A one act play Endgame was staged here on Monday at Ravindra Bhavan Auditorium. The English play Endgame by Samuel Beckett was originally written in French Fin de partie which was written in the style associated with the ‘Theatre of The Absurd.’ Notably, Beckett himself translated the play into English and is considered to be among Beckett’s most important works.
Performed by Other Theatre, Bhopal the play was directed by a French dramatist Gladys Clain. The theme of the play revolves around ‘The End is in the Beginning.’ The one act play has four characters Hamm who is unable to stand and blind, Clov is the servant of Hamm and is unable to sit; Nagg is Hamm’s father and has no legs and lives in a dustbin and finally Nell who is Hamm’s mother and also has no legs and lives in a dustbin next to Nagg.
Hamm is a character who believes that all wrong went to him. He is totally dependent on his servant Clov as he remains confined to his wheelchair all the time. Nagg and Nell lost their legs years before in a bike accident and now lives in dustbins. They emerge from the ashbins only to be cursed by their son Hamm for his misery.
The setting is a bare interior with gray lighting. There are two small windows with drawn curtains, a door, and two ashbins covered by an old sheet. Hamm sits on an armchair with wheels, covered by an old sheet. Clov stares at Hamm, motionless. Throughout the play an intertwined conversations between Hamm, Clov, Nagg and Nell takes place as they narrate different stories.
Hamm knowing that Clov is leaving him, prepares for his last battle. He soliloquizes in terms of the last moves in chess a king evading checkmate as long as possible. Clov prepares for leaving Hamm hating him for the past wrongs, yet without any pity for Hamm. Hamm calls out Clov but hears nothing; sitting on his wheelchair he puts a handkerchief on his face and lights fade away. The play was not well presented as many aspects remained unclear all through the play. It was just a satisfactory presentation.