The Coming of Godot: A Short History of a Masterpiece

Fifty years ago Sir Peter Hall directed the English world premiere of Samuel Beckett''s Waiting for Godot. Now he has returned to this quintessential absurdist piece that has become one of the most important works of modern drama. Jonathan Croall combines an account of this theatrical journey with an informative history of the play.

Jonathan Croall comes from an acting background: his father John Stuart was a star of the early British cinema, his mother Barbara Francis a drama-school teacher and leading voice coach. He has been editor of Arts Express magazine, editor of the National Theatre’s magazine StageWrite, and programmes editor at the Old Vic. He is the author of John Gielgud: Matinee Idol to Movie Star; In Search of Gielgud: A Biographer’s Tale; Gielgoodies! The Wit and Wisdom (& Gaffes) of John Gielgud; Sybil Thorndike: A Star of Life; Buzz Buzz! Playwrights, Actors and Directors at the National Theatre; The Coming of Godot: A Short History of a Masterpiece (nominated for the 2005 Theatre Book Prize); Closely Observed Theatre: From the National to the Old Vic; and Hamlet Observed, Inside the Molly House and Peter Hall’s ’Bacchai’ in the series The National Theatre at Work. His latest theatre book is Performing King Lear: Gielgud to Russell Beale, and he is now working on a similar book about Hamlet. His other books include the biography Neill of Summerhill, the oral history Don’t You Know There’s a War On?: Voices from the Home Front, the children’s novel Sent Away, and Forgotten Stars: My Father and the Silent-Film World.