Reviews: What Do The Critics Think of Waiting for Godot, Starring Lucian Msamati and Ben Whishaw?

Reviews: What Do The Critics Think of Waiting for Godot, Starring Lucian Msamati and Ben Whishaw?

The new revival plays London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket under the direction of James Macdonald.

A new production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot—directed by James Macdonald—officially opened September 19 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket following previews that began September 13. Performances will continue in the West End through December 14. Check out the reviews below.

The cast is led by Lucian Msamati (“Master Harold” … and the Boys) as Estragon and Ben Whishaw (The Crucible) as Vladimir with Tom Edden (Crazy for You) as Lucky and Jonathan Slinger (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as Pozzo. Luca Fone, Alexander Joseph, and Ellis Pang share the role of The Boy, and understudies are Dean Graham and David Lee-Jones.

Beckett’s existential play follows Didi and Gogo, who wait by a tree for a man named Godot. They don’t know who he is, why they are meeting, or what time he is coming—only that something incredible could happen when he does.

Read the reviews below.

City AM (Adam Bloodworth) *

Financial Times (Sarah Hemming) *

The Guardian (Arifa Akbar) *

iNews (Fiona Mountford)

The Independent (Alice Saville)

The Stage (Sam Marlowe) *

The Standard (Nick Curtis)

The Telegraph (Claire Allfree) *

The Times (Clive Davis) *

TimeOut (Andrzej Lukowski)

WestEndBestFriend (Lisamarie Lamb)

WhatsOnStage (Sarah Crompton)

*This review may require creating a free account or a paid subscription.

Playbill will continue to update this list as reviews come in.

The production also has set and costume design by Rae Smith, lighting design by Bruno Poet, sound design by Ian Dickinson and Niamh Gaffney for Autograph, hair and makeup design by Campbell Young Associates, casting by Amy Ball, vocal coaching by Hazel Holder, and production management by Kate West.

Waiting for Godot is produced by Kate Horton for Fictionhouse and Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment, in association with Kate Pakenham Productions.

It was recently announced that a Broadway production of the Beckett play, starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, will arrive on Broadway in 2025 under the direction of Jamie Lloyd.

Visit WaitingforGodotPlay.com.

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Photos: Waiting for Godot in the West End