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Edmund Lee


WAITING FOR GODOT
	Theatre du Pif
 
Since its premiere in 1953 at the Théâtre de Babylone in Paris, Samuel Beckett's absurdist comedy Waiting for Godot  has baffled audiences with its prolonged meditation on existential angst. As a 1956 review in The New York Times noted, the play is "a mystery wrapped in an enigma".
Mikel Murfi is one of the few in his profession who hasn't been caught up in the artistic confusion. When the acclaimed Irish actor and director was approached by Theatre du Pif co-founder Sean Curran — a fellow schoolmate at Paris' École International de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq who hadn't been in touch for 25 years — to direct the play here, he knew almost nothing about it
"I said yes to the job, went to get a copy of it, and hoped that I would like it — and I did," says the 49-year-old director, halfway through his seven-week stay in Hong Kong. "To work in theatre, and get to this age without seeing or reading Godot, is quite an achievement. I don't think that's anything to boast about, but in some ways, it's an advantage."
One could argue that Beckett's minimalist setting — which revolves around two tramps waiting endlessly for the elusive Godot by a withered tree on a country road — is best interpreted by performers who haven't been indoctrinated by its production history. A regular actor-director for the playwright Enda Walsh back in Ireland, Murfi is further liberated by a cast he had never worked with before.
"The combination of those four people is bound to force you to make decisions based on what's coming from them," says the director, who has not viewed videos or images of past productions. "As the director, I must not get too involved in certain parts of the play and emphasise them just because I think they are important. The play is the play."
The tramp characters — impulsive Estragon and philosophical Vladimir — are two of the most coveted parts in theatre, and were embodied by Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart on Broadway in November 2013. They are here played by Curran and Lee Chun-chow, who last performed together in Theatre du Pif's English production of God of Carnage in 2011.
It was Curran's idea to stage the play, but he says he is finding it a challenge, despite having done a programme of three Beckett's short plays ( Krapp's Last Tape, Come and Go and Quad) in 2005. The actor first read the play in drama school, and has only seen one production of it, by a student company at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 18 years ago.
"It's really challenging because it's not a naturalistic play, like God of Carnage," says Curran. "There are so many different things going on. Some moments are about having a conversation with each other, but that can quickly change to a very physical kind of comedy. Other times, the text is like poetry, and you have to accept that some parts you can't understand."
Lee's impression of Godot, which comes from watching a Cantonese production two decades ago, and reading it as a designated text when he studied theatre in 1997, is equally hazy. When he is asked to say what the play is about, the veteran chuckles heartily.
"The most obvious theme is the state of human existence," says Lee, who is performing the play for the first time. "Our time is packed full, and we don't often need to think about the void left behind by existence. The play tells you to take away everything — material or otherwise — and think about existence. What would you have left?"
All Curran can say about the play is that it charts the themes of friendship, courage, and waiting. He hopes that the revival will be "a really inspiring, stimulating and entertaining evening".
"I know some people will come to Waiting for Godot with a preconceived idea that this would be a kind of very serious, classical and difficult play," Curran says.
"Yes, some of the text is profound and deep, but we've not approached it in a studious way. We'll hopefully find a nice balance between the depth of Beckett's work and the fun of the play, because Beckett loved comedy," Curran says.
 
Cultural Centre Studio Theatre, 10 Salisbury Road, TST, January 9-11, 8pm, January 10 and 11, 3pm. HK$140, HK$220, Urbtix. Inquiries: 2904 2030
 


Theatre du Pif revives Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot in Hong Kong

Tramps like us: Sean Curran (left) and Lee Chun-chow in Beckett's Waiting for Godot.

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Sixty years after its debut, minimalist masterpiece retains its provocative power


Sixty years after its debut, minimalist masterpiece retains its provocative power.


Theatre du Pif revives Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot in Hong Kong

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Sixty years after its debut, minimalist masterpiece retains its provocative power

Sixty years after its debut, minimalist masterpiece retains its provocative power