Endgame

Endgame is named for the situation in chess, when you know how the game will end, but need to continue playing until the game ends. This show is about futility and has a sense of loss and despair, making it not the happiest or most uplifting play.

KADS’ set, built within the constraints imposed on all Beckett productions, feels like a basement room with exposed pipes and high porthole style windows. Within the room lives blind and paralysed Hamm, his overworked and abused manservant Clov, and Hamm’s parents, contained in large garbage tin like containers, as they have no legs.

A post-apocalyptic feel dominates, and the storyline, bizarre as it is, is played conventionally and without irony. Central character Hamm is well played by Neale Paterson, who manages to characterize well despite lack of movement and eye contact. Zane Alexander is a standout, sympathetic as the put-upon Clov. Elderly couple Nagg and Nell are well-played by Malcolm Douglas and Amanda Watson.

This absurdist play is dark and bleak, but is well -directed and intelligently performed, making it an interesting watch, especially for those who love this genre.

While not a crowd-pleaser, this well-known text is a treat for drama students and Beckett fans.

Kimberley Shaw

BUY THE PLAY SCRIPT HERE.