1

AllThatFallEducationWorkPack

OutofJoint2016

2

IndexIntroduction 3 Aim 3 SamuelBeckett 3

Beckett’sWork 5 Summaryoftheplay 5Research 6 ABriefHistoryofIreland 6 TheatreoftheAbsurd 7Rehearsals 8 RehearsalTechniques 8 ActioningandAnalysis 8 NoVision:AninterviewwithMaxStafford-Clark 11OurProduction 14ProductionCredits 15 Introduction

3

AimTheresources,researchandinformationinthisstudypackareintendedtoenhanceouraudiences’enjoymentandunderstandingofAllThatFallbySamuelBeckett.TheseresourcesillustratetheprocessthatwasembarkedoninrehearsalsbydirectorMaxStafford-Clark,thecastandtherestofthecreativeteam.Theseresourcesareaimedatanyonewithaninterestintheatrewishingtogainadeeperunderstandingoftheprocessittooktocreatethisnewproduction.Wehopethatyoufindthematerialsinterestingandenjoyable.IfthereisanythingmoreyouwouldliketoknowaboutAllThatFall,thepage-to-stageprocessofanOutofJointproduction,orifyouwouldliketobookaworkshop,pleasecontactIsabelQuinzañoson02076090207oratisabel@outofjoint.co.uk.SamuelBeckettSamuelBeckettwasbornonApril13,1906,inDublin,IrelandintoaProtestantfamilyinapredominantlyCatholicsociety.Hisfather,WilliamFrankBeckett,workedintheconstructionbusinessandhismother,MaiJonesRoe,wasanurse.At14,hewenttoPortoraRoyalSchool,thesameschoolattendedbyOscarWilde.Hesufferedfromdepressioninhisyouth,periodicallykeepinghiminbed.HereceivedhisBachelor’sdegreefromTrinityCollegein1927.In1928,SamuelBeckettmovedtoPariswherehemetandbecameafriendofJamesJoyce.In1931,heembarkedonatripthroughBritain,FranceandGermany(hespokeFrench,Italian,GermanandEnglish).Hewrotepoemsandstoriesanddidoddjobstosupporthimself.In1937,SamuelBeckettwentbacktoParisandsettleddown,butstillfoundgreatdifficultyingettinghisworkpublished.DuringWorldWarII,SamuelBeckett’sIrishcitizenshipallowedhimtoremaininParisasacitizenofaneutralcountry.Hefoughtintheresistancemovementuntil1942whenmembersofhisgroupwerearrestedbytheGestapo.HeandhiswifeSuzannefledtotheunoccupiedzoneuntiltheendofthewar.HereisaninterestingarticlewrittenbyhisbiographerJamesKnowlsonabouthistimeasaspy.AfterthewarBeckettwasawardedtheCroixdeGuerreforbraveryduringhistimeintheFrenchresistance.HesettledinParisandbeganhismostprolificperiodasawriter.Infiveyears,hewroteEleutheria,WaitingforGodot,Endgame,thenovelsMalloy,MaloneDies,TheUnnamable,andMercieretCamier,twobooksofshortstories,andabookofcriticism.In1969hewasawardedtheNobelPrizeforLiterature.

4

Bythelate1980s,SamuelBeckettwasinfailinghealthandhadmovedtoasmallnursinghome.Suzanne,hiswife,diedinJuly1989.HediedonDecember22,1989,inahospitalofrespiratoryproblemsjustmonthsafterhiswife.FormoredetailsaboutBeckett’slifevisitbiography.comwhichweusedasourmainsourceofinformationforthissection.Beckett’sWorkInspiteofBeckett’sdeterminationtowriteaboutthedespairofhumanexistence,hewasessentiallyacomicwriter.Technically,Beckettcarefullyandmeticulouslycraftedallofhisworks,withimpeccableprecision.Everywordandtheformatoftheworkhasbeenconsidered.WaitingforGodot,forinstance,isconstructedsymmetrically;twopartsmirroringeachother.(HereisaninterviewwithPatrickStewartandIanMcKellentalkingabouttheirexperiencedoingtheplay.)HisradioplayAllThatFall(1956)isamodelforthecombineduseofspokenword,musicandsoundeffects.

SamuelBeckettgraffitibyartistAlexMartinez.NottingHill,England.Photoby@slice.of.brainsonInstagram

5

Beckett’slaterworkstendedtowardextremeconcentrationandbrevity.ComeandGo(1967),aplaylet,or“dramaticule,”ashecalledit,containsonly121wordsthatarespokenbythethreecharacters.HisseriesActsWithoutWordsareexactlywhatthetitledenotes,andoneofhislastplays,Rockaby,lastsfor15minutes.HisplayBreath,writtenin1969,“isaminutelongandfeaturesjustthesoundofbreathing.”Hisfocusonbrevityisanexpressionofhisdeterminationtowastenowords.FormoreanalysisofBeckett’swork,werecommendyouvisithere.SummaryofthePlay“Itisatextwrittentocomeoutofthedark”SamuelBeckettofhismysterious,tragicomicfirstradioplay.AllThatFallchartsthefalteringjourneyofelderlyMaddyRooneyassheventuresalongacountryroadtosurpriseherblindhusbandatthetrainstationforhisbirthdaytreat.Alongthewayshemeetsanarrayoflocalcharacters;someofthemfriendly,someofthemnotsomuch.Sheisaneccentricandvociferouswoman,cantankerousandunpredictablewholikestoprovokeothers.Whenshefinallyarrivestothetrainstationsheisdisconcertedtofindherhusband’strainislate.ThiseventpromptsmuchspeculationandworryfromMrs.Rooneyandotherpeopleatthestation.Whenthetrainfinallyarrives,Mr.Rooneyiscoldanddistant.TheirslowanddecrepitjourneybackhomeispunctuatedwithMr.Rooney’staleofwhathappenedtodelaytheservice.Butishetellingthetruth?Firstbroadcastin1957,AllThatFallwasthefirsttimeBeckettcentredhisworkonafemaleprotagonist.Listentotheoriginalradioproductionhere.ResearchABriefHistoryofIrelandHereisabriefsummaryoflandmarkeventsinthehistoryofIrelandleadingto1956,theyearAllThatFallwaswritten.ThisisakeyaspectofMax’srehearsalprocess,whichhelpshimandthecompanydeductthelivesandhabitsofthecharactersintheplay.ForamoreextensivehistoryofIreland,youcanstarthere.EasterRisingOnApril24th(EasterMonday)1916,twogroupsofarmedrebels,theIrishVolunteersandtheIrishCitizenArmyseizedkeylocationsinDublin.OutsidetheGPO(GeneralPostOffice)inDublincitycentre,PadraigPearsereadtheProclamationoftheRepublicwhichdeclaredanIrishRepublicindependentofBritain.Battlesensuedwithcasualtiesonbothsidesandamongthecivilianpopulation.TheEasterRisingfinishedonApril30thwiththesurrenderoftherebels.TheBritishadministrationrespondedbyexecutingseveralleadersoftheRising.

6

WarofIndependenceWhatfollowedisknownasthe‘warofindependence’whentheIrishRepublicanArmy–thearmyofthenewlydeclaredIrishRepublic–wagedaguerillawaragainstBritishforcesfrom1919to1921.InDecember1921atreatywassignedbytheIrishandBritishauthorities.WhileaclearlevelofindependencewasfinallygrantedtoIrelandagreementtothetreatytosplitIrishpublicandpoliticalopinion.OneofthesourcesofdivisionwasthatIrelandwastobedividedintoNorthernIreland(6counties)andtheIrishFreeState(26counties)whichwasestablishedin1922.CivilWarSuchwasthedivisionofopinioninIrelandthataCivilWarfollowedfrom1922to1923betweenproandantitreatyforces.TheconsequencesoftheCivilwarcanbeseentothisdaywherethetwolargestpoliticalpartiesinIrelandhavetheirrootsintheopposingsidesofthecivilwar.AperiodofrelativepoliticalstabilityfollowedtheCivilwar.SocialThroughthe1940’sandintothe1950’stherewasaperiodofmassemigrationinIreland,approximately409,000peopleemigratedeithertotheUnitedStatesortoBritain.ThosewhostayedinIrelandthroughouttheemigrationperiod,andeventhosewhowentaway,feltsociallyisolatedtoacertainextent.

BrídBrennanwithaudiencemembers.PhotographbyRobertWorkman

7

TheatreoftheAbsurdManyofBeckett’sworkswerewrittenatthebeginningofaperiodknownasTheatreoftheAbsurd.Hisplaysoftenendedwithnosolutiontotheproblemspresented;thiswayoftheatrewasveryunconventionalatthetime.Theexternalenvironmentoftheseplaysisunknown.Eventhoughtheycandrawcomparisonsofthisunknownenvironmentintotheirownworlditiscaptivatedinawaythatisdarkandincoherent.Infact,inAllThatFall,Beckettdepictsasocialsettingwhichmakesitstandapartfromhisotherworks.ItisinfactautobiographicalastheplacehedescribesismuchlikeFoxrock,whereBeckettgrewupin.ThismakesitarguablythemostnaturalisticofBeckett’splays,albeitstronglyinfluencedbyhispreferenceforputtinghischaractersinabsurdandextremesituations.

8

RehearsalsActioningandAnalysisIntheintenseperiodofrehearsalspriortothisproductionofAllThatFall,themainfocuswentintoactioningthescript.ActioningisakeyaspectofMaxStafford-Clark’smethod.Now,letsnotbeataroundthebush,actioningishardwork.Itrequiresanenormousamountoffocusanddetermination.However,whenusedcorrectly,actioningisanefficientandeffectivetoolforbothactorsanddirectors.Itspurposeistocreateacommonlanguagebetweenthemwhichrespectsboththejoboftheactor(creatingacharacter)andthedomainofthedirector(givingthepieceshape).Soweencourageyoutopersevere,evenwhenitgetstough.Takeabreak,regroupandgobackin.Hereisavideoofthemanhimself,talkingabouthisprocess.MaxhasalsospokenabouthisprocessinhisbooksTakingStockandLetterstoGeorge.Additionally,ourfriendsatNickHernBookshaveproducedthisclevervideothatalsoillustratestheuseofactions.HereishowtodoitAnactionisatransitiveverb.Insimpleterms,“Isomethingyou”.Everywordyoueversaytoanyone(eventoyourself)hasapurpose-itseekstoachievesomething.Forinstance,youarehavingaconversationwithyourfriendatschool.Itgoessomethinglikethis:A-Hey,how’sitgoing?B-Fine;andyou?A-Great.Seeyouatbreak?B-Sure.Youcouldhavethissameconversation,wordforword,thenextthreedaysandforittomeanverydifferentthings.Forexample:-it’sthemorningbeforeabigexamneitherofyouhavepreparedfor:A-(tests)Hey,how’sitgoing?B-(convinces)Fine;andyou?A-(tests)Great.Seeyouatbreak?

9

B-(reassures)Sure.-maybeyouhadafightthepreviousday:A-(probes)Hey,how’sitgoing?B-(chills)Fine;andyou?A-(fishes)Great.Seeyouatbreak?B-(evades)Sure.-oryouarebothgoingtoaconcertyouareveryexcitedaboutthatdayA-(warms)Hey,how’sitgoing?B-(welcomes)Fine;andyou?A-(enthuses)Great.Seeyouatbreak?B-(charms)Sure.Sowhenyouthinkaboutit,itsnotjustwhatthewordssaybutwhatyoudowiththemthatreallybringsatexttolife.Namingthisintentioninanactionnotonlygivesyourperformancedetailandvariation,butalsoforcesyoutocommittotheactionbeingplayed.

CiaranMcIntyre,FrankLavertyandBrídBrennan.PhotographbyRobertWorkman

10

HereisanextractfromAllThatFalltoillustratetheworkwedidduringtherehearsalperiod:MRS.ROONEY:(tests)Isthatyou,Christy?CHRISTY:(reassures)Itis,Ma’am.MRS.ROONEY:(befriends)Ithoughtthehinnywasfamiliar.(tends)Howisyoupoorwife?CHRISTY:(sobers)Nobetter,Ma’am.MRS.ROONEY:(drawsout)Yourdaughterthen?CHRISTY:(reassures)Noworse,Ma’am.SilenceMRS.ROONEY:(probes)Whydoyouhalt?(Pause)(engagesaudience)ButwhydoIhalt?SilenceCHRISTY:(befriends)Nicedayfortheraces,Ma’am.MRS.ROONEY:(humours)Nodoubtitis.(Pause)(sours)Butwillitholdup?(Pause.Withemotion)Willitholdup?SilenceCHRISTY:(focuses)Isupposeyouwouldn’t—MRS.ROONEY:(squashes)Hist!(Pauses)(alarms)SurelytogoodnessthatcannotbetheupmailIhearalready.Silence.Thehinnyneighs.Silence.CHRISTY:(placates)Damnthemail.MRS.ROONEY:(cheers)OhthankGodforthat!(worries)IcouldhaveswornIheardit,thunderingupthetrackinthefardistance.(Pause)(engages)Sohinnieswhinny.Well,itisnotsurprising.CHRISTY:(focuses)Isupposeyouwouldn’tbeinneedofasmallloadofdung?MRS.ROONEY:(tests)Dung?Whatclassofdung?Doyouagreewiththeactionswechose?Wouldyouchangeany?Why?Tryoutthenextsectionyourself:CHRISTY:Stydung.MRS.ROONEY:Stydung…Ilikeyourfrankness,Christy.(Pause)I’llaskthemaster.(Pause)Christy.CHRISTY:Yes,Ma’am.MRS.ROONEY:Doyoufindanything…bizarreaboutmywayofspeaking?(Pause)Idonotmeanthevoice.(Pause)No,Imeanthewords.(Pause.Moretoherself)Iusenonebutthesimplestwords,Ihope,andyetIsometimesfindmywayofspeakingvery…bizarre.(Pause.Soundofhinnydefecating)Mercy!Whatwasthat?CHRISTY:Nevermindher,Ma’am,she’sveryfreshinherselftoday.SilenceMRS.ROONEY:Dung?Whatwouldwewantwithdung,atourtimeoflife(Pause)Whyareyouonyourfeetdownontheroad?Whydoyounotclimbuponthecrestofyourmanureandletyourselfbecarriedalong?Isitthatyouhavenoheadforheights?

11

SilenceCHRISTY:(Tothehinny)Yep!(Pause.Louder)Yepwiyyatohellowwathat!SilenceMRS.ROONEY:Shedoesnotmoveamuscle.(Pause)Itooshouldbegettingalong,ifIdonotwishtoarrivelateatthestation.(Pause)Butamomentagosheneighedandpawedtheground.Andnowsherefusestoadvance.Giveheragoodweltontherump.(Soundofwelt.Pause)Harder!(Soundofwelt.Pause)Well!IfsomeoneweretodothatformeIshouldnotdally.

NOVISION-InterviewwithMaxStafford-ClarkTheBeckettEstatefiercelyguardstherightstohisplaystothosethatwillrespectSamuelBeckett’swishes.Youcanreadanarticleonthisverymatterhere.InthecaseofAllThatFall,aradioplay,Beckettwasveryclearthathewasnotinterestedinitbeingstagedoreventurnedintoafilm.Hewantedthevoicestocomeasiffromthevoid.Thereforeourproductionneededtorespectthatwish.Andthencametheideatoblindfoldtheaudience.JonBradfielddiscussesAllThatFall,BeckettandtrainswithdirectorMaxStafford-Clark.JB:WhendidyoufirstencounterAllThatFall?MSC:IreaditIsupposeabout25yearsago.IthinkIfindmyselfoutofsympathywiththenihilistic,non-specificworldsofBeckett’sbetterknownstageplays,suchas

BrídBrennanandGaryLilburnwithaudiencemembers.PhotographbyRobertWorkman

12

WaitingforGodot,soIwasintriguedtofindthatMichaelBillingtonhadchosennotoneofthebetterknownplaysbutAllThatFallforhisbookThe101GreatestPlays.What’sinterestingisitcontainsthetropesofBeckett,thedecayanddeathandthatviewoftheworldhehadafterthewarwhenhisbeliefinChristianity,orsocialism,seemedtohavebeeneradicated…Butit’ssoftenedinAllThatFall?It’scontextualisedmore,andthereforeit’smorecomprehensible.Ifindhisagloomyphilosophyoflifebutit’soneheheld,andwhenyoureadhislifeyoubegintounderstandhiscertaincynicism.Hewasamedicalorderlyandanurseinabombed-outFrenchvillageafterthewar.AndindeedhisexperiencesinoccupiedFrance-thelocalpriestintheplacehewashidingwasinvolvedingivinginformationtotheGestapo.IthinkthefactthatAllThatFallissociallyspecific,thatitevokesaparticularsuburbanworldofAnglo-IrishProtestantismdrewmetotheplay.It’saverysimplestory–MrsRooney’sjourneytothestationtopickupherblindhusbandonaSaturdaylunchtime.ItwouldhavebeenquitenormaltoforpeopleinofficejobstoworkonaSaturdaymorning.Buttothatsimplestructureheaddsaspecificitytotheclassofpeopleshemeets.It’scertainlymorenaturalisticthanGodotorEndgameorHappyDays.IstheIrishnesspartofthedrawtoo?LikeBeckettyouwereatTrinityCollege,yourwife[playwrightStellaFeehily]isIrish,you’veworkedregularlywithSebastianBarry,you’vetwicedirectedTomKilroy’sIrishversionofTheSeagull…WellI’maHibernophilefromwayback.AndBeckettwasdrawingonreallife.Connolly’svanpassesMrsRooneyonheroutwardjourneyintheplay,andtherewasagrocerscalledConnolly’sinFoxrock…WhenIwasinDublinintheearlysixtiesitwasstillacollisionofcountryandtown.DonkeyswereusedasworkinganimalsinruraltownsaroundDublin.SoFoxrockwouldhavebeensemirural?Itwouldhavebeencompletelyruralandisnowsuburban.Thestationhasgone.Theplayisslightlyunresolved.We’releftnotknowingifMrRooneyhadanythingtodowithachildfallingfromthetrain,orwhatthestrangeobjectisthathehasdropped.Doyouandthecastneedtoknowtheseanswersinrehearsaltomaketheplaywork?IleftitopenaslateaspossiblelastyearbutbythemiddleoftheruntheactorplayingMrRooneybecameconvincedhewasinvolvedinthedeathofthechildinsomeway.WhenBecketthimselfwasaskedhesaid“ifIknewI’dtellyou”sohewasdeliberatelyouttocreateanunresolvedmystery.Anddoyoulikethat,ordoyoufinditfrustrating?Initiallyfrustrating,buteventuallyIfounditverysatisfyingthatwedon’tknow.

13

It’sawayofsuggestingadistancebetweenthemasacouple.ThethingaboutthemasacoupleisthatinthefirsthalfwhenMrsRooney’sgoingtothestationbyherselfshe’sentirelydominant.She’saratheracerbicandfractiousneighbourtothepeopleshemeets.Yetwhenshemeetsherhusbandshe’stotallydominatedbyhim.ItringstrueofanumberofliteraryrelationshipsandprobablyringstrueofanumberofrelationshipsBecketthad.Youlikeyourtrains.Wasthatpartoftheappeal?Itwaspartoftheappealofthesoundeffects,yes!There’sscopeforacoupleoftrainstopassandIhaveaveryclearpictureinmymindofwhatkindoflocomotiveswouldhavebeeninvolved.Someonerecentlysuggestedtomethatsteamtrainsaremagicaltousbecausethey’retheclosestwe’vecometocreatinglife.I’llhavetodigestthatbutthey’reveryexcitingcreatures.Theysortofbreathe.Yeahthat’sright.IthinkmyfirstmemorywasdrivingdowntoDevonwithmyparentsforaholiday.TherewasahugetrafficjamoutsideHonitonandwestoppedandwalkedacrossafield,myfatherandI,andsatonafenceabovearailwaycuttingandsawtheseextraordinarilybeautifulandnoisysteamenginesgoingby.AndasyouknowIhaveanextensivemodelrailwaythatIreturntoeverynight.Youplaywithiteveryday?Operateit.Notplay!It’sacompleteworld,it’sVermontin1956,aboutthesametimeasAllThatFallinfact,soI’mfifteenwhenIgointhere,andStelladoesn’texist.DidyouknowBeckett?No.Imethimafewtimes.He’dtalkabouttheimpossibilityofcontrollinghiswork.SowhenwesoughtpermissionfromtheBeckettestatetostageAllThatFallandtheyaskedmewhatwasmyvisionfortheplayIknewthecorrectanswerwasthattherewasnovisionatall.Beckett’sinstructionwasthatthevoicescome“asfromthevoid”.

14

OurProductionAsyoumayhavedeductedfromeitherattendingtheshoworfromreadingthisworkpack,ourproductionofAllThatFallisnottobewatched,itistobeexperienced.Inordertostageit,wecreatedacircuitwithchairsallaroundit-alargeoutercirclewithseatsfacingin,asmallerinnercirclewithseatsfacingout.Atoneendofthespacethereisastagethatservesasatrainplatformwithasetofstepstooneside.Thereisaseriesofspeakersdottedalongthecoursethathelpcreate“surroundsound”fortherecordedsoundeffects,althoughquiteafewofthesoundsaredonelive(thebikebell,thehinny’sbridle,thedraggingoffeet,etc).Ourveryfantasticsounddesigner,DyfanJones,createdaveryrichsoundscapeandaseriesofsophisticatedcuesthathelpcreatethesettingoftheplay.HisworkrespectsthepreciseinstructionsthatBeckettstipulatesinthetext,notaddinganyadditionalscoring.Thisistorespectthemeticulous

TaraFlynn,CiaranMcIntyre,GaryLilburn,BrídBrennan,FrankLavertyandKillianBurke.PhotographbyRobertWorkman.

15

ProductionCreditsCompanyMRSROONEY(Maddy)BrídBrennanCHRISTIEFrankLavertyMR.TYLERGaryLilburnMRSLOCUMBCiaranMcIntyreTOMMYKillianBurkeMRBARRELLFrankLavertyMISSFITTTaraFlynnMRROONEY(Dan)GaryLilburnDirectorMaxStafford-ClarkWriterSamuelBeckettSoundDesignerDyfanJonesProductionManagerAndyReaderStageManagerSallyMcKennaProductionSoundSamFinnAssistantDirectorIsabelQuinzañosProductionPhotosRobertWorkmanTHANKYOUThankstoNatalieWilliamsforherinvaluableworkonthisEducationPack.