CARNIVAL OF SIN

Only be sure thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest eat not the life with the flesh
- Deuteronomy 12:23

Sometimes I hate myself
- Aliester Crowley's last words

DRAMATIS PERSONA

Aliester Crowley, He is a forty eight years old poet, mystic and infamous occultist who has established a school of sorts in Cefalu, Sicily.

Charles Loveday, He is a twenty three years old accountant recently married to Betty May who has become obsessed with Crowley after meeting him in Paris.

Betty May, She is twenty five years old and Loveday's wife. She is sceptical of Crowley and devoted to her husband.

Allan Bennett, Crowley's old mentor and a famous mystic, bible scholar and Buddhist

Scene I, The Museo Mandralisea, Cefalu (afternoon), 1923
The scene opens with Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring by Bach which plays throughout the scene. The Museo Mandralisea is a private museum in Cefalu a small seaside township in Sicily. It houses many interesting coins, ceramics, vases, minerals and shells from the local area. Charles Loveday an Englishman and his wife Betty May enter from the left and stand in front of Antonello Da Messina's Portrait of a Man' which acts as the centrepiece of the museum. An image of the original painting is projected onto the background. Loveday, 23 years old, has recently married his half Irish and half French wife Betty May who is only a few years older. Loveday is wearing a short jacket and trousers while Betty May is wearing an oriental dress and has a bob' hair cut popular among feminist and radicals of the day. (i.e. the hair is cut short but a weighted area is left to fall between the ears and chin) The painting they stand in front of is flanked by crimson drapes. Loveday is also carrying some pieces of luggage which he drops before Betty May begins to speak.

Betty May: Where is that man? We had to wait an hour at the train station for him, just for him to send a message for us to meet him at this spooky museum. He better have dinner ready for us after having to catch a ride on a swine cart to get here.

Loveday: I'm sure he's just preoccupied with important business.

Betty May: (sarcastically) Important business? What would that be? Summoning the spirit of William Blake? Flying on his magic carpet? Or maybe he just popped in for another chat with Satan and the legions of Hell? Most likely he's conning another Parisian out of his well deserved inheritance.

Before Loveday

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