James Macdonald Archives - North West End UK

Waiting for Godot – Theatre Royal Haymarket

9Dec

By Mark DavorenNo Comments

London

Waiting for Godot – Theatre Royal Haymarket

Director James MacDonald breathes new life into Samuel Beckett’s absurdist 1953 tragicomedy about two down at heel men waiting for a mysterious figure to appear, with a fresh and engaging interpretation that focuses more on the inherent humour within the play rather than just the disconsolate existentialism with which it is usually associated. Opening to a dystopian landscape bereft of any positive discernible feature other than a leafless tree, we encounter Estragon/Gogo (Lucian Msamati) and Valdimir/Didi (Ben Whishaw), as they wait for Godot. Whilst their connection to each other is unstated, there is an endearing affection between them that pervades their ongoing conversations about something and nothing, which distracts from the obvious bleakness of their everyday lives. The appe...

Waiting for Godot – Theatre Royal Haymarket

Well, these are two very well-spoken "tramps". A wired Didi (Ben Whishaw) jolts and flourishes across the space, amidst a more weighted, stony Gogo (Lucian Msamati). The two are equally as confounded as each other, torn between wavering uncertainty and resignation to the fact. As the title of the play reveals, they are waiting for Godot. In Beckett's classic, we are not entirely sure who Godot is or why he is being waited for, and neither, as it seems, are the characters. Whishaw and Msamati play their respective characters so beautifully. It is like watching a dance - their responsivity and spontaneity is glorious, and they find musicality in the repetition. This much studied play has plenty of meat to chew on. The real juiciness of it, as brought out by Whishaw and Msamati ...

A Doll’s House Part 2 – Donmar Warehouse

A dark house lifts off the stage to reveal its interior, and we are drawn into the intimate space. The story follows on from Ibsen’s classic, presenting their world fifteen years later. Nora has found purpose as a famous writer under a pseudonym but returns home to settle pressing legal matters. The set designed by Rae Smith has a cool, clinical feel like it hasn’t been lived in as none of the characters are truly settled and its initial state is mysterious and bleak, like it holds a chamber of secrets. Noma Dumezweni’s Nora is controlled and meticulously crafted. With a fierce moral code and ideals, she is earthy and wise yet there is something indefinable about her. As Nora’s interacts with the other characters, she is fluid and playful yet grounded by her unswerving principles. ...