Scene 1 – (A Tranquil village and the North wind)

(People walking into Church.)

Narrator: Once upon a time, there was a quiet little village in the French countryside who’s people believed in ‘Tranquilité’. Tranquility.

(People singing in Church)

Narrator: If you lived in this village, you understood what was expected of you, you knew your place in the scheme of things and if you happened to forget, someone would always help remind you.

Pere Henri: …The season of Lent is upon us. This is, of course, a time of absonance, hopefully also a time of reflection. Above all, let this be for us, a time… a time of sincere penetance. It is a time to stand up and be counted…

Narrator: In this village, if you saw something you weren’t supposed to see, you learnt to look the other way.

Pere Henri: …This is a time for Christ. When you reflect, he knows what you reflect on…

Narrator: If by chance, your hopes had been disappointed, you learnt never to ask for more.

Pere Henri: …He knows for what you must be forgiven. So in this year of our Lord, 1959…

Narrator: So, throughout good times and bad, famine and feast, the villagers held fast to their traditions. Until, one winter day, a sly wind blew in from the North.

Pere Henri: …Where will we find truth? Where do we start looking? Where will we find truth? We will find it.

(Church doors burst open from the wind. The Comte De Raynaud walks over and shuts them. Meanwhile, Vianne and her daughter Anouk, dressed in red cloaks and carrying suitcases, walk into the village, battling the snow and winds.)

Scene 2 – “Where are you from?”

(Vianne knocks on a door twice. It blows open and they both walk in. The breeze awakes an old lady, Armande. They walk into the living room where Armande is sat.)

Armande: Who the hell are you?

Vianne: Oh, er…we are here about the partisipry. We’d like to rent it and the apartment above.

Armande: Where are you from?

Vianne: Well, we lived in Anda Lucia for a while and let me see,…before that…erm…Vienna and before that…Pa…

Anouk: Before that Pavia!

Vianne: Pavia!

Anouk: Pontuff hated it there.

Vianne: Pontuff is her kangaroo.

Anouk: But he can’t hop.

Vianne: Bad injury,…war injury, eh?

Armande: (Counting money) I’ll expect you to keep it in good condition.

(She walks out and closes the door. Vianne smirks and starts to unpack. Anouk sits in her den.)

Anouk: What a nce town this is? Don’t you think so Ma-ma?

Vianne: It’s a lovely town/

Anouk: Mama, Pontuff wants to know how long we can stay.

Vianne: Oh, tell Pontuff not to worry.

(Anouk whispers into thin air.)

Vianne: Time for bed. What story tonight?

Anouk: Pontuff wants to hear about Grandmere and Grandpere.

Vianne: Not tonight Anushka.

Anouk: You always say that! Tell me about Grandmere and Grandpere.

Vianne: Not tonight. How about the princess and the pirates?

Anouk: Ok.

(Anouk is playing with a cleaning brush. Vianne is cleaning partisipry.)

Anouk: Prepare to fire! All hands on deck! Ready! Aim! Fire!

(She flicks a small piece of metal and it hits a shiny black shoe belonging to the Comte.)

Comte: Forgive the intrusion.

Vianne: It’s a pleasure.

Anouk: Sorry Monsieur.

Comte: Mmmm…

Anouk: Pirate attack.

Comte: Of course. What is your name?

Anouk: Anouk. What’s yours?

Comte: I am the Comte De Raynaud at your service.

Anouk: A real one?! Like the Comte De Tristo?!

Comte: Ahhh, he was not a real one!

Vianne: To what do we owe the honour of your visit?

Comte: Well, as mayor of Lozcome, I want to welcome you to the community and invite you to worship with us at Mass this Sunday.

Vianne: That’s very kind of you, but actually, we don’t attend. We’re glad to be so near the Church though, we’ll enjoy singing with the bells, won’t we Na-na?

Comte: Er…the bells are not intended as an entertainment, Madam. They are a solem call to worship…

Vianne: Er…Mademoiselle.

Comte: I beg your pardon?

Vianne: Mademoiselle. I’ve never been married, but feel free to call me Vianne.

(She shakes his hand.)

Vianne: I do hope you’ll stop by when I open for business next week.

Comte: Yes…yes, opening a partisipry during the holy Lent and Fast, I could imagine better timing.

Vianne: Oh but its not going to be a partisipry.

Comte: Then, well…what do you intend on…

Vianne: It’s a surprise. It was sweet of you to drop by

(The Comte leaves.)

Narrator: The Comte De Raynaud was a student of history. And therefore, a patient man. He trusted the wisdom of generations past. Like his ancestors, he watched over the little village, and led by his own example.

Narrator: Hard work, modesty, self-discipline.

(He gets up and walks with papers in his hands. He goes to his receptionist, Caroline Claimont.)

Comte: I have completed the eighteenth century.

(He sees that Caroline is sobbimg.)

Comte: Madame Clairmont?

Caroline: Your letter to the editor, Monsieyr Le Comte…this paragraph about family and tradition….It’s beautiful.

Comte: Oh, (laughs) well, thank you. I value your opinion, (A pause and they both stare at each other until the Comte hears a noise outside. He goes to the window. He sees Vianne greeting two men with a truckload of boxes.)

Comte: May I ask, have you been in contact with your mother recently?

Caroline: Why?

Comte: She seems to have rented out the partisipry.

Caroline: Oh. Well, I haven’t talked to my mother in quite a while.

Comte: Oh, I’m sorry. I did not mean to pry.

Caroline: Oh don’t be silly. I have no secrets from you. (Another pause.) How is the Comtesse enjoying Venice?

Comte: The Comtesse? Oh, she’s fine…thank you. Yes, yes. She’s enjoying it very much. Venice…mmmm. (Looks at his feet.)

(Vianne is painting the shop and generally cleaning it up.)

(Going to Church and passing the Comte.)

Lady: I heard she was some kind of radical.

Boy: (Looking through hole in the paper stuck to the shop window.) I heard she was an atheist.

Boy 2: What’s that?

Boy: Don’t know.

(Vianne starts mixing and making lots of different chocolates. The towns people start to take an interest and wonder what she is doing. Vianne starts laying chocolate in the display window. She rips off window coverings and finds three old women, dressed in black, staring in. They smile. She then puts up the ‘Chocolaterie’ sign up outside, standing on some ladders. The Comte shrugs past. She opens the window curtains to reveal a fantastic array of chocolate. The display distracts a boy from playing. His tyre goes rolling down the wall and hits Caroline Claymont who is walking by with her son, Luc.

Caroline: Oh!…Oh, you should be more careful!

Boy: Sorry Madam.

Caroline: Oh!

(Vianne comes running out of shop)

Vianne: I’m sorry, are you alright?!

Caroline: I’m fine.

Vianne: I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Do you wanna come in and sit down?

Caroline: No, no. Please don’t trouble yourself, I’m fine.

Vianne: No, it’s no trouble. I’m Vianne Rocher.

Caroline: Caroline Claymont. I’m the daugther of your Landlady, this is my son, Luc.

Vianne: Oh, hello. And this is my Anouk. Come in. Please, where it’s warm.

Vianne: Try this. I bet you’ve never had hot chocolate made from a two-thousand year old recipe.

Caroline: Thank you, but no.

(Luc goes to sip his.)

Caroline: Luc. No.

(Anouk spins the guessing wheel.)

****Lady: What’s this?

Anouk: What do you see Madam, in this?

Lady: Sorry?

Vianne: What does it look like to you? Just say the first thing that comes into your mind.

Lady: Erm…a woman riding a white horse. (Caroline smirks.)

Vianne: Oooh!

Lady: Silly answer.

Vianne: Oh no, there are no silly answers. The pepper triangle, that’s for you. A tiny hint of chilli pepper to play against the sweetness, tangy, advebturous.

(Vianne holds out plate wither the Chocolate on. The Lady takes one, has a small bite and smiles.)

Anouk: (To Luc) What do you see?

Luc: I see teeth, I see blood and a skull.

Vianne: Very dark. Bit of chocolate, that’s your favourite. (She hands him a plate and Luc takes one.)

Caroline: Er, which will have to wait five weeks more. Lent. Thank you.

(She guides Luc’s hand over to the plate and he puts the chocolate back down.)

Caroline: We must run along. Its been nice to meet you, (to Luc) come.

Vianne: My pleasure.

(They both leave.)

Anouk:  Pontuff, come on! Pirate attack!

(Anouk hops upstairs.)

Lady: How much are these chilli things please?

Vianne: Four francs.

Lady: Could you put a ribbon on it? (Vianne nods) Then I can pretend they are for my husband.

Vianne: Of course.

(Lady sees Josaphine Muscat looking through the window.)

Lady: Josaphine Muscat. She waltzes to her own tune. Vianne smiles)

Vianne: And these (pics up a bag of chocolate) are for your husband. Anwill fine cocoa nibs from Buenamarra, to awaken the passions!

Lady: (laughs) You’ve obviously never met my husband!

Vianne: Well, you’ve obviously never tried these.

Scene 5 – Waking the Passion

(In the Lady’s house, the husband**** is snoring in chair whilst Lady comes through with two buckets, looking tired. She sees his chocolates on the work surface.)

Lady: Don’t be pathetic.

(She throws them into the bin but she misses and the fall on the floor.)

Caroline: Luc, you have a tiny error problem, G..oh…Luc! Oh… (she starts dabbing his nose with a tissue)

Luc: It’s nothing…it already stopped. Mother, the new teacher wants us to correct our own mistakes.

Caroline: I didn’t tell you how to correct the mistake, I just told you that you made one.

(The Comte is sat in his office. The Maid comes in and puts down some bread, jam and tea. He doesn’t look up.)

Maid: No talwin, Monsieur?

Comte: Lent and Fast, Madam River.

Maid: Are you not supposed to eat something?

(She goes to take it away)

Comte: It’s all right, leave it.

(She puts it back down and leaves. The Comte longingly looks at the food. He smells the jam pot but puts it back and caries on writing.)

Vianne: Hello. May I help you?

Josaphine: It’s expensive, I don’t waste money. (She walks away)

Vianne: I have a knack for guessing peoples favourites. (Josaphine turns around) These are your favourites.

(Vianne picks a box like the one Josaphine just stole.)

Vianne: Am I right? (puts them on the side) On the house.

Josaphine: No, noo. (mutters to herself and leaves)

(Vianne picks up box and thinks to herself. The three old women, dressed in black, walk past and look in.)

Madame Rivet: Ah..well…

Madame Pouget: This certainly is different.

Madame Rivet: Yes, its very different.

Madamoiselle Audel: Look at that.

(Guillaume Blerot, an old man, walks past with his little dog, Charly. Charly yelps and sniffs Madamoiselle Audel’s, one of the old ladies, skirt. She looks surprised and lifts up her skirt to reveal her undercoat. Blerot looks surprised and embarrassed.)

Blerot: I am so sorry.

Audel: Bonjour, Monsieur Blemot.

Blerot: Bonjour, Madamoiselle. (They both look embarrassed and walk off.)

(Vianne watches all of this from inside the shop. Charly, the dog pulls Blerot into the Chocolaterie.)

Vianne: Come in! Please! Come on boy! (she picks up a chocolate) Got something for you. What’s you name?

Blerot: Charly, he’s 14, he’s old. It’s 98 in human years.

Vianne: No, I meant your name.

Blerot: Oh…er…Guillaume Blerot. Your very kind. He has so few pleasures left.

Vianne: Would you care..would you care to buy something special…for your lady friend?

Blerot: Lady friend?

Vianne: Ah- ha, the lovely woman your dog was so fond of. (Blemot smiles) Her favourite is chocolate sea shells. It’s my guess.

Blerot: Oh no, I musn’t. Madamoiselle is in mourning for her husband.

Vianne: Oh..I’m sorry…when did he pass away?

Blerot: The war. German grenade. (Vianne nods)

Vianne: It’s been fifiteen years since the war so, surely…

Blerot: …Not that war, Monsieur Audel was killed on January the 12^th 1917. It was quite a blow to Madamoiselle.

Vianne: Apparently so.

(The Comte enters the hairdressers.)

Comte: Bonjour, Madam.

All: Bonjour, Monsieur Comte.

(Hairdresser pays him some rent.)

Comte: I wish all my tenents were as reliable as you, Madam. (He goes to leave)

Hairdresser: How is the Comtesse enjoying Italy?

Comte: Er…she may be extending her trip.

Hairdresser: Aah, very nice. (he goes to leave again and then turns around)

Comte: Have either of you seen the new shop across the square?

Mademoiselle Audel: Oh, the Chocolaterie? Yes.

Comte: Shameless, isn’t it? Sheer nerve of the woman. (The women stop what they’re doing) Openeing a ‘Chocolaterie’ just in time for Lent. ****The one is braisen. My heart goes out to that poor illegemate child of hers.

(All the women just stare at him. The Comte nods and leaves.)

Comte: Bonjour!

Comte: A new addition to the ****litagy?

Henri: I have a weakness for American music, Monsieur Le Comte.

Comte: How long have you been with us Pere Henri?

Henri: It will be five weeks.

Comte: Your pre-decessor, ******Pere Michelle, he was with us for five decades.

Henri: Yes, well, I only pray I can live up to Pere Michelle’s example.

Comte: Yes, that’s my prayer also. I loked at your sermon, as you requested. I’ve made one or two notes.

(He hands some papers to Pere Henri with scribbles all over it!)

Henri: (looking worried) You’re very kind.

(Anouk licks the side of her face)

Vianne: Eeugghh!

(Anouk runs out of door and bumps into Armande, the landlady.)

Armande: Hey! Watch where you’re going!

Vianne: Oh, hello! Morning! (wiping her cheek)

Armande: What’s the décor? Early Mexican Brothel?

(Vianne just looks at her and closes the door. Armande struggles to sit on the stool so Vianne goes to help her.)

Armande: No! If I need help I’ll ask for it.

(Vianne spins the prediction wheel)

Vianne: What do you see in it?

Armande: Not a damned thing.

Vianne: C’mon, it’s a game. Hat do you see?

Armande: I see a cranky old woman too tired to play games.

Vianne: I’ve got just the thing for you.

(She goes to make a hot chocolate)

Armande: That little girl of yours, does she mind it?

Vianne: Mind what?

Armande: The way you move her from place to place.

Vianne; Oh! She’s doing fine. I think it’s good for her, you know? she pours hot chocolate) Seeing new places, meeting new people.

Armande: Your cinnamon looks rancid.

Vianne: Oh no, it’s not cinnamon, it’s a special kind of chilli pepper.

Armande: Chilli pepper in hot chocolate?!

Vianne: A-ha..

Armande: Pphh!

Vianne: It’ll give you a lift. (Vianne takes the hot chocolate over)

(Armande smells it, then sips. Vianne looks at her and smiles. Armande just looks at the cup.)

Armande: It tastes like…I don’t know. (she chuckles)

Boy: I’m your kangaroo now! Where’s your Pontuff now?!

Teacher: (running out) Stop it! Sop it! Anouk! (grabs her by the ear)

Anouk: Oww!

Teacher: In this school we are civilised, we do not strike one another! (takes her inside)

Anouk: But they insulted Pontuff!

Teacher: I don’t care. (to other boys) Didi, Dedou, come along!

Teacher: (through door) And be quiet!

Didi: Where’s Pontuff?!

Anouk: Sshh!

Didou: My mother says you don’t have a father.

Anouk: Sure I do, we just don’t know who he is. (Didou smiles)

Armande: I was out all night with him. We swam naked in a tan*****. At dawn, when I returned to my house, in my bed, my mother poked her head in and said, “Wake up sleepy head!” (they both laugh) She had no idea I’d been gone. (still laughing)

(Vianne sees Pere Henri looking in the window. Armande beckons him in. He looks startled and then walks off.)

Armande: Sure you didn’t put booze in there?

Vianne: Nope, something better.

Armande: Perhaps you should give it to my daughter, melt that chilly disposition of hers.

Vianne: You and Caroline have a problem?

Armande: Do we have a problem?! (smiles) She won’t let me see my grandson. I’m cut off from him.

Vianne: Why is that? Armande, why is that?

Armande: (shakes head) Oh, I’m a bad influence ‘cus I don’t like her treating him like a trained poodle. I swear that boy doesn’t piss without her permission. (Vianne thinks to herself) Ever since her husband died, she’s been so… (pauses and shakes her head) mmm…the way she frets and fusses over that boy. If only she’d let him run, let him breathe, let him live. But she worries that he will ‘over exert’ himself. Not much danger of that, she won’t even let the poor boy ride a bicycle.

Vianne: Do you think he, he’d like to see you?

(***Lady bursts into shop looking bewildered)

Lady: Do you have any more of those bean thngys please?

Vianne: Oh, sure. Erm, how many do you want?

Lady: How many have you got? (Vianne smiles)