Radio Beckett

Summary

Samuel Beckett captures the pathos and irony of modern life like no other dramatist. In the decade following the success of Waiting for Godot (1952), Beckett wrote some of his most absorbing work for radio, including the BBC's Third Programme. These plays are concerned with human isolation and the frailty of memory and communication, and they are suffused with a musicality that is particularly remarkable in this medium. With the exception of From an Abandoned Work, they can be heard in binaural surround sound, creating a particularly intimate audio experience which makes you feel as though you are in the theatre with the characters around you.


This collection includes: From an Abandoned Work performed by Stephen Rea, Rough for Radio 1 starring Ron Cook and Monica Dolan, Rough for Radio 2 starring Stephen Dillane, Louise Brealey, Brian Protheroe and Nick Underwood, Words and Music starring Ian Mckellen and Carl Prekopp and Cascando starring Stanley Townsend and David Seddon.


Matthew Sweet is the host of the R3 programme Sound of Cinema about film scores and their composers, and is a regular presenter of R3’s Night Waves. He introduces each of the plays and gives context to the productions.