WAITING FOR GODOT | CITIZENS THEATRE, GLASGOW, THEN LIVEPOOL & BOLTON
★★★★★
“Sublime Must See Theatre to get lost in…”
Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre production of Waiting For Godot is gentle perfection starring two masters of their craft, Matthew Kelly and George Costigan, in an entrancing study of friendship, ageing and compassion.
As director Dominic Hill reminds in his programme notes, the meaning of Waiting For Godot is ‘what every audience member makes of it’. Consequently, each vision of Samuel Beckett’s play ‘in which nothing happens’ brings new emphasis to his words and the darkly absurd nature of the piece. As such, it’s a piece that’s easy to get lost in.
Hailed as the play that changed 20th century theatre forever, Waiting For Godot follows two men, Didi (Vladimir) and Gogo (Estragon), as they wait for someone who may never come. Filling their time musing about life and the hand fate has dealt them, theirs is a story of their survival in a world where answers are few and far between.
Hill’s vision unfolds on what appears to be the stage of derelict playhouse where, in front of a dilapidated backcloth, stands a blackened tree with just a rusted car door and a couple of wooden chairs for company. Offstage, random lamps, technical paraphernalia and a rail of costumes complete Jean Chan’s aesthetically pleasing if somewhat spectral set design.
On the stage of this ‘ghost theatre’, Didi and Gogo while away their lives, squabbling, laughing and bickering as they await the arrival of Godot. Perched on the remains of an old car seat, Gogo mithers over his boots as Didi observes… and so begins two hours of captivating theatre that stretches far beyond the proscenium arch.
Kelly and Costigan bring a depth of truth to their characters that is simply spellbinding. Effortlessly patient and caring, Costigan’s Didi proves the ideal counter for Kelly’s contrary Gogo. Both give heart-wrenching and often hilarious performances; cantankerous, whining and effortlessly mischievous, Kelly brings a fragility to Gogo that belies his physical size, while the serenity and patience of Costigan’s long-suffering Didi is tempered only by a rage that comes from his understanding of their situation.
Together their badinage is scintillating, their timing impeccable. It’s a dynamic born of nearly six decades of friendship (Kelly and Costigan met 58 years ago at drama school), all of which they invest in their characters to create a priceless chemistry that is never more evident than when their never-ending routine is interrupted by the arrival of Pozzo and Lucky and the surreal master/servant double-act that ensues.
Gbolahan Obisesan is a flamboyant affable and yet demanding Pozzo, while Michael Hodgson is impressive as the subservient Lucky.
Corralling his cast to great effect, Hill’s direction is nuanced and on point, especially when allowing his actors to break the fourth wall, something Lizzie Powell’s simple but dramatic lighting reinforces.
Thought-provoking and angry, Hill’s production is the tale of two men lost in a world where memories are fragile, life is cheap and forgiveness divine, as such it’s a beautifully poignant vision that speaks loudly to the times in which we live.
Full tour and ticket details HERE
