18 May Read our review 19 May
In 1953 a man wrote a play about waiting.
In 1988 he sued five women for trying to perform it.
In 2001 Madonna released What It Feels Like for a Girl.
It’s 2023 and we’re still waiting.
A quick-witted and playful challenge to the Beckett Estate’s ban on women and non-binary actors performing in Waiting for Godot
Following hugely successful runs at Pleasance Theatre and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Godot is a Woman interrogates permission, patriarchy and pop music in a comical response to the gender restrictions put upon Waiting for Godot. In their first UK wide tour, trio Silent Faces return with their signature style of playful and political physical theatre. Since Samuel Beckett wrote Waiting for Godot, he and his estate have notoriously challenged non-male companies that wish to perform it. Silent Faces addresses this restrictive copyright law in a comical love/hate letter to British theatre with song, dance and plenty of multi-rolling.
Two people wait beneath a solitary tree on a country road – it’s a familiar scene, but this is not Waiting for Godot. Waiting for Godot was written by a man, for men, and Silent Faces aren’t men. So, what are they waiting for? It’s time to dig it all up and start again.
Madonna released Like a Prayer in 1989, the same year that Samuel Beckett died, and the clowning triad explore the cultural significance of the album throughout the show, comically arguing that perhaps if the playwright had witnessed Madonna’s empowering confidence, he may not have forbidden anyone but men from performing his most acclaimed play.
Writer and performer Cordelia Stevenson said ”Audiences can expect our usual clowning tomfoolery, plenty of theatre geekery and a bowler-hat-full of female pop icons. This is a show that vitally platforms trans and female voices, whilst both celebrating and challenging the theatrical canon. We’re absolutely thrilled to be taking it on the road to some of the UK’s most loved regional theatres”.
Silent Faces are a female and non-binary led integrated company of disabled and non-disabled artists, whose work has been performed at the Pleasance London, Edinburgh Fringe, Camden People’s Theatre, Latitude Festival, Wilderness Festival, Brighton Fringe and as part of Incoming Festival at HOME Manchester and New Diorama. Employing their unique style of high-concept, metaphorical and playful theatre, their work pushes the boundaries of clown and physical theatre in a contemporary political context. Previous work includes the critically acclaimed A Clown Show About Rain (“Delightful”, Scotsman) and Follow Suit (“Marvellously comic and compelling”, The Stage).
Written and performed by Josie Underwood (she/her), Cordelia Stevenson (she/her), Jack Wakely (they/them)
Co-directed by Cordelia Stevenson (she/her) and Laura Killeen (she/her)
Set design by Fran Gibson (she/her) & Stella Kailides (she/her).
Lighting design by Jo Palmer (she/her)
Sound design by Ellie Isherwood (she/her)
Costume design by Rachel Gammon (she/her)
Production managed by Stella Kailides (she/her)
Associate Producer Grace Dickson (she/her)
Running Time: 70 mins | Suitable for ages 14+
Old Fire Station, Oxford, 40 George St, Oxford OX1 2AQ
7.30pm | £13 – £11 | 01865263990
Photo credit: Ali Wright
