Beckett's Humour Defended: Irish Actors Have an Edge, Critic Argues
A recent essay suggests that Samuel Beckett's often bleak writing actually harbors a subtle humor that is frequently overlooked. The opening line of his novel Murphy illustrates this duality. In a 1956 review for the Irish Times, critic Vivian Mercier referred to Waiting for Godot as "a play in which nothing happens, twice," highlighting its captivating nature for audiences. Mercier, who admired Beckett, released Beckett/Beckett in 1977. The essay contends that many readers fail to recognize Beckett's humor, which shines through in productions such as the 1988 Gate Theatre's Godot and Druid Theatre's 1976 Happy Days. Beckett himself rejected the label of "bleak," recalling a discussion about his joyful childhood contrasted with the widespread despair he witnessed in London.
Key facts
- Samuel Beckett's novel Murphy opens with the line: "The sun shone, having no alternative, on the nothing new."
- Critic Vivian Mercier, in a 1956 review for The Irish Times, described Waiting for Godot as "a play in which nothing happens, twice."
- Mercier wrote that Beckett had "achieved a theoretical impossibility — a play in which nothing happens, that yet keeps audiences glued to their seats."
- Mercier published an acclaimed book on Beckett, Beckett/Beckett, in 1977.
- The 1988 Gate Theatre production of Godot featured Barry McGovern, the late Johnny Murphy and Alan Stanford.
- Druid Theatre's 1976 production of Happy Days starred Marie Mullen and the late Mick Lally.
- Beckett recalled an English intellectual asking why he wrote about distress, and Beckett replied that he had had a very happy childhood.
- Beckett said distress "is screaming at you, even in the taxis of London."
Entities
Artists
- Samuel Beckett
- Vivian Mercier
- Barry McGovern
- Johnny Murphy
- Alan Stanford
- Marie Mullen
- Mick Lally
- Patrick Freyne
- Lola Petticrew
- Siobhán McSweeney
- Liam Neeson
Institutions
- The Irish Times
- Gate Theatre
- Druid Theatre
Locations
- London
- England
- Dublin
- Wicklow
- Ireland