Beckett's 'How It Is' Becomes 6-Hour Live Art Performance at Palazzo Diedo

Gare St. Lazare Ireland and Berggruen Arts & Culture present the world premiere of a six-hour live art performance based on Samuel Beckett's novel 'How It Is' at Palazzo Diedo in Venice, running until June 21, 2026. Directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett, the immersive site-specific installation features original compositions by Mel Mercier, light design by Simon Bennison, and visual art contributions from Michael Craig-Martin, who designed magenta-colored floor elements, totems, and seating. Performers Conor Lovett and Stephen Dillane (known for Game of Thrones) recite Beckett's text in English, accompanied by Irish musician Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh. The performance is structured in three parts—Before Pim, With Pim, After Pim—corresponding to journey, couple, and abandonment, set in a primordial mud landscape. Visitors can enter and exit freely during the six-hour duration. Lovett describes the production as an eleven-year journey with the text, aiming to dissolve boundaries between actor, text, and audience, and to create an experiential access to Beckett's universe.