE enters. JUDGE COLOMBINA: Signor Zanetto? ARLECCHINO: Twins, twins, peas in a pod! Double your blessings, a bonus from God, Each had a dimple, each had a mole, Two baby brothers, two halves of a whole. They christened one Tonino, Zanetto was his brother, FLORINDO: But not a soul knew who was who, Not even Dad or Mother. ARLECCHINO/FLORINDO: Twins, twins, peas in a pod! Two carbon copies, a bonus from God, The midwife was sober, but still she saw double: Two jumpin Gemini, double your trouble. JUDGE: Yes, Signor Zanetto. I believe I ve spied him riding down the street. ROSINA: Oh, Daddy. Do you think he ll like me? JUDGE: Of course, my dear. You re young and pretty. ROSINA: But will I like him? JUDGE: Of course, my dear. He s young and pretty rich. Sole heir to his uncle, the richest man in Bergamo. He s come into quite a fortune. ARLECCHINO: When a wealthy country uncle 2
Declares he needs an heir; The parents quickly toss a coin And send Zanetto there. ARLECCHINO/FLORINDO: Twins, twins, split in the pod, Two different pathways two brothers have trod, One in the country, and one in the city, Brothers divided, a terrible pity. ROSINA: A fortune? He sounds just perfect. Sole heir. Oh! Then he s an only child like me. JUDGE: No. I believe he has a twin brother. ARLECCHINO: [to audience] Tonino. JUDGE: But they re both orphans. Lost their mother and their sister on the high road, father died of grief, terrible story. ROSINA: Oh, poor Zanetto. COLOMBINA: And the other one. ARLECCHINO: Tonino. Tonino and Zanetto. COMPANY: Twins, twins, shook from the pod, Parents departed and under the sod; Fatherless, motherless, sisterless kin, No-one to comfort, not even a twin. For despite all this bereavement Tonino s still in Venice and Zanetto s here to seek a bride. You ll meet them both, the country boy And his Venetian brother, But like two pins, two peas, these two Venetian twins, we swear to you Are so alike there s no-one who Can tell one from the other! A knock at the door. JUDGE: There he is at our door. I ll go down myself and welcome him, then bring him up to meet his bride. COLOMBINA goes to follow him. Where are you going, you hussy? 3
COLOMBINA: She s not the only one getting married. I want to check out the servant. JUDGE: He s not here yet. Signor Zanetto was riding on his own. ROSINA: Colombina, life is so unfair. That poor Signor Tonino! I imagine my The JUDGE ushers in ZANETTO. ZANETTO: G day. JUDGE: Rosina, this is Signor Zanetto. ZANETTO: You re the one, are you? ROSINA: Your humble servant, signor. ZANETTO: Oh. [To the JUDGE] Where s your daughter, then? JUDGE: This is my daughter. ZANETTO: She said she s a servant. JUDGE: Merely a turn of phrase. ZANETTO: Oh. That s a bad start. JUDGE: What? ZANETTO: I don t want my wife turning any phrases. ROSINA: Daddy The JUDGE steers her to ZANETTO. JUDGE: Shall we start again? ROSINA: Signor Zanetto I meant to show you my respect. ZANETTO: Oh, did you now? ROSINA: Don t you like me, signor? ZANETTO: I don t know. I only just met you. ROSINA: I mean my appearance. ZANETTO: What s that to me? I m here on business. ROSINA: Oh? ZANETTO: I ve come to Verona to get married. And as soon as my servant Arlecchino gets here with my money and my jewels ROSINA: But you have come here to marry me. Haven t you? ZANETTO: Oh, yeah. Oh! Have I got to do it now? Rightyoh. Give us your hand. ROSINA: What? ZANETTO: Give us your hand and we ll get it over and done with. ROSINA: Daddy JUDGE: My dear son-in-law, there s no need to be so hasty. First you 4