Dance First (2023)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dance First is a historical drama which premiered in 2023.

 

This drama examines the life - but not the work - of the famous Irish writer Samuel Beckett (1906-1989).

 

Following a brief introduction, the story of his life is told in five chapters. Here are the headlines:

 

# 1. The mother               

# 2. Lucia

# 3. Alfy (and Suzanne)

# 4. Suzanne (and Barbara)

# 5. La Fin

 

Here is some basic information about this drama:

 

** Director = James Marsh

** Writer = Neil Forsyth

** Run time = 100 minutes

 

The cast includes the following:

 

** Gabriel Byrne as (the old) Samuel Beckett

** Fionn O'Shea as (the young) Samuel Beckett

** Leonie Lojkine as (the young) Suzanne Déchevaux-Dumesnil (1900–1989)

** Sandrine Bonnaire as (the old) Suzanne

** Grainne Good as Lucia Joyce (1907–1982)

** Robert Aramayo as Alfred (“Alfy”) Péron (1904–1945)

** Maxine Peake as Barbara Bray (1924–2010)

 

What do reviewers say about this historical drama?

 

Here are some answers:

 

43 percent = Rotten Tomatoes (the critics)

46 percent = Meta (the critics)

50 percent = Roger Ebert website

58 percent = Letterboxd

60 percent = IMDb

60 percent = The Irish Times

60 percent = Eye for Film

80 percent = Common Sense Media

 

The ratings are not impressive, as you can see. The rating of 80 percent from Common Sense Media is an exception. Most reviews offer 60 percent or less.

 

Why are the ratings so poor? 

Perhaps there is a good reason? 

Perhaps the poor ratings are fully justified and well-deserved?

 

In my opinion, the answer is yes. This drama has several flaws. Let me explain:

 

# 1. The title of the drama is a quote from Samuel Beckett’s famous play Waiting for Godot. But this fact is never explained in the drama.

Towards the end of the drama, an explanation appears.

We are told it was something Beckett said to a student when he was asked how to deal with life:

“Dance first, think later.”

But this explanation is false.

 

# 2. In the drama, Samuel's father dies while Samuel is still a teenager, around 1920.

After the death of his father, Samuel is alone with his (horrible) mother. But this chronology is false.

Samuel's father did not die in 1920. He died in 1933. This was five years after Samuel Beckett left Ireland.

 

# 3. In the drama, Samuel is visiting the home of James Joyce. The year is 1928 or 1929. 

While the family is having dinner, there is an argument and Lucia gets angry at her mother Nora Barnacle. Lucia is so angry that she grabs a chair and throws it at her mother.

This episode is real, but it did not happen in 1928 or 1929. It happened three or four years later, in February 1932, when the family was celebrating the 50-year birthday of James Joyce. The chronology is false.

 

# 4. Some significant moments in his life are not shown in this drama:

** His relationship with his cousin Peggy Sinclair (1928–1932)

** His relationship with the American art collector Peggy Guggenheim (1937–1938)

 

# 5. He was in New York in 1964, but this fact is excluded from the story

 

# 6. He worked as a director of some of his own plays in Germany:

** He was in West Berlin on and off during the years 1967–1978

** He was in Stuttgart (West Germany) on and off during the years 1965–1985

But his time in Germany is not covered in this drama.

 

# 7. As the story moves forward, there is no information about where we are in time or place.

The viewers are expected to know where we are in time and place.

An on-screen message can help the viewers understand where we are in time and place. But this is only done once. When chapter five (La Fin) begins, an on-screen message says we are in Paris and the year is 1982.

 

# 8. This drama covers the life of Samuel Beckett, but it does not focus on his work. There are almost no references to his work, even though Samuel Beckett was first and foremost a writer.

 

# 9. The opening scene is set in Stockholm in December 1969. This is the solemn ceremony where the Nobel Prizes are handed over to the winners.

We can see Beckett sitting in the audience with his wife Suzanne.

But this is not true. Beckett did not attend this ceremony. He stayed away. He asked a friend to attend the ceremony and accept the prize on his behalf. What we see in the drama is totally false.

 

The story is important. It deserves to be told. Sadly, this drama is not successful. In my opinion, the poor ratings are fully justified and well-deserved.

 

*****

 

The famous Irish writer

Samuel Beckett

(1906-1989)

 

*****