thumbnail of BBC world theatre; Cascando (Reel 2)
Transcript
Hide -
If this transcript has significant errors that should be corrected, let us know, so we can add it to FIX IT+
And now the BBC World Theatre presents cast cando a play for radio by Samuel Beckett with music by Marcel know how ABC the play is introduced by Martin Aslan the BBC's head to radio drama. Like most of Samuel Beckett's work this short play may appear mysterious and puzzling to the listener. It opens a window into the deeper recesses of the human mind and it is best to surrender to it without trying to puzzle it out too soon. I'll have more to say about it when the play's over. All I'd like to say now is that we hear two voices. Beckett calls them the opener and the voice. It is the opener who opens and shuts the doors that give us access to the voice and the emotion expressed by music which emerge out of the depths of the mind. It is the month of May for me
correct. I hope story. If you could finish it you could rest sleep. Not before. Oh I know the ones I finished thousands in one. All I ever did in my life with my life saying to myself finish this one. It's the right one. Then Rand's sleep. No more stories no more words and finished it. I don't not like one. Whole chorus straight away another to begin to finish saying to myself finish this one then rest. This time it's the right one this time. You have it and finished it and not the right one. Couldn't write. Straight away another. But this one it's different. I finished it then right. Just it's the right one this time I have it I've got it will burn.
I wish you a long life already a sandwich and I got a few misfortunes that's enough. Five years later 10. I don't know. Whoa he's Che. Not enough. Recognizable in the shade yet and Mama waiting for light. Mike before you go out go home and say well I'm. Sleepy. And when. It's low. He lifts his head now and then his eye to the window. It's Doc and Doc and it's night. He gets up knees Flast then on his feet slips out one same old coat right. The sea left the hill. He has the choice he has I think I open.
I.
Know. I open both on. Getting on. Don't give up. Right. This time it's the right one. You haven't got it. It's that. Somewhere you've got him. Follow him don't lose. Out on getting on. Finish lands Sunni and almost all race no more with. My mom. Next. Thing. I know. I start to get down Genco slope boreen Jai and I spins wind in the bottoms faint sea Wilbon same old coat. He goes ome stops. Not a so not yet. My two bride
said what you like. He goes on hugging the bank same old stick he goes down. For on purpose I'm not conc see he's Darwin that's what cause it's. Facing the model I spread. That's an idea. Already than her already. No not yet. He gets up a. Nice fast hands flat in the mud head song then up on his feet. Huge ball. Come on. He goes home he goes dial. Call. In his head. Watson has had his share a hollow in the deal. It's. OK vegan men that right in his head. Of AK.
He cools down. No more trees no WALLBANK. He's changed. Not enough. Not too bright. Suna do you know not of so. The.
Rest sleep. No most of whom or what don't you put these on. It's the right one. We'll laugh. Nearly I met someone who had been I've gotten. Don't lose him. Follow him truly and long this time it's not right. One family. Surely. No one. So that when they say
it in his head you know. I open for hours again on purpose or not. Can't see he's done. That's what matters. Faced in this and I'm spread bad humans not ascribe the same old code. My two bright Say what you like seen loudmouth on the mains of wall but. I. He's had watch he has had peace peace again in his head. No father no more said Jean. Sweetie. No not yet. He gets. A nice last hands flat in the sand had sunk them up on his feet. Huge ball. Same old broad brimmed jammed. Camo Whoa.
He goes on. Tom wait in the sand. Need deep he Coast Diao. As I close. I open the. And I close. So it's my life. I live on that. Correct.
What do I over. They say he opens nothing he has nothing to open it in his head. They don't see me. They don't see what I do. They don't see what I have and they say he opens nothing. He has nothing to open it in his head. I don't protest anymore. I don't say anymore. That is nothing in my head. I don't want any more. I open and close lots of the land. The island the sky he need only moved his head his eyes he'd see them shine on him. But no he. That is not his life. He does not live on that. They don't see
me. They don't see what my life is. They don't see what I live and they say that he's not his life. He does not live up to that. I have lived on it til I'm out now. Listen this time I mean that. It's hame I've seen him. I've got him. Come on home. Same old coat. He goes down Paul falls again on purpose or not. COLMES See he's dark. That's what I call my friend face in the stones no more sand all the stones that's the idea. Where there is time. No not yet. He gets. A.
Nice fast hand slap in the stone head song then up on his feet. Whew Baal. Whoa Ben Foster. He goes home. He calls down the. Train. That's not all. I open both. Listen. Yes. No more so I'm trying. To find you. In. The
same. Form. And I have seen. No. Never never right. Stop thinking in and die. I am through out. This tie. It's all right. While. We are glad. We me me. Soon. From one to another. It's as though they drew two again. We have not much further to go. I've gone.
I've seen. I've said. We are well. Known. Don't. Oh oh oh oh. This time. It's better I think I have. A name. So. It's him. I've got him. Follow him. Who. Go. Yes correct. The month of May. You know
the reawakening. I hope no tele no thwarts no us afloat sucked out then back. A grass. Drags for me. Oh. Whoa. Then he feels it flat out face in the bill which spread. Same old coat hand clutching the Gone Ones. No. I don't know. I see him. He clings. Out to Sea heading No. Wow. Well the island then no more. And. Through. The end. With.
They said it's his voice in his head. Pasta out driving out real plunging heading for the island and swam anywhere and anywhere like it's. New York and that. The end. Is that my job but I don't anymore. They don't say anything anymore. They have quit. Good.
Yes correct. The month of May the close of May. Long day I open. I'm afraid to open but I must open so I open come all mobile and I'm spread. Same old code face in the building. He clings on. I hadn't gone far east then heading on open sea now and gone. He's the head. What's in his. Book. Come on come on. At last we have that no father no almost coach in the dock and swell always ends when we're there and the enemy. Will burn. I won't let go. Might call
all the island all gone too far tonight of the sky. Lol. If you like. He need only. Can he see the shine of him. But no he clings on home. He's changed nearly enough. To a. Hundred. Yards.
But there was a time I ask myself what is it. There were times I argued it's the outing to outing. Then there are times where to the village to the inn to outings then at last the return to the village to the by the only road that leads there. An image like any other. But I don't name all. I open it go it's not right. This time. I have not. We have their inventors so they have little.
More store. For more. And more. It's when you. See. See him again. Oh no no no no. Just a few more a few more in the room. I've got time. It's the right one. From the guy who knew me just a few more. Don't let go. O. Home home. Come on Paul. And now here is not an excellent author of the book the theatre of the absurd
and editor of a volume of critical essays on Beckett to talk about the play you've just heard. Samuel Beckett himself refuses to explain or comment on his work and I think he's right. If a poet's work cannot speak for itself then it is clearly not doing what the work of literature by its very nature must do namely to function as a vehicle of human communication. Now this is not to say that the best literature may not be difficult of access may not need two three or half a dozen readings or performances before it can be grasped in all its implications. Indeed this quality of needing more than one hearing is one of the hallmarks of all the really great works which endure. Who would be content with reading Hamlet only once or seeing only one performance of the play in his life time. In biggest case there are number of things to remember. Above all
he is one of the most concise and compressed writers of short play like a scandal contains subject matter of a depth and intensity which in the hands of another dramatist might fill half a dozen full length plays. Now I don't want to fall into the trap of doing what Beckett doesn't want to do himself namely to provide a key or an explanation which claims to be definitive. To do such a thing would be to reduce a complex work of art to a kind of crossword puzzle. But I think a few hints may be permitted. Most of Beckett's work his narrative prose as well as his plays are concerned with the problem of human identity. Now what do I mean when I say I am myself. I know myself at this moment. I know that I'm speaking to you and I know what I'm going to say. But stop. I also observe myself. I listen to my own voice I hear my own as yet
unspoken thoughts. And this postulates two of us one who speaks and one who listens. One who is going to think a thought and one who knows about it. In other words the very fact of self awareness poses one of the basic problems of all philosophy. The nature of the human self. We all know states of mind when impelled by some force we ourselves can't control. We do things that we would never believe ourselves capable of doing under the influence of some basic human passion or instinct or in rage or drunkenness. At the very moment when we are doing it we may observe ourselves with those punishment as in a dream. Now bigots work tries to explore this situation in his novels we often find a situation that there is a voice speaking about someone and that someone in turn hears a voice speaking about someone else. And so on ad infinitum simply because there is an infinite procession of observers within ourselves.
If I observe myself speaking to you I immediately set up an observer who observes myself observing myself speaking. And in this way I can never reach my ultimate self. Hence the opening because cando could be understood as the observing part of a human personality who observes him so speaking and the voice suffers under the necessity of wanting to finish a story which cannot be finished. Of trying to find someone who is being pursued endlessly and each time the voice thinks it is caught up with the one it is pursuing. He slips away and the story must go on. This I think is the human problem which is the subject of that strange and moving poem which Beckett was called CAS candle falling. We've heard Martin Aslan discussing cast cando by Samuel Beckett the BBC World Theatre production of the play was directed by Donal McWhinnie with Patrick McGee
as voice and Dennis Hof thorn as opener. The music was composed by Marcel Mahal ABC these world theatre programmes are produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. Their broadcast is made possible by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Next week listen for much ado about nothing. The delightful production of Shakespeare's comedy presents from Ella Fielding is Beatrice Paul Damon is Benedict and Ralph Richardson as Dogberry. These programs are prepared for broadcast by WITF FM in Hershey Pennsylvania. This is the national educational radio network.
Please note: This content is only available at GBH and the Library of Congress, either due to copyright restrictions or because this content has not yet been reviewed for copyright or privacy issues. For information about on location research, click here.
Series
BBC world theatre
Episode
Cascando (Reel 2)
Contributing Organization
University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/500-8p5vbs81
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/500-8p5vbs81).
Description
Description
No description available
Date
1970-00-00
Genres
Radio Theater
Topics
Performing Arts
Theater
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:27:33
Credits
AAPB Contributor Holdings
University of Maryland
Identifier: 70-2-67 (National Association of Educational Broadcasters)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Duration: 00:30:00?
If you have a copy of this asset and would like us to add it to our catalog, please contact us.
Citations
Chicago: “BBC world theatre; Cascando (Reel 2),” 1970-00-00, University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 28, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-8p5vbs81.
MLA: “BBC world theatre; Cascando (Reel 2).” 1970-00-00. University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 28, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-8p5vbs81>.
APA: BBC world theatre; Cascando (Reel 2). Boston, MA: University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-8p5vbs81