Samuel Beckett returns to his native Foxrock, Co Dublin, later in March to the church which he liked to attend with his mother when the Tullow Church of Ireland parish and the Mouth on Fire Theatre Company present All that Fall.
This year is the 50th anniversary of Beckett being awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature and the 30th anniversary of his death in 1989.
He was born and raised in Foxrock and was a regular attender, along with his mother at Tullow Church. A commemorative plaque was unveiled there in 2016 by Beckett’s niece.
All that Fall was originally written as a radio play and is seldom performed. It features the characters and sounds of a reimagined Brighton Road, Leopardstown Racecourse, Foxrock station and village.
It will be staged in Tullow Church, Brighton Road on Saturday, March 23rd at 8pm.
The cast of eight includes well-known actors Geraldine Plunkett, Donncha Crowley, Neil Fleming, Michael Judd, Paul Marron, Deirdre Monaghan, Melissa Nolan and Matthew O'Brien. They will bring to life what has been described as Beckett's best play. It is directed by Cathal Quinn.
The production is being presented in association with Foxrock Area Community and Enterprise, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council and Dublin Unesco City of Literature.
Samuel Barclay Beckett was born on Good Friday, April 13th, 1906, and lived with his family at Cooldrinagh, Kerrymount Avenue, Foxrock, Co Dublin. His father, William Frank Beckett, worked in the construction business and his mother, Maria Jones Roe, was a nurse.
The young Beckett attended Earlsfort House School in Dublin and at 14 he went to Portora Royal School in Co Fermanagh, the same school attended by Oscar Wilde. He received his Bachelor's degree from Trinity College in 1927.
In 1928, Samuel Beckett went to Paris where he met and became close to James Joyce. Referring to his childhood Beckett once remarked: “I had little talent for happiness.”
