Beckett Double Bill
DIRECTED BY TREVOR NUNN.
31 December 2020
Overview
“The new light above my table is a great improvement. With all this darkness around me I feel less alone… in a way.”
This never-before-seen archival recording features two of Samuel Beckett’s short plays, originally performed in a sold-out run through January and February 2020. It is available via Digital Theatre.
In Krapp’s Last Tape, Krapp (James Hayes) prepares to celebrate his 69th birthday by recording his annual tape. But first, he pulls out an old tape recording, made on his 39th birthday – a recording which recalls an even earlier tape, made in Krapp’s youth. The Old Tune is a rarely performed gem, adapted by Beckett from a radio play by Robert Pinget. Two elderly men (David Threlfall and Niall Buggy) sit on a bench and reminisce. But are their memories playing tricks? As funny as they are poignant, these works demonstrate Beckett’s remarkable range, inventiveness, and wit.
Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot changed the shape of European theatre. His other plays include Endgame and Happy Days, and he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969.
Trevor Nunn was Artistic Director of the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. At Jermyn Street Theatre he directed the acclaimed stage premiere of Beckett’s All That Fall.
James Hayes has performed in over fifty productions at the NT, beginning in Olivier’s NT Company at the Old Vic.
David Threlfall starred in the TV show Shameless and is a longtime collaborator with the RSC.
Niall Buggy won the Olivier Award for his role in Dead Funny and an Irish Times Theatre Award for his portrayal of Uncle Vanya.
People
Cream
Krapp
Joe & Gorman
Playwright
Director
Associate Director
Lighting design
Music and sound design
Video design
Media
“The intimate theatre space and sparse sets add impact to this accessible triple bill of superbly performed reminiscences.”
“Unerringly directed ... no one in this tiny theatre dared breathe.”
“James Hayes, as Krapp, is captivating; holding the audience tightly in his grasp.”
“An evening that is gloriously bigger than the sum of its parts.”
“Perfectly paired to the small, subterranean theatre in which they are performed.”
“Gripping intensity.”
