Lights up

Marie:(Eating an apple) He’s up there. (We see a dark figure in the shadows move across the tower). See! There it is now!

Colette: (Eating a crust of bread) Nah, it’s just a story. I’ve never seen him.

Marie: He’s up there I tells ya!

Colette: Well I’ve never seen him.

Marie: But you hear the bells right?

Colette: Of course I do, everyone hears the bells. But that don’t mean there’s no monster up there.

Frollo enters and hears their conversation.

Marie: Well what are you? Blind?

Colette: What?

Marie: I said what are you, blind?

Colette: Huh?

Marie: (Shouting) I said what are you, blind?

Colette: Nah but if you keep shouting you’ll make me go deaf. (She laughs and jabs Marie in the arm).

Marie: Very funny. I’m telling ya. My ma says there’s a monster up there. (With a scary voice) His name is Quasimodo!

Collette: What sort of name is that? Quasimodo! What do you think I am, stupid or somefing?

Marie: That’s right, stupid!

Collette: Yeah well at least I can learn, you’re ugly! Can’t do nothing about that!

Frollo: Can’t do anything about that.

Colette: See! He agrees with me.

Frollo: No you stupid little Gypsy cretin. You said that she “Can’t do nothing about that”. You should have said she couldn’t do anything about that.

Colette: Why?

Frollo: Because that is proper use of our language.

Colette: Why?

Frollo: It just is. And if you were not Gypsy scum you would know that.

Marie: (Sidling up to Frollo and looping her arm through his) Yeah, I agree, she is gypsy scum.

Frollo: And so are you!

Colette: (Making burping/farting sound behind Frollo) Ooohh your Lordship that’s horrible!

Marie: (In a mocking bow) Oh no that is the beautiful sound of a real Parisian!

Frollo: Why you disrespectful little monsters! (He grabs them). You think yourselves brave do you? Well are you brave enough to face the monster of Notre Dame?

Colette: I’m not scared of him!

Frollo: Really? How about you?

Marie: Nah I’m not afraid neither! Bring him out here and I’ll look him in the eye to show you how brave I am!

Frollo: Brave are you?

Colette: Yeah we’re not scared of nothing!

Frollo: You’re not scared of anything.

Colette: That’s what I said.

Frollo: No you said… forget it. (beat) The only problem is that the monster does not come out of the Church. He is not allowed to. If you are going to face the monster and prove how brave you are then you will have go into the Church and face him there.

(He drags them to the door and throws them inside the doors. He then takes out a key and locks the door, we hear the children banging on the door to get out and calling for the doors to be unlocked, Frollo laughs and taunts them).

Nun entering with bags, she stops and takes a drink from the fountain.

Frollo: Off you go and find the monster. Prove how brave you are! Guards! (Two bumbling guards come running on stage). Isn’t there supposed to be three of you?

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord.

Frollo: Well where were you? Are you not to guard the doors of our great church?

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

Frollo: Well why were you not here guarding the door?

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

Frollo: What do you mean “Yes my Lord”?

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

Frollo: You’re idiots aren’t you?

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

Frollo: I am surrounded by fools.

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

Frollo: Shut up!

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

Frollo: (Getting quite angry) Look here, I have let two Gypsy Children into the Church. When they come out I want you to arrest them for trespassing and have them thrown into the dungeon! What do you say to that?

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

Frollo: Wonderful. Now there is a new Nun arriving sometime today. Give her this key to get into the Church (He passes the key to Guard Two).

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

Frollo: Very good. (He exits).

The two soldiers watch him go and then sit at the steps.

Guard One: (Carrying a picnic basket) Morning tea time boys?

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

Guard One: Port, wine or gin?

Guards Two and Three: Yes my Lord!

All laugh and start drinking.

Shadowy figure moves across the tower and off. The nun watches this with interest.

Marie and Colette enter the tower.

Colette: So where is this monster of yours?

Marie: He’s here somewhere. Just you watch out.

They exit and the shadowy figure of Quasimodo enters and listens to the conversation below him.

Gypsy Queen: (Entering) Marie! Colette! Oh where are those little scoundrels! Colette! Marie! Hey you soldiers, have you seen my grand daughters? They were coming over here to see the monster.

Soldiers spit at her and ignore her.

Gypsy Queen: Hey, don’t you know who I am? I’m the Gypsy Queen. How about a little respect?

Soldiers: (With mock bowing) Yes My Lord!

Gypsy Queen: Idiots! Oh where did they go?

Nun: Excuse me.

Gypsy Queen: Yeah?

Nun: I believe your granddaughters are in the Church.

Gypsy Queen: What?! They aren’t allowed in there. We’re gypsies! Aint no Gypsies allowed in the Church. Not even the Queen of the Gypsies herself! We aint good enough for the church and aint good enough for God.

Nun: Of course you’re good enough for God.

Gypsy Queen: Then why can’t we go into his house? Answer me that!

Nun: Listen to me. The Archdeacon has locked them in the church.

Gypsy Queen: You’re a nun, you can let em out!

Nun: If I let them out then the guards will arrest them. Is that what you want?

Gypsy Queen: No! Leave em there till we figure something out. Why don’t you talk to the Archdeacon? He’s cruel but oooh I do like a strong man. I could take him home and crown him king!

Nun: Are you worried about your granddaughters or not?

Gypsy Queen: Sorry I got carried away there. But he is cruel and oohhh I do like a strong man. I could take him home and crown him king!

Nun: Please will you concentrate!

Gypsy Queen: Yes, you’re right. It’s just that he’s

Nun and Gypsy Queen: cruel and oohhh I do like a strong man. I could take him home and crown him king!

Gypsy Queen: Sorry. Do you think you could talk to him?

Nun: I’m new here, I don’t know how he will take to a new nun asking him favors or giving him advice. I can get the key and unlock the door but I can’t get rid of the guards. They’d never listen to a nun. (She goes over and gets the key from the Guards). We need to talk to the captain of the guard to see what can be done.

The nun and Gypsy Queen exit together.

Scene Nine

The Nun is tending to Quasimodo’s wounds.

Nun: Is that helping Quasimodo?

Quasimodo: It is much better, thank you for your kindness.

Nun: Does it still hurt very much?

Quasimodo: Yes, it does still hurt Master.

Nun: I am not your “Master”.

Quasimodo: No master. Whatever you say.

Nun: Quasimodo.

Quasimodo: Yes master?

Nun: You can call me Mother.

Quasimodo: You are not my mother, Master.

Nun: Perhaps not, but wouldn’t that be better than “master”?

Quasimodo: My mother abandoned me master. I have no love for her.

Nun: Have I abandoned you Quasimodo?

Quasimodo: No master.

Nun: Mother. This Cathedral is my home too. I am not going to leave my home... and as this is your home too it looks like we are stuck with each other. What do you think of that?

Quasimodo: What do you want me to think of that mas- (Nun stops him) mother.

Nun: Quasimodo you are free to think what ever you want to.

Quasimodo: Oh no Mother. I am not to think, or question. I am to say whatever my master wants to hear.

Nun: But Quasimodo I am not your master. Remember?

Quasimodo: Yes mother.

Nun: Who am I?

Quasimodo: I don’t know mother.

Nun: Well I hope that we will get to know each other so that you will one day be able to answer that question. If there is anything you want to know all you have to do is ask.

Quasimodo: Mother can I ask you a question?

Nun: Well done.

Quasimodo: Sorry?

Nun: “Can I ask you a question”, is a question. We are making good progress! What would you like to know?

Quasimodo: Mother, If this is the house of God, then where is he? Where does he sleep?

Nun: Where does who sleep?

Quasimodo: God.

Nun: Why, God does not sleep Quasimodo. He doesn’t need to sleep.

Quasimodo: Then where is he? Mother, I know this place inside out and I have never seen him. Yet people come here to pray to him and this is the House of God.

Nun: Quasimodo, do you not know that God lives inside of you.

Quasimodo: No! He can’t! How could God live inside me, a monster!

Nun: You are not a monster.

Quasimodo: Of course I am. My master says so, everyone says I am. God must live in a beautiful house like this, the cathedral of Notre Dame. Not inside an ugly thing like me.

Nun: I believe God does not see things the way that we do… he looks at the beauty inside you… not the beauty on the outside.

Quasimodo: Inside of me?

Nun: That’s right. This Cathedral can never be as beautiful as a beautiful heart.

Quasimodo: Mother, what makes a beautiful heart?

Nun: Many things. A love for other people is a good start.

Quasimodo: But mother, why should I love others when they don’t love me?

Nun: You cannot make other people love you Quasimodo. But no one can stop you loving them. Remember that. That is the power that you have. The power to love.

Quasimodo: Not even Archdeacon Frollo can take that away from me?

Nun: Not even Archdeacon Frollo.

Quasimodo: Thank you mother.