19 Set play: Our Country's Good by Timberlake Wertenbaker Act 2 Scene 1: Visiting Hours Liz, Wisehammer, Arscott and Caesar are in chains. Liz describes her luckless past and how she is bound to be hung. Wisehammer claims he is innocent and plans to return to England after he has served his seven years. Caesar wants to return to Madagascar. Arscott says that there is no escape from the camp. Sideway, Mary and Duckling visit the prisoners to rehearse the play. Scene 2: His Excellency Exhorts Ralph Phillip encourages Ralph to carry on with the play despite the obstacles. He says that he will soon need to cut rations again. Phillip says that Harry is not well. He compares the play to a colony, but, in this case, it is Ralph who is in charge. Ralph vows to carry on. Scene 3: Harry Brewer Sees the Dead As he drinks, Harry speaks to and assumes the voices of the ghostly gures who are tormenting him. Duckling hears his screams and runs to him. She agrees to be with him if it will help him to forget his nightmares. As he goes to her, he accuses her of being with Handy Baker on the beach. Scene 4: The Aborigine Muses on the Nature of Dreams The Aborigine speaks about the impossibility of befriending a dream. Scene 5: The Second Rehearsal Ross and Campbell bring in the imprisoned cast members to join Ralph, Mary and Sideway to rehearse. Ross says Liz must remain in chains for the rehearsal. Ross wants to watch the rehearsals, but Ralph says there is a ‘modesty’ to them (page 65). Ross orders Sideway to take off his shirt and show his lash scars. He orders Dabby onto all fours. He demands that Mary show her thigh tattoo, but Sideway interrupts by beginning to rehearse with Liz. Campbell goes out to punish Arscott. Sideway and Liz try to continue, but Liz stops as they listen to the beating. Scene 6: The Science of Hanging Harry tells Ketch that he must measure Liz. Ketch objects to hanging a woman. Liz won't cooperate, so Harry forces her to stand. As Ketch measures Liz, he explains that he doesn’t want to hang her, and will try not to hurt her. She asks Harry to tell the Lieutenant that she didn’t steal the food. Harry assumes one of his voices, screams and falls down. Scene 7: The Meaning of Plays The Aborgine re ects on ‘a swarm of ancestors’ who must be satis ed. Mary and Ralph rehearse, while other cast members watch. They discuss the will that Silvia requires of Plume. Mary says that ‘love is a contract.’ Wisehammer believes a man should marry the woman he loves, but Ralph counters that ‘sometimes he can’t’ (page 72). Wisehammer hands Ralph a new prologue he has written. He takes Mary to one side and offers to marry her, saying that Ralph would only keep her as his servant and whore. They carry on rehearsing and Wisehammer, as Brazen, kisses Mary, which angers Ralph. Ralph struggles to rehearse Arscott’s scenes without Sideway. Arscott begins one of Kite’s speeches, causing Dabby to say that she wants that role. Ketch enters and they start a scene between Justice Balance and Silvia, but Mary, upset by rehearsing with Liz’s hangman, rushes off. Copyright: Sample material
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