BECKETT in BABYLON

24. - 26. APRIL 2025

50 years ago, in 1975, Warten auf Godot saw its German Premiere on the stage of the Schiller Theater, Berlin. It was directed by Samuel Beckett himself.

This year, to commemorate Beckett's work in Germany, the Embassy of Ireland will present a special programme. This will include the Berlin Premiere of the specially commissioned film by Irish artist Declan Clarke 'If I Fall, Don't Pick Me Up' along with talks from Mark Nixon and Walter D. Asmus, and screenings of Beckett's works for television made at Der Süddeutsche Rundfunk from 1966 to 1986.

Programme:

24th April

17:00 - German fever: Beckett and Germany - A talk by Mark Nixon

Register to attend through this Eventbrite  HERE

Samuel Beckett’s life and work was profoundly shaped by his engagement with German culture, encompassing literature, art, philosophy and music. This illustrated talk gives an overview of this long-lasting relationship, from his early visits to Kassel in the late 1920s and early 1930s, his six-month trip through Germany in 1936-37, to his theatrical productions at the Schiller Theater in Berlin in the 1960s and 1970s and subsequent television work at the Süddeutscher Rundfunk in Stuttgart in the 1970s and 1980s.

Mark Nixon is Professor of Modern Literature and Beckett Studies at the University of Reading, where he is also Co-Director of the Beckett International Foundation. He has authored or edited more than twenty books on Beckett’s work, and is currently preparing a critical edition of Beckett’s ‘German Diaries’ (with Oliver Lubrich; Suhrkamp, 2026).

19:00 - If I Fall, Don`t Pick Me Up with GUESTS! - Screening followed by Q+A

A film that explores the relationship between iconic Irish author Samuel Beckett and renowned German theatre director Walter D. Asmus, and considers a legacy built on interpretation and performance: when the original actors have departed the stage, what remains?

Beckett and Asmus met in the early 1970’s and worked closely together for the last fifteen years of Beckett’s life. The film, shot entirely on 16mm film, reflects on their developing relationship through the written communications Beckett sent to Asmus - at first succinct and professional, but progressively more personal. The true depth of their connection is more extensively relayed through the annotated theatre notes that were developed as Asmus directed Beckett’s work through the 1970s and 80s.

While Walter Asmus directed all of Beckett's plays internationally - with the exception of 'Play' and 'Catastrophe' - their work together to bring, interpret, and present 'Waiting for Godot' to the stage is the most enduring legacy of their working relationship.

In 1988 Asmus directed what has come to be regarded as the definitive version of Beckett’s landmark play Waiting for Godot at The Gate Theatre, Dublin.

25th April

18:00 - 20:00 - Beckett: Discussion & Films -Discussion between Walter D. Asmus and Mark Nixon and screenings of Beckett’s SDR works

‘Quadrat I + II’ (1981)

‘Nacht und Träume’ (1983)

‘Was Wo’ (1986)

26th April

17:00 - 18:30 - Samuel Beckett`s Television works for SDR

‘He Joe’ (1966)

‘Geistertrio’ (1977)

‘…nur noch Gewölk…’ (1977)

DE

Vor 50 Jahren, 1975, erlebte Warten auf Godot unter der Regie von Samuel Beckett seine deutsche Erstaufführung auf der Bühne des Schiller Theaters in Berlin.

In diesem Jahr präsentiert die irische Botschaft zum Gedenken an Becketts Werk in Deutschland ein besonderes Programm.

Das Programm umfasst die Berliner Erstaufführung des eigens in Auftrag gegebenen Films „If I Fall, Don't Pick Me Up“ vom irischen Künstler Declan Clarke sowie Vorträge von Mark Nixon und Walter D. Asmus und Vorführungen von Becketts Fernseharbeiten, die zwischen 1966 und 1986 für den Süddeutschen Rundfunk entstanden sind.

Das Programm findet ab dem 24. April im historischen Babylon Kino statt. Registrieren Sie sich hier, um über das vollständige Programm und die Freigabe der Karten informiert zu werden.

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