Waiting for Godot

This much vaunted production of Samuel Beckett’s classic, Waiting for Godot, is still delighting audiences at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Sir Ian McKellen (theatreland royalty by anyone’s reckoning) plays Estragon and, together with Roger Rees, Ronald Pickup and Matthew Kelly, lured us into the beautiful surroundings of the Theatre Royal which has recently been restored to its original 1819 glory. What better way to spend a rainy afternoon? The restoration alone is reason enough to purchase a ticket, as the royal blues, stunning painted ceiling and mock tapestries that adorn the walls of the stalls were breathtaking. Although our hearts are with Richmond Theatre’s beautifully maintained interior, this is also a truly spectacular example of how to look after a theatre!

When we attended last week, we of course knew that nothing would happen, but we were glued to our seats all the same! Recently winning a Whats On Stage Award for Theatre Event of the Year, the show definitely satisfied our expectations. Sir Ian McKellen’s skeptical Gogo complimented the optimism of Rees’s Didi by constantly asking, “Why?” We enjoyed Rees’s Didi, who was originally played by Patrick Stewart, and felt that there was a great dynamic between him and McKellen. The set, which famously calls for “A country road. A tree. Evening”, stayed true to the simplistic tradition of the play while managing to still be innovative. Director Sean Mathias chose to emphasise the play’s theatricality by creating a stage within a stage. The clever design included a proscenium arch (complete with theatre boxes), remains of masonry in the background, a tree, and stone bench. Everything was falling apart. The top of the arch revealed it’s interior construction and had pieces of plywood sticking out in all directions. “Evening” was conveyed by using a spotlight to represent the moon: a simple, but dramatic effect. Ronald Pickup, playing Lucky, and Matthew Kelly, playing Pozzo were also outstanding. We enjoyed Kelly’s extravagant interpretation of Pozzo as it brought energy to the entire show.

The final performance at Theatre Royal will be on 4 April, so we wanted to catch it before it leaves London for the world tour, and urge you to do the same. Click the link below to purchase tickets:

http://www.waitingforgodottheplay.com/

Photo from Theatre Royal website: hhttp://www.trh.co.uk/show_waitingforgodot.php

Video from Waiting for Godot Video Landing Page: http://www.waitingforgodottheplay.com/