Eh Joe

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Play closed 15 July 2006

Duke of York's Theatre St Martin's Lane, London<

"There's love for you… isn't it Joe?... wasn't it Joe?"

A new stage adaptation of Samuel Beckett's TV play Eh Joe, conceived and directed by Atom Egoyan, and starring Michael Gambon as 'Joe' with the 'Woman's Voice' provided by Penelope Wilton on a pre-recorded soundtrack.

"A towering performance by Michael Gambon... Magnificent" The Irish Times

Samuel Beckett wrote Eh Joe for television in the spring of 1965 and it was first broadcast in English by the BBC in the summer of 1966, although a German version of Eh Joe had been broadcast some months before this. Beckett wrote Eh Joe with the actor Jack MacGowran in mind, an actor with whom he had worked with previously.

"Wilton and Gambon... astonishing" The Financial Times

A note regarding the staging of Eh Joe - the following contains minor spoilers: Michael Gambon, who plays the role of 'Joe', is on the stage for the entire performance although he does not speak. The entire front of the stage is covered with a transparent guaze which fills the proscenium arch. Behind this is the set. Following the opening scene, the general stage lights dim so that just a large spotlight picks out Michael Gambon who is now sitting on a bed, sideways to the audience. A live camera projection of Michael Gambon, taken from the side of the stage and showing him 'face-on', is then projected onto the front stage guaze. The audience therefore sees both a side view of Michael Gambon on the left hand side, and on the right, a large live projection of Michael Gambon's face. The pre-recorded voice of Penelope Wilton is then played to which Michael Gambon listens to and, in some ways, reacts to.

"A staggering work... the ultimate drama" The Financial Times

"This must be the greatest half-hour in theatrical history: a Beckett television piece translated by the film director Atom Egoyan into something resembling a living Rembrandt... The voice is Penelope Wilton's, the face Michael Gambon's. The great Gambon says nothing, and gives the performance of his life." The Sunday Times

"A magnificient piece of acting" The Irish Times

"Beckett purists might object to this, since the script calls for near-impassivity.They might also detect too much colour inWilton's reading of the text.With actors this good, though, it shouldn't be a problem, and in this case Beckett's famously picky estate - which is known for cracking down on less than absolute fidelity to the master's instructions - has made the right decision. Gambon makes a terrific Joe, and it's good to hear the play's spookily poetic phrasing rasp out of the speakers in front of a live audience." The Sunday Telegraph

"Brilliant" The Guardian

"Michael Gambon says nothing, but every minute quiver on this big, baggy, infinitely expressive face, every-thiny flicker of his beautiful piano fingers, speaks volumes. A very short dark night of the soul, but exquisitely illuminated" The Mail on Sunday

"Eh Joe is a rare bit of Beckett: what he called 'peephole art'. Written for telly in 1965, it's an early video diary, an accusatory soliloquy... Michael Gambon's mug - all folds, pockets, grooves, troughs, pouches - is a theatre in itself. The slightest narrowing of the eyes, or settling of the jowls, looks volcanic. Atom Egoyan's production lasts half an hour: it crams in a guilty lifetime." The Observer

This production of Eh Joe comes into London's West End for a strictly limited run following a successful season at The Gate Theatre in Dublin in Aprill 2006 when it was presented as part of the Beckett Centenary Festival. The production is directed by Atom Egoyan with designs by Eileen Diss, costumes by Leonore McDonagh and lighting by Jim McConnell. The projection equipment is by XL Video.