Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Bill Irwin and John Douglas Thompson give masterful performances in Irish Rep’s top-notch revival of ENDGAME

• By drediman
• February 21, 2023
• No Comments

This past holiday weekend, I was able to catch up with Irish Repertory Theatre’s Off-Broadway production of Endgame by Samuel Beckett. Although Beckett’s 1957 play is considered an undisputed classic, it’s nevertheless a difficult sit, especially for those unfamiliar with the playwright’s densely coiled, absurdist writing style. Set in a decrepit shack in some sort of post-apocalyptic wasteland, the one-act play depicts the crumbling circumstances between a blind, aging chair-bound man (Hamm); his trash bin-relegated parents (Nagg and Nell); and his flustered, frustrated companion and/or servant (Clov).

Truth be told, nothing much happens in the work, which is exactly why it’s likely to hit closer to home for many us, especially those who have had to navigate strained relationships in confined living spaces during the seemingly endless pandemic lockdown. Additionally, Beckett’s meditation on the “end” – whether it be the end of relationships, the finality of death, or even the irrelevance of society as we knew it – have also taken on fresher, rawer meaning as of late. Endgame is bleak stuff, to be sure. That being said, I’d highly recommend paying a visit to Irish Rep’s production, mainly for the utterly masterful performances by Bill Irwin as Clov and John Douglas Thompson as Hamm. Mr. Irwin is perhaps the finest physical comedian if his generation, and his restless, desperate reading of the Clov is nothing short of astonishing to behold. As his master Hamm, Mr. Thompson – one of the great Shakespearean actors of our time – musters the grandeur afforded by his considerable classical acting background to affectingly portray the character’s hollow grandstanding. Their incessant bantering, essentially variations on a handful of themes, is in equal parts exasperating (as intended) and oddly entertaining.

The production has been helmed by Ciaran O’Reilly, who directs the play with deep respect and a wonderful sense of rhythm. The appropriately drab design by Charlie Corcoran – who follows Beckett’s description of the play’s setting down to a T – perfectly sets the scene. The revival also features the rich, distinctive contributions of Joe Grifasi and Patrice Johnson Chevannes as Nagg and Nell, respectively. Altogether, this is a top-notch Endgame that is as timely as it is foreboding as we look to our recent past and look forward to an uncertain future.

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ENDGAME
Off-Broadway, Play
Irish Repertory Theatre
1 hour, 25 minutes (without an intermission)
Through April 9