Waiting For Godot - Citizens Theatre ★★★

Little needs to be said about Samuel Beckett, an Irish playwright whose works have continued to discomfort and bewilder audiences for almost a century. Beckett reckons with the mechanisms of theatre and performance while contemplating the meaning of life. His most famous work, arguably one of the most staged dramatic works written in the 20th century, Waiting for Godot, exemplifies his style.

George Costigan and Matthew Kelly play Estragon and Vladimir, respectively, two individuals waiting for the arrival of “Godot”. Beckett’s setting calls for a country road with a tree, which the characters interact with. Director Dominic Hill maintains this original description, with set designer Jean Chan incorporating a vast tree growing absurdly out of a boat and a flat country backdrop.

As two characters pass the time waiting, they encounter Pozzo, a traveller who passes by with Lucky, a man whom he purportedly owns. This dominant-subservient relationship entertains the two twice in the play, once in each act. Michael Hogsdon delivers a harrowing portrayal of a dog-like Lucky through a primal interpretation of the role, using facial expressions and gestures to create the physical likeness of a dog.

Indeed, much of the Citizens’ Theatre’s production of Waiting for Godot offers a straightforward interpretation of Beckett’s play. Its “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality is a useful way for new audiences to experience the playwright’s absurdist theatre.

Director Dominic Hill tackles the task of adapting this famous work by relying on the strength of his performers. George Costigan’s Estragon is brilliantly presented. He embodies the tramp character with echoes of Charlie Chaplin, his gait reminiscent of The Lone Prospector from The Gold Rush. Adding age to the physical performance makes the character seem weary and perpetually exhausted. Matthew Kelly, a seasoned television presenter and actor, commands a strong vocal performance that reverberates across the theatre. He sells madness well.

Excluding these performances, however, is where Hill’s production shows its lack of depth. Pozzo’s characterisation is weak. Gbolahan Obisesan clearly understands Pozzo’s contradictory nature, but with a clownish performance that renders the character into more of a caricature, an opportunity is missed to explore Pozzo’s motivations for owning Lucky.

Other moments are jarringly staged and contradict the absurdity of Beckett’s play. Addresses to the audience appear randomly in the middle of monologues, where characters break away from the scene to address the house. It is difficult to see why these were blocked, given how much of the piece is about the characters’ desolation and loneliness.

Nevertheless, there are moments of exceptionalism. Estragon’s and Vladimir’s relationship is completely moving in this version. While many directors lean into the overt misery of the writing, Dominic Hill’s interpretation is a demonstration that Beckett can be hilarious and accessible to all audiences.