Les Chaises (English: The Chairs) is an absurdist "tragic farce" by Eugene Ionesco. It was written in 1952 and debuted the same year.The play concerns two characters, known as Old Man and Old Woman, frantically preparing chairs for a series of invisible guests who are coming to hear an orator reveal the old man's discovery of the meaning of life. The guests supposedly include "everyone" implying everyone in the world; there are other implications that this is a post-apocalyptic world. The Old Man, for example, speaks of the destruction of Paris. The invisibility of the guests implies that the Old Man and Old Woman are the last two people on the planet. As the ΓÇ£guestsΓÇ¥ arrive, the two characters speak to them, and reminisce cryptically about their lives. A high point in the happiness of the couple is reached when the invisible emperor arrives. Finally, the orator arrives to deliver his speech to the assembled crowd. Played by a real actor, the orator's physical presence contradicts the expectations set up by  the action earlier in the play.

This is a digital rip of Caedmon 2-disc recording TRS323

THE CAST

The Old Woman  SIOBHAN McKENNA
The Old Man    CYRIL CUSAK
The Orator     EUGENE IONESCO

Directed by Howard Sackler
Translated by Donald Watson

01 Part 1: 18.05
02 Part 2: 19.03
03 Part 3: 22.58
04 Part 4: 18.29