Produced and presented by The Cockpit with Peter Marinker and Kristin Milward
A monthly program of readings giving voice to dissident writers, past and present. In collaboration with PEN International.
When we can, we will host these evenings in Studio 1
Otherwise they will be broadcast online.
"Hello out there. This is the first of 9 evenings in 2021 produced by the Cockpit. Over the years the Theatre has hosted two Beckett festivals, a series of performed readings- Mapping Beckett and, in 2014, Waiting for Godot played in the Round. I co-directed the play and was encouraged by its warm reception to revive the production in this, my 80th year. Well, live theatre is pretty unlikely at the moment, but all bets are not off yet." - Peter Marinker
Coming Up:
Saturday 27 February 2021 at 7pm - Returning to Godot - revisiting Beckett’s masterpiece. Online Broadcast.
Saturday 26 March 2021 at 7pm – Insulted - Battles like this happen once in 100 years.
Saturday 24 April 2021 at 7pm - Beckett’s Outbursts - A tonic for the pandemic. Comic and bleak texts chosen by the late John Calder S.B’s friend and publisher.
Saturday 25 June 2021 at 7pm - All about Eve - a feminist look at Milton’s Paradise Lost thanks to Marilyn French.
Returning to Godot – revisiting Beckett’s masterpiece
Saturday 27 February, 7pm
As a Nobel prize winner Beckett gave moral and financial support to his fellow writers. Sam, as we tend to call him, chose to live in relatively enlightened France and originally wrote “En Attendant Godot” in French. He was subject to censorship by the theocratic government in his native country. PEN International is a charity that has been celebrating literature and protecting freedom of expression for a century. To find out how you can stand alongside them to protect the human rights of persecuted writers across the world, please visit their website or follow them on social media.
Joined by other actors we will be giving voice to dissident writers past and present. The Word can be liberating or repressive. Patriarchy is underpinned by the Bible, the Koran and other ancient religious texts. Racism, Homophobia and Misogyny hides between the covers of these dusty books which still exert a powerful influence on the gullible. We’ll be taking a look at Milton’s classic take on the Book of Genesis on the last Friday in June.
PEN International was founded in 1921. PEN was one of the world’s first international non-governmental organisations acknowledged by the United Nations and among the first international bodies advocating for human rights, particularly freedom of expression. From one founding Centre in London, PEN’s network of more than 140 Centres is now rooted in over 100 countries.
This year, PEN marks 100 years of delivering its mission. From its founding by writer and peace activist Catherine Dawson Scott in the wake of war through to the present day, PEN's goal remains the same: to foster tolerance and dialogue across cultures, languages and political affiliations, within and between nations. PEN is a voice for writers silenced in their own countries.
PEN is a worldwide voluntary movement and international charity that connects writers, human rights defenders, and community groups. For the past century, PEN International has successfully worked to celebrate literature, defend freedom of expression, protect writers at risk, support writers in exile, repeal attacks on women writers, and promote equal rights for language communities.
If you would like to learn more about PEN’s work, please do visit their website here. You can support writers globally by donating here too. Thank you for making a difference!
· Creative Witnesses brings together musicians and creative artists in support of writers who have been imprisoned, harassed, or put at risk because of their commitment to freedom of expression. https://pen-international.org/creative-witnesses-take-action-for-writers...
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