Making of Samuel Beckett's Play/Comedie and Film

Samuel Beckett's short play <i>Play / Comédie</i> and his only film <i>Film</i> were written around the same time (1962-1963). They both have self-referential titles that invite meditation on the genres they represent. Although medium-specific opportunities and challenges underlie their very different geneses they have influenced each other in terms of both form and content. In more ways than one <i>Film</i> continues where <i>Play</i> left off. Whereas in <i>Play</i> the genesis shows a steady increase in speech tempo to the point of near unintelligibility the silent <i>Film</i> radically eliminates speech from the outset. Conversely the cinematic element is also clearly present in <i>Play</i> notably in the crucial role assigned to the light beam as the mechanical mindless inquisitor. Both works are grounded in technology and rely heavily on explanatory notes for the members of their production teams thus exposing the inherently collaborative nature of such projects. The genetic critical analysis of the manuscripts of <i>Play / Comédie</i> and <i>Film</i> not only contributes to the interpretation of each work separately but also considers the two works together through the prism of Beckett's multimedial authorship.