Incident Report SCP-701-19██-1
SCP Involved: SCP-701
Date: ███████ ██, 19██
Location: [EXPUNGED]
Report prepared by Drs. R█████ and J██████ on the content of SCP-701-19██-A. SCP-701-19██-A is a 187mm x 103mm x 25mm S-VHS video cassette tape recovered by investigators from the scene of the incident, a performance of SCP-701 at █████████████ High School in █████████████, ████. Tape was found in a destroyed consumer-grade camcorder, which was apparently recording the performance from a vantage point within the audience. It is the only surviving record of the event. Please see the SCP-701 archives for the full transcript of the recording. In order to compare the identified deviations during a SCP-701 event with the actual plot of the published text, see Document SCP-701-1640-B-1.
- 0:00:00 – Tape begins.
- 0:03:10 – House lights go down.
- 0:05:12 – Curtain rises. The play begins as published with Gonzalo’s coronation speech.
- 0:10:21 – A possible sighting of SCP-701-1 during Isabella’s ravings – an anomalous shadow not belonging to one of the cast members shows up along the back wall of the set.
- 0:10:24 – Shadow disappears.
- 0:23:15 – First deviation from the text. Rather than the dialogue between Francisco and the courtesan, the curtain drops and comes back up on a bare stage. Antonio enters from stage right.
- 0:23:24 – First indirect sighting of SCP-701-1. The shadow of a figure seems to appear on the back wall, from stage right. Antonio stops in place and acts surprised. The shadow disappears. Antonio begins a long soliloquy, confirming that he now believes Isabella’s story. Dr. J██████ notes that while this soliloquy is in the style of the rest of the play and seems to be accurate Caroline-era dialogue, Antonio’s speech in this scene does not exist in the original text.
- 0:24:12 – Curtain drops.
- 0:24:51 – Curtain rises on Francisco and the courtesan. Antonio returns; the play continues as scripted.
- 0:31:14 – First direct sighting of SCP-701-1. It enters and stands at the edge of stage left towards the end of Act II, Scene 1.
- 0:32:17 – Gonzalo’s dialogue concludes (as scripted) with the mention of an appointment with the ambassador from Alagadda. He exits, stage left; SCP-701-1 seems to turn and follow him as the lights go down.
- 0:38:13 – Second sighting of SCP-701-1 during Act III, Scene 1. It appears on the edge of stage right as Gonzalo and Petruccio murder Sortino. The scene concludes with Gonzalo ordering his cooks to prepare the corpse as a stew; scripts recovered from the scene indicate that this section had been cut in rehearsal.
- 0:51:11 – Third sighting of SCP-701-1; appears close to stage left as Antonio kills Isabella.
- 1:09:12 – Fourth sighting: SCP-701-1 enters with Gonzalo at the beginning of Act IV, Scene 1, and follows him throughout the scene. The scene also contains two key moments: first, Gonzalo seems to nod to SCP-701-1 when he mentions the ambassador of Alagadda. This is the first time a cast member has seemed to indicate SCP-701-1’s presence. Second, the scene ends with a deviation from the text: whereas the scripted speech at the end of Act IV, Scene 1 ends with Gonzalo considering his own moral inequity, Gonzalo here seems to be more concerned that his ‘tribute’ will be sufficient for the ambassador. The lights go down.
- 1:21:15 – Fifth sighting: SCP-701-1 enters stage left at the end of Act IV, Scene 2 as Antonio leaves to secure a blade for his coup. Rather than exiting, Antonio stops in front of SCP-701-1, who hands him a long dagger. (This is believed to be the first appearance of the item classified SCP-701-19██-B; note that there is no mention of the item in the prop list or the other records maintained by the production.) SCP-701-1 and Antonio depart the stage together.
- 1:32:41 – Sixth sighting: SCP-701-1 appears on stage left as Cornari and Lodovico exit.
- 1:35:10 – The lights come up. Act V, Scene 1 – the Banquet scene – begins as scripted.
- 1:40:52 – Antonio enters, bearing a piece of parchment. Here the textual deviations begin in earnest: rather than the parchment being Petrucchio’s confession as scripted, Antonio instead describes it as an invoice from the ambassador of Alagadda, proving that Gonzalo owes more tribute than he intends to pay.
- 1:41:42 - SCP-701-1 enters at this point from stage right. The entire cast seems to perceive it. Gonzalo stands up, curses as an aside to the audience, and runs for stage left. The rest of the cast – including Alinda and Francisco, who enter from stage left – physically restrain Gonzalo and drag him back onto the stage. SCP-701-1 meanwhile moves to the center of the stage, where it stands in front of Gonzalo’s throne.
- 1:43:08 – A noose is dropped onto the stage from above. The cast force Gonzalo into the noose, as he begins to curse in Italian (and in one place, possibly Latin?). The noose is drawn taut, and the cast drops Gonzalo; he begins to asphyxiate.
- 1:43:32 – Antonio speaks: “With this, the tribute, in full it is paid.” The actor takes SCP-701-19██-B (the dagger) and draws it across Gonzalo’s stomach, spilling his intestines across the stage.
- 1:44:04 – Alinda takes the dagger from Antonio. She speaks: “With this, fool’s blood, it is the Hanged King’s.” She cuts Antonio’s throat.
- 1:45:31 – Ropes drop from the roof of the stage, a noose for each cast member. The cast assembles underneath them. Alinda takes position next to SCP-701-1.
- 1:46:12 – Alinda: “With this, our blood, it is the Hanged King’s.” The cast hang themselves.
- 1:47:33 – SCP-701-1 moves through the hanging corpses and to front-center stage.
- 1:47:41 – The stage lights cut out.
- 1:47:46 – Sounds of screaming and physical violence around the camera.
- 1:48:22 – Loud sound, most likely the camera being knocked over.
- 1:49:01 – The camera is destroyed. Tape ends.
page revision: 28, last edited: 06 Sep 2023 12:32