| Act Without Words I | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Samuel Beckett |
| Mute | Man |
| Date premiered | 3 April 1957 |
| Place premiered | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| Original language | French |
| Setting | A desert |
Act Without Words I is a short play by Samuel Beckett. It is a mime, Beckett's first (followed by Act Without Words II). Like many of Beckett's works, the play was originally written in French (Acte sans paroles I), being translated into English by Beckett himself. It was written in 1956 following a request from the dancer Deryk Mendel and first performed on 3 April 1957 at the Royal Court Theatre in London. On that occasion it followed a performance of Endgame. The original music to accompany the performance was written by composer John S. Beckett, Samuel's cousin, who would later collaborate with him on the radio play Words and Music.[1]