A screening of Dance First

From the Oscar award- winning director James Marsh, ( “Man on The Wire”, “The Theory of Everything”), “Dance First” stars Gabriel Byrne as Samuel Beckett, in this beautifully realised biopic, with young Beckett played by Fionn O’Shea’: This is  a sweeping  and vivid account of the life of the 20th century icon, Parisian bon vivant, World War II resistance fighter, Nobel Prize-winning playwright, philandering husband and recluse, Samuel Beckett lived a life of many parts. In this delightful, playful film we see Beckett’s life through his mistakes and fraught relationships with James Joyce (Aidan Gillen), his wife Suzanne (Sandrine Bonnaire) and his lover Barbara Bray (Maxine Peake).

With inventive direction by James Marsh and an engagingly dry lead performance from Gabriel Byrne playing a dual role which sees Beckett engage in dialogue with himself, Dance First is an insightful exploration into the life and work of a literary genius. Shot in beautiful black and white and infused with Beckett’s mordant wit and surrealist flair, this is a fitting tribute to the great Irish literary giant.

This is a rare chance to see this beautiful film on the ICC’s big screen. The ICC would like to thank Michael Livingstone at 2lemedia and Marc Lamb and SKY for giving us permission to screen.

What the Press say about “Dance First”

“A vivid portrait of the great playwright of inertia points up the contrast with his real-life romantic entanglements and daring work for the French resistance” Peter Bradshaw. The Guardian.

“Samuel Beckett biopic starring Gabriel Byrne shows the writer’s genius as well as his messy private life and failings”  David Roy. The Irish News

“The film charts the Irish writer Samuel Beckett’s life, from his time as a fighter for the French Resistance during the Second World War to his literary rise to winning the Nobel Prize for literature in 1969. Starring Gabriel Byrne and Aidan Gillen”. Declan Burke. The Irish Examiner. 

 The Director, James Marsh says….

 “Dance First’ is an imaginative and often poignant account of the life of Samuel Beckett. The film has a bold structure that sees Beckett discussing his life’s mistakes with another version of himself, an antagonistic alter ego. But you don’t need to be a student of Beckett to enjoy this film – the script is both witty and dramatic, focusing on the key relationships in his life and including some startling episodes such as his active involvement in the French Resistance and his near-fatal stabbing by a pimp in Paris. We got Gabriel Byrne attached to play both the mature Beckett and his alter-ego and we built a powerful ensemble cast around him.”

Watch the trailer here: