Main content

Waiting for Waiting for Godot

16 March 2020, the PM advises us not to visit theatres. 17 March 2020, on stage, the cast of Waiting for Godot wait to find out if the show goes on or closes.

On 16th March 2020 the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, gave a press conference in Downing Street to bring the public up to date with 鈥渢he national fight back against the new Coronavirus.鈥 As part of a series of measures 鈥渢o delay and flatten the peak of the epidemic鈥 was the recommendation that the public should avoid going to social venues such as pubs, clubs and theatres.

The next day, 17th March, a group of actors are waiting on stage. They are half way through a run of Samuel Beckett鈥檚 Waiting for Godot. Will the show go on? Will it close? Will they ever get paid? Will they ever work again? So many questions - but the person who can answer them still hasn鈥檛 turned up.

This is a new play for audio by the actor, writer and comedian Adrian Edmondson. He has been obsessed with Waiting For Godot since his school days - he freely admits he and Rik Mayall borrowed heavily from it for their award winning television comedy series Bottom. And in 1991 he was Estragon to Mayall鈥檚 Vladimir, in a West End production of Beckett鈥檚 masterpiece.

Adrian鈥檚 other writing credits include two series of essays, Adrian Edmondson 鈥 Signs of Life, for 成人快手 Radio 3 (still available on 成人快手 Sounds), his Sunday Times Bestseller autobiography Berserker!, and several children鈥檚 books.

Cast:
The Sofa Surfer Adrian Edmondson
The Equity Dep Kiell Smith-Bynoe
The Hoarder Simon Callow
Unlucky Jim Christopher Ryan
Voice on Tannoy Madeleine Paulson

Writer: Adrian Edmondson
Producer and Director: Caroline Raphael
Executive Producer: Celia de Wolff
Sound: David Thomas
A Dora production for 成人快手 Radio 4

Available now

44 minutes

Last on

Tue 18 Mar 2025 14:15

Broadcast

  • Tue 18 Mar 2025 14:15

Featured in...

Opening Lines

Opening Lines

John Yorke unpacks the themes behind the stories in Radio 4's weekend afternoon dramas.

Do you have a story to tell ? Do you love writing for radio ?

Do you have a story to tell ? Do you love writing for radio ?

The Alfred Bradley Bursary Award is now open.

The Shakespeare Sessions

The Shakespeare Sessions

Immerse yourself in Shakespeare鈥檚 world