On Beckett: A Performance for Overthinkers Who Love Physical Comedy

The comedic and thoughtful one man show On Beckett premiered at the Guthrie last weekend. On Beckett was created and is performed by Tony Award winning actor Bill Irwin. This show features a diverse selection of Samuel Beckett’s work interspersed with Irwin’s musings on Samuel Beckett, his writing, and more. As someone who is mostly familiar with Beckett by way of Waiting for Godot and (to a lesser extent) Endgame, I found On Beckett to be informative and delightful.

On Beckett is a niche show. Irwin himself, in his introductory monologue, concedes that it might not be for everyone. Considering that half of the performance is more of a lecture than a play, I would describe On Beckett as theater for everyone who loved (or loves!) school. Whenever Irwin breaks character from a monologue he becomes the quintessential cool professor – the one who approaches the deepest subjects with the most levity. The one who brings heady subjects down to earth and believes that anyone can learn to love this professor’s chosen subject (in this case Samuel Beckett) if they want to.

Throughout On Beckett, Irwin alternates between performing pieces of Beckett’s writing and pontificating on them – while also finding time to talk about and illustrate the value of clowning. He prefaces the show by explaining that Beckett is remembered by some as a thinker and by others as a clown. Irwin encourages his audience to embrace both sides of Beckett’s legacy by engaging them in a thoughtful exploration of carefully curated texts while gradually ratcheting up the physical comedy.

The production of On Beckett is amazing. Scenic Designer Charlie Corcoran kept things sparse and functional. The only two set pieces are a black podium and a black bench, both of which are used in expected and surprising ways in addition to housing Irwin’s multiple costume changes. Irwin is always dressed in a suit, but he finds several key moments to put on ever larger pairs of pants and increasingly clownishly proportioned shoes.

The lighting might have been the highlight (no pun intended) of the show for me. Michael Gottlieb limits himself to pretty standard lighting during Irwin’s professorial moments, but every Beckett performance is lit differently and dramatically. Whether Gottlieb is dwarfing Irwin with his own shadow or splitting Irwin’s face in half by placing him in the center of two oppositional spotlights, the creativity of the lighting in this show was striking and often resonated with the content of the monologue.

Although I agree with Irwin’s statement that this show is not for everyone, it is easily one of the more unique shows I have seen recently. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a shorter show (it’s only 80 minutes long), a flashback to the best of college, or a night of hearty laughs and thoughtful exposition.

Show runs from February 17 – March 24, 2024
Tickets are available at the Guthrie website.