Light Thickens

Ngaio Marsh

Chapters (16)

Cover Page

Dedication

For James Laurenson who played The Thane and for Helen Thomas (Holmes) who was his Lady, in the third production of the play by The Canterbury University Players.

Cast of Characters

Peregrine Jay	Director, Dolphin Theatre
Emily Jay	His wife
Crispin Jay	Their eldest son
Robin Jay	Their second son
Richard Jay	Their youngest son
Annie	Their cook
Doreen	Her daughter
Jeremy Jones	Designer, Dolphin Theatre
Winter Morris	Business Manager
Mrs Abrams	Secretary
Bob Masters	Stage Director
Charlie	Assistant Stage Manager
Ernie	Property Master
Nanny	Miss Mannering’s dresser
Mrs Smith	Mother of William
Marcello	A restaurateur
The Stage-Door Keeper

Sir James Curtis

Pathologist

DOLPHIN THEATRE

MACBETH

by
William Shakespeare

Sundry soldiers, servants and apparitions

The Scene: Scotland and England

The play directed by PEREGRINE JAY

Setting and Costumes by JEREMY JONES

Part One: Curtain Up

CHAPTER 1
First Week

Peregrine Jay heard the stage door at the Dolphin open and shut and the sound of voices. His scenic and costume designer and lights manager came through to the open stage. They wheeled out three specially built racks, unrolled their drawings for the production of Macbeth and pinned them up.

They were stunning. A permanent central rough stone stairway curving up to Duncan’s chamber. Two turntables articulating with this to represent, on the right, the outer façade of Inverness Castle or the inner courtyard with, on the left, a high stone platform with a gallows and a dangling rag-covered skeleton, or, turned, another wall of the courtyard. The central wall was a dull red arras behind the stairway and open sky.

The lighting director showed a dozen big drawings of the various sets with the startling changes brought about by his craft. One of these was quite lovely: an opulent evening in front of the castle with the setting sun bathing everything in splendour. One felt the air to be calm, gentle and full of the sound of wings. And then, next to it, the same scene with the enormous doors opened, a dark interior, torches, a piper and the Lady in scarlet coming to welcome the fated visitor.

Jeremy,’ Peregrine said, ‘you’ve done us proud.’

‘OK?’

‘It’s so right! It’s so bloody right. Here! Let’s up with the curtain. Jeremy?’

The designer went offstage and pressed a button. With a long-drawn-out sigh the curtain rose. The shrouded house waited.

‘Light them, Jeremy! Blackout and lights on them. Can you?’

‘It won’t be perfect but I’ll try.’

‘Just for the hell of it, Jeremy.’

Jeremy laughed, moved the racks and went to the lights console.

Peregrine and the others filed through a pass-door to the front-of-house. Presently there was a total blackout and then, after a pause, the drawings were suddenly there, alive in the midst of nothing and looking splendid.

‘Only approximate, of course,’ Jeremy said in the dark.

‘Let’s keep this for the cast to see. They’re due now.’