Lisa Dwan in Samuel Beckett's 'Not I'

Friday, 19 April 2013

The University is proud to present an event to celebrate the work of Samuel Beckett that includes a performance of Beckett's Not I that the Guardian declared to be ‘a jaw-dropping performance.'

The event begins with actress Lisa Dwan's 10 minute performance of Not I. This will be followed by a short documentary film, featuring an interview with Billie Whitelaw. There also be an after-show discussion with Lisa.

40 years after the premiere of Beckett's Not I at the Royal Court Theatre in London, which featured Beckett's muse, Billie Whitelaw, in a groundbreaking performance, Lisa Dwan performs in one of the most iconic and challenging pieces in theatre history.

Lisa Dwan was tutored in the role by Billie Whitelaw and first performed the piece in 2005, with critics praising her ‘thrilling and technically astounding interpretation of the play'.

This production is part of a series of events celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Beckett International Foundation at the University, a charitable trust set up by James Knowlson and Samuel Beckett in 1988. The Foundation fosters the work of Samuel Beckett and administers the Beckett Archive, the largest collection of material pertaining to the Nobel Prize winning author.

The late Anthony Minghella, a patron of the Foundation, named the University's Beckett Archive as one of the ‘best-kept arts secrets in Britain'.

During the event there will be a unique opportunity to view Beckett's original manuscript of Not I and other materials pertaining to the play.

The Beckett International Foundation at the University of Reading presents: Lisa Dwan in Samuel Beckett's Not I

26 April and 27 April

Minghella Building, Whiteknights campus

6.30pm - Doors open
7.30pm - Performance

To book for this event, please access the University's online store