Seite 130 [130]
HOW WE MADE THE HUNGARIAN VERSION OF
SAMUEL BECKETTS ALL THAT FALL
o>
MARTON MESTERHAZI
ABSTRACT
Under the politically and culturally tricky conditions in Hungary in 1967,
the idea of producing a Beckett play was only accepted “because the Czech
comrades have already produced it.” The Head of Drama of Hungarian
Radio insisted on using the French translation (by Robert Pinget) with
some corrections on the basis of the original. All That Fall was accepted by
Drama Council. Studio work began: erratic explanations by director, but a
cast of geniuses — the comedians’ instinct working wonders. In the process
of editing, the Head of Drama instructed us to use the sound effects of “the
Czech comrades.” It was broadcast on 11 January 1968, Late Night Radio
Theatre. A modest bit of sensation arose in professional circles. Experiments
in stereophony — the production team was unhappy about the sound effects.
Then the new Head of Drama agreed: sound effects were exchanged for ones of
our own selection.
“Tell a story,” said Martin Esslin on radio drama.' So here follows the story
of how we made Samuel Beckett’s All That Fall in Hungarian. The year is
1967. The last of the imprisoned intellectuals like Istvan Bibd? or Arpad
Göncz? had been amnestied in 1963 and found a modest living. The famous
sentence of János Kádár," originally pronounced in 1961 (at a session of the
National Council of the Patriotic Popular Front), "Whoever is not against us
is with us," sounded nearly logical by that time. Czech, Hungarian, and Polish
economists cooperated to construct a workable model of an economically
efficient Socialism: in earnest and publicly.
1 Martin Esslin’s words at the opening lecture of the EBU radio drama workshop in Edinburgh,
1994.
? István Bibó (1911-1979) jurist, historian, essayist; imprisoned 1957-1963.
3 Arpad Goncz (1922-2015) jurist, translator, author; imprisoned 1957-1963. President of the
Hungarian Republic 1990-2000.
4 Janos Kadar (1912-1989) Communist politician; imprisoned 1952-1954. First Secretary
of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party between 1958 and 1988, practically the most
powerful man in Hungary at the time.
«129 +