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Fiona Shaw

Happy Days with Fiona Shaw - The National Theatre of Great Britain

Fiona Shaw stars with Tim Potter in London's Royal National Theatre production of Samuel Beckett's absurdist play that reflects the existential terror and wild humor of modern life.

About the Program | Reviews

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About the Program

"A GALVANIZING EVENING IN THE THEATER... WONDERFUL!
The brilliant Fiona Shaw [makes] a glorious testament to the writer's achievement and an actor's extraordinary palette."
--
The Washington Post     Read the full review
 
"FOUR STARS!
Miss Shaw gloriously plays Winnie as the quintessential survivor." 
--
The Washington Times    Read the full review
 
HAPPY DAYS
By Samuel Beckett
Starring Fiona Shaw and Tim Potter
Directed by Deborah Warner
Set Design by Tom Pye
Lighting Design by Jean Kalman
Sound Score by Mel Mercier
Sound Design by Christopher Shutt
Costumes by Luca Costigliolo

At the piercing ring of a bell, a middle-aged woman named Winnie wakes to find herself halfway buried in a mound of rubble. Chattering away, brushing her teeth, rummaging through her bag for a revolver, she clings to her daily rituals and possessions with pained optimism, trying in vain to communicate with her inattentive husband. An existential look at our fears of silence and solitude, Samuel Beckett's two-person masterpiece Happy Days brings to bear the absurd comedies of modern life. Combining the talents of Fiona Shaw and director Deborah Warner--one of the UK's most enduring theatrical partnerships--this stunning production is their first collaboration at the Kennedy Center since 2002's sold-out Medea.  This production is a US premiere.  PLEASE NOTE THERE IS NO LATE SEATING FOR THIS PRODUCTION.

RAVES FROM THE UK:

"A tour de force… Fiona Shaw delivers Beckett's potent stage poetry to perfection."
--The Telegraph

"A knockout… Fiona Shaw is wonderfully funny."
-- The Daily Telegraph 

"Brilliant… Shaw is tremendous to watch."
-- The Guardian

"One of the greatest Beckett performances I have seen."
-- The Sunday Times

"Supremely eloquent"
-- The Independent

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Additional Resources

About the Kennedy Center etcetera Series

About the Kennedy Center Theater Series

Cast and Company

Principal:
Fiona Shaw

Program Information:
Fiona Shaw

Reviews and Articles

Fiona Shaw, Emerging from a Mountain of Words
The Washington Post - Nov. 18, 2007 “It's a peculiar kind of ordeal for an actress of wide-ranging gifts to be tethered ineluctably to one spot. And so, yes, hardship was all that Fiona Shaw was able to feel in the early rehearsals of ‘Happy Days,’ Samuel Beckett’s wildly challenging monologue for a middle-aged woman stuck in a mound of earth.” Read More...

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