Scene.

Lights down on the auditorium and up on the stage.

There is an orchestra seated in the pit. They don’t play anything or say anything, or do anything in any way shape or form.

A curtain opens very, very slowly, on very well-oiled runners, to reveal a fully dressed pantomime set from Mother Goose – Mother Goose’s little cottage, next to a still windmill, surrounded by grass and flowers. Large cartoon clouds hang in the sky.

Mother Goose, the Dame – a large man in bad makeup and a florid dress – is revealed frozen in the act of throwing a bucket of water over Silly Billy – a young man with rosy cheeks, lederhosen and messy hair – is frozen with his hands it the air and a look of horror on his face. The water hangs in mid air between them. A giant goose, Priscilla, is frozen as if running downstage left, with her wings in the air and beak open as if making a noise. There is an egg hanging in mid air between her bottom and the stage.

They stay frozen like that for 4′33″.

After 4′33″, the performers unfreeze, walk silently to the front of the stage smiling and take a bow.

They exit without saying a word.

The curtain closes; very, very slowly.

Lights up on the auditorium.

The orchestra gets up and leaves very quietly.