Difference between revisions of "Waiting for Godot (1974)"

Latest revision as of 11:15, 12 October 2021

Poster by Poster Designer

by Samuel Beckett

Produced and Designed by Ann Parnell-McGarry

Performances: 6th – 12th October 1974, Main Stage

Introduction

The action takes place in and around a country village south of the Midlands.

Cast

• Pozzo - Ray Jones
• Estragon - Edwin Stone
• Vladimir - John Lyne
• Lucky - Robert Holden
• Boy - Keith Mayers

Crew

• Production Assistant - Leslie Wilde
• Stage Manager - Dennis Packham
• Assisted by - Margaret Livesey, Pam Lyne, Ginny Kybert
• Set Construction - Bernie Bullbrook, Pat Elliot, Don North
• Sound Recording - Bill Antill
• Sound Operator - Rachel Eyres
• Lighting - Keith Walmsley
• Wardrobe - Barbara Pipe
• Prompt - Daphne Kay
• Box Office - Frank Howcutt
• Front of House Staff - Helen Bouchell

Reviews

" Waiting for Godot - Samuel Beckett's view of the totality of life - tore and taunted the imagination of playgoers 19 years ago. Now, revisited, the play still has a compelling theatrical quality. The South London Theatre Centre in West Norwood High Street is to be commended for this timely revival. If you define dramatic instinct as a flow of unexpected and absorbing happenings on the stage, Beckett's piece has dramatic instinct in a unique sense. Two tramps stand near a tree in a remote country road waiting for Godot. Vladimir manifests a sense of responsibility, a sense of desperate necessity of their waiting that gives him a shabby dignity. The other tramp, Estragon, is a whimpering grotesque, all for deserting or suicide by hanging. The conversation between them is a diffuse essay in the inconsequentia. The identity of Godot and the course of his power are never made explicit, though there are some carefully placed remarks about a saviour. While the tramps' buffoonery and cross questioning continues, the audience senses a passing of time that has been lived. Suddenly there appears an authoritarian bully, Pozzo, who occasionally breaks down into a flood of tears. The authenticity of this farming gentleman gives the tramps a suggestion of hope. They temporarily forget Godot. Pozzo's servant, Lucky, tethered and weighed down by his master's chattels is a character whose relevance is never clarified. A message delivered by a boy ends Act One. In Act Two, everything is repeated but with a difference. Pozzo is blind and is led by his servant who is dumb. The memories of the tramps begin to fail. Although the small boy reappears he is not accompanied by Godot. The director, Ann Parnell-McGarry, extracted some excellent performances from her cast. Edwin Stone as Estragon proved himself to be an actor of remarkable range and invention and the other half of the duo, Vladimir, in the hands of John Lyne, turned out to be a skilful study in eccentricity. Ray Jones, as Pozzo, should learn to gauge his performance to suit the size of the theatre. It's admirable to be audible but to use too much voice is to obliterate other creditable aspects of his characterisation. Robert Holden did all that was possible with Lucky, the servant, and the part of the boy was well filled by Keith Mayers."

J.M.E. (Croydon Advertiser)

Gallery

• Photos by ??
• 

  John Lyne & Edwin Stone

Reminiscences and Anecdotes

Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.

See Also

• Waiting for Godot (1992)
• Waiting for Godot (2021)

References

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External Links

• This play on the web

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