ROBINSON CRUSOE
ACT ONE
AInside the Crusoe’s home, in Bristol
While Suzanne, the maid, Lady Crusoe and her niece Edwige prepare for Sunday tea, Sir William Crusoe pointedly reads the parable of the Prodigal Son. Robinson arrives, late as usual, but soon charms his way out of a scolding. Taking Toby, the Crusoes’ factotum, aside, he explains that he has booked passages to South America for them both that very night. They are overheard by Suzanne, Toby’s fiancée. Edwige, realising that she is in love with Robinson, begs him to stay, but to no avail. Even when Toby withdraws from the venture – at Suzanne’s insistence – Robinson knows he has to go alone to seek his fortune.
ACT TWO
A desert island at the mouth of the Orinoco
Six years have passed. Robinson’s ship has been captured by pirates and he has escaped with his life to this desert island. His only companion is Man Friday, rescued by Robinson as he was about to be sacrificed to the god Saranha by the Tamayos, a cannibal tribe also resident on the island. Robinson yearns for Edwige and tries to explain to Friday that one day he too will fall in love – but the native doesn’t understand.
Another part of the island
Tired of waiting for Robinson’s return, Edwige has set out in search of him, taking with her Suzanne and Toby, now man and wife. Their ship, too, has been captured by pirates. Set adrift, they have arrived on Robinson’s island. Suzanne and Toby are captured by cannibals and handed over to the cannibals’ chef, none other than Jim Cocks, a neighbour from Bristol who had run away to sea ten years before and suffered a similar fate. Now, he informs them, they are about to be the ingredients of the cannibals’ dinner that night. As the sun sets, Edwige is led in by the natives. Her blonde hair and fair complexion have led them to believe that she is the white goddess of their legends who will arrive from across the sea and who, when burned at the stake, will become the bride of Saranha. All this is observed by Friday, who has fallen instantly in love with Edwige. As the funeral pyre is about to be lit, he fires Robinson’s pistol, and as the savages run off in fright, he rescues the three victims and Jim Cocks.
ACT THREE
Robinson’s hut
Robinson, returning from a night of vigil, watching for a ship, is told by Friday not to wake the goddess. Edwige and Robinson are reunited. Suzanne, Toby and Jim Cocks are delighted to find that Friday’s master is none other than their own Robinson. He tells them that the pirates have put ashore for supplies and this is their chance to take over the ship and return to England.
The lagoon
The carousing pirates make fun of Robinson, who pretends to be mad. He tells them a tale of buried treasure and they rush off into the jungle, where they are immediately set upon by the cannibals. With the pirates’ muskets, Robinson now holds the upper hand. The pirates beg him to save them. Despite their wickedness, he agrees to do so if, as they sail for Bristol once again, Captain Atkins will marry Robinson and Edwige aboard the ship. And all – perhaps even the pirates – live happily ever after.
VERT-VERT
ACT ONE
In the garden of the Convent of Saint-Rémy
In the garden of a girls’ boarding school, Mimi, Bathilde and Emma, together with Valentin, the nephew of the headmistress Mademoiselle Paturel, and the gardener Binet are gathered to bury the parrot Vert-Vert, darling and mascot of the school. The girls decide to find a replacement and Mimi suggests Valentin, who agrees and takes the parrot’s name.
Binet, left alone, sees two dragoons, the Comte d’Arlange and Friquet, jumping over the wall. The Comte explains that he is Bathilde’s husband. He and fellow-officer Bergerac, who is married to Emma, were separated from their wives immediately after marriage. The Comte asks to see Bathilde. Binet returns with her but refuses to leave them alone. Suddenly the doorbell rings. The Comte jumps back over the wall, promising to return soon to rescue the two women from the convent.
Mademoiselle Paturelle comes into the garden. She orders Binet back inside as she wants to be alone with Baladon, the dancing-master, to whom she is secretly married. Mimi, Emma and Bathilde arrive, already in lively in conversation about the rescue plan. Mimi is concerned because she is so attached to her beloved Vert-Vert. Her musing is interrupted by Binet, who announces that Vert-Vert must depart immediately to visit his ailing aunt. As Binet and Vert-Vert leave to catch a barge, Mimi, unseen by the others, follows them.
ACT TWO
At the Lion d’Or inn in Nevers
The dragoons, including the Comte and the Chevalier de Bergerac, are celebrating the arrival of La Corilla, a famous singer who is to perform the next day at the local theatre. The two officers flirt with her blatantly – they are separated from their wives, after all – but are interrupted by the theatre director. Unfortunately, the tenor Bellecour is unable to sing: he has a cold after having been tossed into the river Loire during an argument.
Binet and Vert-Vert enter the inn. While the theatre director and Bellecour seek reparation from Binet (it was he who pushed the tenor into the river), Vert-Vert, seduced by La Corilla, agrees to sing in place of Bellecour.
At that moment Mimi appears, disguised as a dragoon. She agrees to help the Comte to enter into the convent if he delivers Vert-Vert to her. The Comte sends Binet to invite the singers to join the dragoons for a party at the inn. Everyone arrives, including Vert-Vert on La Corilla’s arm. He is flushed with success and – soon – with drinks. The evening ends in a riotous celebration.
ACT THREE
In the garden of the convent
The women are practising their dancing with Baladon as Mademoiselle Paturelle bustles in. She is concerned that Mimi has disappeared. But Mimi then suddenly appears, claiming to have been at the bottom of the garden. The doorbell rings and Binet enters with Vert-Vert, the latter confessing that, during his excursion outside the convent, he has been learning to drink, swear and seduce women. Left alone, Mimi begins to reproach Vert-Vert but he stops her: his experience has also made him realise that he loves her. They embrace tenderly.
Night has fallen. The Comte and Bergerac have come to rescue their wives. Bathilde and Emma enter the garden, followed by Mimi and Vert-Vert. They soon hear people approaching from opposite directions: it is Baladon and Mademoiselle Paturelle. The two cannot find each other in the dark and the others bewilder them by whispering from all directions. Confusion reigns in the garden until the doorbell rings again. Binet enters and demands that Bathilde and Emma be handed over to their husbands, and that Mimi and Vert-Vert be married. Vert-Vert suggests that Mademoiselle Paturelle assumes her rightful role as Madame Baladon, but she refuses. The Comte calls out to his comrades: they appear on top of the wall. At last, Mademoiselle – Madame – admits defeat and the four couples are united in a happy ending.
