Theatre Royal Haymarket, London
James Macdonald’s production sacrifices tragedy for comedy and tension for slapstick, but ultimately delivers pathos

Samuel Beckett’s 1953 tragicomedy about two woe-begotten men waiting by a willow tree for a mysterious figure to appear tips a delicate balance between the absurd and desolate, the funny and dreadful.

In James Macdonald’s production, the drama between Estragon (Lucian Msamati) and Vladimir (Ben Whishaw), who are yoked together in unspoken bondage as they wait for Godot, seems greater parts comedy than tragedy.

At Theatre Royal Haymarket until 14 December