Broceliande: The Death of Merlin

"And as he taught me of his sorcery,
and I grew wise and powerful, I saw
this stately lord diminish in my sight
to a repulsive, withered, grasping thing
that would not give me peace; how loathsome he
became to me! I wished him dead, or worse,
and dreamed of being free to use his gifts
to make myself the lord of other men;
for why should I, so young and fair, endure
this aged creature, lone and desperate?"

from "Broceliande: The Death of Merlin"

Script Information

a one-act expressionist verse tragedy
by phillip andrew bennett low
based on material by Sir Thomas Malory
estimated running time: 45 minutes

Cast: two male, two female, a musician, five total.
Setting: the forest of Broceliande.
Time: fifth-century France, heavily anachronistic.

Produced? An excerpt was performed part of Camelot is Crumbling: Two Arthurian Dreams. World premiere production available!
Family-friendly? Contains one instance of strong profanity and some disturbing, violent, and sexual imagery.

Plot Summary

Bagdemagus, a soldier who wants to be a knight, is led into the haunted forest of Broceliande in pursuit of the Holy Grail. There he meets Nimue, the adolescent pupil and lover of Merlin, who tells of how she conspired to murder him with the aid of Morgan le Fay.