“One was saved and the other damned”. This biblical thought, reiterated in Waiting for Godot, forms much of the basis of the Ensemble theatre’s production of Burnt Piano.

Written by Justin Flemming, Burnt Piano tells the story of Karen Idlewild who is obsessed with the Samuel Beckett and his play Waiting for Godot. She travels to Paris with her sour-grapes father - a children’s writer - and her son Jonah, in the hope of meeting Beckett and telling him what a profound influence he has had on her, asking his advice and ultimately, seeking his approval.

Burnt Piano is meant (I think) to be a touching story about a woman grieving for her dead son, as well as a tribute to Beckett’s Waiting for Godot by incorporating themes and lines from the classic play. In fact, it comes across as neither. Karen’s (Dee Smart) loss is overshadowed by her obsessiveness and her need for Beckett’s approval. This obsession and fantasy, as well as the fact that Beckett (gruffly and realistically played by one of the Ensemble theatre’s founding members, Don Reid) as a mere mortal with imperfections, is what undermines the greatness of Godot.

Burnt Piano patronises its audience with incessant, unnecessary dialogue, monologues and frequent puns (such as ‘Fan-atic’) that seem to scream “aren’t we clever? We’re referencing a play within our play”. At two hours 20 minutes, it could well have been more than half an hour shorter, but Flemming’s need to spell everything out and tie everything together makes it seem like he thinks his audience do not have a minds of their own, let alone imagination.

Possibly the main problem with Burnt Piano is that it tries to cover too much. Grief, obsession, guilt and jealousy are all huge issues that could each be the subject of an entire performance. By combining them, the result seems superficial, thrown together and not sympathetic.

Dee Smart tends to over-act in her role, being too exasperated, too needy, too sad, while her father (Michael Ross) is realistically portrayed but condescending. The only actors who play their characters with any warmth and conviction is Zika Nester (Beckett’s wife, Suzanne) and Don Reid.

The lighting (designed by Martin Kinnane) and music play a significant part in Burnt Piano, and creates a 1980s Parisian-style atmosphere which is soothing and inviting, and its nice to see a performance where music plays a role. Overall it couldn’t make up for the lengthy and unitriguing performance so on the whole, Burnt Piano stirred no fire within me.