The sound of drawn-out steps on gravel are heard over the speaker while Eileen Atkins takes center stage at an indulgently slow pace to tell the tale of Samuel Beckett’s one-act radio play “All That Fall,” running through Dec. 8 at the 59E59 Theater. Michael Gambon, best known as the second Dumbledore in the “Harry Potter” film franchise, and Eileen Atkins portray the oldest and most decrepit couple imaginable as they travel home from the train station.
The characters are so richly brought to life by the cast that the betrayal of Beckett’s original intentions is forgivable. Gambon and Atkins play a couple on the verge of death who seem to be enjoying it. Mrs. Rooney (Atkins) finds joy in excessively lamenting about her mundane problems, which include climbing a set of stairs and entering a car, to anyone with ears. That Atkins makes the audience care is the true genius of her performance.
Mr. Rooney (Gambon) is just as brilliant a character. His dialogue is peppered with gems such as, “Don’t ask me to speak and move at the same time.” Together, the two grumpy characters leave the audience giggling even in the face of death.
Regardless of the stellar performances, watching a radio play on stage is still a strange experience, for the substance of the work resides in the words and the noises. With every actor onstage at all times with scripts in hand, sometimes it feels as though the audience is watching the cast watch the play.
There are moments when the audience will want to feel like closing their eyes to simply listen — understandable because Beckett only intended for the piece to be heard. Regardless of Beckett’s wishes, Trevor Nunn’s production puts “Fall” on its feet, in full costume and with blocking. Sounds of cars rolling away and a few children’s voices are heard over the loudspeaker in recorded form.
However, a lack of consistency in prop use lessens the impact. Instead of focusing on the wonderfully written words and prevalent subject matter, it is too easy to notice Atkins has a handkerchief while another actor has to mime a prop. The onstage world should be one where everything is mimed or everything is made physical — the incorporation of the two does not mix well. At one point, Atkins sits on a seat located center stage and proceeds to drive away. The added visuals contribute little to the production.
While a simpler interpretation of the text — one that would’ve placed attention on the words and the play itself — may have suited this production better, the wonderful performances given by Gambon and Atkins are enough to propel “All That Fall” beyond the inherent awkwardness of performing a radio play on stage.
A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Nov. 19 print edition. Blair Simmons is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].
