The passenger ferry has stopped running and it’s later than we thought. There’s luggage which keeps multiplying, a sub-plot implicated. Lovers carry dog-eared copies of Country Life and postcards of English seaside towns trapped in perpetual spring. The postcards might double as grainy memories. More holdalls arrive and a plinth is lowered as the Grand Duke enters calling for his valise, while his entourage feigns ignorance. After a while they move off, picking their way through invisible ruins. It’s too late now for blanket denials. They’re leaving tomorrow. After more trials the lovers rediscover each other, wearing disguises borrowed from the neighbours. The sky has cleared and the ferry is running again. Silk pennants unfurl, signifying a procession. And the happy couple are seen rising above the strewn baggage, which has become a city.
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Simon Collings
Picture Nick Victor
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