HENRY:

I deceived you but my deception undeceived your lovers who,
from now on will be wiser.
Give me your hands, now that you’re united
Embrace each other and say no more about it
All four of you can laugh now
as I have laughed and will continue to laugh.

HENRY takes over CHERRY’s job of showing the English translation while the others get into the swing of miming to the Italian lyrics.

JULIE & RUTH:

My love, if this is true
I will compensate your heart
with love and with fidelity
and will love you forever

LEWIS & ROY:

I believe you, my beautiful one,
But I won’t put you to the test again

CHERRY:

Is this a dream I’m confused and ashamed
But it doesn’t matter if they fooled me
because I’ll fool others

ALL:

Happy is the man who calmly takes life as he finds it and through the vicissitudes of life
lets himself be ruled by reason
what makes another weep
will make him laugh
and despite the tempests of his life
he will find serenity and peace

SCENE FIVE

The theatre. The performance is over. LEWIS, tired and sweaty but pleased, is talking to JUSTIN, who shakes his hand.

JUSTIN: Marvellous. Just marvellous, Lewis. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. A few down the front were a bit quiet, but what can you expect from catatonics, right? And the cast! Didn’t think it was possible. Came right out of their shells. They blossomed. Blossomed!

LEWIS: Yes, they did. The only problem we had was Zac. Too much medication. He woke up at interval and went back to his ward.

JUSTIN: The other good thing is that you proved Roy wrong.

LEWIS: What do you mean?

JUSTIN: Every day after rehearsals he came and complained to me about your direction. I said, ‘Lewis will come through’, and you did!

LEWIS: [irritated] Every day?

JUSTIN: Oh, yes, regular as clockwork. [Spotting RUTH who has changed, entering] Ah, Ruth. Marvellous. Just marvellous!

RUTH: I missed a couple of things. I should have done four steps instead of five in that section where Julie and I—

LEWIS: [stopping her] You were fine, Ruth. Fine.

JUSTIN: Well, goodnight, Lewis. [Shoving a small envelope in LEWIS’s palm] Your pay packet—

RUTH: [shaking LEWIS’s hand] Thank you, I really liked it.

LEWIS: Good.

RUTH: I hate goodbyes, so when the others come out tell them I’m waiting outside counting the stars.

LEWIS: Okay.

LEWIS unbuttons his army top, smiling and singing to himself the final aria of Così.

Fortunato l’uom the prende
Ogni cosa pel buon verso

DOUG appears, his face covered in bandages.

Doug.

DOUG: The one and only.

LEWIS: You were here?

DOUG: At the back with the schizos. Been released from C ward. On my best behaviour. How’s the girlfriend?

LEWIS: Lucy and I aren’t together anymore.

DOUG: I meant Julie. She a good root, is she?

LEWIS: Doug, will you stop talking like that?

DOUG: This theatre would have burnt like a real beauty. [A beat.] My motto is to try and try again. Work at it until you succeed. My mother instilled in me a Protestant work ethnic.