The Parish Church of St John-at-Hampstead

1/6/2012

“Waiting for Godot” Bill Risebero

Nothing happens. Nobody comes, nobody goes. It`s awful!

So says Estragon, waiting with Vladimir his friend, for the arrival of the mysterious Godot.  How long must they wait?  What can they do while waiting?  And in the end, will Godot ever come?

The first English production of Samuel Beckett`s Waiting for Godot (he originally wrote it in French) opened in London in 1955 – the first major show directed by the young Peter Hall. At the time, variety and light comedy dominated the London stage. There was some Shakespeare and, of course, there were always the `well-made` plays of Priestley, Rattigan and Coward – but this play was very different.  It puzzled some of its audiences (to say nothing of some of the cast members) and was derided by many critics till taken up by Harold Hobson and Kenneth Tynan, after which it became a hit.

It is now accepted as one of the great plays of the 20th century. Beckett, along with Ionesco, is credited by Martin Esslin with having revolutionized modern drama by establishing the `theatre of the absurd`. In place of conventional drama came its exact opposite – plays without plot, structure, characterization and many other things till then thought essential. As a result, the works of Adamov, Genet, Albee, Pinter and Stoppard became possible.

Waiting for Godot is not a linear narrative in the conventional sense, but rather a play about a situation. The situation, of course, is one of unfulfilled, apparently pointless waiting. But though it is a play about boredom, it is manifestly not itself boring. Beckett`s Irish Protestant background, and his close knowledge of the scriptures, have led many to recognise in it strong religious qualities. It may or may not have been intended as a Christian play, but it is richly philosophical, expressing strong views of the relationship between God, Mankind and Nature.

And it is also very funny, both verbally and physically. Beckett`s philosophy may owe much to Descartes, and his literary method to Joyce, but there is also a debt to Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers.  Jean Anouilh said the play was like `Pascal`s Pensées performed by the Fratellini clowns`. In Godot, as in King Lear, you have to be a clown to make sense of the chaos.
 
Waiting for Godot has been performed all over the world, and has been warmly received in places where its ideas of frustration and `waiting`, together with its dark humour, have had great resonance for the audiences –  in San Quentin prison, in Sarajevo during the Yugoslavian war, in the flooded New Orleans and in West Bank Palestine.  
The play has a small cast – four men and a boy. It also has a simple set, a `mound` to sit on, and a tree, so it is eminently portable – we are performing it in Pimlico as well as Hampstead.  In both places we have a wet-weather venue, though ideally we will do it in the open air. In the Churchyard of Hampstead Parish Church, or in St George`s Square Gardens, its setting of  `a country road` will be particularly apt.

So if, like Vladimir in the play, you feel the cold, please dress for warmth and comfort. It may be, of course, that for 3rd to 8th July at least, summer will arrive – though whether we can promise the same of Godot remains to be seen.

More information on the Hampstead Players website