Dundalk’s Encore Theatre to go on the road with The Beckett List

Having already tackled the works of Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, and Freidrich Durrenmat, Dundalk’s Encore Production are now sinking their teeth into the Irish Nobel laurate Samuel Beckett.

Beckett is credited with changing the the world of theatre and while his plays have been said to have neither plot nor action, his life story reads like a novel.

From grey Dublin in the 1900’s to colourful times with the great writers and artists in Paris during the 1920’s Beckett’s outlook and art were transformed. As the victim of a near fatal stabbing and as an active member of the French resistance against the Nazis in world war two he knew his hardshipsbut there was friendship along the way.

He got to know fellow Irish writer James Joyce and his huge encyclopaedic books, but it was the stripped back sculptures of Alberto Giacometti that were to provide a way forward for the struggling writer.

For their latest production Encore Productions, who are currently community theatre company in residence at An

Tain Arts Centre, have devised ‘ The Beckett list.

It tells the life story of Samuel Beckett and his art with striking stage images, passionate acting and atmospheric music and film. More than this the play uses iconic characters from works such as ‘Endgame’, ‘Happy Days’ and his breakthrough ‘Waiting for Godot’ to help tell the story and introduce audiences to some of Beckett’s great works.

The cast is drawn from actors attending the Rehabcare Centre under the direction of Sandy Sneedon.

Jamie Linden will play Samuel Beckett, with Mary Francis McAteer and David Coyle as his parents. Alex Tamuyeye plays Beckett’s teacher. Dolores McKeever and Nicki Cormican team up as master and servant Hamm and Clov, while Oliver Hanratty is the banana eating Krapp. Anita Guest is Winnie – buried in sand but with her handbag and hair brush at the ready. Melissa Fox and Sandra Shields play Peggy and Suzanne – two of the loves in Samuel Beckett’s life. Paddy Durnin is the chess playing surrealist Marcel Duschamp while Rodger

Zyro and Olivia McGinnity will play existentialist superstars Jean Paul Sartre and Simone De Bovoir. Martin Hanley, Christopher McKevitt, Brendan O’Shea have a busy time of it swapping paintbrushes for pistols as modern artists and as soldiers. Finally, stepping out from the pages of waiting for Godot are Rachel Tinniswood and Grainne O’Hanlon as Estragon and Vladimir and Aoife Lawless and Moninna McCarthy as Lucky and Pozzo.

Shows are on June 5 and 6 at 8pm. Tickets €8.50 (plus €1.50 booking fee).