What Where

What Where is Samuel Beckett's last play produced following a request for a new work for the 1983 Autumn Festival in Graz, Austria. It was written between February and March 1983 initially in French as Quoi où and translated by Beckett himself.

The play begins with a voice issuing forth from a dimly lit megaphone: "We are the last five." Only four characters appear throughout the performance however, Bam, Bom, Bim, and Bem (an echo of Rimbaud’s sonnet, "Voyelles") but the voice does not belong to a putativeBum, rather it is the "Voice of Bam". The men are all dressed in identical grey gowns with the same long grey hair.

Before the drama proper commences there is a quick run through of the action without words. The four characters enter and exit, as they will all do later, in a style more reminiscent of Quad than the two Act Without Words mimes. Satisfied with this the Voice of Bam says, "Good," switches off the light and prepares us for the action.

The play follows a seasonal pattern. The voice tells us that it is spring and turns on the light. Bom enters from the north and is questioned by Bam as to the results of an interrogation. We do not learn who has been subjected to his ministrations – the assumption is Bum – only that he was given "the works", that he "wept", "screamed" and although he "[b]egged for mercy" he still refused to "say it".

The voice is dissatisfied with how this scene is playing out and makes them start again. This time Bam wants to know if Bom attempted to revive the man. Bom claims that he couldn’t at which point Bam accuses him of lying saying that he had been given the information and he would also be subjected to the same grilling until he confessed.

Bim appears and asks what information he needs to extract from Bom. Bam maintains he only wants to know: "That he said it to him." Bim wants to make sure that is all he needs to obtain and then he can stop. Bam tells him, "Yes." Bam's voice repeats "not good, I start again". Bim then asks what is he to confess. Bam tells him that he needs to confess that he said "it" to him. Bim asks if that is all and Bam says "and what". Bim asks again and Bam says yes. Bim then calls Bom to come with him and they both exit.

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