What Happens in Come and Go?
The complete story of Come and Go, from the first scene to the last, in 235 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout.
Spoilers ahead
The story opens with three women of indeterminable age—Flo, Vi, and Ru—sitting in silence on a narrow bench surrounded by total darkness. Once childhood friends who attended “Miss Wade’s” together, they recreate a childhood habit of sitting side by side. Though they wear full-length colorful coats, the colors have dulled over time, giving them the appearance of faded flowers with nondescript hats shading their faces.
As they engage in uneasy, stylized small talk, the encounter begins to feel like a haunting ritual. The narrative follows a repetitive, puppet-like choreography:
- Vi, seated in the center, exits the stage.
- Flo asks Ru about their absent friend’s appearance, to which Ru responds:
> "I see little change"- Flo then slides into the middle to whisper a shocking revelation to Ru, swearing her to secrecy.
- Vi returns to take the vacated seat.
This sequence repeats twice more, resembling a sleight-of-hand trick, until each woman has occupied the central position and become privy to a secret about another. While the audience never hears the specific details of these whispers, the responses are consistently shocked expressions of “Oh.” These moments of climax contrast sharply with the otherwise slow and calm atmosphere, creating an enduring mystery regarding the trio’s interconnection.
At the conclusion, the three women link hands in a traditional manner, forming an unbroken Celtic knot. The play ends with Flo stating, “I can feel the rings,” despite no rings being visible.
Come and Go Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Opening tableau in darkness” to “Flo's final line”. 2 events name a place, across 2 locations.
- 1
Opening tableau in darkness
Three figures of indeterminable age—Flo, Vi, and Ru—sit quietly side by side on a narrow bench-like seat surrounded by total darkness. The stark image immediately establishes the ritualistic, otherworldly atmosphere of the play.
Where:A narrow bench-like seat, surrounded by darkness
- 2
Childhood friends from Miss Wade's
The three women are revealed to be childhood friends who once attended Miss Wade's school together. Sitting side by side in this manner is something they used to do in the playground back in their youth.
Where:Miss Wade's school (in memory)
- 3
Three faded flowers
Unusually for Beckett, the characters wear colourful full-length coats, albeit now dulled over time. Combined with drab, nondescript hats that shade their faces, they might give the impression of three faded flowers.
- 4
Uneasy, ritualistic small talk
Together the women make uneasy, highly stylized small talk that takes on a haunting ritual aspect. The processed, unnatural quality of their exchange reinforces the ceremonial nature of their reunion.
- 5
Vi's silent departure
After a short time, Vi, who is seated in the centre, rises and silently goes off stage. Her quiet exit initiates the pattern of departures and returns that structures the entire play.
- 6
Flo and Ru discuss their absent friend
Once Vi is out of earshot, Flo asks Ru how she thinks their absent friend is looking. Ru replies, 'I see little change,' a loaded answer given what is about to be disclosed.
- 7
The first whisper
Flo slides over to the middle position and whispers an awful revelation to the other, swearing her to secrecy. The audience never hears what is said, which preserves the mystery and heightens the dramatic tension.
- 8
Vi returns
Vi comes back and takes the seat vacated by Flo, completing the first rotation of the trio. The seating arrangement has shifted, yet the tableau appears deceptively unchanged on the surface.
- 9
Second rotation
The same scenario is enacted a second time, with choreography suggestive of a sleight-of-hand artist—the button under the thimble. The dialogue remains very similar, and another secret is whispered beyond the audience's hearing.
- 10
Third rotation
The pattern repeats once more until Vi finds herself back in the middle of the group, with Ru and Flo's positions now reversed. By this point each of the three women has occupied the central seat.
Show the other 4 events of Come and Go Hide the last 4 events
- 11
All three privy to secrets
Through the rotations, all three women become privy to a secret about one of the others. This web of unheard revelations creates a sense of ongoing interconnection between the trio, bound together by their shared mysteries.
- 12
Shocked reactions
The initial response to each whisper is a shocked 'Oh,' though Beckett specified that each of the three reactions should be unique in some way. These moments of dramatic climax stand in sharp contrast to the otherwise slow and calm mood.
- 13
Hands linked in the old way
At the play's conclusion, the three women link hands 'in the old way,' forming an unbroken Celtic knot. The gesture recalls their childhood bond and is reminiscent of Winnie's 'old style' from Beckett's earlier work.
- 14
Flo's final line
Flo delivers the closing line, 'I can feel the rings,' even though none are apparent to the audience. This final enigmatic image leaves the play's central mystery unresolved and lingering.
Quiz
How well do you remember Come and Go? Test yourself on the story.
