Not I

Samuel Beckett’s landmark one-woman piece Not I returns to the Royal Court Theatre, 40 years after its UK premiere.

Beckett’s Not I is an intense monologue, set in a pitch-black space lit by a single beam of light. A disembodied female mouth floats eight feet above the stage and delivers a stream of consciousness, spoken, as Beckett directed, at the speed of thought.

‘I defy anyone to come up with a more intense theatrical experience than Samuel Beckett’s Not I. A Jaw dropping performance.’ Guardian

Lisa Dwan performs the piece in nine minutes – the fastest it has ever been performed. She was tutored in the role by Billie Whitelaw, who originally performed the part at its 1973 premiere and was personally coached for the part by Beckett himself.

After Dwan’s performance, there will be a screening of an interview with Whitelaw on her experiences of performing of Not I, followed by a panel discussion with Lisa Dwan and other special guests including theatre director Roger Michell (who worked as Assistant Director at the Royal Court on Beckett’s Happy days in 1973).

21 May: Derval Tubridy
22 May: Anthony Page
23 May: Roger Michell
24 May: Jim Knowlson & Benedict Nightingale
25 May: Michael Coveney

Lisa Dwan’s credits include on film Oliver Twist and John Boorman’s Tailor of Panama and Bhopal – A Prayer for Rain due for release this year. She most recently adapted, produced and performed the one woman play Beside the Sea at the Southbank Centre in 2012 and a UK tour, Goran Bregović’s new music drama. Margot, Diary Of An Unhappy Queen at the Barbican. She most recently performed in Illusions at the Bush Theatre.

This production of Not I was first performed at BAC in 2005, at the Southbank Centre in 2009 and the inaugural International Festival of Beckett in Enniskillen last year.

Event running time: approx 1 hour

If a performance is listed as sold out, there may still be returns available. Details on our Returns Queue can be found here

Photograph © Allan Titmuss