THE LEADER (Curaractens THE ANNOUNCER ‘Tue Younc Loven ‘Tae Gu-FRienp Tur Apsaner Tue Git Apmann ‘Tre Leaper [Standing with his back to the public, cntrestage, and with his tyes fixed on the upstage exit, the ANNOUNCER «waits for the ofthe Leapen. To right and li riveted to the wall, two of the Txapen's Apuarnens, « man and a girl, also wait for his arrival] “Ansounce: [afr « few tense moments in the same postion] There hieis! There he is! At the end ofthe stret! [Shouts of Hurrah * tc, are heard] ‘There's the leader! He's coming, he's coming nearer! [Cries of acclaim and applause are heard from the wings. Tes better if he doesn’t see us... [The Two Apvamens hug the svall even closer] Watch out! [The ANNOUNCER gives ven f0 4 Ivef display of enthusiacn’] Harrah! Hurrah! The leader! The leader! Long live the leader! [The Two Abmmsns, with their bodies rigid and flattened against the wall, thrust their necks and heads as for forward as they can to get a glimpse of the LeaDeR.] The leader! The leader! [The Two Apvanexs in snison:] Hurrah! Hurrah! [Other ‘Hurrahs!" mingled with “Hurrah! Bravo!" come from the wings and gradually die down.) Hurrah ! Bravo! [The Announcer takes a step upstage, tops, then up-stage, followed by the Two Anvanrxs, saying as he goes: ‘Ah! Too Thad! He's going aiuy! B's going awuy! Follow me quickly!After hit! i fe him! The Awwouncen and the ‘Two ADumens fave, erg: “Leader! Leeeader! Leeoeadr! (This lg jKeceendr eco t the wings ikea aig ey _ Silence. The tage i empty fora few bref ‘h [Sten ce is empty for afew bref moments, The Yous Loven enters right, and his Gunt-Funen lef; they q ie they meet centres Younc Loven: Forgive me, oe Loven: Forgive me, Madame, or should say Mademoi Gm-FiueND: I bey your pardon, I'm afzaid I don’t happen know you Younc Lover: And I'm af Gint-Farewp: Then neither of us knows cach tae o Youxe Lover: Exactly. W means that between us there is a basis ce which we can build the edifice pee ae mee [She makes as io go.) Youne Lover: Oh, my dari Gatun: Be (Thy onc 18, T adore you. , 0 do I! Younc Loven: T'm taking you with cael erg ate YO with me, ding, Well ge ann b le ate The sae sem a ri mone th lender swore ha hed be pening ae? Dame Bt Apuuuen: Are you absolutely ute ofthat? Anwouncen: Yes, yes, of course Gist Apne: Was it really on his way? as Yes, yes. He should have passed by her marked on the Festival programme Ce Abner: Did you acutally see : ah eve ad ers NwouNce: He told someone, Someone else! pistes: Bet who? Who was this someone cee? Grit Aburnen; Was ita reliable person? A friend of Announcer: A friend of mine who 1 know very wel [hey lave lef tually see it yourself and hear it-with your inthe backgromnd one hears renewed cries of Hurrah! and ‘Loug live the leader?”| That's him now! There he is! Hip! Hip! Harrah! There he is! Hide yourselves! Hide yoursely [The Two Apmraens flatten themselves as before against the their necks out towards the wings from 1 “shouts of acclamation come; the ANNOUNCER watches fixedly up- szage his back 0 the public] Awwouncrn: The leader's coming, He approaches. H g. [At each of the ANNoUNcER'S words, the ADMIRERS give « start their necks even farther; they shudder] i's jumping. He's crossed the river. They're shaking. his hand. He sticks out his thumb. Can you heat? They're Jaighing, [The ANNOUNCER and the‘Lwo ADsanexs also faugh,] Ah... ! they're giving him a box of tools. What's he going to ‘he's signing aueographs. The leader The crowd his hand. He's ’s bending. He's unbendi nid set dio with them? Ah ng a hedgehog, a superb hedgeho applauds. He's dancing, with the hedgehog embracing his dancer. Hurrah! Hurrah! [Cries are heard in the wwings.] He's being photographed, with his dancer on one hand and the hedgehog on the other Hi Git Apsanen: Is he coming past here? Is he coming in our He greets the crowd pits a tremendous distance. direction? Asanan: Are we really on his route? Announcer: [tunis his head 19 the Two Apvitnexs] Quite, and don’t move, Gint Abana: But even so Announcer: Keep quiet, I tell you! Didn't I tell you h his itinerary himself... [He id up-stage and cries] Hurrah! Hurrah! Long live the lea [Silene] Long live, long live, the leader! [Silence] Long, live, live the lead-er! [The Two Anwinens, wah ry of| Hurrah ! Long live you're spoiling every! ou're sp y promised, that he had fixe Tong live, lox 0 give a sudde elves, the leader! Announce: (fo the ADMinens] Quiet, you two! Calm down! You're spoiling everything ! [Then once more looking wp-sage,i TONESCO with the Apsmsns silewed;] Long live the leader! [Hi enthusiastic] Hioerah! Hurrah! He's changing. his ae divappear behind a wed screen. He rxppescs! (The ppl intensifies] Bravo! Bravo! [The Apvaens also long to en ‘Bravo’ and applaud; (0 soy ‘hemselves] He's puting his tie on! He's reading his newspapeg and drinking his morning coffee! He's sl got his hedgehog He's Ieaning on the edge of the parapet. The paraper ks. He gets up...he gets up unaided! [Applause, shoul ‘Hurrah!"| Bravo! Well done! He brushes his. soe thes. ‘ Two Apmanns: [sam -y put their hands to their mouths n ing their fet] Ob! Ah! Oh! Oh! AR! AE Awwouncex. He's mounting the stool! He's climbing. piggys Tach, dye ofsing his thinned wedge, he LOGE meant asa joke, and he doesn’t mind, he’s laughing. Applause and enormous acim) Anwar; [to the Gori. Amines] You heat that? You hear? Ohi fl were king. Grn. ADmanen: Ah... | (ri Awsouncen: [ll with his back tothe pu stool. No. He's getting down. A of flowers ... What's he + «He embraces the litle g ‘my child’. ‘Apwaren: He embraces the little girl... calls her ‘my child’. Avon: He embraces the Tile gil... calls her ‘ay Tend is said in an exalted tone.] lie] He's mounting the offers him a houguet He takes the flowers ANNouNcm: He gives her the hedgehog. The litle gies crying .. . Long live the leader! Long live : Apminsn: Is he coming past here? Grn Apwanen: Is he coming past here Anwouncen: [vith «sudden rim, dashes away! Hurry! Come on! [He dis Hr he lecad-er! it upstage] He's going ears, followed by the Two ADwanens, all crying {Hur _ [The stage is empty fora few moments. The Two Lovens ents entwined in an embrace; they halt centre-stage and separate; she caves a bsket on her ar] ‘ “Fuuuxb: Lee's go to the market and get some eggs Lovin: Oh! Tove them 2s mah a you do he takes his arm, From the right the AnNoUxceR arrive a ing his place, back to the public followe one from the eft andthe running, losely by the Two Avsinens, arriving d Pm hts the Two Apanins knock into the Two other fiom the righ Lovers who were Apuinex: Sorry! Youe Lovin: Oh! Sorry! Guna, Awe: Sorry! O : Cins-Faunxp: Ob! Sorry, sorry. Sorry, S0 sorry ‘ Apuaaen: Sorry, sorry sorry, Oh! sory, sorry, 0 sorry! Young Lovin: Oh, ob, ob, oh, ob, oh! So sorry, everyone Gant-Fuuinb: [io her Loven] Come along, Adolphe! [the Two Apaanes:] No harm done! [She leaves, leading her Lovsr by Announcer: [watching up-stege] Th : forward, and presied back, and now they're p trousers! [The Two ADMIRERS regan their places] The lea sling, Whist they're resin his tour te walls howe © tases the flowers and the fruits growing in the stream. children to come unto him. He has confidence in everybody inaugurates the police pays tribute to justice. He en eocy andthe pet ranged: Pally be eader is being presse salutes the great victors recites a poem. The pe Two: Apuixens: Bravo! Bravo! [Thex, sobling:] Boo ple are very moved. 9! Boa! Boo! the people are weeping. [ 4 Axsouncrn and the Apansss as From the wings; dl fellow} Silence! [he Two Abmuns fal sears and sence fom the wings They've given the leader's trousers the leader puts them on. He looks happy ! Hurrah ! [Br fiom the wings. The Two ADwanexs alo shout thei and