The Irish playwright, novelist and poet Samuel Beckett was one of the most innovative writers of the 20th century. Plays like Waiting For Godot and Endgame have become classics of the stage. But, it is rare to see his work performed here in Malta. There was a performance at the MITP Theatre of Krapp's Last Tape a few years back but his short plays are even less often performed locally.
Michael Fenech is determined to alter that fact when he directs four of Beckett's shorts, under the umbrella title: Vain Reasonings, at the theatre-in-the-round at St James later this month on May 11 to 13, then the following weekend from May 18 to 20.
Samuel Beckett, who was born in 1906 and died in 1989 was originally from Dublin, but spent most of his working life in Paris, where he died. In fact, many of his works were originally written in French. In 1969 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, the most prestigious of the many awards he received.
The first of the short plays to be staged at St James is Not I. This was written in 1972 in English, originally for the English actress and Mr Beckett's muse Billie Whitelaw. It features just the actress's mouth lit, expounding a stream of consciousness that relates to four incidents from her life. In this version the solo "mouth" will be played by the promising young actress Leigh-Anne Abela.
Ms Abela also appears as W in another of the shorts to be staged Rockabye. Again written for Ms Whitelaw, this is another solo piece and it received its first performance in 1980. It features a woman in a dressing gown seated in a rocking chair that rocks from time to time apparently of its own accord.
Ray Calleja, Clare Agius and Kevin Attard feature in Mr Beckett's 1982 short play Catastrophe. This has been described as his most political play and it was in fact dedicated to the dissident Czech playwright Vaclav Havel... who later became President of that country. The final one-acter in this quartet is possibly Mr Beckett's best-known short Ohio Impromptu. Again written in English it dates from 1980, it is said by some critics to be a play about deep grief. However Mr Beckett's advice on the playing of the role of Loved One in the play was, to treat it like a bedtime story. Victor Debono and Kevin Attard will perform Ohio Impromptu.
A feast of Beckett at St James and many would say: About time too.
Michael Fenech is determined to alter that fact when he directs four of Beckett's shorts, under the umbrella title: Vain Reasonings, at the theatre-in-the-round at St James later this month on May 11 to 13, then the following weekend from May 18 to 20.
Samuel Beckett, who was born in 1906 and died in 1989 was originally from Dublin, but spent most of his working life in Paris, where he died. In fact, many of his works were originally written in French. In 1969 he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature, the most prestigious of the many awards he received.
The first of the short plays to be staged at St James is Not I. This was written in 1972 in English, originally for the English actress and Mr Beckett's muse Billie Whitelaw. It features just the actress's mouth lit, expounding a stream of consciousness that relates to four incidents from her life. In this version the solo "mouth" will be played by the promising young actress Leigh-Anne Abela.
Ms Abela also appears as W in another of the shorts to be staged Rockabye. Again written for Ms Whitelaw, this is another solo piece and it received its first performance in 1980. It features a woman in a dressing gown seated in a rocking chair that rocks from time to time apparently of its own accord.
Ray Calleja, Clare Agius and Kevin Attard feature in Mr Beckett's 1982 short play Catastrophe. This has been described as his most political play and it was in fact dedicated to the dissident Czech playwright Vaclav Havel... who later became President of that country. The final one-acter in this quartet is possibly Mr Beckett's best-known short Ohio Impromptu. Again written in English it dates from 1980, it is said by some critics to be a play about deep grief. However Mr Beckett's advice on the playing of the role of Loved One in the play was, to treat it like a bedtime story. Victor Debono and Kevin Attard will perform Ohio Impromptu.
A feast of Beckett at St James and many would say: About time too.