Name:………………………….

By Louis Nowra

Overview
Cosi is set in a Melbourne mental institution in 1971. 21 year old, Lewis Riley has been
commissioned to direct a theatrical production for some of the patients as a form of therapy and
entertainment. As Justin, the social worker, says to him, “The important thing is to keep them
interested. To bring them out of their shells”. With only limited theatrical experience behind him and
against a backdrop of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War, Lewis overcomes numerous
obstacles to craft a performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s comic opera Cosi Fan Tutte.

Examining the play

The following activities will help you to examine the themes, characters and text features and
structures of the play.

ACT 1 Scene 1
In this opening scene, Lewis along with his girlfriend, Lucy, and his mate, Nick, enter “a burnt
out theatre.” As they struggle to find a light switch they are suddenly joined by Roy, a mental patient
who declares that “this is where I belong: in the theatre.” Justin, the social worker, greets Lewis and
tells him that the patients “are normal people who have done extraordinary things, thought
extraordinary thought.” Other members of the acting troupe begin to appear: Doug, a pyromaniac
who has been let out of a closed ward; Henry, who says nothing and Zac, a musician. Later the
women join them: Cherry, who has spent a lot of time in institutions and has a violent streak; Julie, a
drug addict and Ruth an obsessive-compulsive.
Lewis’ hesitation in identifying a production that his cast can perform provides Roy with an
opportunity to suggest Cosi Fan Tutte. His enthusiasm for the opera is not shared by his peers, in part
because the opera is sung in Italian and none of them can sing.
Mozart’s opera - which translates roughly as “this is what they’re like” - refers to women and
the notion of infidelity. It is essentially the story of two men, Guglielmo and Ferrando, who under the
encouragement of Don Alfonso decided to test the devotion of their lovers Dorabella and Fiordiligi.
The two men pretend to go to war but return home disguised as Albanian soldiers and woo the
women. The women’s maid, Despina, encourages the reluctant women to submit to the two new
lovers. When marriage proposals are made the men reveal their true identities and the couples are
reconciled. The notion of love and fidelity so apparent in the opera is also examined in the play.
 By Louis Nowra

ACT 1 Scene 1
Questions

1. What does the depiction of the burnt theatre suggest about the way in which the patients are treated?
Why do you think Nowra has opened the play with this setting?
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2. What are the attitudes of the three university students – Lucy, Nick and Lewis – to the patients and
to the work that Lewis is about to embark on? How is this revealed in the dialogue and the stage directions
that are given?
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3. Each of the characters has been introduced to us at this stage of the play. What are your first
impressions of each of them? Compare this with your ‘reading’ of them at the end of the play.
- (make sure to list each character)
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4. How does Nowra reveal Lewis lack of authority as director in this scene?
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5. What reasons does Lewis give for not wanting to do Cosi Fan Tutte?
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6. “This is my dream, Jerry. My dream.” Why is the opera so important to Roy?

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ACT 1 Scene 1
Quotes

Identify two quotes from two different characters from this scene that reveals something important about
them.

1
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2
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 Name:………………………….

By Louis Nowra

Act 1 Scene 2
Lewis auditions the singers, only to find that none of them can successfully hold a tune. Roy,
however, assures him that they should “aim for the stars.” It is decided that the work will be
translated into English.
During a lunch break, Lewis listens to a radio interview that Nick gives about the moratorium.
“They’ll want the war to end, they’ll want changes in our society, they’ll want to overthrow the
establishment.” Doug continues to ask Lewis probing questions about his personal life and reveals
that he was institutionalised after setting fire to his mother’s cats.
Cherry flirts with Lewis and feeds him a sandwich. Meanwhile, Zac collapses upon the piano
keys. Doug suddenly appears and announces that there’s a “fire in the dunnies.” Cherry throttles him.

QUESTIONS
1. Look at the stage direction “Lewis is beaten by Roy’s enthusiasm.” How does Roy’s energy and
optimism influence Lewis’ commitment to the production?
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 2. Lewis says to himself, “Why can’t I ever say no? Just leave. They’re mad. It’s madness.” Why
doesn’t Lewis leave?
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3. What evidence is there in this scene that there is a growing distance between Nick and Lewis?
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4. “If it wasn’t for that damn cat, I wouldn’t be here.” What do we learn about Doug and his illness?
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 5. Why do you think Nowra follows Doug’s story with Cherry’s tale about the duck shooting? What
does this suggest about our perceptions of mental illness?
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6. Look again at the exchange between Doug and Lewis. What attitudes about women are revealed
here by both characters?
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Act 1 Scene 2
Quotes

Identify two quotes from two different characters from this scene that reveals something important about
them.

1
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2
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 Name:………………………….

By Louis Nowra

Act 1 Scene 3
Following Doug’s fire, Justin announces that the project will be disbanded and blames Lewis for
the incident. Cherry, however, claims responsibility so that the play can continue. Lewis ‘comes through’
for the ensemble by backing her story.
The rehearsals continue only to be plagued by further problems. Henry refuses to speak, Zac insists
on playing the piano accordion, Ruth becomes obsessed about the coffee and ‘how many steps’ she needs
to take and Roy bangs his head on the floor out of frustration.
During a break, Lewis begins to read a student newspaper only to be disrupted by Julie. She tells
him about her drug addiction and questions him about his love life with Lucy. He reveals that his
grandmother was committed to an asylum. Lewis reluctantly admits that “[Lucy] hates me doing an opera
about love and fidelity while thousands of Vietnamese are being killed by American troops.” Julie’s
inquiries about Lewis’ trust in Lucy lead to her observation that “men want women to deceive them
because it’ll prove their worst thoughts about women.”
Cherry enters and thrusts cake into Lewis’ mouth declaring on the theme of fidelity that “with
someone like you I could be true and faithful.” At this point, Doug’s new fire begins to explode and Cherry
pulls out her flick knife.

QUESTIONS
1. Why does the cast lie to Justin about the fire in the toilets?
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2. How does this scene reveal the difficulties associated with mental illness? Use examples to support
your answer.
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3. This scene contains many examples of the patients knowingly making fun of their own well being and
the reality of being in a mental institution. Find examples of these from the play so far. For example,
“Don’t ever tell a psychiatrist that story, they’d have a heart attack on the symbolism of it all.” (Julie) How
does humour shape their experiences of life in the asylum?
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4. What views of love and fidelity have the characters revealed in this scene?
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Act 1 Scene 3
Quotes

Identify two quotes from two different characters from this scene that reveals something important about
them.

1
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2
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 Name:………………………….

By Louis Nowra
Act 1 Scene 4
Doug has been committed to a closed ward after setting the theatre alight. Roy laments the fact that
the show can’t go on without one of the lead actors. Julie arrives and talks further about her drug addiction
and what the play has come to mean to her. “I like it because I’m doing something. Using up energy.”
Cherry arrives and offers her knife to Lewis because Doug has threatened to kill him. Ruth insists
that they will have to continue because she has learnt her lines already. Roy announces excitedly that Lewis
will need to take over Doug’s role in the play.
Nick arrives and expresses his disappointment in Lewis in not assisting with preparation for the
moratorium and his involvement in “a fucking Mozart opera.” He hesitantly watches the rehearsal
becoming increasingly involved in it as he offers suggestions and direction to the actors.
Nick’s objections to the presentation of the Albanian soldiers “here we are supporting the Viet
Cong and you’re laughing at their supporters, the Albanians,” triggers a hostile response from the normally
placid Henry. “Traitors! Traitors! Traitors!”
After assuring Henry that he is not a communist, Lewis decides that the lovers will instead return
disguised as Australian soldiers.

QUESTIONS
1. What is Nick’s attitude towards the cast? How do his interactions with them contrast with Lewis’?
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2. “You’re a traitor.” (Henry) Why is Henry’s reaction so explosive?

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Act 1 Scene 4
Quotes

Identify two quotes from two different characters from this scene that reveals something important
about them.

1
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2
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