On Samuel Beckett’s enduring appeal …
Stark, minimalist and existential: Samuel Beckett’s work is seen as bleak by many people. His most famous work is arguably Waiting for Godot (1952), a tale of two tramps waiting in vain for one of their friends. This play propelled him to fame and further critical acclaim followed with plays such as Endgame (1957). But there are more layers to his enduring appeal.
Also noteworthy were his sartorial choices, particularly his fondness for sweaters, rooted in the history of Parisian Left Bank intellectuals and existentialism. Beckett spent time in Paris – indeed during World War II he joined the French Resistance and was rewarded for his efforts with the Croix de Guerre and the Medaille de la Resistance.
He has been associated with pairing sweaters with suits (either Arans or turtlenecks). This look has been adopted by everyone from tycoons (especially the Arnault family) to royalty (Prince William). But there are other elements to his style. He had a fondness for berets, suede moccasins (often Clark’s Wallabees), Brylcreem (to slick back his severe hair) and did not deviate from his preference for small, round steel-rimmed glasses. A surprising accessory was a suede Gucci hobo bag (he was pictured with one in 1971).
Photographs via The Samuel Beckett Society.
His biographer James Knowlson recounts his high/low dressing which sounds surprisingly contemporary: “He dressed in an odd mixture of old and new, smart and shabby, mostly the result of accident rather than design. Relatives and friends gave him new scarves, socks, shirts and sweaters as Christmas or birthday presents. But, although he never looked seedy, he took no real interest in clothes. For preference, he donned a comfortable, much washed knitted sweater, usually in cream, grey or beige, which he wore under an old sheepskin coat. When it was cold, he pulled an old beret down – squarely, not rakishly – over his large, protruding ears. The canvas bag that he carried across his body was beginning to look worn. One day in a London taxi, [his friend Alan] Schneider noticed that he had on a pair of thick, tweed trousers that he had not seen him wearing before. “I like the pants, Sam,” said Schneider. “Where did you buy them?” “From the Charity shop,” answered Beckett with a cheeky grin.”
This season sees some of Samuel Beckett’s plays and characters in action during the Dublin Theatre Festival. Here’s where and how to pay homage to a literary and sartorial legend:
Wear: The Beckett turtleneck sweater from new Irish luxury brand, Dear John, designed by Gillian Leavy. She explains: “There are so many iconic photographs of Samuel Beckett in Paris wearing turtlenecks, and to evoke that casual, effortless style the Beckett sweater is woven from a super soft baby camel merino blend. We’ve chosen yarns in neutral cream, anthracite, as well as a pop of cobalt blue. I collaborated with my longtime friend Edmund McNulty on the knitwear for this first collection. His background in menswear perfectly aligns with our inspirations this season. As for how to style it – wear with our corduroy wide-leg trousers and double breasted City jacket for a laid back cool look.” www.dearjohnclothing.com
See: Stephen Rea in Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin, from October 21 to 26. In this one-act play, directed by Vicky Featherstone, we meet Krapp, a man in his late sixties. Every year, on his birthday, Krapp records a new tape – a review of the year just gone. But on this occasion – his 69th birthday – he listens back to a tape he recorded years before. This will be his last ever tape.
Twelve years ago, actor Stephen Rea recorded the earlier tapes. He explains: “I had no certainty that one day I might play Krapp, but I thought it a good idea to pre-record the early tapes so that the voice quality would differ significantly from that of the older character, should the opportunity ever arise to use it.” Spooky! Tickets cost €26.50 plus booking fee from www.ticketmaster.ie.
Shades through a Shade, directed by Judy Hegarty Lovett which is on during the Dublin Theatre Festival, from September 23 to 28. This play is described as a “new exploration of Beckett and Dante in a show that seeks to combine literary embraces and repulsions of divine intervention and what it might mean to make art.” The play follows Beckett’s character Belacqua from More Pricks than Kicks to his roots in Dante’s Divine Comedy and embarks on a journey that links mystics and philosophers across the ages. Fittingly, the play is on at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College (Beckett studied and taught at Trinity and was also awarded an honorary degree by the College). Tickets are from €20-€30; www.dublintheatrefestival.ie.
Join: The Samuel Beckett Society which has updates of events around the world as well as an archive of Beckett’s letters; www.samuelbeckettsociety.org.
Stay: In the Beckett Suite at The College Green Hotel, Dublin. This is just one of the hotel’s Library suites named after Irish writers including George Bernard Shaw, WB Yeats and Oscar Wilde. Each swish two-storey suite is imbued with glamour and creativity – portraits of the writers and relevant reading are part of their charms. I stayed last year and spent a very cosy night perusing the reading material and enjoying room service. Beckett was notoriously private and shy, and would no doubt approve of this discreet suite in his name; www.thecollegegreenhotel.com.
Visit: If you are popping over to Paris for an autumn getaway, take in Samuel Beckett Allée in the 14th arrondissement, named in honour of his service in the resistance during World War II. Beckett is also buried with his wife in Montparnasse cemetery. Reportedly he said his tombstone “could be any colour as long as it’s grey.” Stylish to the end.