Waiting
For Godot
Cracked Actors
18 June 2008
Cromwell Street Thearte
I enjoyed this Waiting
For Godot like a young bottle of red. It’s still a bit rough, but the skill
of its making is evident and its richness and complexity will come with exposure
and time.
Cracked Actors was formed in 2007 with the determination to
bring “classic” works to the stage. As Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot is a compulsory play for anyone with an interest
in theatre, it was a obvious choice for the new company.
This Godot will improve with every performance. It needed
the response of an audience to let the pace settle and let the performers trust
the text and the humour. Opening night suffered from forced pace and
anticipation. The natural rhythm and structure of the work was overridden by
enthusiasm and a determination to interpret the well-known text.
This is the play so famously quoted as the one where
“nothing happens….twice”. But that doesn’t mean that the audience don’t need to
want something to happen. We know
that Godot never arrives. Like watching a loved movie, we know what’s going to
happen, but still hope that this time it will be different. Stories need anticipation and hope. We
want to imagine everything that has happened to bring these people to this
point and everything that could possibly happen tomorrow. We need to be told
the story, not just see the text.
You know you won’t see Godot, but you will see Phil Roberts
as Pozzo. Roberts was born to play Pozzo. His timing is immaculate and his deep understanding of Beckett,
his character and the style shine though.
He once played Lucky and I want to see him give Estragon and Vladamir a
go. Colin Morley’s also brings a believability, poignancy and almost lovability
to Estragon. The rest of the cast just needed to relax into their characters
and trust the words. It’s a very funny script, we don’t need to be told when to
laugh.
It’s always worth seeing a well known script performed.
Sure, we can read them, but plays are written to be performed. Cracked Actors
production is a terrific introduction to Waiting
For Godot and I look forward to seeing what great work they show us next.
This review appeared on AussieTheatre.com
