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Words and Music
The play takes place in what Katharine Worth describes as "an unidentified ‘listening’ space," another of Beckett’s "skullscapes." The only specific location mentioned is "the tower" – perhaps a folly – so the scene may well be in a castle with Croak in the role of châtelain.
Croak is a doddery old man, testy and maudlin. He is never referred to by name in the play itself but he is well named. Joe addresses to him – albeit somewhat obsequiously – as, "My Lord," since, despite his apparent frailty, he has plainly been someone used to wielding authority. There are only two sound effects used in the entire play, the scuffle of Croak’s feet as he arrives and departs and the thud of his club reminiscent of the rulers wielded by the Animator in Rough for Radio II and the music teacher in Embers. For entertainment, this Beckettian ‘old King Cole’ has only two old stalwarts left to call on, his minstrels, Joe (Words) and Bob (Music).
Croak is a doddery old man, testy and maudlin. He is never referred to by name in the play itself but he is well named. Joe addresses to him – albeit somewhat obsequiously – as, "My Lord," since, despite his apparent frailty, he has plainly been someone used to wielding authority. There are only two sound effects used in the entire play, the scuffle of Croak’s feet as he arrives and departs and the thud of his club reminiscent of the rulers wielded by the Animator in Rough for Radio II and the music teacher in Embers. For entertainment, this Beckettian ‘old King Cole’ has only two old stalwarts left to call on, his minstrels, Joe (Words) and Bob (Music).
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1961
About the author
Samuel Beckett
934 books6,702 followersNovels of Samuel Barclay Beckett, Irish writer, include
Murphy
in 1938 and
Malone Dies
in 1951; a wider audience know his absurdist plays, such as
Waiting for Godot
in 1952 and
Krapp's Last Tape
in 1959, and he won the Nobel Prize of 1969 for literature.
Samuel Barclay Beckett, an avant-garde theater director and poet, lived in France for most of his adult life. He used English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black gallows humor.
People regard most influence of Samuel Barclay Beckett of the 20th century. James Augustine Aloysius Joyce strongly influenced him, whom people consider as one modernist. People sometimes consider him as an inspiration to many later first postmodernists. He is one of the key in what Martin Esslin called the "theater of the absurd". His later career worked with increasing minimalism.
People awarded Samuel Barclay Beckett "for his writing, which—in new forms for the novel and drama—in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation".
In 1984, people elected Samuel Barclay Bennett as Saoi of Aosdána.
Samuel Barclay Beckett, an avant-garde theater director and poet, lived in France for most of his adult life. He used English and French. His work offers a bleak, tragicomic outlook on human nature, often coupled with black gallows humor.
People regard most influence of Samuel Barclay Beckett of the 20th century. James Augustine Aloysius Joyce strongly influenced him, whom people consider as one modernist. People sometimes consider him as an inspiration to many later first postmodernists. He is one of the key in what Martin Esslin called the "theater of the absurd". His later career worked with increasing minimalism.
People awarded Samuel Barclay Beckett "for his writing, which—in new forms for the novel and drama—in the destitution of modern man acquires its elevation".
In 1984, people elected Samuel Barclay Bennett as Saoi of Aosdána.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 22, 2024
با ترجمهی علی باش. آلوارز دربارهی این نمایش رادیویی میگوید: «روایت دراماتیکی از زحمات و ناکامیهای نهفته در فرایند آفریش هنری... تصویر روشن و شفافی از شکاف میان موسیقی مترنم در سر شاعر و کلمات سنگین و سربی نهفته در حافظهی او».
October 12, 2022
An enigmatic piece by Beckett, but, they all are, so why should this one differ! It is a dramatic work occurring between Words, Music, and Croak, where they all whine and complain over the intricacies of music and other certain thematic strands. It's in the abstract like most of Beckett's writing in the 1960's.
October 10, 2020
Works best together with the Feldman music: click here.
December 9, 2021
Feldman and Beckett — ორივე ერთად… უუუუუგენიალურესობა
December 12, 2021
Náhled do hlavy zoufalého autora, kterému se v hlavě perou kreativní energie a on je nedokáže zkrotit a přimět spolupracovat. A další Beckettův experiment.
May 27, 2025
3.5 stars. I thought it was fun!
November 15, 2013
Pure Beckett - words and discordant music fighting for our attention. The main voice is that of Croak - another of Beckett's disembodied voices.
The theme Croak opts on for the evening’s diversion is love. He is a decrepit version of Orsino with his famous opening line from Twelfth Night: "If music be the food of love, play on," a hopeless romantic, in love with love, and melancholy from the mere thought of it. Croak could almost be the selfsame man, had he never moved from that spot for the rest of his life and now finds himself on the brink of death.
The theme Croak opts on for the evening’s diversion is love. He is a decrepit version of Orsino with his famous opening line from Twelfth Night: "If music be the food of love, play on," a hopeless romantic, in love with love, and melancholy from the mere thought of it. Croak could almost be the selfsame man, had he never moved from that spot for the rest of his life and now finds himself on the brink of death.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews