Peter and Alice Read Online

Peter and Alice

PETER AND ALICE

a new play by

JOHN LOGAN

OBERON BOOKS
LONDON

WWW.OBERONBOOKS.COM

First published in 2013 by Oberon Books Ltd
521 Caledonian Road, London N7 9RH
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7607 3637 / Fax: +44 (0) 20 7607 3629
e-mail: [email protected]
www.oberonbooks.com

Copyright © John Logan, 2013

John Logan is hereby identified as author of this play in accordance with section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author has asserted his moral rights.

All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before rehearsal to Creative Artists Agency of 162 Fifth Ave, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10010 USA. No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained, and no alterations may be made in the title or the text of the play without the author’s prior written consent.

You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

PB ISBN: 978-1-84943-474-4
EPUB ISBN: 978-1-84943-841-4

Cover photography by Hugo Glendinning and Bronwen Sharp Cover design by Dewynters

Printed, bound and converted by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY.

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Contents

Act One

NOTE:

Many years ago I came across the following in The Real Alice, Anne Clark’s biography of Alice Liddell Hargreaves, the model for Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland:

“On June 26 1932 Alice opened the Lewis Carroll exhibition at Bumpus, the London bookshop. Beside her was Peter Davies, the original Peter Pan.”

I wondered what they said to each other.

CHARACTERS in order of appearance:

PETER LLEWELYN DAVIES

ALICE LIDDELL HARGREAVES

LEWIS CARROLL (REV. CHARLES DODGSON)

JAMES BARRIE

PETER PAN

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

ARTHUR DAVIES

REGINALD (REGGIE) HARGREAVES

MICHAEL DAVIES

(Arthur Davies, Reginald Hargreaves and Michael Davies may be played by the same actor.)

SETTING:

The backroom of the Bumpus bookshop.

No. 350, Oxford Street. London.

June 26, 1932.

And corners of memory that include Oxford, a riverbank, a street with illuminations, a darkroom, a country estate, a London flat, Neverland and Wonderland, variously from 1862 to 1921.

Quotes from the novels Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll are in italics… These novels are in the public domain.

Peter and Alice by John Logan was first performed in London on 9th March 2013 at the Noël Coward Theatre as part of the Michael Grandage Company Season of five plays.

Cast (in order of speaking)

Understudies

Dedicated to Michael Grandage

For his faith in this play and its author.

And for giving an actor the single best piece of direction I have ever heard.

The backroom of the Bumpus bookshop in London. June 26, 1932.

Imposing shelves of books, files, bibliographic supplies, etc. There is a door into the bookshop.

PETER waits. He’s in his 30s.

He hears voices off. He prepares himself, clears his throat, and straightens his conservative suit. He’s nervous.

ALICE enters.

She’s 80.

PETER: Mrs. Hargreaves… My name is Peter Davies. How do you do?

ALICE: How do you do?

PETER: We’re to wait here. I’m told.

Beat.

PETER: It’ll only be a few minutes, until everyone has gathered and then Charles will introduce me and I’ll introduce you. You’re to make some remarks and then–

ALICE: I understand.

Beat.

PETER: This is a – pleasure, ma’am.

ALICE: You were going to say “honor” but you thought it unduly reverential. It is challenging to know which note to strike with me. Do you honor him and the book through honoring me? But am I worthy of honor? Not her – me… Then how, indeed, do I feel about her? You’ve no way of knowing… Is it an “honor” or a “pleasure”…or something else altogether?

PETER: I think, now, the latter.

She smiles slightly.

He’s emboldened to continue.

PETER: In any event, Mrs. Hargreaves, I’ve been looking forward to meeting you.

ALICE: No, Mr. Davies, I daresay you’ve been looking forward to meeting her.

PETER: It is to you I wish to speak.

ALICE: Is this by way of an ambush?

PETER: I asked Charles if I might have a few words with you.

She nods. Proceed.

PETER: I have an imprint, not inconsiderable, called Peter Davies Limited. We have a proper list and my chief duty as publisher is to cast my eye about for worthwhile subjects.

ALICE: And your eye has fallen on me, as worthwhile. How very flattering.

PETER: That’s the curse of my trade. To a book man, every nook and cranny is a potential story.

ALICE: Am I a nook or a cranny?

PETER: I – Sorry?

ALICE: Come to the point, Mr. Davies.

PETER: When I got the invitation to come and meet you, I thought: there’s a story, and worth the telling… Have you considered your memoirs?

ALICE: Considered them as what?

PETER: Something you might wish to write.

ALICE: To be published and vended?

PETER: Yes.

ALICE: This is not the first time I’ve been approached.

PETER: Perhaps never by someone with such a personal understanding of your unique position.

ALICE: Have I a “position”?

PETER: Come now, Mrs.