There has been plenty of on screen entertainment in recent times for the Beckett enthusiast, now his works return to the stage, as Conor Lovett brings the final leg of his 'Molloy'/'Malone Dies' tour back to Ireland. Produced by the Gare St Lazare Players, and directed by Lovett's wife, Judy Hegarty, the production offers an intelligent and exciting interpretation of the first two works in Beckett's novel trilogy.
Why Beckett? The actor started to perform Molloy in 1997. "There's Shakespeare, and then there is Beckett," Lovett explains. "He is one of the best writers ever. He is brilliant, he is Irish, yet very few of us are familiar with his work." Lovett delivers the narratives of both Molloy and Malone with only minor alterations to the original text. So, attending a performance, the audience enjoys a physical version of the actual words. Lovett embodies the decrepit, bedridden characters as they relate their fantastic memories, stories and observations.
In a collective misconception that has gathered around what Beckett is about, many are unaware of how delightfully witty and funny he is. It's humour like a good Monty Python belly laugh and with Lovett's performance, the wit shines through; he delivers the lines with the easy nonchalance you would expect from Molloy or Malone. The novels are also laden with emotions such as panic, despair and cruelty, but there is a strange compassion. The words are potently present and artfully raw.
Lovett plays with such contrasts: he can shock an unsuspecting audience by going directly from fun to cruelty without a change in tone or pace, as does the author. His treatment of the work is far from self-indulgent. Lovett is unassuming, allowing the work to speak for itself. He does not introduce emphasis or a stylised interpretation. The pieces unfold with what seems to be the natural rhythm of the texts.
An interpretation of a Beckett text truly tests the mastery of any artist or critic. Should the Hegarty-Lovett team decide to take on the final part of the famous trilogy - 'The Unnameable' - their talents will be put to the ultimate test. "We have lots of thoughts on doing The Unnameable, but we are not in a position to say yet whether we will or we won't, " says Lovett. He is aware of the scrutiny with which many "puritan" Beckett fanatics will approach any interpretation of his work, but the plays are produced with the permission of the Samuel Beckett Estate and the Calder Educational Trust. "A lot of people say that we manage to preserve the integrity of the pieces," says Lovett, "Of course there will always be some people will say - 'where are you going? You've got it all wrong.' The most we can do is be honest to our reading of it."
The Hegarty-Lovett team, both Cork-born although currently living in France, has been on the go for seven years; it's an artistic collaboration that works well. This production has toured internationally, playing in Edinburgh, London, Paris, Chicago, New York and Germany. In February 'Molloy' won first prize at the Thespis International Festival of Monodrama in Kiel, Germany. Lovett has been acting for 12 years: he trained at Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris and has performed with Corcadorca, The Gate (Dublin), The Gate (London), The Clod Ensemble, Lee Sekulic Company, Steeple Theatre Company as well as with the Gare St Lazare Players.
Hegarty has been directing with the Gare St Lazare Players since 1991. She was also involved in setting up the Allihies International Theatre Festival on the Beara Peninsula in 1993. With a degree in Fine Art/Mixed media from the Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork and a post-graduate degree in Dramatherapy from the University of Hertfordshire, Hegarty trained in London with Philippe Gaulier and in Paris with Bob Meyer. According to Lovett, Judy Hegarty "is the best director on the planet."
The current 'Molloy'/'Malone Dies' tour began in February in Wexford. After playing Waterford, Listowel and Cork, Lovett went to Germany where he performed in German in Kiel and Berlin. He returned to Ireland for the final leg of the tour at the end of March.
Beckett's brilliance as a dramatist has tended to overshadow his gifts as a novelist, making these adaptations from novel to stage particularly interesting. For anyone who has not dared to touch Beckett, these productions will provide taste of the author's genius; for Lovett, this is an important aspect of what he does. His performance also gives the audience a sense of the Beckett reading experience: expect to leave feeling elated but confused, with a vague sense of voyeuristic guilt.
Michele Browne
