"_" " You took a virtuous girl" " and you made her a whore." " Speak not to me of Alice." "Go sweat with your whore, playwright." "How does Southwell's book... incite the Catholic scum?" "If we don't have the permissions by Friday, I'll pull my funds, and you will spend the rest of your days in debtors' prison." "We're ruined." "You just do exactly as the kind gentleman says." "Aah!" "We've gotta go now!" "No." "You need to break with Alice immediately." " I love Alice." " You must be cruel to be kind." "You stupid little girl." " Will." " I'm not leaving my wife." "I never wished you to leave your family." "Then why did you seduce me, you slut?" "Find another player and be his whore." "Your play... was amazing." "You do belong here in London." "I leave you free to be what it is you wish to be." "_" "Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs." "Being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes." "Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears." "What is it else?" "A madness most discreet." "A choking gall and..." "What business have I with love?" "Thy writing is most lamentable, Willie boy." "I am a fool and a coward." "I am so base, so vile, so villainous, and do such... damage... to my sweet girl, my... one true love." "And so I am damned." "Alice." "The Theatre... you must go now." "Take those to the stage!" "Here!" "Take this!" "Let me." "Prithee catch thy breath." "Let it burn!" "Let it burn!" "Let it burn!" "Peace, Jimmy." "All those years of blood, sweat, and tears, for nought!" "For nought!" "It's over!" "It's over!" "Let it burn." "Come on." "Chin up, lads." "We battled that fiery bitch and we won." "Still, nobody's gonna pay for a play with no costumes." "They'll riot." "Seen it before." "...for heaven's sake!" "We're closing for good." "What?" "We owe three months back rent." "Without payment by week's end, the landlord will repossess The Theatre, and I'm to Ludgate." "Prison?" "I dreamt of building a theatre that would write us into history." "The deal fell through." "Our profits, our... our savings... it's all gone." "Hunsdon?" "Surely it would be in his interest to keep us afloat." "That bridge has been burnt." "How appropriate." "Peace, Alice." "Peace?" "What a meaningless word." "This isn't the end." "I promise you," "I will find a way to save the theatre." "Alice?" "No!" "Morning... 'tis for mourning." "Goodbye... my sage, sturdy King." "If your love cost me my soul... then here's to damnation, darling." "I shall see thee in hell." "I heard about the fire." "We're ruined." "My father deceived us all." "It seems my idols turn ashen by the hour." "If you ever need to talk," "I'm a very good listener." "Some would say... it is my profession." "Come visit us." "You will find community, purpose, love." "Follow another false prophet into the wilderness?" "I'm no prophet, merely one who strives to help those in need." "Not as crowd-pleasing as our mutual friend, but this might bring you some comfort." "No battles?" "Or girls dressed as boys?" "No, but its subject is Mary Magdalene, and... she is... quite an adventurous young woman." "Sir Francis Walsingham, the Queen's business." "Mnh." "You requite a physician." "You smell of rot." "I am sturdy." "Our most gracious Majesty, has she granted my audience?" "Upon hearing of thy injury at the hand of a Catholic traitor, the Queen sent me with commendations for thy bravery and service." " I must see her." " In good time." "But first, she must call upon the, uh, the fervor she so greatly admires." "Anything." "It's imperative you find Southwell's manuscript." "I will not rest until I have delivered it into her hands personally." "Do not let her down, Richard." "When, in disgrace with fortunes and men's eyes," "I all alone beweep my outcast state, and trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries, and look upon myself and curse my fate, wishing me like to one more rich in hope, featured like him, like him with friends possessed," "desiring this man's art and that man's scope, with what I most enjoy contented least, yet in these thoughts myself almost despising, haply I think on thee, and then my state, like to the lark at break of day" "arising from sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven's gate, for thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings that then I scorn to change my state with kings." ""Such wealth brings..."" "I'm at my wit's end, Emilia." "That countrywoman of yours, Isabetta, enchants me as a mongoose enchants a snake." "She being a mongoose and you a snake?" "I am no poet, I grant you, but I am rich." "Surely that counts for something?" "But if you wish to marry her, you must also woo her." "I've tried." "Lord knows I've tried." "M'lady, you have a visitor, most insistent..." "William Shakespeare." "Isn't he that new playwright?" "Oh." "You're not straying, Emilia?" "Of course not." "Show Master Shakespeare in." "But what of Isabetta?" "She is in a new country, starting a new life." "Give her time." "Time is a young man's luxury." "Pardon." "Ah, the man who pens beautiful poetry to be recited by a jackass." "'Twas a fool's errand for quick coin." "No harm was meant." "None taken." "We have not been formally introduced." "Emilia Bassano." "William Shakespeare." "And this is Lord Fortescue." "Ah." "My Lord." "To what do I owe the pleasure?" "Apologies, but time is of the essence." "You are a lover of theatre, and I need your help to save The Theatre." "You heard of the fire?" "A calamity." "But I do not follow." "I beg that which penniless players lack." "Money?" "Thou art sorely misguided." "None of this is mine." "It belongs to Lord Hunsdon, just as I do." "I am sorry." "Oh." "I see." "Lord Fortescue, on the other hand, is disgustingly rich." "Filthy." "And he is in need of a poet." "My Lord, what... what is your problem?" "Oh, love." "Hmm." "Well... the course of true love never did run smooth." "That's really rather good." "I may have a commission for you." "Didn't know where you had disappeared to." "Father won't come down from his office." "He's sitting there, one minute raging drunk, and the next, crying like a baby." "It's hard to see him like that." "What are we gonna do?" "You should've married that beer fellow." "He seemed like a good man." "And shall I be at his mercy, the way Mother is to Father?" "This theatre ran on her blood, sweat, and tears, and all it took was one good man to steal it away from her, from all of us." "How could she let it happen?" "She didn't know." "None of us did." "No." "She was willfully blind." "James?" "Jim!" "Jimmy!" "Oh!" "May I be the first to offer my condolences." "Here comes the vulture." "Poor Ellen." "Heaven knows she's suffered for you." "But this?" "For all thy efforts and thy cunning, you could never best me." "It required an act of God." "Then I shall thank Him, right after I call upon your landlord." "Oh, piss off!" "With you in debtors' prison, who will look after Ellen?" "Perchance I'll call upon her, too." "You stay away from my wife!" "You hear?" "!" "My father's a fool, a dreamer." "And I am my father's daughter." "I think finally, I'm waking up." "Despair not." "I have a plan." "A private performance in two days could garner us a hefty purse... if the lady says yes." "But I need you... all of you, to help." "Our fate is writ." "Mm." "And even thy words, Shakedick, shall not acquit." "We may fail." "But what if we succeed?" "What's the play?" "Uh..." "Leave us!" "A letter from our gracious Queen." "She entrusts me with this beating heart, the precious heart that swells within her bosom." "I will not give you Father Southwell, though you drain me of blood." "Let's not spill one more drop of thy blood." "Ah!" "I got this from a little boy." "He stabbed me when I tried to bugger him." "You are the devil." "I'll grant thee one day to think on thy pretty little girl dancing with the devil." "I'll rape her while your wife watches." "No!" "I always said James would be the ruin of you." "Ellen, please." "It wrecks me to see thee in these dire straits." "Do you ever tire of being such a churlish arse?" "You deserve more." "Oh, prithee, stop." "With James in prison, you need someone to care for you." "Phillip, enough." "Let it be me." "My love hasn't waned since the day I first saw you." "This is not love." "With me, you shall want for nothing!" ""A Midsummer Night's Romance."" "In the Italian countryside, where we lay our scene, we meet star-crossed lovers Romeo and Isabetta." "In order to spare Isabetta's life," "Romeo pretends not to love her and steals away to the forest to live in solitude." "Then, on a midsummer's night, with magic and madness in the air," "Isabetta chases after Romeo but gets lost." "Luckily, she's found by a band of artisans rehearsing a play." "They vow to help reunite her with Romeo, but are subjected to magic from woodland sprites and... fairies." "No." "No, no, no!" "I told thee once..." "Richard, thou must play Oberon, King of the Fairies!" "No!" "Richard, 'tis a wondrous role." "Very well, for sake of the company." "Billy will play Titania, thy Queen." "Barnaby..." "Snout, a tinker who plays a wall" " through which the lovers speak." " A wall?" "Right." "Kemp..." "Bottom, a weaver who wants to play everyone else's part as well as his own, and is transformed into an ass." "Not much of a stretch." "I shall be the greatest ass in London." "Do it!" "Do it!" "Do it!" "Alice?" "What?" "Would you help me scribe, please?" "I need your help." "We all do." "I hear Anne and the children left." "Yes." "Um..." "Alice, I..." "In time, I-I hope we can be friends." "Friends?" "After what you said to me?" "I am... truly sorry." "I..." "But I will always be a champion of you and your family and this theatre." "A champion?" "You spurned me... as one would spurn a diseased cur." "You called me a whore." "And worse, you took everything that was kind and pure and sacred and turned it into filth." "You tore out my heart." "And I hate you!" "Thy sonnet's inspiration?" "Thou will do little than wear out the soles of thy shoes." "I'm sorry." "I should not have come." "Prithee, soft." "You sought my counsel for a reason." "I'm drowning in Will's tempestuous seas." "Like the wind, he shifts without warning." "In the same breath, he's both stormy and tranquil, leaving me capsized and lost." "Why does he do that?" "My cousin is a very confused young man, torn between two worlds, two fates, two women." "My heart and my mind are no longer my own." "He robs me of peace." "He robs me of sleep." "He invades my dreams." "He took everything from me, and I..." "I..." "Peace." "I know not where to find it." "Here." "Thy heart is not Will's to take." "It belongs to you and He that made you." "There's only one love that is constant and steadfast, one love that remains faithful and forgiving, available to all who seek it." "Those are mere words, and I am done with men who weave me with them." "There's something I'd like to show you tonight that will speak louder than all the words of all the foolish, vain men on this Earth... true peace, true faith, the One True Religion." "Lazarus returns, but appears half-dead." "Is hell real?" "Very." "Then show me the Devil." "If I'm already damned," "I may as well get something out of the bargain." "I want to sell my soul." "The ending." "Any ideas?" "No, it eludes me still." "Perhaps something about love and merriment?" "It is a wedding." "Just a suggestion." "Everything I pen is trite." "And cynical." "Your play pokes fun at love." "Perhaps the ending eludes you because love eludes you." "But your options are to wallow or keep trying." "If we save The Theatre, at least I can give Alice back her dreams." "Love is but a dream." "A theme?" "Unclear." "Illusory." "But as we all must sleep and so must dream, if we are to live, we all must..." "Love." "My Fairy Liege, up." "Try 'em on." "It's all ridiculous." "Me, a fairy?" "I should be powerful, respected." "Richard, thou art the King." "Fairy or no, you've got power." "The varied nature of thy heart and mind controls Mother Nature." "I control the sun," " the moon..." " The stars." "What's grander than that?" "Hmm?" "Moll, thy mind is masterful." "I am Oberon... big dick..." "King of the Fairies!" "Yes!" "Do not despair!" "I am playing King of the Fairies." "For you... plays." "A few of your first roles, all the profitable ones." "And a few bits and bobs you may be able to pawn" " to get a few coins." " What?" "Look after your mother." "If she's ever without a smile, remember, she loves poppies best." "I won't let you give up." "And keep Alice out of trouble." "She leads with her heart too often." "Stop saying all this." "Face facts, Son!" "I am going to prison." "Father... have faith in us, in me." "A play about a fairy king isn't going to save anyone." "Now, I've never asked much of you, Richard." "Your heart's in the right place." "But you've been raised spoilt, vain, selfish." "But in my absence, you have got to grow up." "For the final time..." "Southwell, or your wife and daughter?" "For the lives of your family, Master Neemes?" "For the lives of my family... all my knowledge is yours." "May God forgive me." "Cover every exit!" "Where is he?" "!" "Do whatever is necessary!" "No one escapes!" "Do not consider these vermin, human." "Traitors, every single one of them!" "Threats to our God, Queen, and country!" "Aah!" "Southwell writes as if he were God." "Let's see him spread this vile idolatry without his trusted press." "Southwell's manuscript..." "Where is it?" "Where... is... it?" "Bless you." "Bless you." "Bless you." "Bless you." "Bless you." "Bless you." "Bless you." "We've been raided." "Ego te baptizo in nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti." " Amen." " Amen." "Father, the print house has been raided." "It was me." "I started the fire." "She's dead." "She's gone." "It's my fault." "It's okay." "I wanted to die, but the flames were too hot." "All I had to do was be his girl, but I was too scared." "I'm a mongrel coward." "I should have done what he wanted me to do." "Who?" "You can tell me." "Topcliffe." "I cut him." "Wish I'd killed him." "You can stay here." "Trust me." "No more talk of killing." "Lord of Dark, we have come." "We offer you blood!" "We beg you to accept our sacrifice, Oh Lord," "Challenger of Gods," "Defeater of Death!" "Baal!" "Baal!" "Baal!" "Baal!" "Baal!" "Baal!" "Baal!" "Baal!" "Baal!" "Oh Angel of Darkness!" "Angel of Deepness!" "Beelzebub!" "Abaddon!" "Angelum abissi!" "Oh Satan, come to us!" "He is here!" "Where?" "Huh?" "Kneel before his greatness!" "Where is he?" "!" "I see nothing!" "Do you think I'm a fool?" "You sold me lies!" "You gave me hope!" "But there... is nothing." "Shakespeare saw." "Tricks!" "Drugs!" "Weak minds and lies!" "Faith!" "He saw because he believes." "But you have nothing because you believe in nothing." "You are nothing." "Help!" "Get up!" "Enough!" "Yah!" "Get up!" "They will become martyrs to the One True Religion." "I must ensure their sacrifice is not in vain." "Thou desirest peace?" "I desire the same." "I've written a book that shall work toward that end." "Peace for all souls." "Peace for England." "Thy life's purpose." "And yours, if you so desire." "Presto?" "Presto?" "This is a nice little pile, Barney." "Where the hell is Will?" "Oh!" "Welcome." "Mmm." "Welcome, all." "Make haste." "Make secret." "Wait." "Where is the poet?" "On his way." "Eh..." "Some last-minute rewrites, your worship." "Rewrites?" "I remind you that if Isabetta does not agree to marry me, you all get nothing." "By the grace of God..." "Morning." "Good morning." "Morning." "Morning." " Good morning." " Morning, Reverend." "You come with me now!" "Let go!" "This ain't your business." "I'm trying to help." "Leave me!" "Do you wanna die?" "You'll be dispatched before you even pierce flesh." "I ain't no coward!" "No, you're not." "You're brave, braver than I." "But this will only hurt thyself." "It is not the way." "What is?" "I know not." "But on mine honor, I promise to help you get vengeance." "You wanted to make up for burning The Theatre, then let's away." "Do this for me, and all is mended." "How could Will abandon us?" "This stupid fairy tale was his idea!" "We'll pull it off." "How?" "We don't even have an ending!" "My darling Isabetta, this is all for you." "What is for me?" "A gift, to win your heart." "Hmm." "Father was right." "It's a disaster!" "Where are you going?" "To find the facilities." "Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania." "Tarry, rash wanton!" "I'll tarry all you desire." "Well, hello." "I would guess that you're the..." "entertainment." "I am an actor." "Perhaps you'd like to come in here and show me your... best parts?" "You sound Italian." "And your part looks very... big." "Your name wouldn't happen to be..." "Isabetta." "Acquainted with Lord Fortescue?" "The old fool loves me." "Well, you should be thrilled." "He's a very charming gentleman." "And very ugly." "Well, love looks not with the eyes but with the mind." " What?" " No." "I am King of the Fairies, and for the sake of all I hold dear," "I must bid you adieu." "You English are all faggots!" "This dress is still too long." "Isabetta's arse is hotter than hell, and her heart is as cold as ice." "We are well and truly buggered!" "Ow!" "Aah!" " My ankle!" "Ah!" " Can you stand?" "No!" "No, I can't!" "Aah!" "Without a Titania, we can't go on." "I'll play Titania." "A woman playing a woman?" "Are you insane?" "I know the lines." "But we still don't have an ending!" "Oh, yes, we do." "Isabetta..." "In the forest, married shall we be." "Oh, what fools these mortals be." "Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania." "What, jealous, Oberon?" "Fairies, skip hence." "I have forsworn his bed and company." "Tarry, rash wanton." "That boy is the most attractive woman I've seen on stage." "Clearly, the boy is new." "He knows nothing of how a woman behaves." "Go hence, in your love affairs, be free." "These are the forgeries of jealousy." "Fairies, away!" "I will no longer stay." "Well, go thy way." "I shall torment thee for this injury." "Whoo!" "Whoo!" "Bless thee, Bottom!" "Bless thee!" "Thou art translated!" "Aah!" "I see their knavery." "This is to make an ass of me, to fright me if they could." "What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?" "I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing." "Now, my Titania, wake you, my sweet queen." "Mm." "My Oberon, what visions have I seen." "Methought I was enamored with an ass." "Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind." "And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." "The course of true love never did run smooth." "Music call." "Music, ho!" "Come, my Queen, take hands with me, and rock the ground whereon these lovers be." "If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended..." "That you have but slumber'd here while these visions did appear." "And this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream." "Give me your hand if we be friends, and my love shall make amends." "What say you?" "Will you be my bride?" "I love you, no matter what." "And I, you, my sweet mouse." "Let us do this with dignity." "With dignity." "Come on." "Let's... move this along." "Wait!" "That should cover it." "Mm-hmm." "You want to count it?" "Gimme that." "Get the hell out of my theatre!" "Back to The Rose you go!" "Ah." "Back to The Rose, you devils." "Raise the flag!" "Fire the cannon!" "We have a show to do!" "An intellectual sells his soul to the Devil so he may learn all the secrets of this world." "And... is dragged to hell." "Aha." "Well, Burbage will ruin you yet." "'Tis the greatest part thou will ever play..." "Doctor Faustus." "The Devil?" "On stage?" "Yes." "You see, it's all just theatre." "Hmm." "I cut your hand." "I burnt your theatre." "Why'd you save me?" "I also have debts." "I needs must be the hero of my own story." "I owe you a vengeance."