WAITING FOR GODOT by Samuel Beckett

directed by Rupert Mason & Justin Butcher

Two penniless vagrants in rags and ruined boots meet by a barren tree on an abandoned stretch of road

through a wasteland and wait - for the mysterious Godot who, when he comes, will provide their

salvation. They pass the time in banter, philosophical musings, clowning and argument, always hoping

that the longed-for Godot will appear. A bullying, wealthy tyrant named Pozzo appears, leading his

demented slave Lucky on a rope, and converses with them, and later a young boy, a messenger who tells

them that ‘Mr Godot’ sends his apologies, but will certainly come tomorrow.

Nearly 80 years since its composition in Paris in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War,

Samuel Beckett’s tragicomic absurdist masterpiece continues to delight, intrigue, move and inspire with its

rich mix of slapstick clowning, vaudeville vulgarity, lyrical Irish banter and poignant existential yearning.

J.Productions, Milan, is proud to present the first English language public production of Waiting for Godot

in Italy for more than 40 years, since Beckett’s own 1984 production with the San Quentin Drama

Workshop, in partnership with our sponsor the Karma Group. Waiting for Godot will premiere in July

2026 at the Volterra International Festival Teatro Romano.

‘Samuel Beckett’s groundbreaking play, with its tragicomic take on existence, the derelict

dignity of the two tramps, and the human capacity for  for endurance in a seemingly senseless

universe, matches our cultural moment.’

Michael Billington, The Guardian, 2024