That Time, A Piece of Monologue, Play, And Catastrophe

Synopsis

During 1999 and 2000 all 19 of Samuel Beckett’s stage plays were filmed for television, and brought together a distinguished range of directors and actors. This tape combines THAT TIME, A PIECE OF MONOLOGUE, PLAY and CATASTROPHE.

Series

Beckett on Film Series

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Year of release

2002

Year of production

1999

Notes

PLAY was broadcast on Channel 4 on 29/6/01 and CATASTROPHE on 28/6/01
All 19 plays in the series and also a documentary on the filming of the dramas, interviews with their distinguished directors, a stills gallery with commentary and a souvenir programme are available in a boxed set of 4 DVDs. Duration: 10hrs 47mins price $149.99. Follow the links at http://www.beckettonfilm.com/beckett_dvd.html

Documentation

More information about the series is given on the website www.channel4.com/beckett. A booklet containing a collection of quotations from some of those involved in the series, as well as information on Beckett and his work is available separately, price £4.95 (ref. 312000) Programme notes giving a programme outline, background and links for each play are available at http://www.channel4.com/learning/main/netnotes/programid1968.htm

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

Beckett, Samuel (1906-1989); drama - contemporary

Distribution Formats

Type

VHS

Price

£19.99

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

60 minutes

Year

2003

Sections

Title

That time

Synopsis

Similar to the formal experimentation of PLAY, THAT TIME, written in English between 1974 and 1975, intercuts three monologues from three separate periods of time in the experience of one character. Only the Listener’s face, surrounded by a shock of white hair, is visible. He is bombarded with three voices representing three different times in his past. Each voice, ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ recall separate stories. The pattern is precise, with each voice speaking four times during the course of each of three scenes, all of which are marked off by silences. The first and second scenes offer precise parallel patterns; the third offers a pattern repeated three times. Time and visions of nothingness burden each voice. At the end, the isolated head smiles at the prospect of happiness.

Duration

18 mins

Title

Piece of monologue, A

Synopsis

In A PIECE OF MONOLOGUE written in English in 1979, a speaker tells a fragment of a story about birth and death, in which the narrative details almost match those visible to us as the theatre set. The play dramatises a successive loss of company: firstly in an account of the destruction of photographs and secondly in the memories of a funeral in the rain.

Duration

18 mins

Title

Play

Synopsis

PLAY was written in English in December 1963. Three urns stand on the stage. From each, a head protrudes - a man and two women. The play tells the story of a love triangle, and each character narrates a bitter history and their role in it. On the stage, each head is provoked into speech by an spotlight. In the film, the camera takes the role of the spotlight.

Duration

15 mins

Title

Catastrophe

Synopsis

Written in French in 1982, CATASTROPHE features a theatre director and his assistant arranging a protagonist, who stands on a black block submitting to their direction. ‘D’, the director, wears a fur coat and matching toque (a kind of hat) and smokes a fat cigar. He has only a short amount of time to devote to the rehearsal, as he must go to a caucus meeting. ‘A’, the assistant, behaves with humility and alacrity, though she carefully wipes D’s armchair before she can relax in it. She has frequent recourse to her pad and pencil. Luke, the offstage lighting man, remains invisible throughout. ‘D’ gets a ‘storm of applause’ for his creation but the brief existence of the protagonist ('P’) ends as a skull: '... raises his head, fixes the audience. The applause falters, dies.'

Duration

6 mins

Production Company

Name

Blue Angel Films

Name

Tyrone Productions

Phone

020 7292 0520

Fax

020 7292 0525

Address

c/o World Cinema Ltd
27-28 Poland Street
London
W1F 8QW

Sponsor

Name

Channel Four Television

Phone

071-396 4444

Address

LONDON
SW1P 2TX

Name

Irish Film Board

Name

RTE

Distributor

Name

4 Learning

Notes

Channel 4 Learning has now closed. This used to be the educational broadcasting arm of Channel 4. The online shop sold educational DVDs and CD-ROMs for use in primary and secondary schools.

Online Retailer

Name

Beckettonfilm.com

Web

http://www.beckettonfilm.com External site opens in new window