Play Beckett:

What is it about?

This paper aims to (re)locate Beckett in that amorphous form characterised as ‘total theatre’, arguing his importance as an overlooked practitioner in a form that is fundamental to his performance dramaturgy. That is, a ‘gestual’ mise-en-scène, a form of 'dialectic' of body-voice-sound-space, rather than one of an integrated synthesis of parts. Thus, a distinction between the Gesamtkunstwerk and ‘total theatre’ is argued for. Certain observations and provocations are suggested regarding an approach to Beckett’s performance dramaturgy as a means to the end of re-looking at Beckett.

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