Remembrance and Pantomime

by Derek Walcott

First produced by Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival in 1979, Remembrance is the story of an evasively eloquent retired teacher who cannot reconcile his anachronistic love of British culture with the evolution of his family and commpunity in independent Trinidad. "A lyrical, audience-pleasing work" ( Variety). Mr. Walcott is a poet, and his writing is of a quality we seldom hear in the theatre" ( The New Yorker). Pantomime is a fast-paced comedy set in Tobaco. In the hope of entertaining future guests, an English hotel owner proposes that he and his black handyman work up a satire on the Robinson Crusoe story. The play was produced by BBC Radio and London's Keskidee Theatre in 1979. "A brilliantly extended set of variations on the master-and-servant relationship" ( The Times). "Gentle wit, immaculately placed irony" ( New Statesman). "Dazzling theatrical virtuosity" ( Financial Times).

Genres: Plays, School

176 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1980

About the author

Derek Walcott was a Caribbean poet, playwright, writer and visual artist. Born in Castries, St. Lucia, he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992 "for a poetic oeuvre of great luminosity, sustained by a historical vision, the outcome of a multicultural commitment."

His work, which developed independently of the schools of magic realism emerging in both South America and Europe at around the time of his birth, is intensely related to the symbolism of myth and its relationship to culture. He was best known for his epic poem Omeros, a reworking of Homeric story and tradition into a journey around the Caribbean and beyond to the American West and London.

Walcott founded the Trinidad Theatre Workshop in 1959, which has produced his plays (and others) since that time, and remained active with its Board of Directors until his death. He also founded Boston Playwrights' Theatre at Boston University in 1981. In 2004, Walcott was awarded the Anisfield-Wolf Lifetime Achievement Award, and had retired from teaching poetry and drama in the Creative Writing Department at Boston University by 2007. He continued to give readings and lectures throughout the world after retiring. He divided his time between his home in the Caribbean and New York City.

Reviews

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The play ‘Pantomime’ is written by West Indian poet and playwright Derek Walcott. It is a play that calls attention to the destructive nature of colonialism in a postcolonial era through the conversation between two people from different racial backgrounds. Walcott depicts the racial discrimination issues in the tourist industry because the relationship between white master and black servant is kept alive for the sake of profit.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just Pantomime.

"We're trying to do something light, just a little pantomime, a little satire, a little picong. But if you take this thing seriously, we might commit Art, which is a kind of crime in this society."

[Corinna]

Era una vita che non leggevo un'opera teatrale.. Infatti non so come regolarmi con il voto in stelline. Posso dire che le due opere mi sono piaciute, le ho trovate divertenti e con degli ottimi spunti di riflessione. Derek Walcott è stata una scelta "dettata" dalla gara di lettura, ma che bella scoperta che è stata!!!
Ho preferito la seconda opera "Pantomime": i due protagonisti sembrano essere sempre ad un passo da una lite furiosa, ma finisce tutto con loro due che fanno battute sulle capre!!! Ho trovato davvero geniale la scelta di far partire il tutto dall'idea di invertire le parti tra Crusoe e Friday..

PS: su YT ho trovato il video della rappresentazione di Pantomime, diretta da Walcott stesso

[Ariya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gosh the play is fucking awesome. It's kind of a cheating because I only read Pantomime but keep in mind to read the other Walcott's works.

This is so hilarious, witty, twist, tragic and also heart-breaking with really well-rounded characters. Bravooo.

[Shilo · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If you want me to learn your language, you’d better have a gun”

[Suzie Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read Pantomime, but it was great!

[Milton Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read Pantommime, but nopw I will have to find Remembrance and read it too.

[Isaac Timm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subtle, don't know if I'm ready to review, I'll get back to you.

[Jivita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm no stranger to the works of Derek Walcott, but no matter how much a previous work of his impresses me, the next one I read never fails to leave me awestruck. Pantomime is pure genius!!

[Leisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just read Pantomime.

This is definitely a play that needs to be seen in order to appreciate it... it does not hold the same effect when just read off of the page...

[Zinaj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read. I preferred Remembrance to Pantomime

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Pantomime alone and I liked it. looking forward to watch the play on youtube now.

[Noha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to read Pantomime for a class.