Showing @ Traverse Theatre 21 & 22 Jan
One of the most commonly debated questions about Samuel Beckett’s most well-known play, Waiting for Godot, is whether it is a comedy or a tragedy. The very essence of this simple question defines the indefinable nature of Beckett’s work. Not for the faint-hearted, his writing is obscure, existential and inverts the concept of a clear narrative, to the point of often abandoning one altogether. And it doesn’t make for an easy interpretation, which makes Gare St Lazare Players Ireland’s work so impressive.
Under the direction of Judy Hegarty Lovett, Conor Lovett recites extracts from Beckett’s Trilogy of novels, which Beckett himself considered to be his masterpiece. There is a progression between the three extracts, from lighter and more comedic inversions in Molloy to the harsh despair of The Unnamable, and yet neither comedy nor tragedy is ever escapable. Full of the paradoxes at the very heart of humanity, Beckett’s characters are all different and yet the same; they speak yet remain silent; they are important yet unimportant; they tell a story yet no story.
Hegarty Lovett’s staging is bare with simple but incredibly effective lighting to reflect the protagonist’s state of mind, allowing all focus to lie on Lovett’s intriguing recital. A truly remarkable actor, he brings Beckett’s texts to life not only as if they were actually written for the stage, but as if they are his own jumbled streams of consciousness, both unwritten and unrehearsed. But the pinnacle of Lovett’s unique skills is that he manages to make something which can seem incredibly daunting become something accessible – a talent that cannot be overemphasized.
At three and a half hours this is a long performance, and it’s not just Lovett who needs stamina, but the audience as well. Requiring serious concentration, letting your mind wonder for only a moment will inevitably result in being lost until a new thread comes along. But the captivated audience is dutifully still and silent, and Lovett is well-deserving of the eruption of applause and standing ovation at the end.