|
''Rough for Radio I'' is a short radio play by Samuel Beckett, written in French in 1961 and first published in ''Minuit'' 5 in September 1973 as ''Esquisse radiophonique''. Its first English publication as ''Sketch for Radio Play'' was in ''Stereo Headphones'' 7 (spring 1976). It first appeared under its current title in ''Ends and Odds'' (Grove 1976, Faber 1977).〔Ackerley, C. J. and Gontarski, S. E., (Eds.) ''The Faber Companion to Samuel Beckett'', (London: Faber and Faber, 2006), p 489〕 “Plans for a BBC production, with Humphrey Searle providing the music, were made soon after the publication of the original French version but came to nothing and a later BBC proposal to produce the play without music was rejected by Beckett in the late 1970s. According to the Beckett estate the French version was produced by ORTF (Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française) in 1962, although Beckett himself seems later to have forgotten about this production.”〔Fox, C., ‘(Square Dances an introduction to the music of Richard Rijnvos )’ in ''The Musical Times'' winter 1999 (volume 140, number 1869)〕 A complete run of all Beckett’s radio plays was presented by RTÉ Radio 1 in 2006 to celebrate the centenary of the author’s birth; ''Rough for Radio I'' was broadcast on April 12. The work has also been produced on compact disc by the British pianist John Tilbury who also speaks the part of ‘He’. It was recorded at Trinity College of Music and Electronic Music Studio, Goldsmiths College, London, in 2004/5 along with a version of ''Cascando'', the music composed and performed by John Tilbury with electronic modulations by Sebastian Lexer. ==Synopsis== An unnamed woman visits a gloomy man, who we learn is called Macgillycuddy.〔A branch of the O’Sullivans and always associated with Kerry.〕 She is under the impression that she is there on his invitation; he says not but nevertheless allows her entry. He is civil, formal, his conversation phatic He effects a faux-subservience with his continual use of “Madam”, but takes no steps to make her stay comfortable, refusing to provide even “a little heat” or “a little light”〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 107〕 but he doesn’t go so far as to forbid her squatting on the thick cushion she sees. “()e experience a practiced talker at work in the female well-wisher, with her reliable memory and inventory of conversational 'gambits' at the ready.〔Eric Keller in Agar, M., Ed., ''Language Shock: Understanding the Culture of Conversation'', New York, William Morrow and Co, p 96〕 Despite her skill, she is stymied in her efforts to advance the conversation by the male protagonist’s uncooperative obduracy.() He refuses to accommodate her desire to establish a probing 'frame', to elicit the information that her curiosity craves.”〔Brown, V., ''(Yesterday’s Deformities: A Discussion of the Role of Memory and Discourse in the Plays of Samuel Beckett )'', (doctoral thesis)〕 Even when she expresses concern for how troubled he seems to her the man refuses, as Vladimir would put it, to “return the ball.”〔Becektt, S., ''Waiting for Godot'', (London: Faber and Faber, () 1988), p 12〕 He is a model of polite restraint, but why? She has come, she informs him, to listen but then asks if she can “see them”.〔 He says not but he does permit her to operate the two knobs that control the music and the words she has come to hear. “()s it live?” she wants to know. He doesn’t answer other than to instruct her how to control the sounds: “() must twist … To the right.”〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 108〕 His subsequent answers indicate there are individuals behind the sounds, one producing words, the other music. Each is alone, isolated from the other and required to produce their respective sound continually without respite. The man says he can’t however describe their conditions for her. Both sounds are faint and “not together”. The woman wants them louder but the volume never varies while she is there. Having heard as much as she needs she wants to know if Macgillycuddy likes what he hears. For once he opens up and confesses that “()t has become a need”〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984)'', p 109〕 but admits nothing more. She readies to go, leaving him to his “needs” (a rather sardonic remark which he fails to counter). Before she exits, she asks a strange question: “Is that a Turkoman?” 〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 109〕 Predictably the man ignores the question and goes to show her out. She takes a wrong turn and nearly walks into where they keep the “''house'' garbage” implying that there are other locations that produce waste. After she has left there is a long pause. The audience then hears the sound of two curtains being drawn evocative of those around a hospital bed. The man picks up the telephone receiver and dials. We only hear his side of the following phone conversations. He asks the young lady who answers the phone – he refers to her as “Miss” – to have the doctor call him back. He says that it’s urgent and waits impatiently for the phone to ring. It is hard to believe this is the same man who was so proper with his woman visitor only a few lines earlier. Could this be a different point in time completely? Or were the curtains available all the time but were only closed while he attended to his unwelcome visitor? He gets a return call but it’s only to inform him that they cannot locate the doctor. She rings off and he curses her: “Slut!”〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), p 111〕 His agitation builds. He’s beginning to panic. The phone rings a second time. This time it may be the doctor who asks a number of pertinent questions to which the answers are, “they’re ending”, “this morning”, “she’s left me”, “they’re together” and “how could they meet?”〔Beckett, S., ''Collected Shorter Plays of Samuel Beckett'' (London: Faber and Faber, 1984), pp 110,111〕 The voice on the end of the phone tries to reassure him that “last … gasps” are all alike and then rings off telling him he’ll receive a visit in an hour. Macgillycuddy slams the phone down and curses again. This time he uses the word “Swine!” suggestive of the fact that he has been talking to a different person, most likely a male.〔 A few moments later the phone rings one final time. He’s now told not to expect the doctor before noon the next day; he has two births (first gasps?) to attend to, one of which is breech. Music and Voice are then heard “()ogether, ending, breaking off together, resuming together more and more feebly”〔 and then there is nothing. After a long pause the man whispers, “Tomorrow … noon …” 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Rough for Radio I」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|