Waiting For Godot Tickets

After a successful run at the venue in 2009, The Haymarket Theatre in London will once again be the home of Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting For Godot” as it returns for another run from January to April. It will once again be directed by the acclaimed film and theatre director Sean Mathias, with Sir Ian McKellen in the role of Estragon and Roger Rees taking over the role of Vladimir, replacing Patrick Stewart who starred in 2009’s run.

The story of the show focuses on Estragon and Vladimir, two tramps who are biding their time waiting for the mysterious Godot to arrive. The two men do not know one another until they run into each other by a large tree, both hoping to meet this unseen character. However, they soon get to grips with their ways and we follow them over two days as they waste time clowning around, arguing and repeating themselves. As they do this, numerous characters pass them by, such as Pozzo (Matthew Kelly) and his slave Lucky (Ronald Pickup), as well as a young boy who seems to know the man for whom they wait.

The show was first seen over fifty years ago and whilst it caused plenty of shock and upset it was a huge hit. It has since been regarded as one of the most important plays of the twentieth century, managing to change people’s perceptions of the theatre and challenge the ways in which people would tackle it for decades to come.

So it is important to get the casting just right with “Waiting For Godot” and in this case, the team up of Sir Ian McKellen and Roger Rees is unmatched. The pair are both regulars for the Royal Shakespeare Company, landing numerous roles over long careers and making a name for themselves with various awards and honours. In addition to stage work, McKellen is well known for playing Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, as well as Magneto in the “X-Men” films, making him an acclaimed actor and someone who will attract large crowds to the Haymarket Theatre.

The cast also features Matthew Kelly, a man who is best known for presenting TV’s “Stars in their Eyes”, but has also had a successful stage career as well. He is the proud owner of a Laurence Olivier Award for his work in “Of Mice and Men” at the Savoy Theatre in 2003 and has appeared in production such as “Comedians” at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith in 2009 and “Troilus and Cressida” at the Globe Theatre.

“Waiting For Godot” returns to the Haymarket Theatre from Wednesday 27th January 2010 (previews from Thursday 21st January 2010) until Saturday 3rd April 2010.