The next production by Lighted Fools Theatre Company will be ‘Waiting for Godot’ by Samuel Beckett, now generally accepted as one of the most significant plays of the 20th century. The Company is delighted to have been granted permission to perform the play by both Beckett’s agent and the producers of the current London production which stars Sir Ian McKellen.

Two old friends, Estragon and Vladimir, converse, joke and argue with each other as they wait through one day and then another for the mysterious Godot. They are visited by Pozzo, Lucky and a boy.

When Samuel Beckett’s play was first performed on the London stage 55 years ago, it shocked as many people as it delighted. There had never been a play like it and it was said that Beckett had ‘achieved a theoretical impossibility—a play in which nothing happens’ yet one which ‘keeps audiences glued to their seats’.

The Lighted Fools production will be directed by Karen Sahlsberg, who last directed for the Company in 2008 when her production of 'The Dresser' was performed at Riverhouse. Karen also had a hand, however, in directing Richard Parish and David Webb in both ‘A Number’ and ‘The Dumb Waiter’, award winning festival productions, which were both invited to the be presented at The British All-Winners Festival, ‘A Number’ in 2007 and ‘The Dumb Waiter’ in 2009. As an actress, Karen has appeared with the Company in ‘The Shakespeare Revue’, ‘Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell’, ‘April in Paris’ and last summer, to great acclaim, as Shirley Valentine in the sell-out production of that name.

‘Waiting for Godot’ will be designed by John Tytherleigh with lighting by Nigel Greenaway and sound by Alex Lyon, the same artistic team that was responsible for the recent ‘Not About Heroes’.

David Webb as Vladimir and Richard Parish as Estragon renew an acting partnership that has now seen them play opposite each other no fewer than three times, namely in, ‘A Number’, ‘The Dresser’ and ‘The Dumb Waiter’. It could be said that ‘Waiting for Godot ’is a natural progression for them from their roles as Ben and Gus in ‘The Dumb Waiter’.

They are joined in ‘Waiting for Godot’ by Gary Griffiths as Pozzo, Thom Gibbons as Lucky and Max Usher as the boy. Thom was in the second Lighted Fools’ production, ‘The Beauty Queen of Leenane’ and after a break of a few years, has recently been seen as Philip in Ben Elton’s ‘Gasping’ for Godalming Theatre Group. Gary, who makes his first appearance for Lighted Fools, has appeared extensively with various companies in Woking and Guildford. He is a strong and experienced performer. Max Usher also makes his Lighted Fools debut.

The play will be given four performances from Wednesday 21st July to Saturday 24th July, 2010 at the Riverhouse, Walton-on-Thames. Box-Office 01932-253354

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