Review: WAITING FOR GODOT, Citizens Theatre

Samuel Beckett’s classic play Waiting For Godot has been revived for a short tour, opening at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre. It is a co-production between Citizens Theatre, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and Octagon Theatre Bolton Production and is directed by Dominic Hill.

Waiting For Godot is a play where, famously, nothing happens. Matthew Kelly (Estragon) and George Costigan (Vladimir) are waiting for a man called Godot. Kelly’s Estragon is the more downbeaten of the two whereas Costigan’s Vladimir is a bit more upbeat. There’s a standout turn from Michael Hodgson as the unfortunate Lucky and this is played well against Gbolahan Obiesan’s flamboyant Pozzo.

Jean Chan’s set is magnificent; a barren tree in the middle of the stage makes this a beautifully bleak setting. It’s a cold and desolate backdrop which is a nice contrast to the warmth between the two protagonists.

Kelly and Costigan work particularly well together in the more humorous parts of the script, but these moments are few and far between, making it a bit of a slog. The overarching themes of Waiting for Godot are patience and the passage of time, which are conveyed well in this two-hour piece that feels much longer. 

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