Dominic Hill Archives - North West End UK

2Nov

By Nazaret RaneaNo Comments

Scotland

1984 – Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh

I first read 1984 in a philosophy class at high school. Back then I remember thinking how dystopian it was, one of those books that the teacher chose to make you think about how easily things could go terribly wrong, but in a way that still felt removed from reality. This new adaptation by Chris Hannan, directed by Dominic Hill, makes an interesting choice by bringing Orwell himself into the story. The play opens with the writer in a tuberculosis hospital in Scotland, where conversations with his doctor offer a glimpse into the political experiences that helped shape the novel. Jack Tarlton plays both Orwell and Winston Smith, moving between the real man and the fictional character whose world is slowly falling apart. I found this framing particularly interesting because it gives the...

Waiting for Godot – Octagon Theatre

“Nothing happens. Nobody comes, nobody goes. It’s awful.” These eight words, spoken by Estragon, neatly distil the themes of existential stasis and quiet despair at the heart of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. And yet, despite the clarity of that diagnosis, and the evident skill of this production’s leading performances, I left the theatre once again unconvinced, admiring more than engaging, and respecting more than enjoying. Godot has, of course, divided opinion since its 1953 premiere. Early audiences were baffled, even hostile, and critics were scarcely kinder: Kenneth Tynan’s oft-quoted complaint that it possessed “no beginning, no middle and no end” was delivered with both frustration and reluctant admiration. In the decades since, its influence has been profound, shaping th...

Waiting for Godot – Liverpool Playhouse

Dominic Hill’s revival of Waiting for Godot, seen here at Everyman Theatre, reminds you why this play still divides audiences' decades after its premiere. Samuel Beckett’s writing can feel elusive and, at times, deliberately opaque - but in the right hands, it becomes something quietly powerful. The production opens on a stark, desolate set designed by Jean Chan. A fractured landscape stretches across the stage, dominated by the familiar solitary tree, here emerging from the wreckage of an abandoned car. It’s a world that feels worn down and forgotten, reinforcing the sense that time has stalled completely. At the centre are Vladimir and Estragon, played by George Costigan and Matthew Kelly. Their performances carry the production. There’s an ease between them that never feels theatr...