All That Fall – production information

★★★★
“It works brilliantly… This long-ignored piece strikes me as Beckett’s best play and in Stafford-Clark’s production it comes to vivid life”
The Guardian

The groundbreaking, Nobel Prize winning writer Samuel Beckett described his radio plays as “coming out of the dark”. In this production, internationally acclaimed director Max Stafford-Clark takes blindfolded theatregoers literally into darkness, for a rare live production of Beckett’s first radio play, in which performers share space with the audience, enhanced by a 360° sound design.

A funny, chilling and ultimately moving journey of words and sounds, Out of Joint’s show played in London’s West End in 2016, following popular runs at the iconic Wilton’s Music Hall  and Bristol Old Vic. It was first created for the 2015 Enniskillen International Beckett Festival.

All That Fall is one of Beckett’s most naturalistic plays, inspired by boyhood memories of rural Ireland. It is a play about faltering journeys: an old woman sets out to greet her blind, enigmatic husband at the station on his birthday, only for events to take a deeply unsettling turn. It features Beckett’s first central female role, the unforgettable Maddy Rooney – crotchety and funny, self pitying and self-important, and defiant in her small, strained act of love.

Read reviews and audience comments.

Listen to the play

This studio recording of our production was made for BBC radio by Catherine Bailey Productions, and is performed by Out of Joint’s 2016 cast. Please note this recording is not for sharing publicly.

Writer Samuel Beckett
Director Max Stafford-Clark
Sound Designer Dyfan Jones

Performance details and requirements:

• Running Time: 1 hour.
• The audience for All That Fall are seated in a horseshoe on three sides of the playing space facing inwards; further audience seating is placed in the centre of the room, facing outwards. The space between these two sets of seating becomes a U-shaped walkway which is used by the performers.
• Ideally, there will be a raised stage area at one end of the auditorium.
• Audience members wear eyemasks throughout – these are provided by Out of Joint.
• The production can play to approximately 150 people. An additional ten chairs will be used by the cast, including 4 of the audience seats.

Touring Information and Technical Specification

On The Road

Out of joint will provide all cast, stage and production management, set props and costumes. There will be a maximum of 8 people on the road, plus creative team for opening only. An education pack and programme of workshops (led by Max Stafford-Clark and/or Out of Joint artists) are also available on request.

Promoter/ Venue to Provide:

• Marketing support
• Front of House staff

For international bookings, the venue/promoter may need to provide:

• International travel (including travel between accommodation and venue if applicable)
• Hotel accommodation
• International freight
• Artist visas and innoculation
• Per diems / living allowances
• A full day’s rest between arrival and starting work at the venue.
• A full archive recording of the show, press pack and production photographs are available on request.