In March 1961 the author of Waiting for Godot (1955) Samuel Beckett (aged 54) mysteriously booked a room for two weeks at the Hotel Bristol on the Upper Leas in Folkestone under his middle name, Barclay Beckett. Beckett was keen that his Folkestone marriage to his long time partner Suzanne Dechevaux-Dumesnil remain a secret and so during his stay he was deliberately stealthy for fear of being recognised.
To mark the 60th anniversary year of Beckett’s wedding in all its intrigue, The Shape of Things to Come Festival has commissioned an indoor-outdoor promenade event which audience members experience one at a time. This includes three short five-minute fictional monologues specially written by acclaimed writers, Helen Oyeyemi, Rupert Thomson and Eimear McBride in which they portray three Folkestone residents who observed (or nearly observed in one case) Beckett during his stay - a receptionist at the Hotel Bristol where he stayed, a local journalist for the Daily Express (who believed he’d discovered about Beckett’s marriage in advance), and a witness, possibly invited from off the street, to the wedding at Folkestone Registry Office.
This event is also part of the Folkestone Book Festival Digital Pass. By booking a Digital Pass you'll be able to access all talks and events and revisit anything you missed for up to a week after the festival.
BUY A DIGITAL PASS HERE.
This film is a special commission offering a unique opportunity to experience Beckett in Folkestone. Through this film, you will walk in the footsteps of an invisible actor and experience the words imagined as part of the original production. The film will premiere at Quarterhouse with a special screening and will be streamed online.
This event is a Folkestone Book Festival screened event at Quarterhouse.
Age recommendation: U (Suitable for all audiences)
This year the Festival will be presented online and in-person wherever possible and in line with the latest government guidance. You can find more information about the Festival here.
Creative Folkestone Book Festival is made possible thanks to the generous support of our funders and partners. We are proud to welcome the return of NewsNow as our Principal Partner for the Creative Folkestone Book Festival.
