ABSTRACT
We remarked that All That Fall sought to create a three-dimensional world through techniques of aural illusion, and so in despite of its origin revealed analogies with stage drama. Embers, Beckett’s second radio play, is more consistent in its exploitation of the medium: the world of its protagonist Henry is firmly interiorized, since the sounds he hears (and we hear) are mainly in his head. The same is true of Joe, in the more recent television play which explores a similar issue, except that the visual dimension inevitably removes the element of ambiguity as to the precise provenance of sounds that helps to explain why Embers is such an intriguing work (in Roger Blin’s opinion, Beckett’s finest).
