Paul Blackwell, Peter Carroll and Pamela Rabe Set for State Theatre's Beckett Triptych

State Theatre Company's 2015 season will begin with three perfect theatrical gems written by the father of theatrical postmodernism, Samuel Beckett. Brought together especially for the 2015 Adelaide Festival, this trio of remarkable and rarely produced short plays will feature three of Australia's greatest actors: Paul Blackwell, Peter Carroll and Pamela Rabe, all of whom are brilliantly matched to the funny, wistful, bleak and acutely observed work of Beckett.

Footfalls opens a window onto the life of May; who we see pacing metronomically back and forth on a strip of bare landing outside her dying mother's room. Part ghost story, part exploration of the existential bond between parent and child, Footfalls is Beckett at his purest. May will be brought to life by the extraordinary Pamela Rabe, most recently acclaimed for her role in Wentworth series.

Eh Joe plumbs the depths of Beckettian regret, depicting an old man, played by Paul Blackwell, plagued by the memories of his past, as related to him by an insistent female voice. Tormented by his inner demons, he is made to relive his destructive relationships and face the people he has failed, over and over again.

Krapp's Last Tape is both a haunting and enchanting look at the many lives we live in the course of a single one. It is Krapp's birthday and, as is his custom, he goes to record his recollections of the year on his old reel-to-reel tape recorder, as well as listen to what has gone before. Australian stage legend Peter Carroll stars in this intimate production, which starts out as the vaudeville of an elderly man's memories and soon turns into a confessional, revealing a life of missed opportunities and melancholy.

Artistic Director Geordie Brookman commented "We're delighted to once again partner with the Adelaide Festival to bring audiences a unique and adventurous theatre experience. Beckett is a theatrical monolith and the opportunity to match his genius with some of our best performers was irresistible."

Over the course of one spellbinding evening, all three pieces will be performed in two of State Theatre Company's spaces; the Scenic Workshop and Rehearsal Room. The audience will be divided in two, with each group attending either Footfalls or Eh Joe, before swapping to the other performance space to watch the other play. The entire audience will then be brought together in the Scenic Workshop to witness Krapp's Last Tape.

This will be the third time State Theatre Company has converted its Workshop into a theatre, which promises to be an alluring space to immerse audiences in the world of Beckett.

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