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Banned for over half a century, Samuel Beckett’s entertaining and deeply affecting Irish play, All That Fall, remained unseen by audiences. At long last, that ban has been lifted, granting theater goers in London and New York the double delight of seeing a radio play produced on stage.

Blackbird Theatre, whose Waiting for Godot was a held-over hit at The Cultch, has been granted the rights to present this first Canadian production of All That Fall.
 
All That Fall is a 75-minute radio play written by Samuel Beckett in 1956 for the BBC. After an initial broadcast in 1957, several prominent theatre producers – including Laurence Olivier – tried to obtain the rights to produce it as a stage play, however Beckett refused all requests.

Two years ago, English theatre, film, and television director Trevor Nunn succeeded in persuading the Beckett estate to allow theatrical staging of the script as a radio play and All That Fall premiered in London (2012) and New York (2013) to rave reviews.

[Adam Henderson, William Samples, Lee Van Paassen]

“Reveals a different side of Beckett’s artistic personality…genuinely funny… There is also a mystery at the play’s heart which, as in a thriller, is only resolved at the very end” —The Daily Telegraph

“You’re unlikely to find a more salty or succinct embodiment of his fathomless sense of humor” — Ben Brantley, New York Times

Directed by Duncan Fraser, All That Fall stars Leanna Brodie, Adam Henderson, Lee Van Paassen, Gerard Plunkett, and William Samples.

The Cultch Presents Samuel Beckett’s All That Fall

Dates: December 29 to January 24, 2015
December 29 to January 3, 6 to 10, 13 to 17, 20 to 24, 8 pm
January 4, 11, 18, 2 pm matinee
Venue: Historic Theatre at The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, Vancouver 
Tickets: From $19, available online or via phoning 604.251.1363
Enjoy a lively post-show Q&A session with the artists on January 4, 11, 13, 18, and 21.

About Blackbird Theatre
All That Fall will be Blackbird’s 12th major production since its founding in 2005. The company and its artists have received numerous Jessie nominations and awards, including Outstanding Production for Peer Gynt and The Triumph of Love, and their work has been acclaimed by both the public and the media.

Photos by Tim Matheson.