Endgame @ Citizens Theatre, 6 Feb

Review by Cat Acheson | 05 Mar 2016

The challenge with any production of Samuel Beckett’s drama is to capture both the humour and the horror of it – especially given that each depends on the other. Dominic Hill’s production of Beckett’s chillingly absurd Endgame, however, couldn’t be in safer hands.

This hour-and-half-long foray into the darkest and strangest depths of the human condition wastes no time in unsettling the audience. The brutal and endless battle of wills between the tyrant Hamm and his bitter companion Clov is brought to life with convincing force by actors David Neilson and Chris Gascoyne, whose performances toy with the ambiguous line between the bleakness and hilarity of despair. It makes for uncomfortable viewing, and the erratic, unpredictable violence of the script, while sometimes given too much emphasis, never fails to have a powerful impact. Meanwhile, the directionless ramblings of Hamm’s parents, rather disturbingly reduced to living in rubbish bins, offer a startling pathos that’s an effective counterpoint to this violence.  

Attention to detail places the grotesqueness implicit in routine at the forefront of the production. Whether it’s the over-exaggerated, jerky slapstick of the characters’ movements in the claustrophobic space, or the truly nightmarish touches to the set and costumes, a creeping sense of macabre permeates the play. A combination of expert directing and skilful visual design ensure that the action stays compelling from start to finish, despite the fact that this is a play in which very little actually happens.

All in all, Endgame is an accomplished and mature production, and will not disappoint fans of Beckett, the absurd, or the plain weird.


Endgame, Citizens Theatre, run ended.