Oh boy... any Samuel Beckett fans?

[strung out]

I'm in the process of working my way through the entire Beckett canon, and am particularly enjoying some of his less well known prose and drama. Favourites so far have been Malone Dies, First Love, Not I and Happy Days.

So any other Beckett fans for me to discuss Beckettian literature with?

 

[lighterthief]

Nope, I am ashamed to admit I have never read any Samuel Beckett. What would you recommend for a lay reader?

 

[strung out]

Waiting for Godot and Endgame are generally the best dramatic works to get started on. If you're looking at prose, The Trilogy is an excellent place to start, if very hard work. If you don't like nihilistic, abstract, bonkers literature, then Beckett probably isn't for you. However, I love it and the sheer madness of most of his stuff really makes me want to get through the whole lot now (having only studied Endgame and Molloy up til now)

Seen by many as one of the, if not THE greatest dramatist of the twentieth century, I'd certainly reccommend looking at some of his prose or stuff that he wrote for TV.

 

[Derian]

Waiting For Godot. Racy stuff

 

[strung out]

You a fan Derian?

 

[Lava]

I read Waiting for Godot for a-level. I think I liked it.
My memory's not what it once was.

 

[Derian]

You a fan Derian?

I saw the play once. Even featuring Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondsen I couldn't stay awake. Soz, uncultured bint

 

[strung out]

 

[strung out]

I read Waiting for Godot for a-level. I think I liked it.

Yeah, you liked it

 

[Derian]

Yeah, you liked it

He's the one

 

[strung out]

This is a serious thread Derian Let's take it to tcte

 

[Derian]

I'm going to stick around here. Waiting For Anyone

 

[Lava]

Lets go.

[they don't move]

 

[Derian]

((((( Godot )))))

 

[americanwriter]

I've been wanting to read some absurdist literature so Samuel Becket's been on my list for a while. Waiting For Godot seems to be his most famous work. Is there a certain book you think would be best to start with?

 

[Leica]

americanwriter, for theatre of the absurd have a look for Eugene Ionesco's plays (The Bald Soprano, Chairs, The Lesson, Rhinoceros, etc), personally I prefer them to Beckett's.

 

[rutabowa]

There is a Beckett season on at the Barbican in April. I am going to see Waiting For Godot, Endgame, Play and Catastrophe. It will be quite an intense month

 

[Pieface]

I'd be up for seeing some of those too! Cheers rutabowa.

I've seen Happy Days and Godot and that one with the lips - can't remember which one it is.

Is it Krapps Last Tapes (??? or something???)

Happy Days is very unsettling indeed.

Edit: http://www.barbican.org.uk/beckett/whats-on

Tedix - you've timed yourself well for this

 

[rutabowa]

I'd be up for seeing some of those too! Cheers rutabowa.

I've seen Happy Days and Godot and that one with the lips - can't remember which one it is.

Is it Krapps Last Tapes (??? or something???)

Happy Days is very unsettling indeed.

Edit: http://www.barbican.org.uk/beckett/whats-on

Tedix - you've timed yourself well for this

book fast though, only just managed to get crappy seats for Godot and Endgame. If you buy tickets three performances in the season you get 25% off! that's how i ended up wth so many.
ps the one with the lips isn't Play, Play's the ones with the pots... the lips one is... can't remember. "Mouth" maybe.

 

[Pieface]

Krapp!

John Hurt's Krapp's Last Tape is sold out

There's a lot of film on.....

 

[rutabowa]

Krapp!

John Hurt's Krapp's Last Tape is sold out

There's a lot of film on.....

yeah I think that one sold out ages ago... sorry i just reread yr post before, Krapps Last Tape isn't the one with the lips either, it's the one with the old guy listening to tapes of himself young.

 

[rutabowa]

"Not I", that's the lips one.

 

[Pieface]

There aren't many plays on really are there?

 

[rutabowa]

I think there's 5 over the month, the rest films and talks... it's not too bad for 1 month really!

 

[strung out]

For anyone who's interested, there is a Samuel Beckett Centenary Gala Evening - Directed by Anthony Minghella, in Reading on the 2nd of April. This is being organised by my tutor and is coupled with a Beckett season over April and May where various performances are being staged, including a world premiere of Beckett's novella, First Love.

As many of you know, Anthony Minghella is a world famous director (Cold Mountain, The Talented Mr Ripley, The English Patient) and he will be bringing some world famous actors to stage some readings, recitals and performances of some of Beckett's work. Well worth coming to if you're a Beckett fan. I'm definitely going to this so if any urbanites fancy coming up for the evening, I could get some tickets.

 

[strung out]

"Not I", that's the lips one.

Absolutely astonishing that one. Really unnerving

 

[strung out]

I'm also very disappointed no-one's mentioned the joke in the thread title

 

[rutabowa]

I got it though.

 

[Derian]

I'll go on – You must go on; I can't go on; I'll go on.

 

[strung out]

I got it though.

let's not spoil it for anyone else eh...