The Birthday Party - Stanley

Question 1

In a moment…

Answer 1

Shouts from Stanley, wild laughter from Meg

Question 2

You succulent…

Answer 2

Old washing bag

Question 3

It isn’t your place…

Answer 3

To come into a man’s bedroom and - wake him up

Question 4

(Violently)

Answer 4

Look, why don’t you get this place cleared up!

Question 5

Forget all…

Answer 5

About it. It’s a false alarm. A false alarm.

Question 6

(Quietly)

Answer 6

Who do you think you’re talking to?

Question 7

I’ve been …

Answer 7

Offered a job, as a matter of fact […] in Berlin

Question 8

Then we pay…

Answer 8

A flying visit to … er… whatsisname… […] Constantinople. Zagreb. Valdivostock. It’s a round-the-world tour

Question 9

A concert.

Answer 9

At lower Edmonton.

Question 10

I had a unique touch […]

Answer 10

They came up to me […] my father nearly came down to hear me […] but I don’t think he could make it. No, I - I lost the address, that was it

Question 11

They carved me up […]

Answer 11

My next concert. Somewhere else it was […] when I got there, the hall was closed, the place was shuttered up […] they’d locked it up

Question 12

They want me to …

Answer 12

Crawl down on my bended knees […] you’re just an old piece of rock cake, aren’t you?

Question 13

They’ve got a …

Answer 13

Wheelbarrow in that can. [they haven’t]. Oh yes they have

Question 14

(Abruptly)

Answer 14

How would you like to go away with me?

Question 15

Nowhere.

Answer 15

There’s nowhere to go. So we could just go.

Question 16

Stanley slips…

Answer 16

On his glasses, sidles through the kitchen door and out the back door

Question 17

What…

Answer 17

Are they called? What are their names?

Question 18

He hangs…

Answer 18

The drum around his neck, taps it gently with the sticks […] halfway round the beat becomes erratic,uncontrolled […] his face and the drumbeat now savage and possessed. Curtain.

Question 19

Stanley joins McCann…

Answer 19

In whistling “the mountains of Morns” […] one whistling while the other speaks, and both whistling together

Question 20

I’d say you were…

Answer 20

Exaggerating […] I’d say that was plain stupid

Question 21

I used to…

Answer 21

Live very quietly […] I started a little private business […] I lived so quietly

Question 22

The way some people…

Answer 22

Look at me you’d think I was a different […] you wouldn’t think, to look at me, really […] that I was the sort of bloke to - cause any trouble, would you?

Question 23

Because it’s not a …

Answer 23

Boarding house. It never was.

Question 24

You knew what…

Answer 24

I was talking about before, didn’t you?

Question 25

All those years I lived…

Answer 25

In Basingstoke I never stepped outside the door

Question 26

To me, you’re nothing but..

Answer 26

A dirty joke […] they’ve lost their sense of smell. I haven’t.

Question 27

They watch him.

Answer 27

He stops whistling. Silence. He sits.

Question 28

Me feet hurt! […]

Answer 28

I had a headache!

Question 29

(Sitting, his back to the audience)

Answer 29

What wife?

Question 30

He looks ups slowly…

Answer 30

And kicks Goldberg in the stomach […] Stanley seizes a chair and covers his head with it

Question 31

McCann picks up…

Answer 31

The drum and places it sideways in Stanley’s path. Stanley walks into the drum and falls over with his foot caught in it.

Question 32

Lulu is lying…

Answer 32

Spread eagles on the table, Stanley bent over her […] the torch draws closer. His giggle rises and grows as he flattens himself agains the wall. Their figures converge upon him

Question 33

[goldberg: they’re broken. A pity]

Answer 33

Stanley stares blankly at the floor

Question 34

They begin to…

Answer 34

Woo him, gently and with relish

Question 35

[Goldberg] I said animals […] what do you say?

Answer 35

Stanley’s head lifts very slowly and turns in Goldberg’s direction

“Caaahhh… caaahhh”

They help Stanley out of the chair