Fragments - TNT

The work of two men who have been highly influential in 20th century European theatre comes together in this short bill of five brief pieces which range from the comic to the serious, with a touch of violence thrown in. Octogenarian director Peter Brook has joined forces with a skilled trio of former Complicite actors to reinterpret the work of the late Samuel Beckett on a virtually bare stage. In "Rough for Theatre", a wheelchair bound amputee (Jos Houben) seeks to befriend a blind musician (Marcello Magni), but, despite a certain interdependence, ends up treating him with callous cruelty. Then Kathryn Hunter, in head to toe black, poignantly intones the last thoughts of an old lady's final moments in "Rockaby." The men reappear in "Act Without Words," a cleverly mimed portrayal of two vastly different ways of greeting – and getting through - the day and, by implication, life. Magni surfaces from his huge white sack all grumpy pessimism to find everything an unrewarding chore; Houben emerges from his with smiling, eager optimism. "Neither," a brief prose piece, again features a melancholic Hunter. And finally, in "Come and go," all three don winter coats as a trio of old ladies sitting on a bench to reminisce and whisper ominous secrets. Brook takes liberties with Beckett's strict stage directions, but, almost two decades after the latter's death, these snippets still intrigue.
The Maria at the Young Vic, The Cut, SE1 (020-7922 2922) Until 6th October. Tickets £21.50 (under 26's £9.50)