Ben Whishaw (This Is Going To Hurt, Paddington) makes his long-awaited West End return opposite Lucian Msamti in Samuel Beckett's seminal absurdist masterpiece, which arrived at the Theatre Royal Haymarket last week. First seen in 1953, the play in which "nothing happens, twice" has become one of Beckett's most recognisable works, braiding together surrealism, philosophy, comedy, and tragedy as the two central characters Vladimir (Whishaw) and Estragon (Msamti) await the arrival of the titular Godot. Find out what the critics had to say about Waiting For Godot at the Theatre Royal Haymarket below!

The Reviews

The Guardian: "Beckett, often considered to be the high priest of nihilistic theatre, presents a dogged hope in this play. Even when Estragon and Vladimir ostensibly give up on Godot's arrival, and on life, they keep waiting, hoping. The lightness, and leaning into comedy, coheres with that hope and gives the play a benign spirit, but never quite plunges into the tragic."

The Standard: ""Nothing happens, twice," was the infamous verdict of Irish critic Vivian Mercier on Godot in 1956. But in Macdonald's production it feels like human existence is distilled, albeit from the exclusively male perspective of the Forties and Fifties. Still difficult, still challenging, Godot isn't for everyone. But this is the best production I've ever seen."

WhatsOnStage: "The entire production has that same clarity and thoughtfulness, a way of shining a spotlight on Beckett's language and philosophy in ways that make it both profoundly funny and infinitely sad, that force you to listen and consider. Wonderful."

Timeout: "Again, it's a brilliant play, that you can't do a lot to. The performances are the big thing and here they're acerbically funny and infinitesimally tender, something backed up by the low key humanity of Macdonald's production. In a way we're all kind of waiting for Godot (to fall out of copyright), but productions like this make the wait a pleasure."

Financial Times: "But while all this seems stingingly resonant, the production reminds us that this story has been played out many times. Smith's set is contained within a glowing gold frame, quietly highlighting the irony of watching a play about destitution against a backdrop of opulence. Beckett's self-conscious theatricality lands freshly here: Vladimir and Estragon will turn up again tomorrow because they are characters in a play but also because the dispossessed are still with us, 70 years on. "You did see us, didn't you?" asks Vladimir urgently."