Synopsis
Adelina the Jester is inspired by the Domesday Book, where she appears as the only woman working as a court jester in the year 1086 C.E. We know that she plied her trade at the court of Earl Roger de Montgomery and that she owned land in her own name. William II was the king of England from 1087 to 1100; he survived a rebellion in 1088. This work is an imagining of how the lives of these historical figures may have intertwined.
Act 1
William of Normandy had successfully invaded England, becoming William the Conqueror. The overworked English people dislike and distrust the invaders. Into this milieu arrives Fitzhugh, the right-hand man to Earl Roger de Montgomery, one of the richest Normans.
Fitzhugh alerts the townspeople of Amberlee that Earl Roger intends to take up residence there and menaces them to reveal what they can provide. To get on his good side, some of the town merchants introduce themselves in glowing terms. But from the crowd steps Adelina, a local woman who is an outcast. She shows why that is by pointing out the hidden foibles and crimes of the same merchants. Adelina laments that she’s a joke in the town because she only tells the truth.
To round out his court, Earl Roger needs a jester. The hapless Jean-Pierre auditions and falls flat. Adelina tells a joke but gets no laughs. She steps away, returns disguised as a man, and tells the same joke, but singing in the tenor range. This time the crowd laughs uproariously. Adelina and Earl Roger engage in some gentle banter, and he hires her as his jester. Alone, Roger reflects on his conflicted, unhappy life.
The chorus excitedly sings about a brewing rebellion against King William II, the Conqueror’s son. Earl Roger is involved but vacillates about actually joining the movement. He finally signs a pledge against the king.
Fitzhugh accuses Adelina of theft. He convinces Roger that she should be jailed. In the lock-up one of the prisoners reveals that Roger is involved in the rebellion. Adelina is released on bail. She seeks out Roger and tells him that he is in danger. He promises her anything if she’ll beg the king for mercy on his behalf. Adelina sings about the land, home, and family she has lost to the Normans. Roger promises to return her land to her but urges her to approach the king in disguise as a man. They share a passionate kiss that shocks them both.
Act 2
The scene shifts to the court of King William II, where his hangers-on are drinking heavily. Adelina, disguised as a young man named Aden, entertains the crowd. The king is delighted with Aden’s dirty jokes—and with Aden her/himself, as he offers Aden the job of court jester. Miles apart, Adelina and Roger reflect on their doomed love for each other.
King William invites Aden to play golf. The game gets increasingly risqué, with William making passes at Aden, who finally realizes what’s going on and what’s at stake if her disguise is revealed. Fitzhugh arrives with the document that Roger signed, proving his association with the rebellion.
Aden tricks the king into a game of “What If?” and presents a document for him to sign. When William starts to read it, he is shocked to see that it declares Aden is king for one day. William starts to tear up the parchment, but Aden stops him, saying the pronouncement is valid because she had placed holy relics under the table earlier, making the ruling unbreakable.
Fitzhugh’s arrival reveals Adelina’s disguise. William is good-humored about the subterfuge. He demands that Roger renounce his pledge to the traitors but gives Adelina gold and her freedom.
Adelina returns home despondent. A letter arrives for her. In it Roger declares his love for her, that he has given up his wealth and power to live as a monk, and that her land is returned to her. Adelina is determined to find humor in her grief, as her life depends on it.
Listen to the music from Adelina the Jester here!