Up to her diddies in the sand

First appeared: Evening Star, Ipswich, November 13, 2004

Happy Days, by Samuel Beckett
Mercury Studio, Colchester, until November 20

WINNIE is buried so deep in sand she cannot move. Why? Don't ask.

Why doesn't Willie, out of sight behind her, attempt to help her? And who rings the bell that signals the start and end of the day?

These things don't matter. What matters is getting through the day. And the next. And the next.

"There is much to be thankful for. No pain. Very little."

Stripped bare of context and storyline, Beckett's view of the human condition is hardly a cheery one. And yet there is a strength in Winnie that makes Happy Days anything but depressing.

Mercury Theatre Company stalwart Christine Absalom is brilliant in the role.

There is nowhere to hide in a part that keeps her stuck, not just on stage, but in the same place throughout, facing the audience. With all the attention on her face and voice, her performance needs to be flawless - and it is.

Giving her an Irish accent makes Beckett's sometimes quirky turn of phrase seem the only naturalistic thing in this strange play.

By contrast, Adrian Stokes as Willie is seldom seen and even more seldom heard, yet he provides immaculate support.

Someone apparently turned up for this show expecting a cheery 1950s-set American sitcom featuring the Fonz. I wonder what on earth they made of Beckett's bleak masterpiece.

Beckett, I suspect, would have enjoyed their confusion. Confounding expectations was always part of the game for the oddball genius.