Andrew Lloyd Webber — Lost Souls/Marian Sees the Sketch/Marian Finds Hartright

Scene: "Marian Searches for Hartright" (The next day, late afternoon. We are in a populous and dirty street of London, near Holborn. A street of rotten tenements. People mill to and fro—poverty-stricken and malnourished people, washer women, beggars, children. An organ grinder plays) [ALL] Lost souls All of us searching Never finding What we are seeking (Suddenly we see Marian in the midst of the teeming crowds. She looks lost and unsure of herself) [ALL] All hope Long ago buried Here in London In a sea of strangers We're prisoners In darkness Rats in a cage With anger And hunger To fuel our rage More of the same each bloody day Best you should stay out of our way We drink to Let go of The life that we know It’s hopeless We're caught in the undertow Drowning in gin each endless night Endlessly spoiling for a fight (Marian tries to stop a passing woman. The woman laughs at her, moves on. During the next, another woman points her in the right direction and she travels towards the first pub. Marian arrives in the first bar—a seedy cavernous place that has only a few stragglers in it. She approaches a man) [MARIAN] Can you help me? There's a man I’m searching for (She approaches yet more customers, who all rebuff her) [MARIAN] Can you help me Walter Hartright Is the name (She is driven to the second bar during the next) [ALL] Questions All without answers And our business Is to forget them Lost souls All of us searching Here in London In a sea of strangers We're here to Let go of Our worries Fill your bitter cup No need to Look forward Or backwards Only bottoms up! (She arrives in the second bar. This is slightly livelier, but no less forbidding. She approaches another stranger) [MARIAN] Please, sir, help me? There's a man that I must find Can you help me Walter Hartright Is his name (Another man who is sitting at the back overhears her and steps forward. He takes her by the arm and during the next whisks her to the last pub) [CONMAN] Hartright Did you say Walter Hartright? Yes, I know him I'll take you to him I know him I'll take you to where he will be Delighted to help you Believe you me (They arrive at bar three—a heaving, loud, riotous place that immediately shocks Marian. During the next the conman pushes her into the crowd and people grab at her and steal things from her, assault her and push her to the floor. She is thoroughly humiliated and out of her depth) [ALL] Here among the missing A city with no answers We're looking for salvation In endless desperation With gin to dull our senses And chase away our demons And though we'll never find it We drink until we're blinded Lost souls All of us searching Never finding What we are seeking All hope Long ago buried Here in London In a sea of strangers (At the same time some of the crowd sing) [ALL] Lost souls All of us searching Never finding What we are seeking All hope Long ago buried Here in London In a sea of strangers (A necklace of Marian’s has been stolen by the crowd. The conman laughs; Marian struggles free and escapes to the alleyway, where she sinks down, utterly forlorn. Degraded and alone, she starts to cry. She rests her head against the pavement. The sun starts to rise on a new day) Scene: "Marian Sees the Sketch" (She walks forlornly along the streets. Suddenly she sees the pawnbroker’s shop. There is Laura's portrait. She stops, her heart in her mouth. She enters the shop) [MARIAN] How did you get that picture?! I need to know who brought it Was it Walter Hartright? I must find him, you must help me! The subject is my sister I can’t believe I found it (The pawnbroker takes his ledger down, looks through it, finds the address) [MARIAN] I'll redeem it Take this bag! [PAWNBROKER] It's not enough! [MARIAN] Then take this coat I have got to find the owner! You must tell me where he's living! (He gives her an address) [PAWNBROKER] I wouldn’t be too hopeful It might be a false address (The pawnbroker takes the portrait down, gives it to her. She exits. She has an address in one hand, the portrait in another. Marian moves off with new resolve) Scene: "Marian Finds Hartright" (Marian arrives at the address—it looks like a house of ill-repute. She knocks. No-one comes to the door. Then as luck would have it, a young girl, who looks like a prostitute arrives back with a client. She is wearing a low-cut red dress Marian and the girl lock eyes for a moment before Marian looks away, faintly embarrassed. The girl opens the door—and before it closes, Marian follows her in. She finds Hartright's lodgings. She opens the door on a squalid bedsit. There is no sign of life. A makeshift bed. Empty bottles and detritus but no Hartright. Marian sinks down in despair. A desolate pause—and then we see Hartright arrive home. He is nursing a half-drunk bottle of gin) [HARTRIGHT] Have you no mercy? Why are you haunting me? How can you show your face? (She goes to hand him the portrait) [MARIAN] I redeemed your pledge! [HARTRIGHT] And take that picture I cannot bear to look You spoke the truth That she was never mine to keep [MARIAN] How do I tell you I have such awful news [HARTRIGHT] That story's everywhere: The tragic passing of Lady Laura Glyde! [MARIAN] I know they killed her! Although I have no proof Glyde and Fosco How can we let them get away? There is no justice while they're free You've got to help me I've nowhere else to turn (Hartright turns away from her. She puts the picture on the easel)