Jon Fosse

Too Late

Libretto

Translated by May-Brit Akerholt

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CHARACTERS

Older Woman, around sixty-seventy years of ageMiddle-Aged Woman, around forty years of ageMan, around fifty years of ageShadow Younger Woman, around thirty years of age

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A bed at the front, well lit, and at the back, a painting on a wall, painting equipment on a table next to it

OLDER WOMANstands by the bedAnd the day has begunquite short pause a day like all days All days begin like thisShort pause Always this painAlways this longingAlways this waitingShort pauseAnd it’s all just phrasessaid beforeand then I should do somethingI must always do somethingShe makes the bedAnd such a lot it turned out to be And sobreaks off. Short pause That’s lifethe way it isyou must want toyou must strive short pause how empty all the words arequite short pausewant toquite short pausestrive A Middle-Aged Woman and a Man enter, hand in hand, behind the Man walks another man, his Shadow. The Older Woman looks at themAnd it was such a good timeYes it was goodThe Man embraces the Middle-Aged Woman And how kind he wasquite short pausesort ofchildishThe Older Woman smilesSo simple yes really simpleand a little stupidyes perhaps The Man lets go of the Middle-Aged Woman

MANDo I get a kiss

MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN

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No you don’t get a kiss

MANas if disappointedI don’t get a kiss

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANNo you don’t get a kissNever again

MANDon’t I

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANNo you don’t

MANDon’t you love me anymorePause. The Middle-Aged Woman walks towards the Man, they kiss each other, a long kiss

OLDER WOMANThey were my best years She looks at the bed, stands motionlessMy best yearsQuite short pause And why did Ibreaks offWhy did I do itWhyBecause Ibreaks offbecause Ibecause Louder voiceBecauseBecauseBecauseQuite short pauseBecause I had toThe Man and the Middle-Aged Woman let go of each other, and walk forwards hand in hand

MANI love you so much

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANAnd I love you

MANAnd those beautiful childrenwe havequite short pause

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MIDDLE-AGED WOMANTwo are already grown-up Quite short pauseBut then the little one came Short pauseIt’s quite incredible I can't believe it

SHADOWEverything just happenseverything becomes what it becomesShort pause

MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN And I’m so old

MANNono you’re not oldBut that it can happenThat we can happenThey kiss each other

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANThat we could happen

MANThat we happened

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANBut we happened

SHADOWWhy do I say things like thatQuite short pause Everything happenseverything just happensShort pauseAnd I’m so tired

MANAnd then the children happened

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANAnd now you’re earning good moneyyes you have for a long timeof course

SHADOWEverything had just happenedshort pauseand I’m so tiredjust tired

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MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN continuesyes we have everything we needWe have plenty of roomWe have each otherWe have our childrenPause. As if a little doubtfulNo how could it have happened

MANBut it has happened

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANIt has happenedBut I don’t like itwhen you leave meI always want to be with you

MANButquite short pauseyes you knowyes my work claims methe day claims me

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANa little sullenlyYes

SHADOWAlways the sameEvery day the sameBut soon I shall sleep

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYes well

MANSobreaks off

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYes

MANI must dowhat I mustI just have to yes earn moneyso we can livequite short pauseyes here tooyes in these rooms

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MIDDLE-AGED WOMANI suppose you must Short pause But thatSHADOWI am so tiredso tiredI just want to sleep

MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN continuesyes that you go outand are important out thereout there in the big worldquite short pauseand II have to stay in hereherehere in these rooms

MANI suppose that’s how it isbreaks off

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYou go outquite short pauseand there are other women out therethey are youngyounger than me

MANI only care about you

SHADOWAlways the sameagain and againBut soon I shall sleep

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANI hear you say that

MANAlways only you

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANBut those young beautiful womenthey are there

MANYes

MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN

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You think they are beautiful

MANNonot like thatshort pausewhy can’t youbreaks off

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANAnd I have to stay in herealways here always herewith the childrenquite short pausethey’re noisythey’re screamingthey’re messy theybreaks off, short pause nappies yes it’s a few years ago nowbut now it isexactly the same all over againAlways nappiesYear after yearand always nappiesAnd youquite short pauseyou go outout in the worldout in the worldand there you are importantimportant to the other womento the young womenthey look at youquite short pause do you wonder what they thinkquite short pauseand how can I knowwhat you thinkwhat you dofor I am hereyou are thereI am herein these roomsand you are thereout there in the big worldand I am herealways herealways herealwaysyou are there

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I am hereyou are therethere with the young beautiful womenand I am herein these roomsI am here with the children

SHADOWAlways the sameThe same and the same

MANThere are almost only men thereyes out there in the big worldas you say

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANAnd then the young women

MANYesquite short pauseyes beforebreaks off

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANBefore they get locked insidewith childrenwith children in rooms like this

SHADOWAlways the sameBut soon I shall sleep

MANDon’t

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANIsn’t that how it isWhy can’t I go outand be importantin the big world

MANIt’sbreaks off

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANIt’s because that's how it isQuite short pauseYou’re always saying thatWhy can’t you say something else

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MANI must goI must go to workI mustn’t be late

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYes well yes you go

SHADOWI must gobut tonight I can sleepAnd sleep is so goodSoon I shall sleepJust sleep

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANcontinues Just goGoGo

MANWhy can’t we partleave each otheras friendsPause

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYes alright thenShe gives him a hug, and the Man exits. Pause. The Middle-Aged Woman stands there looking down. The sound of a crying child. The Older Woman walks towards the Middle-Aged Woman, stops. The Older Woman and the Middle-Aged Woman look at each other, they look down, they look at each other again. The Middle-Aged Woman exits

OLDER WOMANWas I right Was I wrong Was life better She laughs to herselfAs if life was better Quite short pauseAs if life was betterQuite short pause. The sound of a child crying stopsI did what I didI did what I had to doI did whatI thought I had to dothat was all I could dothat was all I could thinkI didn’t think I could do anything else

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that’s what I thoughtthat’s what I didThe Middle-Aged Woman enters

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANFirst it was my fatherand then it was himmy husband the man I’m married toMy mother who walked aroundin those roomsand my father who walked aroundout therein the big worldin the proud worldquite short pausethose fine thingsquite short pausethose expensive things my mother between allthose expensive and fine thingsjust thingsjust my mother and mebetween those fine thingsin those expensive roomsAnd my father who was out thereAnd my mother and meMy mother who walked around thereI who walked around thereAnd my father who paidfor it all and we just walked around therequite short pauseAnd nowNow its’ memewho just walks around herewalks around here with the childrenand he who walks around out thereout there with all his moneywith all those young girlsWhat happened to meShort pauseI used to drawI used to paintI was so good at drawingI went to art schoolI wanted so muchI saw somethingQuite short pauseI wanted something Ibreaks off, short pause

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and then he was therehe stood therequite short pauseand then everything was changedeverything was something elseI was no longermyselfI was someone elseI was himas he always saysI am youand as I always answerI am you

OLDER WOMANI am you Short pauseI am meNow I amonly meSilly talk I am only meI wanted so muchand then it turned outbreaks off. The Middle-Aged Woman exitsI am too oldI was too oldI couldn’t paintI couldn’t do it couldn’t paint how I wanted toIt was too lateI couldn’t do it It wasn’t how I thought it would be It wasn’t what I wantedquite short pausebut I triedyou could say thatyes that I triedquite short pauseI wanted toI triedquite short pausebut what does itmatter that you want tothat you tryquite short pausethat’s not how it isThe Man enters, and the Older Woman looks at himAnd he was beautifulAnd he was nota bad manBut brightquite short pause

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no that he wasn’tPerhaps he was even a little stupidsmiles a little to herself. The Man walks around

MANBut where are youAren’t you herePause Don’t go and hide nowWe’re not kids anymoreWe don’t play hide and seek anymorewhere are you The Middle-Aged Woman entersThere you areSo good to see you againSo good to be back home

SHADOWI am so tiredso tiredAnd I shall soon sleep

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANAnd your work went well

MANYesyes everything was goodquite short pausebut tiringit is tiringyes as always

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYes

SHADOWI am so tiredBut I can soon sleep

MANAnd you

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANIt’s all been as usual I’ve got nothing to tellquite short pauseas usual

MANNono me neither

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Short pauseCan I give you a hugShe doesn’t answerYou don’t want a hugShort pause Not a hugNot

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANNo

MANYou don’t want to

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANNoThe Man goes and sits down on the bed, and the Older Woman goes and stands next to him and strokes his hair. He looks downYou are out therebetween the beautiful young women

SHADOWI am so tired so tiredBut I can soon sleep

MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN continues and I walk around in herein these roomsin these expensive roomswith the rowdy boisterous childrenquite short pausethe samequite short pauseday in and day outday in and day out

SHADOWI am so tired so tiredBut sleep is so goodAnd I shall soon sleep

MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN continues yes I know I keep saying itI repeat myselfand repeat myselfquite short pausethese roomsthese childrenthese expensive roomsthese rowdy boisterous childrenquite short pauseand you who go

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you who come

MANWhat can I doWhat can I doto make it better

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANWhat you can doPause. The Man stands up

MANWhat can I doto make it better for you quite short pausewe have everything we needand moreis there something you wantshall I buy you something

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANMaybe

SHADOWI am so tired so tired

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANcontinuesYes maybe

MANWhat do you want

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANreluctantlyI don’t knowI don’t quite knowI have to think about it

MANJust say it

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANI want freedom

MANWhat do you mean

SHADOWThe good sleep’s freedomshort pausethe good sleep

MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN

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continues yes freedomyes I want to be in the worldout thereI don’t want to be locked insidein these roomsQuite short pauseI want to make those paintingsI want to makebreaks off, quite short pause

MANBut can’t youmake them here

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANWho’ll look after the children then

MANSomeone else can do thatwe canbreaks off. Pause You don’t enjoy being with the childrenPauseYou don’t want to be with the childrenwith our childrenwith our beautiful childrenPause. The Man walks towards the Middle-Aged Woman NowNow I want a hug

SHADOWWhy do I say thatI don’t mean itI am so tired so tired

MANcontinues And quite short pause tomorrow tomorrow when I get homeI’ll bring something beautifulsomething beautiful and expensive for youSomething you’ll like

SHADOWWhy do I say that

MANcontinues Something I know you’ll like

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MIDDLE-AGED WOMANHow can you know that

MANI know you

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYou knew meBut I’m not the one youused to know

MANpuzzled I don’t know you anymore

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYou knew me

MANYou’re no longer the same

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANI’ve begun to understand

MANYou’re still youngyoung and beautiful even ifbreaks off

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANEven if I’m close to forty

MANYou look much youngerShort pause And it’s not that long agosince our youngest child was born

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANBut the othersthey manage themselvesthey go to schoolthey don’t need me anymore

MANOf course they need youPauseBut now I want a hug

SHADOWWhy do I say thatI don’t mean it

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The Man and the Middle-Aged Woman look at each other, he walks to her, embraces her, she doesn’t put her arms around him. Why do I do thatThe Man lets go of her, and he leaves

OLDER WOMANwalks to the Middle-Aged Woman Why was I like thatWhy am I like that

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANWhy am I like thatWhy do I say things like thatHe only wants what’s best for me

OLDER WOMANHe only wanted what was best for me

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANI don’t understand myself

OLDER WOMANI have neverunderstood myself

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANHe only wanted a hug

OLDER WOMANI don’t understand meI didn’t understand me thenand I don’t understand me nowIbreaks off

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANFor he is beautiful For he is kind and he always saysthat he is awayso much awayjust to earn what we need for me and the childrento live wellquite short pausehe is awayout there with those beautiful young womenand Iquite short pauseI am no longer youngAnd what has become of meI have walked around hereI walk around here

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I can’t take itand the childrenquite short pauseyes apart from the little oneThe sound of a crying child, and the Middle-Aged Woman exits. Pause. The crying stops. The Man enters

MANShe’s not hereBut where is sheWhere can she beAnd why is she like thatquite short pause before quite short pauseyes when I came home from workalwaysyes alwayswe gave each other a hugand we kissed each otherand thenquite short pausewhere is sheshe is so beautifulso goodI love her so much

SHADOWBut it isn’t trueIt isn’t like thatquite short pause It is justbreaks off. Pause. The Man walks around, and the Older Woman walks over to him, strokes his cheek, his back, embraces him, stands and holds him. The Middle-Aged Woman enters. The Man walks towards her, and the Older Woman goes and sits down on the bed

MANNow I want a hug

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYou want a hug

MANYes

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANSo you want a hugThe Man goes and embraces the Middle-Aged Woman and holds her, she keeps her arms hanging down. They stand like that for a long time

SHADOWWhy do I do such things

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The Man lets go of her and leaves. The Older Woman stands up, smooths the bedclothes, walks into the room

OLDER WOMANAnd nowquite short pausenow I’m aloneand the childrenquite short pausetheyyes theyquite short pauseI don’t understand whythey visit me so rarelywhy they ring me so rarelyit’s as ifthere was something wrong with meas if something was wrongQuite short pauseAnd I am aloneAlways aloneThe Middle-Aged Woman exitsBut I like to be aloneOf course I doI prefer to be aloneShort pause But that’s just something I saySomething I must sayI must saythat I prefer to be aloneI must say that I was rightI must saythat I didthe only right thingWhat I had to doThe only thing I could doThe only thingshort pauseyes the only Pause. The Man enters, hand in hand with a Younger Woman

MANhappy Yes this is how it is

YOUNG WOMANhappy My how lovely it issuch nice big rooms

MANYesYes they’re alright

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YOUNG WOMANIt’s notit’s notthat the rooms are importantit’s what fills the roomsit’s lovewhich is the most important

SHADOWI shall never leave you

MANYesyes

YOUNG WOMANAnd love is what we have

MANWe have love

YOUNG WOMANAnd love shall we have

MANLovewe shall always have love

YOUNG WOMANWe shall never part

MANNever shall we part

YOUNG WOMANI shall never leave youNot like she didThe other oneshort pauseImagine leaving your husband your children But I shall never leave you quite short pause or the childrenquite short pauseyes if wequite short pausehave children

MANAnd I shall never leave you

YOUNG WOMANI shall never leave you

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like the other one did I can’t bear to think about herthe other one

SHADOWI shall neverquite short pause leave you

YOUNG WOMANcontinues she who is the mother of your childrenshort pause, questioninglyis it really truethat suddenly she just stood therewith two suitcasesand said she wanted to leaveThe Man nods

SHADOWDon’t say her nameShort pause

YOUNG WOMANcontinuesAnd then she leftThe Man nods. I don’t want to say her nameI don’t want to remember her nameI don’t want to mention herI don’t want to think about her

MANDon’t think about herdon’t say her name

YOUNG WOMANBut the childrenquite short pauseyes they remind mebreaks off

MANThe children are themselvesThat’s lifeat its greatestthat is the greatness of lifethat people are borncompletely as themselvesquite short pausefrom the time they enter this world they are themselvesthey have their own soul look like themselves

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are themselves

YOUNG WOMANYes

MANI can’t understand it

SHADOWIt is the wonder of lifeIt is the light of lifeIt is breaks off. Short pause

YOUNG WOMANNoquite short pausenono it isbreaks off. The Man embraces her, and she embraces him, they kiss each other, they stand like that for a long time, they let each other go, they move away a little.I’m so grateful for youI was so aloneall alone and alone you arelike no oneI was no oneI was no oneuntil we met

MANAnd I was no onePause

YOUNG WOMANI feel wholeI feel no not like myselfyes like myselflike myself in you

MANIt is youwho is I

SHADOWAlways the samequite short pause but the same is never the samenothing is the sameeverything changesquite short pause

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and a word nevermeans the same

YOUNG WOMANAnd I am youShort pause You said that to the other one tooheryesbreaks off

SHADOWDon’t think about it

YOUNG WOMANquestioninglyYou did

MANDon’t think about it

YOUNG WOMANI can’t help it

SHADOWDon’t think about it

MANNow it’s youonly youwho are my world

YOUNG WOMANYesThey embrace each other, and exit, hand in hand. Long pause. The Middle-Aged Woman enters with two suitcases, she puts them down, walks around, looking. The Man enters

MANWhat is itWhy have you packed

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANI’m going

MANYou’re going

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYes

MANWhere are you going

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MIDDLE-AGED WOMANHome to my parents

MANTo your parents

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYesShort pause

MANBut you’ve never likedyour parentsyou’re always sayingthat your fatheryes that heyes treatedas you sayboth you and your motheras if you were dollsas ifyes as if you weren’t human beings

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANI’m going

MANHow long will you be goneAnd who’ll look after the little one

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANYou’ll have to find someonewho can look after himone of those young womenout there in the worldone of those beautiful young womenone of those you look atdrool over

MANYou’re going

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANI’m goingAnd I’m not coming back

MANYou’re not coming back

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANI’m never coming backI want to be alone

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MANBut the childrenYou have three childrenquite short pause you have a small childThe sound of a child crying

MIDDLE-AGED WOMANDo you hear what I’m saying Don’t you understand anythingDon’t you understand a thingYou want me to say it word for wordyes I can do thatShort pauseIshort pauseam short pausegoingshort pause andshort pauseI short pauseamshort pausenevershort pause comingshort pause backThe Man goes and sits down on the bed, next to the Older Woman. The Middle-Aged Woman picks up the suitcases and exits. Pause. The Man stands up and exits. The Older Woman stands up, moves into the room

OLDER WOMANI had toI couldn’t take it I couldn’t bear itit wasn’t breaks off, quite short pause but is it truequite short pauseis it really trueyes thatyes that I couldn’t bear itquite short pauseand thenquite short pause. The child stops cryingyes I don’t want to think about itrather notbutquite short pausemy father

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He said I was madThe OLDER WOMAN laughsYou’re not right in the head You’re madGo back hometo your husband to your childrenYou have a good husbandgood childrenShort pause And my motherquite short pauseshe said nothingalmost nothingjust a few quiet wordsQuite short pauseAnd my father whoquite short pausegot me two roomsHe saidI don’t want you living hereFend for yourselfHere’s the keyHere’s the addressQuite short pauseAnd my motherquite short pause my mother who gave me moneyShe said my father had asked her to do itBut he didn’t want to come himselfNo I don’t want to think about itQuite short pauseAnd herein the rooms my father boughtherehereshort pausealways herejust always herealways hereThe Older Woman walks over to the painting, begins to paint. The Man enters, walks over to her, stands a few metres away from her

MANYou got a better lifeYou set yourself freeyou set yourself freefrom mefrom your childrenAnd you set me freeQuite short pauseYou gave me loveI look up to your strength

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SHADOWI’m not telling the truthWhy aren’t I telling the truthIbreaks off

MANI look up to your abilityto do what you had to

SHADOWWhy am I lyingHow can I bear to do thatBut why don’t Ihurt heras much as I can

MANYou did what you had toThat’s all you could doHe puts a few notes on the table.

SHADOWThat is my greatest joyShe is so free so freeThe Young Woman enters

YOUNG WOMANI’m so grateful for youfor our childfor our beautiful childthat it turned out like this that it turned out to be youand our child

MANAnd I’m so grateful for you

SHADOWI am so grateful for you

MANI don’t know who to thankyes youyes you most of allyou beautiful you

SHADOWI want to thank God

MANcontinues

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I shall thank youquite short pausebut that it turned out like thisthat weof allof all those who exist of all those who are thereallso manythat of allof all thosethat it should be youthat it should be youand mequite short pauseand our child

YOUNG WOMANYou and our child and me

MANThat which rules in secrecy that is what I thank

YOUNG WOMANI thank GodPause I must look in on our child

MANBut first a kiss

YOUNG WOMANYesThey kiss each other, they hug each other for a long time and she exits

MANI am so gratefulGodfor herfor all she has given mefor the love that existthe love that fills everythingthat is in everything and everyonethe love we areand which is why we exist I thank you GodI thank youfor the graceyou have given me

SHADOWI thank you God

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for the grace you have gaveThe Man and the Shadow take up positions, stand and look straight ahead, into nothingness. The Older Woman lifts up the painting, looks at it

OLDER WOMANIt is beautifulI was good at somethingI was good at somethingif only I was given the timeif only I was given the timeto do itIf I only could be on my ownI could paintAnd the paintings are larger than I amThe paintings are larger thanI could bethat was what I wantedI wanted to be largerthan myselfnot to be myselfbut to be something otherthan myselfsomething totally other I wanted to bepart of the otherpart of the greaterjust a partShort pauseBut was it worth itHow much painhaven't I causedAnd now he is deadAnd my parents are deadhow uglyquite short pausehow uglyam I and then the inheritancefrom my fatherquite short pauseyes and from my motherof course from her tooquite short pause. The Young Woman enters and goes and takes the Man with one hand and the Shadow with the otherand the paintingsyes how uglyyes they are ugly I can’t paintand no onealmost no one laughs wants to buy my paintings

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no one wants to exhibit themalmost no onequite short pauseand not without reasonlaughsso Ilaughspaint over one paintingafter the otherI paint one paintingAnd then I paint over itI always start over againover againquite short pause over againquite short pauseover againquite short pauseand that is rightfor nothing shall remaineverything shall come into beingand everything shall disappearshort pause. She paints over the painting with white paint. Then she goes and sits on the bed. PauseAnd now he’s deadHe is gone Forever gone Quite short pauseIt’s several years nowsince he diedquite short pause the years go so fastquite short pauseand I was toldthat I wasn’twelcome at his funeral Short pauseEverything disappearsPause. She lies down on the bed, pulls the doona over her

MANYou are my happiness

YOUNG WOMANAnd you mineOnly you

SHADOWYou are my happinessI thank you

MANYesyes

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yes only youThe kiss for a long time. Black

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