“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” One of Samuel Beckett’s (1906-1989) most memorable quotes isn’t used in Midnight Tattoos, which places an emphasis on Beckett’s impact on prisoners, particularly those impacted by seeing performances of Waiting for Godot while incarcerated. The seemingly endless waiting that goes on in the play struck a nerve with prisoners, as did the portrayal of suffering and the futility of living. There is some scope for humour in this production, however, as Michael (Andrew Laithwaite) allows Suzie (Angelina Chudi) into the studio apartment he’s renting in Paris, even though there’s a ‘no guests’ rule, which turns out to be one of many regulations.
Neither are to touch certain objects, which begs the question: why didn’t the proprietor have their prized possessions moved somewhere else so that Michael couldn’t touch them even if he was tempted? Minor niggles of this nature aside, however, the play is an intriguing one, and one that doesn’t require any prior knowledge of the canon of Samuel Beckett’s works to get one’s head around what’s going on. The third character, Prisoner (Jeremy Hancock), does have an ‘actual’ first name but I shall keep faith with the programme – and his identity, without giving too much away, means he is a direct relation of one of the other on-stage characters.
But Hancock’s Prisoner plays multiple parts, including, depending on how one wishes to interpret the role, the inner voices of both Michael and Suzie. This is realised by him jumping into the dialogue, whilst remaining unseen by the apartment’s occupants – but because this involves him saying a line and then either Michael or Suzie saying it, again, but as though it originated from their trains of thought, there’s more repetition than there needs to be, and truth be told, it started to get more than a little tedious.
This is also true in certain moments that involve no speech at all. For instance, Suzie reads a book. Inherently, of course, there’s nothing wrong with book reading: it is, after all, better than committing a crime against a person. But the audience is, if you can believe it, expected to sit there and watch someone reading. I might as well have been stood on the concourse at Victoria Station semi-mindlessly waiting for the platform of my train to be confirmed. Granted, what she reads about, and what has her so enthralled that she spills her drink, is revealed later, but it could have been revealed anyway without the preamble, especially as if one didn’t know any better, one might be tempted to think she was engrossed in erotica. (Spoiler: she wasn’t.)
Interspersed in between a developing friendship that goes through ups and downs – but remains platonic – are some direct addresses to the audience given by our Prisoner, about the life and times of Beckett. These are not personal recollections – the Prisoner ends almost every speech with a reminder that he wasn’t there when the events being described happened, leaving the audience to determine for themselves quite how reliable a narrator he is.
The title, as I’m fairly sure someone is bound to ask, is derived from Suzie being a tattoo artist, and Michael accepting an offer of a free tattoo (well, two as it happens) late at night. Without giving it all away, the tattoo has direct relevance to the wider story. Overall, this production is a good introduction to Beckett – and a pleasant reminder for those who have encountered his life and works before. With some tweaking and trimming, it could be even better.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Opposites attract when rebel Suzie and bookworm Michael meet on the plane from JFK to Paris. Guided by the voice of a mysterious stranger, they explore Samuel Beckett’s favourite haunts and solve the riddle of Waiting for Godot.
CAST
Suzie Angelina Chudi
Michael Andrew Laithwaite
Prisoner Jeremy Hancock
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer Philip Landon
Director Olivia Munk
Associate Director Jessica Bickel-Barlow
Lighting Designer Will Alder
Sound Designer Jamie Lu
Lost Girl Productions presents
MIDNIGHT TATTOOS
Drayton Arms Theatre
9 to 13 July 2024
