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Michael Cox reviews 'a stand-out' production.
Dominic Hill’s production of Endgame begins on a rather cruel trick for those who have no idea what they’re getting themselves into: as the audience take their seats they are greeted by a cheery painted scene of sunbather’s enjoying a summer’s seaside holiday. However, as the cloth rises, a desolate room of iron and rust—one that would fit perfectly within a horror movie—is revealed.
It is here that Samuel Beckett’s excellent warring creations of Hamm and Clov reside. They will bicker, belittle each other and occasionally interact with Hamm’s parents, Nagg and Nell. Clov, a servant, will threaten to leave the master Hamm, but will it ever come?
One of the terrific things about Beckett’s writing (or frustrating things—depending on how you feel) is his ambiguity. Are we in a post-nuclear wasteland or simply in the middle of nowhere? What exactly is the history of Hamm and Clov? Why do Nagg and Nell reside in rubbish bins? To paraphrase one of the characters: what the hell does it all mean?
In truth, that is up to each audience member.
One thing it certainly is not is an exercise of stunt casting. Much has been made about David Neilson (Hamm) and Chris Gascoyne (Clov) being from Coronation Street, but this is no vanity project: Neilson and Gascoyne are both terrific, individually and as a double-team. They create interesting characters and yet have a wonderful interplay with each other. They also frequently find the humour in their characters and within this odd co-dependent relationship they have.
Scottish theatre has had a pretty good run of Beckett revivals of late, with the Tron’s Happy Days and the Lyceum’s Waiting For Godot each employing star casting and creating memorable productions. Both were very good, but this is a stand-out, not only of Beckett but for this theatre season as a whole.
Endgame performs at the Citizens Theatre from February 4-20 before transferring to HOME in Manchester.
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