Beckett Boulevard
Where does it end?
A Faustian descent to the places where power resides. Somewhere in the middle, so it seems.
We imagine that it starts in a very ordinary way. With an actress (Natali Broods) who is tired of her acting life and envisages creating a political party. Why not? And why should the first scene not be set in the Ostend Queen restaurant on the top floor of the Kursaal in Ostend? Here, during a conversation with her ex-husband (Willem de Wolf), she reveals her plans. And why, after a time, wouldn’t they be joined by a waiter (Peter van den Eede). And why wouldn’t the budding politician accept the waiter’s invitation to go downstairs to the casino? So that the play (and the politician) can immediately become alienated, and can immediately go down with him, and she can let herself be tempted to mix noble beliefs with lust, greed, pride and fear of failure?
As mentioned, Natali seeks the middle path. As do William and Peter. The middle path, which everyone is so determined to find, but which in the meantime seems to disappear equally resolutely – taking everyone with it.
Beckett Boulevard, a play of which we know the start but not where it ends. A ‘badly-made play’.
van en met Natali Broods, Willem de Wolf en Peter Van den Eede | productie de Koe (Antwerpen)
