This trio, transferred from the Royal Court, started in complete darkness (even the exit signs were off) with Not I. Only the mouth is illuminated, talking at the pace of brain/ the speed of thought. From the text, it is a brain looking back to her conception after her mother's impregnation by a man who 'vanished..thin air...no sooner buttoned up his breeches', fast-forwarding through a life with 'nothing of any note' to now at 70 when she 'found herself in the dark' with 'them brain......raving away on its own.....trying to make sense of it'.
The performance by Lisa Dwan takes about 8.5 minutes, about four minutes less than Billie Whitelaw and almost one third of the time taken by Jessica Tandy in a New York performance that Beckett hated apparently. It is hard to believe such a rapid pace can be heard, rattling along. And yet one gets the gist of it. The marvel is that anyone can speak so fast.
The second play, Footfalls, has the actress pacing up and down, counting off her steps, and talking to her mother. Later she (May) recounts a conversation between old Mrs Winter and Amy.
The final play, has the actress in a rocking chair. She is recounting the moment of death with the play ending:
rock her off
stop her eyes
fuck life
rock her off
rock her off
The trio lasted about 55 minutes. Hardly a cough to be heard.
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