Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart star on Broadway in a limited season repertoire of Harold Pinter's No Man's Land and Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, directed by Sean Mathias, in the fall of 2013.
Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot follows two consecutive days in the lives of Vladimir (Patrick Stewart) and Estragon (Ian McKellen), who divert themselves by clowning around, joking and arguing, while waiting expectantly and unsuccessfully for the mysterious Godot. Waiting for Godot premiered in Paris in 1953, followed by London in 1955 and eventually opened in New York in 1956.
These productions mostly stay, comfortably and tantalizingly, on the surface. But in doing so, they also bring out the beguiling polish and shimmer in Pinter and Beckett’s language. These shows allow us to appreciate the great paradox in some of the best dialogue ever written, which uses eloquence to plumb the futility of speech.
For some reason, this “Godot” has been set in what looks like a crumbling theater instead of the usual desolate landscape. But the real reason the show’s less efficient than the other one is the imbalance between the leads — once again, McKellen’s dominance turns Stewart into a straight man.
1956 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1957 | Broadway |
Broadway |
1971 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
1981 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
1988 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2005 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2006 | Off-Broadway |
Off-Broadway |
2009 | Broadway |
Roundabout Revival Broadway |
2010 | West End |
Return Engagement [West End] West End |
2013 | Broadway |
Broadway Revival Broadway |
2015 | Off-Broadway |
Gare St Lazare Ireland and Dublin Theatre Festival Production Off-Broadway |
2017 | West End |
Arts Theatre Revival West End |
2021 | Off-Broadway |
TFANA's Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
2023 | Off-Broadway |
Theatre for a New Audience Off-Broadway Production Off-Broadway |
Year | Ceremony | Category | Nominee |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | Drama League Awards | Distinguished Performance Award | Patrick Stewart |
2014 | Drama League Awards | Outstanding Revival of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Play | Waiting for Godot |
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