ACT 1 The Arrival

 

Jean De Halliday

“Welcome my lords, my ladies, and sans culottes. It is the 14^th May 1770. My name is Jean De Halliday, and I have the pleasure of being your narrator in this play. Son of a troubador, and having a decent singing voice myself, I will tell you the story of Marie Antoinette. Sit back, get yourself a cup of tea and a sandwich, and relax. If you don’t have any bread – well, you can always eat cake instead! We are standing at the edge of the forest of Compiègne in Picardy, France. A carriage is delivering Maria Antonia into the care of the French court. Maria is the daughter of Empress Maria Theresa, ruler of the Habsburg monarchy, and Francis 1, Holy Roman Emperor. Accompanying Maria inside the carriage is Madame Geurard, despatched by King Louis XV of France to act as Lady of Honour to the fourteen year old bride of The Dauphin of France, Louis Auguste. Louis is one year older than his bride, and he is uncertain as to what awaits him. He has never even kissed a girl, so being married to an Austrian princess is decidedly uncertain territory for him. I can hear hushed voices from inside the carriage – let us listen in!”

Mme Geurard

“Now Maria Antonia, we must leave the carriage, and you must leave your old life behind here and prepare yourself for your life of service to the French crown.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Madame Geurard, I am nervous. What is the Dauphin like? I do not know what is expected of me. There is so much I have to learn, and you have filled my head already with ten thousand things to remember. Does the Dauphin speak German? How will I manage without my mother?”

 

Mme Geurard

“Do not worry, Maria. I will help you to learn to speak French. You will be schooled in the etiquette of the court, and will soon adapt. Why, you have already mastered the harpsichord, the flute and the harp! To learn a language will be simple for you. You have already learned many words! Tell me, Maria, the word for hello.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Bonjour. And I remember the word for goodbye. It is toujours!”

 

Mme Geurard

“Au revoir. The word for goodbye is au revoir. Please, Maria, you will soon be a master of the language and soon you will be a mistress of the people as well.”

 

Jean De Halliday

“The young Marie pulls the curtain back and nervously looks at the scene outside. She can see carriages, horses, and men from the window. She has seen paintings of the Dauphin and he appears to be handsome, although she knows that artists can sometimes use diplomacy as well as skill when creating a likeness. The girl has already lived a full life, even at this young age. Born on All Souls Day in November 1755, at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, she is the youngest daughter of fifteen children. Her date of birth is a day for mourning and wearing black, and it is decided for her that she will celebrate her birthday on the day before instead – All Saints Day, a day for celebration. Gold and silver are its colours, more appropriate for a queen of France. Perhaps this is a sign of how little she has control of her life. Let us return to listen in to the conversation in the carriage.”

 

Mme Geurard

“Before you arrive into Paris, you must change into your new wardrobe. The simple dresses you wear will be frowned on by the court. You are pretty and I am sure you will please the King, and the Dauphin with your looks, but now you have a bigger part to play, and you must play it well, Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna. Gather you things together and we will step into your new life. The King has provided sixty carriages, and three hundred and seventy six horses to accompany you into Paris. Such a parade will be magnificent.”

 

 

Jean De Halliday

“Maria will be told to change her name to Marie Antoinette. Even her name is no longer for her to decide! Her marriage to the Dauphin is arranged by King Louis XV, to seal an alliance between the Holy Roman Empire and France as a way to hasten to an end the hostilities between the two countries. They face common enemies in Great Britain and Prussia, whose ambitions in Europe are hostile. She will meet with the King and his son later this afternoon. We rejoin our story as the young Marie presents herself to them both.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Your Majesty.”

 

Jean De Halliday

“Maria curtsies before the king, who regards the young girl with curiosity. The Dauphin Louis stands behind his father, avoiding eye contact with her.”

 

King Louis

“Marie. You are as beautiful as your paintings portray. France is indeed fortunate to welcome such a bride into its bosom. We are happy for you.”

 

Jean De Halliday

“Marie Antoinette does not understand many of the words, the accent of the King thick with the peculiarities of the French court. She smiles and prays that she has not been asked a question, as she would not know how to respond. She notices that the dauphin seems unmoved, almost disinterested. Theirs is to be a strange relationship, one full of contradiction. There will be times of happiness, but these will be overshadowed by tragedy and sadness. We leave this scene as the procession moves slowly and inexorably to Versailles, then onwards we go to Paris where a revolution awaits, and not just of fashion and court etiquette.”

 

 

END OF ACT ONE

 

 

ACT II Madame Defecit

 

 

Jean De Halliday

“We find Marie in her private salon with the royal hairdresser, Leonard Autié. They are busy designing another great feat of personal architecture, her latest hair-do. The year is 1776, and hair-wars are at their peak.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Leonard, do you really think that this is wise? Do you not think that we have already achieved the very pinnacle of hair design with the ques-a co?”

 

Jean De Halliday

“For those of you unaware of the niceties of hair design in the court of Versailles let me explain. The ques-a co was composed of three feathers that ladies wore on the back of the head, creating a design resembling a question mark. At this time, hair fashion can best be described as a type of warfare, but more competitive and mostly without violence.”

 

Leonard

“Nonsense, my dear. You are the leader, the influencer, and you must always show your ability to shine more brightly than any star, and stir passion amongst your followers. The tick-tock reliability of your originality and splendour must be maintained.”

 

Jean De Halliday

“Marie, who was entranced by Leonard’s creativity, understood little of which he spoke, but the cadence and the tone of his words were clear. She must remain the champion of hair! I can tell you that tick-tock will be the platform from which young women will forever display their originality and flair.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Leonard, when you recently created the poof hairstyle for the duchess of Chartres, I almost felt betrayed by you! Perhaps she is taking my hairstyle crown-and you were the one that designed it for her. Remind me of its composition?”

 

Leonard

“I affixed fourteen yards of gauze and had numerous plumes waving at the top of a hair tower. I employed two waxen figures as ornaments, representing the little Duke of Beaujolais in his nurse’s arms. Beside them I placed a parrot pecking at a plate of cherries, and reclining at the nurse’s feet, I put the waxen figure of a little African boy of whom the duchess is very fond. As you know, I offered a similar design to you, but you complained you had a stiff neck and could not carry the weight. Please know that I would never betray you in this manner, my queen.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Very well. Then show me your latest concoction, Leonard.”

 

Leonard

“I call it La Belle Poule. It comprises a likeness of a ship of our glorious French fleet, sailing on a sea of thick, wavy hair, and the design celebrates the recent victory of this beautiful boat in battle. I will create the ship in intricate detail, with all of its masts, rigging, and guns. Nothing of its like has ever been seen before. You will not only be queen of the country and queen of the waves, but also queen of the hair – waves.”

 

 

 

 

Jean De Halliday

“Queen of the hair-waves! Such humour. Perhaps one day I myself will be king of the air waves with my singing! Let me continue, though. Marie was delighted. The hairstyle was an enormous success, and much copied by the noble wives of the court. Of course, the people of Paris viewed this extravagance in a different light. Pamphlets were published throughout the capital, vilifying the extravagance and wastefulness of these human peacocks. Perhaps it was to Marie Antoinette's benefit in the end that the constant building work being carried out on her head weakened her follicle foundations, and her hair began to fall out. Leonard had to find an answer to this impending disaster – after all, if his client was bald, his role as hairdresser would be redundant! Find it he did, with the creation of the style entitled coiffure à l’enfant. The queen’s locks were unlocked from her head by the use of his scissors, and within two weeks, the ladies of the court were all having their own hair cut short. Where the queen went, so her fashion followers followed.

But all was not well, either with Marie’s hair, or with the country.

Marie’s mother had told her previously that “you may lead a dissipated life and I hope I shall not live to see the disaster that is likely to ensue.” She spoke prophetically.
When she heard her daughter hid vases of water in her hair to keep the ornamental flowers fresh, she wrote to her, “as you know I have always been of the opinion that fashions should be followed in moderation, and should never be taken to extremes.”

Really, Marie should have listened to her mother more. The wind of revolution was in the air, even then, and soon, the sails of La Belle Poule could be filled with the cries of the third estate- the poor people of Paris. We leave this scene and transport ourselves to the year 1793, where we visit Marie Antoinette in the Tower of the Temple in Paris, awaiting her fate.”

 

 

 

 

END OF ACT II

 

 

 

ACT III Shaking the hot hand

 

 

Jean De Halliday

“And so we come to the final chapter of our story. Much has happened to the widow Capet since her halcyon days in the court of Versailles. She finds herself imprisoned in the Temple Tower in Paris. Here she has been for nearly a year. Her husband is dead, her first-born son Louis Joseph is dead too. Second born daughter Sophie Beatrix is dead and her second son, Louis Charles, is mad or dead, one or the other. Her daughter Marie Therese incarcerated. Paris is in flames, after a revolution that tears through a capital riven with injustice and famine. An attempt to flee the country thwarted by vanity and a franc note, she has finally been incarcerated behind the cold walls of the Temple. Marie has received a visitor, a catholic priest called Michel, who tries to console her.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Thank you, father. You bring me comfort in these trying times. Do my friends bring any hope, even at this late hour?”

 

Father Michel

“The National Convention has discussed once more your plight. As you know, some have sought your freedom in exchange for a ransom from your father. Thomas Payne had advocated your exile to America, but I fear there is no more that can be done now. You must make peace with God and pray for his forgiveness.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Forgiveness? It is I that should forgive God! He has seen fit to rip me from the bosom of my family, see me married to a man who refused to touch me for seven years after our marriage, take my children from me, force me to flee my home, and have my freedom snatched from me.”

 

Father Michel

“Marie, you must set aside these thoughts and pray for your deliverance into the kingdom of heaven.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“I trust the good lord sees fit to bring his vengeance on Robespierre as well. My trial was a sham. I was given one day to prepare my defence. One day! Do you know what they accused me of? Orchestrating orgies in the palace, sending millions of livres of the public purse to Austria, planning a massacre of our National Guards, declaring my son to be the new king of France! But the worst, the most terrible – they forced my son to speak against me, accusing me of such dreadful acts! Jacques Hébert will burn in hell for what he has done. I did nothing but play the role that France wished me to play. This is my reward – to lose my head?”

 

Jean De Halliday

“When poor Marie was taken to trial, she was accused of incest, and refused to respond. She later said “if I did not respond, it was because it would be against nature for a mother to reply to such an accusation. On this I appeal to all mothers who may be here.” The dye was cast from the outset, and there was only one path that Robespierre and his revolutionaries would let Marie Antoinette and her husband tread, regardless of guilt or innocence. That path led to the guillotine, and there was nothing they or their supporters could do to impair their progress to the blade.

On the night of 1^st August, at one o'clock in the morning, Marie was transferred from the Temple to a lonely cell in the Conciergerie. She would be known as prisoner number 280. As she left the tower, she bumped her head against the lintel of the door, which prompted her guard to ask if she was hurt. She replied, “No nothing now can hurt me.” But before we take that journey with her, let us return to her cell for a last time.”

 

Father Michel

“Is there any last comfort I can give you, Marie, before I leave?”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Yes, father. Will you pass a message to my dearest friend Axel De Fersen. Tell him that I still have his letter and that our son was loved. Please, will you do what you can for my four adopted children. Of them all, Armand, Jean Amilcar, Ernestine and Zoe, I worry most for Jean Amilcar, my precious Senegalese. He is at boarding school, and I fear that when I am gone, there will be no-one to take care of him.”

 

Father Michel

“I will do what I can, Marie. You have been so generous in taking these children into your care. Tell me more of Jean Amilcar so I may try to help.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“My beautiful Jean Amilcar was given to me as a present by my dear friend Chevalier de Boufflers. He had intended that I use him as a servant boy, being a slave from Senegal. I freed him from his servitude and had him baptised before adopting him. He was such a beautiful, kind boy, and I miss his greatly.”

 

Father Michel

“Bless you, child. I will leave you now.”

 

Jean De Halliday

“And so the priest left. He was confused by Marie Antoinette’s reference to her friend Axel De Fersen, but thought no more of it. A letter addressed to Marie Antoinette from Axel would be discovered long after her death. Written in code, it would finish with the sentence ‘I will end this letter, but not without telling you, my dear and gentle friend, that I love you madly and that there is never a moment in which I do not adore you’. Perhaps our friend Father Michelwould have understood better Marie Antoinette's use of the phrase ‘our son’ had he been aware of this correspondence. Now let us return to the Concergerie. On the Sixteenth of October, two days after her trial, Marie was declared guilty of all three charges levelled against her – depletion of the national treasury, conspiracy against the internal and external security of the state, and high treason because of intelligence activities in the enemy's interest. She and her lawyers had expected to receive a sentence of life imprisonment, but no mercy was shown. In the hours left to her, she composed a letter to her sister-in-law Madame Elisabeth, affirming her clear conscience, her Catholic faith, and her love and concern for her children. The letter never reached Elisabeth. Even in her last remaining hours and days she was deprived of her ability to act with free will, a bird of paradise imprisoned in a gilded cage, forced to chirrup and flutter by her captors. Was there ever such an injustice?

Now we must fly forward to the morning of the 16^th October 1793, where Marie Antoinette is being prepared to take her last journey. Two guards approach the cell in which Marie Antoinette is sitting on her cot.”

 

Guard one (opens the cell door)

“It is time Madame Defecit. We have your clothes here. You must dress and come with us now.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“I had asked that I be robed in black, not in white.”

 

Guard one (throwing the dress at her)

“You will wear white, the colour of a widowed queen. Now dress.”

 

Marie Antoinette

“Am I to be given no privacy?”

 

Guard two (to his colleague)

“The whore wants privacy when half of Paris has seen her naked! Now there is something to amuse us!”

 

Guard one (taking scissors from his belt)

“Sit on the cot Madame Veto, whilst I cut your hair. You must be prepared to look your best when you are being tipped over to shake the hot hand.”

 

Guard two (picking up some of the hair fallen to the floor)

“I can make a fine wig for my wife Molly with this. I will fashion a bonnet to make her look like a queen.”

 

Guard one

“Bind the harlot’s hands, otherwise they might stray. You know what she was like at court.”

 

Guard two (pulling Marie Antoinette to her feet)

“L’autrichenne is ready. I found no diamond necklaces hidden in her hair. More’s the pity.”

 

Jean De Halliday

“And so Marie Antoinette was dressed by her servants for a last time. With her hands bound behind her back, she was led on a rope leash to an open cart, which, for a full hour, transported her through the streets of Paris to the Place de la Révolution. She maintained her dignity, despite the jeering of the crowd. At 12.15pm, she was taken to the guillotine. It is said that her final words were ‘Pardon me sir, I did not do it on purpose’ after she accidentally stepped on the executioner’s shoe. Perhaps those words were a fitting end to her life.

And what was her legacy, do we think? For many, Marie Antoinette was the symbol of what was wrong with the old regime in France. Under the new republican ideas of what it meant to be a member of a nation, her Austrian heritage made her a traitor. Perhaps the people of France saw her death as a necessary step towards completing the revolution. Was she indeed impure in body, thought, and deed? Or was she merely an actor in a play, forced to follow the script without knowing its ending?

I leave you now, my fellow sans culottes, with that last question.”

 

 

 

The End