Colombine

In Short

Set upon the summit of Cissbury Beacon, this whimsical one-act play blends English folklore with classic theatrical archetypes. An old labourer named Dan'l and a boy named Nathan'l encounter the enchanting Colombine just as two rival suitors, Harlequin and Pierrot, arrive to dispute her affections. Rather than engaging in traditional, bloody combat, the suitors attempt modern arbitration, offering competing visions of the past and future. Ultimately, Colombine rejects the grandiose illusions of Harlequin for the quiet, grounded devotion of Pierrot, discovering a lasting peace within the modest confines of a real human heart.

The Story

The evening begins upon Cissbury Beacon in the South Downs, where an old agricultural labourer named Dan'l and a young boy named Nathan'l prepare to head home for tea. As they chat about old stories and the troubles of the world, they are startled by the sudden appearance of Colombine, a figure who seems to walk without bending the grass. She engages the pair in conversation, recalling the Roman legions that once camped upon the ancient earthworks and pointing out the quiet routines of downland life. Nathan'l soon departs for his meal, leaving Dan'l behind to learn that a romantic duel is scheduled for the stroke of nine, fought by Harlequin and Pierrot for the hand of Colombine.

To Dan'l's surprise, the two traditional rivals arrive arm in arm, having amicably agreed that physical dueling is entirely out of fashion. Influenced by modern ideas of intellectual arbitration, they declare that instead of risking a gizzard, they will talk until one wins by sheer breath. When Colombine insists that a proper love affair requires a fight, Harlequin drafts bewildered Dan'l into service as their official arbitrator. Bound to a damp patch of ground, the reluctant old man listens as the suitors present their competing claims for Colombine's future.

Harlequin steps forward first, offering two extravagant paths. He invites her either into the distant Land of Yesterday to gather lost delights or into a scorching desert to gaze into the crystal Mirror of Fate. Colombine gently dismisses both proposals, arguing that the past cannot be revisited and the future's distant visions are too burdensome. She prefers the quiet poetry of the night and the immediate whispers of the woods.

Pierrot then speaks, offering nothing grand or marvelous save for the unadorned declaration of his love. Harlequin scorns his silent devotion and departs in frustration, followed shortly by freezing Dan'l, who gladly abandons his arbitration duties. Left alone in the deepening twilight, Colombine and Pierrot explore the true nature of their affection. Colombine realizes that while gardens are pleasant in summer, one seeks the hearth of a small house when winter arrives. Pierrot shares the humble flowers of his own old-world garden, filled with thyme, lavender, and rosemary. Recognizing the depth of his steadfast devotion, Colombine knocks at the door of his heart. Pierrot welcomes her, and together they walk hand in hand into a sunlit land where life and love are inseparable, leaving the stage to the quiet darkness and the returning lanterns of the local villagers.

How It Unfolds

The downland prologue Two rustic labourers converse on Cissbury Beacon about daily hunger and the ancient troubles of the world before encountering a mysterious female figure. This quiet, grounded opening establishes the ethereal drama firmly within the historical layers and downland soil of the English countryside. The dialogue immediately contrasts gritty reality with timeless myth and local dialect.

The impending duel Colombine startles the men by revealing that Harlequin and Pierrot will fight at the stroke of nine for her affections. She stoutly defends romance as inherently tied to conflict, leaving old Dan'l entirely bewildered by their theatrical customs. She insists that true love requires a spirited contest rather than passive agreement.

The peaceful arbitration Contrary to expectations, the two formal rivals arrive arm in arm, declaring that physical duels are entirely outdated and that modern arbitration is the civilized path forward. They enlist a reluctant, cold, and shivering Dan'l to judge their competing romantic appeals. The absurdity of their intellectualized compromise highlights the play's satirical edge.

The rival pitches Harlequin offers grand, impossible journeys through the dim woods of the Land of Yesterday or across scorching deserts to find the crystal Mirror of Fate. Pierrot offers nothing except his profound silence and an unpretentious, straightforward declaration of pure love. Harlequin dismisses Pierrot's lack of a written script with eloquent intellectual scorn.

The final union Scornful of Harlequin's intellectual grandiosity, the suitors finally abandon the arbitration and depart into the dark. This leaves Colombine alone with Pierrot to discuss the cozy metaphor of a little house versus a wide summer garden. They embrace and journey together into a sunlit land, while local villagers with lanterns pass by to close the play.

The People

Colombine is the central figure of the fantasy, desiring a romantic suitor who embodies both passion and excitement. Her obstacle lies in the rigid, performative nature of her admirers, who initially prefer debating modern arbitration over fighting for her hand. She ultimately changes by abandoning the superficial spectacle of Harlequin for the sincere, grounded devotion of Pierrot.

Harlequin wants to maintain the dramatic tradition of theatrical rivalry while ironically adopting modern intellectual trends like arbitration. What stands in his way is his own excessive cleverness, verbose philosophy, and lack of genuine emotional substance. He ends up defeated and dismissed, exiting into the night after failing to win Colombine with his impossible, grandiose promises.

Pierrot wants to win Colombine's love despite having no grand speeches or scholarly philosophies to offer. His obstacle is his own self-doubt and the quietness of his nature, which Harlequin mocks as empty silence. Unlike his rival, Pierrot remains steadfast, and he ends up united with Colombine as they walk together into a sunlit land.

Dan'l is an old agricultural labourer who simply wants to finish his workday and get home for his tea. His primary obstacle is the intrusion of mythical figures and the annoyance of being drafted as an unwilling arbitrator on damp ground. He ends up leaving the scene entirely unromanticized, complaining of the cold and continuing his ordinary rustic life alongside the young boy Nathan'l.

In Its Own Voice

Reflecting the whimsical yet rustic tone of the play, Dan'l offers a humorous perspective on the mythical origin of human troubles when speaking to young Nathan'l.

That all the troubles as worrits a man Was locked in a box when the world began.

Describing the emotional center of his inner world, Pierrot contrasts his own unpretentious and quiet nature with Harlequin's elaborate verbal displays.

My garden is full of the flowers, My mother planted for me; Curious, old-world flowers, Thyme, lavender, rosemary.

Speaking directly to the underlying theme of human existence and agency, the accompanying verses capture the quiet, melancholic inevitability of destiny and theatrical illusion.

Man is merely a marionette On invisible wires suspended.

What It's Really About

The play explores the tension between artificial theatrical posturing and genuine emotional truth. Arkell contrasts the empty cleverness of intellectualized modern trends—represented by Harlequin's abstract arbitration and grand geographical promises—with the quiet, enduring value of simple devotion, embodied by Pierrot. Underneath the fairy-tale whimsy and rustic dialogue lies an argument about the nature of romance: true love cannot be sustained by performative conflict or philosophical abstraction, but requires the warm hearth of an intimate, shared life. Furthermore, the framing verses weave a melancholic thread concerning human destiny, suggesting that people are merely marionettes dancing on invisible wires, finding solace only in memory, enduring home ties, and mutual affection.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate charming pastoral whimsy, theatrical history, and gentle satire will find much to love in this early twentieth-century verse play. Reading it feels like stepping into an enchanted English downland at dusk, where ancient Roman ghosts mingle seamlessly with classic commedia dell'arte figures and local agricultural labourers. What stays with you long after finishing is the striking contrast between Harlequin's exhausting verbosity and Pierrot's resonant, quiet sincerity.

However, modern readers should be prepared for certain period difficulties. The dialogue relies heavily on rustic English dialect and colloquialisms—such as "ur," "bain't," and phonetic spellings of rural speech—which can occasionally slow down the reading pace and require patience. Additionally, the Edwardian theatrical conventions and period attitudes toward romantic roles may feel quaint or slightly dated to contemporary audiences accustomed to faster-paced drama. Yet, for those willing to embrace its lyrical rhythm and affectionate humor, the text offers a poignant meditation on the passage of time, human fragility, and the comforting reality of finding a home within another person's heart.