All That Fall

HOME

TheInfoList

Click Here for Items Related To - All That Fall

OR:

All That Fall on: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Amazon]

''All That Fall'' is a one-act radio play by

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

produced following a request from the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

...

. It was written in English and completed in September 1956. The autograph copy is titled ''Lovely Day for the Races''. It was published in French, in a translation by

Robert Pinget Robert Pinget (Geneva, July 19, 1919 – August 25, 1997, Tours) was an avant-garde French writer, born in Switzerland, who wrote several novels and other prose pieces that drew comparison to Beckett and other major Modernist writers. He was al ...

revised by Beckett himself, as ''Tous ceux qui tombent''. When the germ of ''All that Fall'' came to him, Beckett wrote to a friend,

Nancy Cunard Nancy Clara Cunard (10 March 1896 – 17 March 1965) was a British writer, heiress and political activist. She was born into the British upper class, and devoted much of her life to fighting racism and fascism. She became a muse to some of the ...

: : "Never thought about radio play technique but in the dead of t’other night got a nice gruesome idea full of cartwheels and dragging of feet and puffing and panting which may or may not lead to something." Although the play was written quickly and with few redrafts, the subject matter was deeply personal causing him to sink into what he called "a whirl of depression" when he wrote to his US publisher

Barney Rosset Barnet Lee "Barney" Rosset, Jr. (May 28, 1922 – February 21, 2012) was a pioneering American book and magazine publisher. An avant-garde taste maker, he founded Grove Press in 1951 and ''Evergreen Review'' in 1957, both of which gave him platf ...

in August. In fact in September "he cancelled all his appointments in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

for a week simply because he felt wholly incapable of facing people" and worked on the script until its completion. It was first broadcast on the

BBC Third Programme The BBC Third Programme was a national radio station produced and broadcast from 1946 until 1967, when it was replaced by Radio 3. It first went on the air on 29 September 1946 and quickly became one of the leading cultural and intellectual f ...

, 13 January 1957 featuring Mary O'Farrell as Maddy Rooney with

J. G. Devlin James Gerard Devlin (8 October 1907 – 17 October 1991) was a Northern Irish actor who made his stage debut in 1931, and had long association with the Ulster Group Theatre. In a career spanning nearly sixty years, he played parts in TV pro ...

as her husband, Dan. Soon-to-be Beckett regulars, Patrick Magee and

Jack MacGowran John Joseph MacGowran (13 October 1918 – 30 January 1973) was an Irish actor, probably best known for his work with Samuel Beckett. Stage career MacGowran was born on 13 October 1918 in Dublin, and educated at Synge Street CBS. He establis ...

also had small parts. The producer was

Donald McWhinnie Donald McWhinnie (16 October 1920 – 8 October 1987) was a BBC executive and later a radio, television, and stage director. Educated at Rotherham Grammar School, McWhinnie worked for the BBC in administrative roles in the 1940s and 1950s and wa ...

Synopsis

The trip there

This is the first work by Beckett where a woman is the central character. In this case it is a gritty, "overwhelmingl
capacious
, outspoken,

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

br>septuagenarian
Maddy Rooney, plagued by "

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...

and

childlessness Childlessness is the state of not having children. Childlessness may have personal, social or political significance. Childlessness, which may be by choice or circumstance, is distinguished from voluntary childlessness, which is voluntarily havin ...

". "Beckett emphasised to

Billie Whitelaw Billie Honor Whitelaw (6 June 1932 – 21 December 2014) was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was al ...

that Maddy had an

accent: : 'I said, "Like yours," and he said, "No, no, no, an Irish accent." I realised he didn't know he had an Irish accent, and that was the music he heard in his head.'" The opening scene finds Maddy trudging down a country road towards the station, renamed "Boghill" in the play. It's her husband's birthday. She's already given him a tie but decides to surprise him by meeting him off the 12:30 train. It is a fine June morning, a Saturday since her husband is leaving his office at noon rather than five. In the distance the sounds of

rural In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

animals are heard. She moves with difficulty. She hears

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

coming from an old house, Schubert's " Death and the Maiden". She stops, listens to the recording and even murmurs along with it before proceeding. Her first of three encounters with men is with the dung carrier, Christy, who tries to sell her a "small load of … stydung". She tells him she will consult her husband. The man's cart is being pulled by a " cleg-tormented"

hinny A hinny is a domestic equine hybrid, the offspring of a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (a jenny). It is the reciprocal cross to the more common mule, which is the product of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The hi ...

who shows some reluctance to move on and needs to be whipped. As she heads off Maddy's thoughts return to "Minnie! Little Minnie!"Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 13 The smell of

laburnum ''Laburnum'', sometimes called golden chain or golden rain, is a genus of two species of small trees in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are '' Laburnum anagyroides''—common laburnum and '' Laburnum alpinum''— ...

distracts her. Suddenly old Mr Tyler is upon her ringing his cycle bell. Whilst relating how his daughter's operation has rendered her unable to bear children, they are almost knocked down by Connolly's van, which covers them "white with dust from head to foot". Maddy again bemoans the loss of Minnie but refuses to be comforted by Tyler who rides off despite realising that his rear tyre is flat. Lastly an "old admirer", Mr Slocum, a racecourse clerk, pulls up in his "limousine" to offer her a ride. She is too fat and awkward to climb in alone so Slocum pushes her in from behind and in doing so her frock gets caught in the door. He tries to start the car but it has died. After applying the choke he does manage to get going and, no sooner having done so, runs over and kills a hen, which Maddy feels the need to

eulogise A eulogy (from , ''eulogia'', Ancient Greek language, Classical Greek, ''eu'' for "well" or "true", ''logia'' for "words" or "text", together for "praise") is a Speech (public address), speech or writing in praise of a person or persons, espe ...

. At each stage of the journey the technology she encounters advances, but despite this each means of locomotion is beset by problems, foreshadowing the problem with the train: she finds walking difficult and is forced to sit down, Christy needs to whip his hinny to make her go, Tyler's tire goes flat, and Slocum's engine dies. All the relatives mentioned in this section are female and all the modes of transport are also referred to as females.

The station

At the station Slocum calls on the

porter Porter may refer to: Companies * Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto * Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets * Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer * H.K. Porter, Inc., ...

, Tommy, for assistance to extricate his passenger, after which he drives away, "crucifying his gearbox." Beckett told Billie Whitelaw that Maddy "is in a state of abortive explosiveness". This becomes apparent when she considers herself ignored. To the boy Tommy she says abrasively: "Don’t mind me. Don’t take any notice of me. I do not exist. The fact is well known." As Ruby Cohn quips, "she endures volubly." The stationmaster, Mr Barrell, asks after Mrs Rooney's health. She confesses that she should really still be in bed. We hear of the demise of Mr Barrell's father, who died shortly after retiring, a tale that reminds Maddy again of her own woes. She notes that the weather has taken a change for the worse; the wind is picking up and rain is due. Miss Fitt approaches so immersed in humming a

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

she doesn't see Maddy at first. Miss Fitt, as her name indicates, is a self-righteous misfit. After some discussion she condescends to help the old woman up the stairs to the

platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...

, primarily because "it is the

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

thing to do."Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 23 Unusually the train is late. The noise of the station becomes louder but the eventual is an anticlimax; it is the oft-mentioned up mail. Dan's train comes in moments afterwards. Maddy panics. She can't find her husband because he has been led to the

gents Gents may refer to: * washroom A bathroom or washroom is a room, typically in a home or other residential building, that contains either a bathtub or a shower (or both). The inclusion of a wash basin is common. In some parts of the world e ...

by Jerry, the boy who normally helps him to the taxi. Tightfisted Dan chides her for not cancelling Jerry but still pays his

penny A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is t ...

fee. He refuses however to discuss the reason for the train's lateness. Not without some difficulty – her husband is also not a well man – they descend the stairs and begin the trek home. On her journey to the station Maddy only had to compete with one person at a time, each an old man. Now she is faced with a crowd. Rather than the flat open countryside she has to contend with a mountainous climb; she refers to the stairs as a "

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

", her husband calls them a "precipice" and Miss Fitt compares them to the "

Matterhorn The (, ; it, Cervino, ; french: Cervin, ; rm, Matterhorn) is a mountain of the Alps, straddling the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the ...

", a mountain that for years inspired fear in climbers. Also, the means of transport that are mentioned here, the

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...

, the

Lusitania Lusitania (; ) was an ancient Iberian Roman province located where modern Portugal (south of the Douro river) and a portion of western Spain (the present Extremadura and the province of Salamanca) lie. It was named after the Lusitani or Lusita ...

and the train due are modes of mass transport and the level of danger shifts from the inconvenient to the potentially lethal. All the relatives mentioned in this section are now male.

The walk home

The weather is worsening. The thought of getting home spurs them on. Dan imagines sitting by the fire in his dressing gown with his wife reading aloud from ''

Effi Briest ''Effi Briest'' is a realist novel by Theodor Fontane. Published in book form in 1895, ''Effi Briest'' marks both a watershed and a climax in the poetic realism of literature. It can be thematically compared to other novels on 19th century mar ...

''. The Lynch twins jeer at them from a distance. Dan shakes his stick and chases them off. Previously they have pelted the old couple with mud. "Did you ever wish to kill a child?"Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 31 Dan asks her then admits to having to resist the impulse within himself. This makes his comment shortly after about being alone in his compartment – "I made no attempt to restrain myself."Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 32 – all the more suspicious. This also focuses attention on his remarks about the pros and cons of retirement: one of the negatives he brings up has to do with enduring their neighbour's children. Dan is a
laconic
as Maddy i
loquacious
His refusal to explain why the train was delayed forces her to pester him with questions which he does his best to avoid answering. He prevaricates and digresses, anything to throw her off track. Eventually he maintains that he honestly has no clue what the cause was. Being blind and on his own he had simply assumed the train had stopped at a station. Something Dan says reminds Maddy of a visit she once made to hear "a lecture by one of these new mind doctors. What she heard there was the story of a patient the doctor had failed to cure, a young girl who was dying, and "did in fact die, shortly after he had washed his hands of her." The reason the doctor gave for the girl's death, as if the revelation had just come to him there and then, was: "The trouble with her was that she had never really been born!" As they near the house Maddy passed earlier, Schubert's music is still playing. Dan starts to cry. To stop her asking questions he asks about the text of Sunday's

sermon A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. El ...

. "The Lord upholdeth all that fall and raiseth up all those that be bowed down," she tells him, and then they both burst out laughing. Mr Slocum and Miss Fitt had both passed comment on Maddy's bent posture. Perhaps, this is partly why they laugh: it is the best reaction to a life of unending misery in a world devoid of any God. In ''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...

'', Winnie asks "How can one better magnify the Almighty than by sniggering with him at his little jokes, particularly the poorer ones". It is worthy of mention too that "it is Mr Tyler, rather than the Lord, who saved the preacher’s life when they were climbing together". It would be fair to assume that Maddy doesn’t really believe in a god any more. When she says, "We are alone. There is no one to ask." She is certainly not talking about there being no one to ask about her husband's age. Jerry catches them up to return something Mr Rooney has dropped. Learning that it is some kind of ball he demands the boy hand it to him. When pressed by his wife all he will say is that: "It is a thing I carry about with me,"Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 38 and becomes angry when pressed on the subject. They have no small change so promise to give Jerry a penny on Monday to compensate him for his trouble. Just as the boy starts back Maddy calls him to see if he has learned what delayed the train. He has. Dan doesn't want to know – "Leave the boy alone, he knows nothing! Come on!"Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 39 – but his wife insists. Jerry tells her that it was a child at which point her husband groans. When pushed for details the boy goes on: "It was a little child fell out of the carriage, Ma’am … Onto the line, Ma’am … Under the wheels, Ma’am." We assume the child is a girl – all the

foreshadowing Foreshadowing is a narrative device in which a storyteller gives an advance hint of what is to come later in the story. Foreshadowing often appears at the beginning of a story, and it helps develop or subvert the audience's expectations about upco ...

in the play has been pointing to that – but, crucially, Beckett never actually says. (See his comment to

Kay Boyle Kay Boyle (February 19, 1902 – December 27, 1992) was an American novelist, short story writer, educator, and political activist. She was a Guggenheim Fellow and O. Henry Award winner. Early years The granddaughter of a publisher, Boyle was ...

below however). With that Jerry exits. We hear his steps die away and the couple head off in silence. Maddy must realise the death happened while she was making her way to the station but she is – for once – speechless. All we are left with is the wind and the rain and to wonder what, if anything, Mr Rooney actually had to do with the death of the child. The third section of the play returns Maddy to the relative calm of the walk home. They encounter a further three people only this time they are all children. The laburnum also serves as an important

benchmark Benchmark may refer to: Business and economics * Benchmarking, evaluating performance within organizations * Benchmark price * Benchmark (crude oil), oil-specific practices Science and technology * Benchmark (surveying), a point of known elevati ...

. In the opening scene Maddy admires it, now its condition has deteriorated. The weather has also continued to worsen until, at the end, they are in the middle of a "'' mpest of wind and rain''". The actor David Warrilow relates: "When I saw Beckett in January, one of the first things he said was: 'What do you think of ''All That Fall''?’... ater I asked him the same question.And he looked down and said, 'Well, a number of weaknesses'. asked:'Do you mean the production?’ He said, 'No, no, no. The writing.'... 'What I really was waiting for was the rain at the end.'" In 1961 Kay Boyle asked Beckett if, at the end of ''Happy Days'', Willie is reaching for the gun, or for his wife. Beckett replied: : "The question as to which Willie is 'after' – Winnie or the

revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

– is like the question in ''All That Fall'' as to whether Mr Rooney threw the little girl out of the railway-carriage or not. And the answer is the same in both cases – we don’t know, at least I don’t … I know creatures are supposed to have no secrets for their authors, but I’m afraid mine for me have little else."

Biographical details

When writing in French, Beckett stripped his text of biographical detail in an attempt to universalise his characters. With his return to English he also returns to the

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

Foxrock Foxrock () is an affluent suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is within the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, in the postal district of Dublin 18 and in the Roman Catholic parish of Foxrock. History The suburb of Foxrock was developed by William a ...

for his first radio play. Apart from many uses of common Irish words and phrases, Beckett pulls names, characters and locations from his childhood to deliver a realistic setting for the drama, which is still presented in a manner almost everyone can relate to. # Beckett’s mother shopped at Connolly’s Stores and her purchases delivered by van as was customary at the time. # Maddy’s journey is from "Brighton Road to Foxrock station" and back again. # James Knowlson claims that Maddy was actually inspired by Beckett's

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

teacher Ida "Jack" Elsner.Knowlson, J., ‘'Damned to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Bloomsbury, 1996), p 429 In her later years, when she had trouble riding her bicycle, she was known to fall off and be found "sprawling by the roadside until such a time as a passer-by ight comealong to help her up" in a state similar to Maddy after leaving Christy. # "The Becketts employed a

gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner suppleme ...

called Christy."Knowlson, J., ‘'Damned to Fame: The Life of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Bloomsbury, 1996), p 428 # Beckett bought apples from a market-gardener named Watt Tyler on his walk home from school. The Tylers and Becketts also shared a

pew A pew () is a long bench (furniture), bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating Member (local church), members of a Church (congregation), congregation or choir in a Church (building), church, synagogue or sometimes a courtroom. Overview ...

at Tullow Church, the church referred to in the text. # Slocum was the surname of his cousin John Beckett's future wife, Vera. # Mr Tully was a local

dairy A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on ...

man. # Dunne, Maddy's

maiden name When a person (traditionally the wife in many cultures) assumes the family name of their spouse, in some countries that name replaces the person's previous surname, which in the case of the wife is called the maiden name ("birth name" is also used ...

, was the local butcher on Bray Road. # Miss Fitt's name, aside from being a wonderful pun, may have been inspired by a classmate of Beckett's at Portora School named E.G. Fitt or a

Rathgar Rathgar (), is a suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It was originally a village which from 1862 was part of the township of Rathmines and Rathgar; it was absorbed by the growing city and became a suburb in 1930. It lies about three kilometres south of ...

lady resident. # The

racecourse A race track (racetrack, racing track or racing circuit) is a facility built for racing of vehicles, athletes, or animals (e.g. horse racing or greyhound racing). A race track also may feature grandstands or concourses. Race tracks are also use ...

is Leopardstown Racecourse. # Mr Barrell's name is a nod to Thomas Farrell, "th
persnickety
railroad stationmaster in the Foxrock of his youth" who often took first prize for the "best-kept"Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 26 station on the line. # When Maddy mentions that the preacher for Sunday is to be Hardy, Dan wonders if this is the author of "''How to be Happy though Married?''" "There was in Foxrock, in Kerrymount Avenue, a Rev E. Hardy, not to be confused with Edward John Hardy, the author" of the aforementioned book. Of course, " e events in Beckett's life leave their traces in the shape of his work, without necessarily leaving an inventory in its content."

Interpretation

"''All That Fall'' manages to develop a highly dynamic

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

in radio drama through a multi-layered script, which can be read as

tragicomedy Tragicomedy is a literary genre that blends aspects of both tragedy, tragic and comedy, comic forms. Most often seen in drama, dramatic literature, the term can describe either a tragic play which contains enough comic elements to lighten the ov ...

, a

murder mystery Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

, a cryptic literary

riddle A riddle is a statement, question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: ''enigmas'', which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that requir ...

or a quasi-musical score." It's said that, death is no joking matter. The thing is, with Beckett it is and this play is crammed full of references to it. The play's setting is realistic enough and the characters too, if a little

grotesque Since at least the 18th century (in French and German as well as English), grotesque has come to be used as a general adjective for the strange, mysterious, magnificent, fantastic, hideous, ugly, incongruous, unpleasant, or disgusting, and thus ...

, but hardly anyone's life has not rubbed shoulders with Death, from the unfortunate hen mowed down by Slocum's car to the poor child thrown from the train. It is the dominant theme but far from the only one.

Death

# Schubert's ''Death and the Maiden'' is heard at the start and near the end of the drama, setting the theme from the outset. # All parts of the

are poisonous; "children should be warned never to touch the black seeds contained within the pods as they contain an

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

." # Maddy's daughter, Minnie, appears to have died as a child.

Vivian Mercier Vivian Mercier (1919–1989) was an Irish people, Irish literary critic. He was born at Clara, County Offaly, Clara in County Offaly and educated, first, at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, and then, at Trinity College Du ...

goes so far as to suppose that the child may only ever have existed in Maddy's imagination a view supported by Rosemary Pountney. # Maddy tells Tyler: "It is suicide to be abroad."Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 15 The pun is often commented on (i.e. a broad). The alternative would be to remain fœtus-like in the

womb The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...

of the home. "The

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...

in ''All That Fall'' is distinctly hostile to the females – human or animal – who try to walk through it. Maddy’s comment 'It is suicide to be a broad' suggests that her death will be her own fault, namely the fault of being born a woman." # When she arrives at the station Maddy describes herself in such a way as to conjure up the image of a corpse being

shroud Shroud usually refers to an item, such as a cloth, that covers or protects some other object. The term is most often used in reference to ''burial sheets'', mound shroud, grave clothes, winding-cloths or winding-sheets, such as the famous Shr ...

ed for burial. # She recalls the lecture where the doctor spoke about a young girl who died. # Slocum’s car dies and is started again only with difficulty. # No sooner having done so it runs over a chicken crossing the road, killing it. # Barrell’s father died a short time after his son took over as stationmaster. # When the train arrives – but before she meets her husband Maddy – remarks that Mr Barrell looks as if he has seen a

ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

. # Her husband comments that she is "struggling with a dead language".Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 34 # Jerry returns "a kind of ball" to Mr Rooney. Although not an obvious symbol of death, this ball is a significant motif of childhood grief for Beckett. # Miss Fitt believes she not really of this world and left to herself "would soon be flown … home." "I suppose the truth is, "she tells Mrs Rooney, "I am not there … just not really there at all." (See ''

Footfalls ''Footfalls'' is a play by Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work ...

''). # As she assists Maddy up the stairs she begins to hum the hymn,
Lead, Kindly Light
', which is one of the tunes reportedly played as the ''Titanic'' was sinking. # The sinking of the

is mentioned; 1,198 people died with her, including almost a hundred children. # Tyler thinks that Miss Fitt has lost her mother (as in death) but it turns out that she simply cannot find her because the train is late; thus, since the mother is bringing fresh sole (

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

), there is still hope that the mother is not lost. # A female voice warns young Dolly not to stand close because "one can be sucked under."Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 25 # On their way home Dan asks his wife if she's ever contemplated killing a child. # He refers to his time at work as being "buried alive … not even certified death can ever take the place of that". Dan's workplace is at the

terminus Terminus may refer to: * Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination * Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination Geography *Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...

, the end of the line (pun intended), and, with its "'rest-couch and velvet hangings', the office seems womblike, but a "wombtomb", a womb after life rather than before." # Dan thinks he can smell a dead dog in a ditch but is told its only rotting leaves despite the fact that it's only Summer. # He also alludes to Matthew 10:29 about the death of sparrows. # The play ends, of course, with the revelation that the train was late due to the death of a young child under its wheels. # At one point Maddy – who thinks she is still talking to the stationmaster – says: "Then at evening the clouds will part, the setting sun will shine an instant, then sink, behind the hills." This phrase evokes the famous description of the birth astride a grave from '' Waiting for Godot'' reminding us that the best of life only lasts an instant before darkness consumes it once more. Beckett emphasises this in ''All That Fall'' by making all the characters either young or old, focusing on the beginnings and end of life; the rest is of little consequence. # Another Beckettian

leitmotif A leitmotif or leitmotiv () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is an anglici ...

is underlined by a seemingly innocuous remark made by Maddy when other characters take control of the conversation for a moment: "Do not imagine, because I am silent, that I am not present." In radio a character only 'exists' for as long as we can hear him or her. This reminds us of the many Beckett characters that feel compelled to keep talking to prove they exist.

Sickness

# Maddy is

obese Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's we ...

, suffers from rheumatism, "heart and kidney trouble" and has been bed-ridden for some time. On the return journey she twice mentions feeling cold, weak, and faint. # When Maddy asks about his "poor" wife Christy replies that she is "no better." Nor is his daughter. # Tyler's only optimistic comments are made about the weather. He says, "Ah in spite of all it is a blessed thing to be alive in such weather, and out of hospital." This could be taken to mean he has just come out of hospital – he refers to himself being "half alive" – though it could equally refer to his daughter's recent surgery. # Slocum's mother is "fairly comfortable" and he's managing to keep her out of pain. # Dan is blind, suffers from an old wound and has a heart condition. # Mrs Tully's "husband is in constant pain and beats her unmercifully."

Sex

# Tyler and Maddy flirt. Tyler, who had pumped his tire firm before departing, now finds his rear tire flat. He cycles off riding on the rim. As he leaves, Maddy complains about her

corset A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effe ...

and shouts after him an indecent invitation to unlace her behind a hedge. # Mr Slocum (slow come) squeezes Maddy into his car: "I’m coming, Mrs Rooney, I’m coming, give me time, I’m as stiff as yourself." She makes sexual

innuendo An innuendo is a hint, insinuation or intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion ...

s that she is in a compromising position. She giggles and shouts in delight when she finally gets in the car and Slocum is left panting in exhaustion. The sexual connotation is continued when her dress is ripped in the door. As if actually guilty of

adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...

, Maddy wonders what her husband will say when he discovers the tear in her dress. # Tyler points out that the 12:30 train has not yet arrived and that one can tell by the signal at the "bawdy hour of nine." This is another reference to sex in the play and a humorous one as the stationmaster stifles a guffaw. # Maddy tries to get Dan to kiss her at the station but he refuses. Later she asks him to put his arm around her. She says that it will be like old times. He rebuffs her again; he wants to get home quickly so that she can read to him. He says of the book, "I think Effie is going to commit adultery with the Major."Beckett, S., ‘'Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'’ (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 29 This indicates Dan is more interested in the romance of novels than with his wife.

Birth

If Maddy's entry into the car has sexual connotations, her exit certainly reminds one of

childbirth Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million births globall ...

: "Crouch down, Mrs Rooney, crouch down, and get your head in the open … Press her down, sir … Now! She’s coming!" This is not the only 'birth' in the play. When describing his journey home, particularly the portion during the delay, Dan says it was like "being confined" an expression used to describe the concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of labour to the birth. "If an underlying birth-scenario seems far-fetched, we might consider Maddy’s cries at the climax of the station scene: 'The up mail! The up mail! (a pun evident earlier in the play) – together with Tommy’s cry: 'She’s coming!’ – and, on the arrival of the down train, the direction (thoroughly in the spirit of the one in ''Happy Days'', which describes Willie as ‘''dressed to kill''’), 'clashing of couplings'. When Dan finally emerges from 'the men’s' Maddy tells him that it is his birthday." Immediately after this Maddy begins her recollection of the girl who was not properly born. "If anhas a role, it is perhaps that of the

gravedigger A gravedigger is a cemetery worker who is responsible for digging a grave prior to a funeral service. Description If the grave is in a cemetery on the property of a church or other religious organization (part of, or called, a churchyard), g ...

obstetrician Obstetrics is the field of study concentrated on pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. As a medical specialty, obstetrics is combined with gynecology under the discipline known as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN), which is a surgi ...

of the ''Godot'' image '

utting Utting am Ammersee (until 1953 just Utting) is a municipality in the district of Landsberg in Bavaria in Germany. History During World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world ...

on the

forceps Forceps (plural forceps or considered a plural noun without a singular, often a pair of forceps; the Latin plural ''forcipes'' is no longer recorded in most dictionaries) are a handheld, hinged instrument used for grasping and holding objects. Fo ...

’ … Between Death and the Maiden he seems to be the mediator." Dan gives birth to death.

Children

In this play the old keep on living – Dan, for example, has no idea what age he is and, if he turned out to be a hundred it wouldn't surprise him – but the young die. If a divine being is behind this then his logic is in question. According to Richard Coe's interpretation of ''All That Fall'', God kills "… without a reason."

Girls

# Christy's hinny is

sterile Sterile or sterility may refer to: *Asepsis, a state of being free from biological contaminants * Sterile (archaeology), a sediment deposit which contains no evidence of human activity *Sterilization (microbiology), any process that eliminates or ...

. # Maddy has no children and has passed the age when she could conceive. # When Maddy thinks about where Minnie would be now she pictures her approaching the

menopause Menopause, also known as the climacteric, is the time in women's lives when menstrual periods stop permanently, and they are no longer able to bear children. Menopause usually occurs between the age of 47 and 54. Medical professionals often d ...

. # Tyler's daughter has needed a

hysterectomy Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. It may also involve removal of the cervix, ovaries (oophorectomy), Fallopian tubes (salpingectomy), and other surrounding structures. Usually performed by a gynecologist, a hysterectomy may b ...

so his line will die with her. # Dolly does not die but she is in mortal danger. # Miss Fitt fears the loss of her mother.

Boys

# Tommy is an

orphan An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...

# Jerry's father has recently been taken away leaving him alone. # The gender of the Lynch twins is not specified but their actions, as well as their placement in the text, points to the likelihood that they are males probably based on the twins, Art and Con, that appear in ''

Watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wa ...

''. "The hostility of these children …reinforces the basic image of childlessness both in its presentation of children as alien to the Rooneys and in the way it provokes" Dan's question about thinking about killing a child.

Dante

Beckett retained lifelong affection for

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

evident by the fact that his student copy of
The Divine Comedy
' would be beside his deathbed in December 1989. References are found throughout all his work but it shouldn’t necessarily be assumed that what he is describing here is an aspect of

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location in the afterlife in which evil souls are subjected to punitive suffering, most often through torture, as eternal punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hell ...

. # Tyler's remark, "I was merely cursing, under my breath, God and man, under my breath, and the wet Saturday afternoon of my conception." is reminiscent of the line from Canto III of the ''

Inferno Inferno may refer to: * Hell, an afterlife place of suffering * Conflagration, a large uncontrolled fire Film * ''L'Inferno'', a 1911 Italian film * Inferno (1953 film), ''Inferno'' (1953 film), a film noir by Roy Ward Baker * Inferno (1973 fi ...

'' when Dante describes the cries of the condemned souls with which

Charon In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (; grc, Χάρων) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of Hades, the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the wo ...

loads his ferry to cross the

Acheron The Acheron (; grc, Ἀχέρων ''Acheron'' or Ἀχερούσιος ''Acherousios''; ell, Αχέροντας ''Acherontas'') is a river located in the Epirus region of northwest Greece. It is long, and its drainage area is . Its source is ...

. Dante writes, "They cursed God, their parents, the human race, the place, the time, the seed of their begetting and of their birth." # The steep steps to the station recall Mount Purgatory in Dante's ''

Purgatory Purgatory (, borrowed into English via Anglo-Norman and Old French) is, according to the belief of some Christian denominations (mostly Catholic), an intermediate state after physical death for expiatory purification. The process of purgatory ...

''. # Rooney suggests to his wife that they continue their journey walking backwards. He says, "Yes. Or you forwards and I backwards. The perfect pair. Like Dante’s damned, with their faces arsy-versy. Our tears will water our bottoms." Dan is referring to Inferno Canto 20, where the bodies of those who used magic to tell the future are twisted around and face backwards so that their tears run down their backs (lines 23–24) – "il pianto delli occhi/le natiche bagnava per lo fesso".

Music

The music at the beginning of the play not only provides its theme, it also provides its shape. * "The

exposition Exposition (also the French for exhibition) may refer to: *Universal exposition or World's Fair *Expository writing **Exposition (narrative) *Exposition (music) *Trade fair * ''Exposition'' (album), the debut album by the band Wax on Radio *Exposi ...

, Maddy’s slow outward journey, is the 'feminine' (i.e., dominance of a female voice and female themes)." * "The

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development hell, when a project is stuck in development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting *Development (music), the process thematic material is reshaped * Photograph ...

, the wait at the railway station, becomes more 'masculine' (Maddy's voice risks being crowded out by male characters who talk among themselves and are often oblivious to Maddy's presence). It is

scherzo A scherzo (, , ; plural scherzos or scherzi), in western classical music, is a short composition – sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or a sonata. The precise definition has varied over the years, but scherzo often ref ...

-like in pace, due to the hustle and bustle on the platform." * "The final movement or recapitulation is the couple’s return journey, which slows again and sees the submission of the feminine voice to the more brutish male tones of Dan Rooney." *"This suggested structure of the plot owes more to basic

sonata form Sonata form (also ''sonata-allegro form'' or ''first movement form'') is a musical form, musical structure generally consisting of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle ...

than to

theme and variation In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these. Variation techniques Mozart's Twelve V ...

. This is the form of the first movement of the ''Quartet in D minor''." Rosemary Pountey goes so far as to tabulate the themes for both journeys showing the circular structure, even though "the play ends in a linear fashion": A remark made by Professor Harry White about Beckett's later dramatic work gives an idea of the demands made upon the listener in this and his subsequent radio work: : "Like listening to difficult music for the first time." By comparing Beckett's work to that of serial composers such as Schoenberg and

Webern Anton Friedrich Wilhelm von Webern (3 December 188315 September 1945), better known as Anton Webern (), was an Austrian composer and conductor whose music was among the most radical of its milieu in its sheer concision, even aphorism, and stead ...

, White highlights the difficulties for listeners who are obliged to actively engage with challenging new form and content. Any meaning or deep structure will only become clear with repeated listening.

Sound effects

Since the journey of the main character is presented psychologically, Beckett asked for natural sounds to be adapted in unnatural ways. "New methods,"

Martin Esslin , birth_date = , birth_place = Budapest, Austria-Hungary , death_date = , death_place = London, England, UK , education = University of ViennaMax Reinhardt Seminar, ...

writes, "had to be found to extract the various sounds needed (both animal and mechanical – footsteps, cars, bicycle wheels, the train, the cart) from the simple naturalism of the hundreds of records in the BBC’s effects library. Desmond Briscoe ound technician(and his gramophone operator, Norman Baines) had to invent ways and means to remove these sounds from the purely realistic sphere. They did so by treating them electronically: slowing down, speeding up, adding echo, fragmenting them by cutting them into segments, and putting them together in new way." Actors produced the sounds of all the animals but "Beckett was actually unimpressed by the use of human voices for the rural sounds when he listened into the … broadcast." "These experiments, and the discoveries made as they evolved, led directly to the establishment of the

BBC Radiophonic Workshop The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was one of the sound effects units of the BBC, created in 1958 to produce incidental sounds and new music for radio and, later, television. The unit is known for its experimental and pioneering work in electroni ...

. Beckett and ''All That Fall'' thus directly contributed to one of the most important technical advances in the art of radio (and the technique, and indeed technology, of radio in Britain)."

Reception

''All That Fall'' premiered to acclaim from critics. Jane Shilling praised it in 2016 as a work of "captivating, complex humanity". Michael Billington considers it Beckett’s best play.

Staged productions

Beckett conceived ''All That Fall'' as a radio play. To Beckett's mind it was unthinkable to transfer it to another medium and yet it was done, and in his lifetime. Beckett admonished Barney Rosset, on 27 August 1957, saying of ''All That Fall'': "It is no more theatre than ''

Endgame Endgame, Endgames, End Game, End Games, or similar variations may refer to: Film * ''The End of the Game'' (1919 film) * ''The End of the Game'' (1975 film), short documentary U.S. film * ''Endgame'' (1983 film), 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic f ...

'' is radio and to 'act' it is to kill it. Even the reduced visual dimension it will receive from the simplest and most static of readings ... will be destructive of whatever quality it may have and which depends on the whole thing's ''coming out of the dark''." And yet despite this fact "Beckett authorised a French TV version adapted by Robert Pinget, shown on

RTF RTF may refer to: Organisations * African Union Regional Task Force, the military operation of the RCI-LRA, 2011–2018. * Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française, a broadcaster in France, 1949–1964 * Russian Tennis Federation, the national gover ...

on 25 January 1963. A German stage production was given at the Schiller-Theatre,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

in January 1966; Beckett was not happy with either." "When …

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film director, screenwriter, Film producer, producer and playwright. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, his films are known ...

asked if he could stage both radio plays, ''All That Fall'' and ''

Embers ''Embers'' is a radio play by Samuel Beckett. It was written in English in 1957. First broadcast on the BBC Third Programme on 24 June 1959, the play won the RAI prize at the Prix Italia awards later that year. Donald McWhinnie directed Jack ...

'', the answer was a firm 'No'". The same went, in 1969, when Sir

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

and his wife visited him to persuade him to allow them to produce a version at the National Theatre. "They had refused to accept his written refusals and made the trip … anyway. There he greeted them with politeness and offered limited hospitality, but remained steadfast in his decision". In 2006 a successful production was mounted in New York City at the Cherry Lane Theatre. One critic noted at the time: " nce his death eckett’sEstate has assiduously followed his wishes. Permission is granted only for faithful radio productions or for staged readings in which producers agree to limit the action to actors speaking the lines and walking to and from chairs. The director John Sowle, in his arlier, 1997staging of ''All That Fall'' … cleverly identified a loophole in the rules: since the play requires many elaborate and self-consciously artificial sound-effects, the production of those effects can become a spectacle in its own right. On stage at the Cherry Lane are a

wind machine The wind machine (also called an aeoliphone or aelophon) is a friction idiophone used to produce the sound of wind for orchestral compositions and musical theater productions. Construction The wind machine is constructed of a large cyli ...

, gravel-trays, bells, coconuts, a stationary bike and much more. Furthermore, the actors, who read in front of old-fashioned mikes, dressed in 1950s clothes, never acknowledge the audience, even at the curtain call. The conceit is that they're performing a live sound-stage broadcast of the play on which we're eavesdropping." The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) was granted permission to stage 'All That Fall' in the Summer of 2008. It starred Jillian Bradbury and was directed by Bill Gaskill with movement by Toby Sedgwick of War Horse fame. Gaskill wanted to mount the production professionally in London the following year but was refused permission by the Beckett Estate. Cesear's Forum, Cleveland's small minimalist theatre at Kennedy's Down Under, PlayhouseSquare, OH, presented the play in September 2010. The Plain Dealer theatre critic, Tony Brown, wrote: "Onto the tiny Kennedy's stage, done up to be a multitiered studio, Cesear crowds nine actors, a violinist and a vocalist, a feast of fine local talent playing both the radio actors and the characters they play in the radio play." Pan Pan, an Irish theatre company, offered the play in August 2011 in the Project Arts Centre, Dublin. A recording of the play was broadcast into the empty theatre space where the audience sat on rocking chairs overlooked by a lighting array on one wall and lowly lit lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. This production was intended to provide a shared theatrical experience while preserving the wishes of the author. Trevor Nunn's 2013 "landmark" stage production retained the concept of a radio studio, but introduced such

props A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

as the cab of Mr Slocum's car, thus permitting the visual comedy of the strikingly thin actor

Eileen Atkins Dame Eileen June Atkins, (born 16 June 1934), is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy A ...

as she played the stout Mrs Rooney being manoeuvred in and out of the passenger seat for a lift to the station. All the actors carried scripts. In 2014 Sandbox Radio staged a production in Seattle in which an audience member viewed a radio production on stage, complete with actors reading scripts and elaborate sound effects. There was a performance as a Radio Play in Vancouver late 2014 or early 2015. In 2016 Max Stafford Clark directed a version with the audience blindfolded for Out Of Joint Theatre Company which played the Enniskillen Beckett Festival, Bristol Old Vic and Wilton's Music Hall, London. In March 2019 Dublin's Mouth on Fire Theatre Company also mounted a production where they asked the audience members to put on a blindfold or to close their eyes. This performance was at Tullow Church, Carrickmines/Foxrock, where Beckett worshipped as a child and where the family had a pew as Beckett's mother attended regularly, and only five minutes' walk from Cooldrinagh, the Beckett family home. The President of Ireland and his wife Sabina Higgins attended the performance and invited the company to remount the production at Áras an Uachtaráin on Culture Night in September 2019, as the President's celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of Beckett receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature and the thirtieth anniversary of his death. It starred Geraldine Plunkett and Donncha Crowley and was directed by Cathal Quinn.

References

External links

*Extract from the original BBC broadcast (''

Windows Media Windows Media is a discontinued multimedia framework for media creation and distribution for Microsoft Windows. It consists of a software development kit (SDK) with several application programming interfaces (API) and a number of prebuilt technolo ...

'') – mms://audio.bl.uk/media/beckett.wma {{Beckett 1962 plays Theatre of the Absurd Plays by Samuel Beckett