Mercury’s Wings Theatre Company brings us one of the most influential and revered plays of the 20th Century
Two characters wait endlessly and in vain for a man named Godot. One’s first impression of a storyline such as this might be that it’s lacklustre to say the least, yet Samuel Beckett’s 1953 absurdist classic Waiting for Godot is still being performed around the world, a testament to the underlying meanings of the play that are still open to interpretation.
Mercury’s Wings is headed by husband and wife team, James and Claudine Anderson, who were both drawn to the work in different ways. James says, ‘This is a play that has been on my list for a long time. We took the plunge with another Beckett play, Endgame, a few years ago and the experience was very rewarding for us as a company and for me as an actor. Classic works are so theatrically rich and offer many different challenges.’
Set in an apocalyptic landscape, Waiting for Godot covers themes of life and death, meaning and uncertainty and the value of optimism. Godot’s absence has also led to many interpretations since the play’s 1953 premiere in Paris. What at first seems a play about nihilism, become an epic journey of life affirming optimism.
Claudine, who will direct the work, says, ‘We don’t often see classic plays here on the Coast. I’m looking for meaningful work that resonates with how I perceive the human condition and my environment. Godot felt like a piece I needed to investigate in my lifetime. The imperative factor for me was how to interpret the text in a way which reflects and resonates with our Queensland environment.’
James adds, ‘This play is often done in a very ‘European’ way, with the characters portrayed as ‘tramps’ or ‘hobos’ and we felt that this was not indicative of where we are. Mercury’s Wings is part of the Gold Coast community and we want to present work that reflects what we see around us and the people we perform for.’
Claudine says ‘This piece is a classic. It’s funny. It’s also profound. We laugh a lot in rehearsal. The humour is our way in to a text. It’s like an invitation to come and play. An invitation to join a journey, exploring the absurdity and profundity of the human condition – with a touch of Laurel and Hardy, Harpo Marx… and philosophic Australian road workers.’
Recommended 15+ Adult Themes
DATE Thu 14 Jul, Fri 15 Jul, Sat 16 Jul, 7:30pm, Wed 20th July, 9.30am & 12.15pm, Thu 21 Jul, Fri 22 Jul, Sat 23 Jul, 7.30pm
VENUE The Space, The Arts Centre Gold Coast
COST Adult $32.00, Concession $28.00, Group 6+ $28.00, Student $17.50
BOOK https://theartscentregc.com.au/?s=godot&date=#!waiting-for-godot-2 or Box Office on (07) 55 88 4000
