By Maggie Marwick, Beckett’s Restaurant, Bulletin 4/2024, June

Former Prime Minister Julia Gillard with Beckett’s Restaurant owner, Wendy Beckett (Photo:  Maggie Marwick)

This photo was taken last year in Melbourne where Julia Gillard was giving a speech at Trades Hall in support of higher education for girls.

Beckett’s Restaurant in Glebe is becoming something of a go-to place for Labor Party identities of late. This May we had the playwright Joanna Murray-Smith at Beckett’s, showing her theatre vignette ‘Julia’ about Julia Gillard with actress Justine Clarke. This play will be returning to the Sydney Theatre Company (STC) for a second season, following its enormously successful premiere.

On 10 July, Beckett’s is hosting the wonderful actor Jonathan Biggins, known for his annual political satire ‘The Wharf Revue’. Following on from his hit production (The Gospel According to Paul), with STC also, he will be doing his Paul Keating performance piece at Beckett’s. Two federal Arts Ministers from Canberra will be attending this night.

Beckett’s Restaurant Glebe (photo: Phil Vergison)

Wendy Beckett with her stage manager Haly Pratt restored and returned the Darling Mills restaurant to its former glory of sandstone and etched glass and changed its name to Wendy’s family name, Beckett’s. In keeping with her playwright tradition, Wendy has just returned from overseas where she was directing her play ‘Sappho’. Beckett’s restaurant has a beautiful 17th-century white marble sculpture of ‘Sappho’ which she encourages people to touch.

Beckett’s Restaurant has a downstairs cellar area which holds just six tables of ten. Here, for one night only every month or so, Wendy hosts a hit piece of theatre  for only half an hour. The performances are ticketed and are served up with a delicious three course French meal and matching wines all prepared by chef Frederic Plat.

Beckett’s is also celebrating Reconciliation Week (29 May – 2 June) and Bloomsday on 16 June with an Irish band.  Beckett’s is a happening place these days with Sunday Crab night, 25% off on Wednesdays and a live pianist on Thursday to Saturdays.