Copenhagen - Michael Frayn [0]
C O P E N H A G E N
Michael Frayn has written plays, novels, and screenplays, in addition to being a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and translator of Chekhov. His thirteen plays include the classic comedy Noises Off. His latest play, Copenhagen, was awarded the Tony Award for Best Play, as well as the Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards and, in the United Kingdom, the Olivier and Evening Standard awards. The most recent of his nine novels, Headlong, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Born in London in 1933 and educated at Cambridge, he is married to the biographer and critic Claire Tomalin; they live in London.
Table of Contents
Author’s Note
Publisher’s Note
Act One
Act Two
Postscript
About the Author
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I should like to record my gratitude to Professor Balázs L. Gyorffy, Professor of Physics at Bristol University, for his kindness in reading the text of the play and making a number of corrections and suggestions.
Michael Frayn
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
Copenhagen was first previewed at the Cottesloe Theatre, Royal National Theatre, London, on May 21, 1998, and opened on May 28, 1998, with the following cast:
MARGRETHE Sara Kestelman
BOHR David Burke
HEISENBERG Matthew Marsh
Directed by Michael Blakemore
Designed by Peter J. Davison
Lighting by Mark Henderson
Sound by Simon Baker
This production moved to the Duchess Theatre, London, where it was presented by Michael Codron and Lee Dean, and opened on February 5, 1999.
It previewed at the Royale Theatre, New York, on March 23, 2000, and opened on April 11, 2000, with the following cast:
MARGRETHE Blair Brown
BOHR Philip Bosco
HEISENBERG Michael Cumpsty
Directed by Michael Blakemore
Designed by Peter J. Davison
Lighting by Mark Henderson and Michael Lincoln
Sound by Tony Meola
Act One
Margrethe But why?
Bohr You’re still thinking about it?
Margrethe Why did he come to Copenhagen?
Bohr Does it matter, my love, now we’re all three of us dead and gone?
Margrethe Some questions remain long after their owners have died. Lingering like ghosts. Looking for the answers they never found in life.
Bohr Some questions have no answers to find.
Margrethe Why did he come? What was he trying to tell you?
Bohr He did explain later.
Margrethe He explained over and over again. Each time he explained it became more obscure.
Bohr It was probably very simple, when you come right down to it: he wanted to have a talk.
Margrethe A talk? To the enemy? In the middle of a war?
Bohr Margrethe, my love, we were scarcely the enemy.
Margrethe It was 1941!
Bohr Heisenberg was one of our oldest friends.
Margrethe Heisenberg was German. We were Danes. We were under German occupation.
Bohr It put us in a difficult position, certainly.
Margrethe I’ve never seen you as angry with anyone as you were with Heisenberg that night.
Bohr Not to disagree, but I believe I remained remarkably calm.
Margrethe I know when you’re angry.
Bohr It was as difficult for him as it was for us.
Margrethe So why did he do it? Now no one can be hurt, now no one can be betrayed.
Bohr I doubt if he ever really knew himself.
Margrethe And he wasn’t a friend. Not after that visit. That was the end of the famous friendship between Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg.
Heisenberg Now we’re all dead and gone, yes, and there are only two things the world remembers about me. One is the uncertainty principle, and the other is my mysterious visit to Niels Bohr in Copenhagen in 1941. Everyone understands uncertainty. Or thinks he does. No one understands my trip to Copenhagen. Time and time again I’ve explained it. To Bohr himself, and Margrethe. To interrogators and intelligence officers, to journalists and historians. The more I’ve explained, the deeper the uncertainty has become. Well, I shall be happy to make one more attempt. Now we’re all dead and gone. Now no one can be hurt, now no one can be betrayed.
Margrethe I never entirely liked him, you know. Perhaps I can say that to you now.
Bohr Yes, you did.