Set on a country road under a willow tree, Vladimir and Estragon arrive to meet with Godot. While they wait, they debate, argue, and question whether or not to hang themselves. Where they meet absurd individuals routinely unsure if Godot will come, but still they wait for while there is a chance he will not come, there is always the chance that he will.
Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, the timeless classic play, is being performed at Arches Lane Theatre, directed by Leo Bacica.
With a very minimalist set, including long stretches of green grass like tarp and industrial poles taking the shape of a barren willow tree. We are intrigued to see what huge personalities take up the space with such a wonderfully minimalistic set.
And soon we meet them.
Steve Broad immediately pulls you in with his stage presence, and Mark Muravjov is very present and has an excellent understanding of living truthfully in these absurd imaginary circumstances.
But the fear with classics being done is that there is no longer an understanding of them, or revivals being lost in the translation of time. I am afraid to say this one is a victim of such a fear.
The same individuals with slight variations and again told to come tomorrow, and you leave feeling as though they will, because while there is a chance he may not come, there is also the chance that he might.
The cast are underneath a railway and are often under voice to the extent that the jokes don’t have a chance to land because they aren’t heard.
While the Kunal Narwani portraying Ponzo looks and acknowledge everytime the train passes over head it is unclear whether or not this is a director’s choice ( if it is a uniformed choice should have been made) or if it was an actor choice it felt like an actor trying to show the audience he made a choice, destroying the suspension of belief, personally for me as an audience member.
The play in itself is comedic and funny, but the cast must help the writing that is there for them with stage technique, comedic timing, and physical beats that have elevated this play to the height of a classic.
Continually upstaging each other, dropping lines, and all-around lack of substance beneath the words and archetypes, there are few moments that justify this play returning, but with this, there is only room to grow in the rest of their run.
Review: Marquise Horton