Beckett’s Club gives theatre lovers a new way of finding out about both past and future theatre events. This November 17 ‘vignette’ was a short monologue from a play opening in 2023. A previous ‘vignette’ was William Zappa’s monologue from his 2019 reading of The Iliad at the Sydney Festival.
You descend the stairs from the main restaurant down into the private wine bar where once a month there is a Clubhouse event. You find your place at the large round tables, read the personalised menu and anticipate a culinary experience courtesy of Chef Jeff Schroeter. The format is a delicious two courses, followed by a fifteen minute theatre performance, followed by another two courses.
This may seem like a ‘theatre restaurant’, but it’s not. There are no ribald jokes or performers speaking directly to the audience. This is serious theatre, with seriously good food and wines.
Vignette #5 was part of BLUE, a play written and performed by 26 year-old Kamilaroi man Thomas Weatherall. The full play will be presented at Belvoir Street Theatre as part of the Sydney Festival between January 14 to 29, 2023.
Thomas stands alone in a space about 3 x 3 metres, in between the tables. Patrons easily move their chairs around to get a good vantage point. The acoustics in the curved-ceiling under-storey of Beckett’s make the acoustics good. We hear every word Thomas speaks and feel every emotion he conveys. He is alone in his apartment, trying to make some sense of his young life – his studies, his family, an unnamed family tragedy and his suicidal thoughts.
Sound dreary? Not at all. It’s a universal tale told with humour, promise of good things to come and acceptance of things past. Young men must somehow launch themselves into adulthood and story-telling is a good way to get started. The play is directed by Deborah Brown.
These one-evening-only vignettes are curated and presented by Beckett’s founder and playwright Wendy Beckett. She introduces this performance as being part of Beckett’s and Belvoir’s encouragement and support of Indigenous theatre.
We clapped. Thomas graciously bowed. We all sat quietly contemplating the deep yet uplifting monologue we’d just listened to and much admired. Then, paperbark baked barramundi was placed in front of us. All the courses were designed to complement Indigenous foods – yabbies, eel, barra and bush spices brûlée.
Perfect.
The Beckett Club, 134A Glebe Point Road
https://belvoir.com.au/productions/blue/
Featured image : L-R_ Deborah Galanos, Lynette Curran, Wendy Beckett, Jeff Schroeter, Thomas Weatherall. Photographer: Belinda Rolland © 2022
