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Post by Mark_Stevenson on Mar 9, 2009 11:35:14 GMT
A fun Saturday evening in sunny Malvern - went to see Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in 'Waiting for Godot'. I've never seen a production of this before and went in with veery few preconceptions, beyond the common-knowledge plot summary of 'they sit under a tree and nothing happens'.
It's an astonishing piece - by turns funny, moving, tragic and downright bizarre. McKellen and Stewart are clearly having a whale of a time and are both on first-class form. I've got an itch to read some Beckett now.
We got our programmes signed afterwards too, which was a definite plus!
Mx
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 9, 2009 12:11:12 GMT
I shall hopefully be seeing it in Bath in early April with my father. I know no more about it than you did, Mark. But I couldn't turn down my first chance to see those two actors together on the same stage.
Martin
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Post by Mark_Stevenson on Mar 9, 2009 15:11:17 GMT
You're in for a treat then!
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Cullen
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Post by Cullen on Mar 18, 2009 16:43:25 GMT
This is on in Newcastle soon - I think I'll get tickets.
I'm assuming it will just be just like those X-men movies, yes? I don't remember Godot from the comics though.
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Post by blueshift on Mar 18, 2009 16:47:48 GMT
I think Godot is a Super Sentinel?
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Post by jameso on Mar 18, 2009 17:47:42 GMT
This is on in Newcastle soon - I think I'll get tickets. I'm assuming it will just be just like those X-men movies, yes? I don't remember Godot from the comics though. Heh! Brilliant.  |
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Cullen
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Post by Cullen on Mar 18, 2009 19:41:42 GMT
I think Godot is a Super Sentinel? Well it's pronounced Go-Dot so perhaps he's a dot that goes fast, or something? But that doesn't really make sense... hmmm are we sure its not a typo and the D should be a B? |
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Post by duffism1981 on Mar 22, 2009 17:03:20 GMT
When I first read the thread title, I thought it said Gobot, so I was expecting this to be about the release of Challenge of the Go-Bots on dvd. I am disappointed.
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Gav
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John Travoltage!
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Post by Gav on Mar 22, 2009 17:18:40 GMT
Me too. In fact, It gave me an idea for a story called 'Waiting for Gobot' - but that seems to have been done already. ARGH
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Apr 5, 2009 6:41:24 GMT
Saw the play yesterday, and enjoyed very much, though I was disappointed in it at half-time, as the first half was dominated by Simon Callow's overbearing Pozzo character, consigning the two I wanted to see to supporting roles. But Act II redeemed it by leaving the stage to McKellen and Stewart for the most part.
I didn't find it overly depressing or bleak, as there was much that was positive - the way they each took it in turns to support and raise the spirits of the other - when one was depressed or having a panic attack, the other gained strength and cheer to help them. There was also the consciousness that even if Godot never came, _they_ had kept _their_ side of the appointment, and that in itself was worth something. Also, that when Pozzo and Lucky were fallen and in need of assistance, Estragon and Vladimir represented the whole of mankind, since it was entirely in their hands to help or hurt them.
They clearly intended it to be an uplifting performance, by their shows of affection and the cheery dance at the end, though there was plenty that was dark and disturbing also - the loss of memory and other aspects of senility, focused around the uncertainty of whether Act I had taken place yesterday or a year ago, were particularly chilling. And while I have confidence they will never hang themselves while both remain, you can feel sure that when one is gone/dead, the other will swiftly follow.
From what I hear, this is the cheery end of Beckett's work, and other plays are much more morbid, so I'm in no hurry to see/read more, and unlikely to watch this play again unless and until the chance arose to see it with a cast of similar calibre - highly unlikely - but it was definitely worth the price of the ticket.
Martin
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