Colombine : $b a fantasy : and other verses

In a twilight hour on Cissbury Beacon, two weary laborers—an aging Dan’l and the eager boy Nathan’l—pause their endless march, trading riddles and stories beneath a ring of ancient beech. Their conversation drifts from practical concerns of tea and toil to whispered legends of a sealed box that once held the world’s troubles, hinting at a mysterious maiden who may have set them loose. When the ethereal figure of Colombine steps from the fairy ring, the ordinary landscape shivers with a strange, luminous presence, and the pair are drawn into a world where the line between myth and reality blurs.

The play unfolds as a lyrical, almost musical dialogue, peppered with rustic humor and poetic verses that echo the rhythms of folk tradition. Listeners are invited to follow Dan’l, Nathan’l, and the enchanting Colombine as they grapple with questions of belief, destiny, and the unseen forces that tug at human hearts. The first act, rich with vivid imagery and gentle intrigue, sets the stage for a whimsical journey that feels both timeless and freshly imaginative.