SCENE 13: ULTIMATUM
1966
In the office of the Premier, high up in an office tower with a view of the opera house and harbour.
POLITICIAN
This meeting’s long overdue, my friend.
ENGINEER
Premier.
POLITICIAN
In your capacity as chief engineer
I want some straight answers.
ENGINEER
Fire away.
POLITICIAN
I hope it won’t come to that.
A pause
Do we need this architect to finish the Opera House?
ENGINEER
It's his building...
POLITICIAN
That's not what I asked.
A pause
Quite frankly I need a quick solution here.
ENGINEER
Laughs
I’m sorry, but “quick” and “solution”
Are two words he’d never use
So close together!
POLITICIAN
Damn it!
Why is it taking so long,
And costing so much?
ENGINEER
As I see it there are two problems:
The same hall for concerts and opera,
That's a problem.
The idea’s a problem.
POLITICIAN
Opera.
Who needs opera?
ENGINEER
The acoustic engineers say one thing,
The architect another.
If only he’d listen to reason
Instead of making these endless resignation threats
When he doesn’t get his own way...
POLITICIAN
He might threaten once too often...
ENGINEER
Don’t misunderstand me.
We’ve had our differences of late,
But there’s no doubt
He put us on the path
Toward a great building.
POLITICIAN
A great building,
If you say so.
ENGINEER
And we’ve realised the hardest part.
Without the engineers
He never could have come this far.
We’d be staring at a folly!
POLITICIAN
As you say,
A folly.
ENGINEER
But the closer we get
The clearer it becomes to me:
He never really thought things through
There simply isn’t room under the shells
To do the things he promised.
I’m of the firm opinion
He can’t finish
This building
Without help.
POLITICIAN
And that's the second problem?
ENGINEER
Exactly.
He thinks he can.
POLITICIAN
He's trying to do too much?
ENGINEER
An understatement!
He’s playing god.
No decision,
However small
Can be made without his approval;
Every atom must bear his stamp.
POLITICIAN
His plans for the interiors?
ENGINEER
An engineering nightmare.
Worse than the roof.
POLITICIAN
You can't be serious?
Worse than the roof?
ENGINEER
He wants the inside of the building to fulfil some dream he has.
POLITICIAN
Who does he think he is?
This is a public building.
Not the place for dreams!
ENGINEER
If he could concentrate on the design alone
Then maybe...
POLITICIAN
Freed from some of his... responsibilities?
ENGINEER
Part of a team...
POLITICIAN
We can’t have any more expensive mistakes...
ENGINEER
The interiors don't have to be a problem.
Hundreds of architects could do the job.
POLITICIAN
Would it be as good?
ENGINEER
It would be finished.
POLITICIAN
Do we need this architect to finish the building?
ENGINEER
No, but....
POLITICIAN
No buts.
One last question:
If the architect were to go,
Would you stay?
ENGINEER
I would.
POLITICIAN
Wait in the other room for a moment could you, my friend.
The Engineer goes into an adjoining room. The Politician reaches for the intercom on his desk.
Bring that letter in could you, Miss Hodges?
MISS HODGES
Yes, Premier
Miss Hodges enters with the letter.
POLITICIAN
Tell him to come in, Molly.
And phone the Government Architect.
Tell him to come and see me
As soon as he can.
MISS HODGES
Yes Premier.
POLITICIAN
Opera.
Who needs opera.
The Architect enters.
ARCHITECT
At last!
POLITICIAN
At last!
Your request...
ARCHITECT
Yes?
POLITICIAN
Is refused.
ARCHITECT
What?
POLITICIAN
Refused.
ARCHITECT
You can't refuse.
It's absolutely necessary!
POLITICIAN
No more models.
No more waste.
ARCHITECT
Models save waste.
POLITICIAN
No more time.
ARCHITECT
Save time...
POLITICIAN
No more money.
ARCHITECT
...And money.
POLITICIAN
Nine years!
What have you been doing for nine years?
ARCHITECT
Building a masterpiece.
POLITICIAN
Well we're tired of waiting
I want that building finished.
ARCHITECT
This is the greatest public building of the century
And I will not have it ruined
By snap decisions.
POLITICIAN
You've had nine years!
ARCHITECT
I was forced to begin before I was ready.
Every problem since...
Every problem
Started with that snap decision.
POLITICIAN
A political decision.
ARCHITECT
I'm not interested in politics.
POLITICIAN
You're a lucky man,
Architect.
If the premier then, hadn't been so hasty,
If anyone suspected the trouble
This building of yours would cause
They would never have started it.
ARCHITECT
Trouble!
You call it trouble!
Look at what's happening down there!
Look at what is rising out of the water!
POLITICIAN
I see a building that's more trouble than it's worth.
ARCHITECT
It's not my fault,
The indecision.
One committee wants this,
One committee wants that,
The opera people want this,
The concert people want that.
One government wants this,
One government wants that.
You all want the impossible
And... I can give it to you:
I can build the impossible.
But I must have time...
POLITICIAN
There's no more time.
And I don't want the impossible,
I want a finished building that works.
ARCHITECT
So do I.
So do I .
But a great building.
Functional, yes.
Finished,
Of course.
But above all a building of greatness.
Pause
POLITICIAN
I inherited this mess
And it's my responsibility.
I'm putting the government architect
In charge of the project.
He recommends we bring in a specialist
To handle the building contracts,
And I've agreed.
Naturally we would like you to stay on
As the design architect.
ARCHITECT
To stay on? To sttay on!
I'm the architect,
It's my project!
POLITICIAN
I don't think you understand.
The opera house is a public work;
You’re a servant of the public
Who works for me.
It's time to compromise, Architect.
ARCHITECT
Compromise?
POLITICIAN
You'll be one of a team.
You'll still have your freedom;
In fact you'll have more time
To design away to your heart's content.
But from now on
We'll confine ourselves
To the realm of the possible.
ARCHITECT
It's not enough...
POLITICIAN
Look...
The outside of the building is enough
You'll be remembered.
ARCHITECT
That's not what I want!
POLITICIAN
Do you really know what you want?
ARCHITECT
I want perfection.
POLITICIAN
They tell me you're a brilliant man
But you're not very practical.
ARCHITECT
I'm an artist.
POLITICIAN
Exactly.
Not very practical.
ARCHITECT
I serve my art.
POLITICIAN
You serve me!
ARCHITECT
Then I’ll go.
I'll resign.
POLITICIAN
I'm offering a chance to complete your work...
ARCHITECT
You're offering no choice,
No choice!
POLITICIAN
A compromise for the greater good...
ARCHITECT
You cannot expect me to accept.
I will not compromise my vision!
I won't be part of some committee!
I resign
I resign
I resign
POLITICIAN
I accept your resignation now
Verbally.
Immediately.
ARCHITECT
I resign.
POLITICIAN
Accepted.
pause
ARCHITECT
You think you can finish my building without me?
POLITICIAN
We'll manage...
ARCHITECT
I will never return.
POLITICIAN
You've already resigned!
ARCHITECT
You will beg me to return.
POLITICIAN
I don't think so.
ARCHITECT
Two years and you will beg me to return...
POLITICIAN
I think not.
ARCHITECT
This is outrageous!
They won't let me go...
POLITICIAN
Who?
ARCHITECT
The people!
POLITICIAN
The Politician chuckles
The people don't want a bloody opera house,
They never have,
They never will.
ARCHITECT
They will.
They'll want mine
Because it's the best,
The best.
It will be worth wanting.
Worth wanting...
POLITICIAN
A few pooftahs and jews,
Maybe.
Most Australians couldn't give a stuff.
ARCHITECT
This country needs something of its own.
Everything here is from somewhere else.
This country has no soul of its own!
POLITICIAN
Who do you think you are?
You foreign prick.
ARCHITECT
A stranger.
A stranger...
Who will never return.
The Architect flings open the doors of the office and finds himself pushing against a tide of people.
REPORTERS, KNOCKERS, MP'S etc.
Is it true?
Is it true?
Have you resigned?
Are you through?
You had it coming.
We knew it wouldn't work.
The wrong man for the job
All along,
The wrong man.
Always impossible,
Always impossible.
All that waste,
All those lies,
WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?
From the adjoining room the Engineer appears. He joins the Politician who is also joined by the Maestro.
POLITICIAN
The building will be completed within four years
I've appointed five architects
To replace him.
And we'll tell them what we want.
We'll give you
A building for the people