Endgame, a Baxter Theatre production, perfectly captures absurdity in an ingenious and often perplexing play.
The play, originally written in French by classical writer Samuel Beckett, premiered in 1957 for the very first time. Beckett is well-known for his play called Waiting for Godot, which became famous for its portrayal of the Theatre of the Absurd.
The two characters, Hamm and Clov, not making a move after the production as the audience is leaving. PHOTO: Liezl Human
Endgame is a one-act play directed by Sylvaine Strike. It stars actors Andrew Buckland, Rob van Vuuren, Antoinette Kellerman and Soli Philander. It ran, more or less, for ninety minutes – during which time the audience was constantly sitting on the edge of their seats.
The Endgame production undoubtedly does justice to Beckett and the absurdist theatrical movement which he kick-started. Absurdity as a motif is, nonetheless, a difficult spectacle to portray, as it can easily venture into senselessness. The success of Endgame can then partly be attributed to a talented cast performing an extraordinary classic with its poetic and witty dialogue.
A poster at the door of the production at Rhenish Girls’ High School. PHOTO: Liezl Human
The Absurdist movement in literature, which took place during the 20th century, was closely related to the philosophical movement of existentialism.
This movement was spearheaded by the likes of Albert Camus and Franz Kafka. The Theatre of the Absurd, however, does not entirely conform to these ideas, as it mostly relies on theatrical impact.
The two main characters, Hamm and Clov, continuously flirt with the idea of death. It creates a type of morbidity which weighs heavily on both the audience and the characters, while still being constantly overshadowed by Beckett’s recourse to dark humour and outstanding wit. This is why the play falls under the genre of “tragicomedy”: it is tragic, but you cannot help laughing.
Endgame is not an easy play to sit through. It is guaranteed to weigh on the consciousness of the spectator long after the play has finished. While it does portray the pinnacle of absurdity, it strangely makes complete sense.
The play will run again during these times at Rhenish Girls’ High School:
- 3 March at 20:00
- 4 March at 14:00