Song: ‘London Song’

Company

The music continues. Lizzie talks to us.

Lizzie In these times of ours

(though concerning the exact year,

there is no need to be precise)

in this great hungry city

there was, one night, a storm.

The river was empty

’cept for a single filthy boat

which jerked and rolled

beneath the iron mass of Southwark Bridge.

Gaffer Keep her out, Lizzie! Tide runs strong here.

Gaffer appears in a boat.

Lizzie His eyes are fixed on the oily surface

always searching.

He hates to go home without a catch.

My job is to keep the boat straight.

Try to keep the look of dread from my face.

Gaffer Hold her steady.

Lizzie The shadows deepen as we pass London Bridge.

There’s a tender yellow moonlight on the river

and suddenly …

Gaffer There!

Lizzie … it catches something,

something black and heavy in the water.

Gaffer Lizzie!

We see something floating. Lizzie climbs into the boat.

There now. Get in close.

Closer.

Gaffer leans out and pulls the heavy object towards them. He gets a rope and begins to lash it to their boat.

Oh, but it’s a fine one.

Steady.

Not been in long, but look! Lizzie!

He didn’t go in with empty pockets.

Gaffer lifts a handful of shiny wet coins up to the moonlight.

Hold this while I lash him up.

Keep your eye on it.

Lizzie I can’t look at it.

Gaffer Sometimes I think you hate the river.

Lizzie No, Father.

Gaffer This water’s given us everything we have in the world.

Lizzie I know.

Gaffer And again tonight it yields its treasure.

He throws something small into the water, an offering back to the river.

Now home, pull home, Liz.

Lizzie steps away from the boat as it moves off.

Lizzie I row, never looking at what we tow behind us.

I keep my head down,

as I always do on nights like this

when the rain lashes and the corpses float

and the river seems to mean only death.

Gaffer Lizzie! Pull home!

Company

This is a story about London

and of death and resurrection.

It’s a story about London –

her stone-hard heart.

The river disappears.

Two lawyers are in their shared rooms. Mortimer Lightwood is at work, Eugene Wrayburn smokes and paces.

Eugene Nights like this, London’s at her worst.

A beleaguered city beneath a leaden sky.

Mortimer You’re in cheery spirits.

Eugene I’m bored, Mortimer.

Mortimer You could do some work?

Eugene Pointless.

Endless cases tried and retried.

Nothing changes.

Mortimer You knew what the law was when we trained.

Eugene The law’s a guard rail

protecting the rich and powerful of this city

from the restless horde at their gate:

the poor, the hungry, the unseen.

Mortimer Have you been drinking?

Eugene There isn’t enough gin in London.

I want …

Mortimer What?

Eugene Change. Purpose. Something.

Suddenly, a boy of sixteen – Charley Hexam – appears.

Charley Mr Lightwood?

Mortimer Yes?

Charley Nice room.

Mortimer Can I help you?

Charley Here.

Charley hands Mortimer a piece of paper. He reads, then looks at Charley.

Mortimer Is this your hand?

Charley I can write, sir. Shocking, innit?

My father told me what to put.

Eugene moves next to Mortimer.

Eugene What is it?

Mortimer My missing client.

His body’s been pulled out of the river.

(Back to Charley.) Your father found him?

Charley And the papers that mentioned your name.

Mortimer It’s certain he’s dead?

Charley As a door-nail.

Mortimer Right.

Charley Though I never knew what was so dead about a door-nail.

Mortimer Young man.

Charley Coffin-nail, maybe.

Look at these shelves!

Eugene You’re interested in books?

Charley I love ’em, sir.

No one who can read ever looks at a book,

even unopened on a shelf,

like someone who cannot.

It’s my sister’s contriving.

Eugene Then you have a good sister.

Mortimer Where’s the body now?

Charley Limehouse. There’s a cab outside, as long as you’ll pay for it.

He holds his hand out. Mortimer gives him some coins and turns to Eugene.

Mortimer You wanted something to happen.

Eugene Me?

Mortimer Come with me.

It’ll be an adventure.

Eugene Or a disaster.

Come on then.

A cab appears and the lawyers step in. Charley climbs up behind and they set off.

Charley We leave the polished stone of the Inns of Court

and the carriage rolls us down Fleet Street

past the shuttered Cathedral.

Past the Smithfield market porters

and the walls of Newgate.

Through the emptying streets

the stone arches

and the moonlit squares of the City.

Down past the Bank and the Exchange

by the Monument and the Tower.

Down over the bridge

towards the darker side of the river.

Mortimer The drowned man’s name is John Harmon.

Just last month his father died

and left him a vast inheritance.

Eugene Who was the father?

Mortimer An old...