HAPPY DAYS Young Vic, London SE1

Samuel Beckett has produced some unforgettable images; and none more so than the woman who spends the first act buried up to her waist in earth and the second act buried up to her neck. When I first saw this interior monologue I was so bored I vowed I would never see it again. I have now seen it four times Ever since the premiere in 1961, the role of Winnie (whom Beckett likened to “a bird with oil on its feathers”) has attracted famous actresses and most of them have had a hard time trying to learn the difficult and inconsequential text. Beckett was a severe taskmaster and Peggy Ashcroft, Brenda Bruce and Billie Whitelaw all suffered during his rehearsals. He didn’t want any feeling. He was obsessed with pronunciation and gave meticulous physical and verbal instructions. He wanted monotony. In the first act I thought Juliet Stevenson was incredibly good. The second act falters.