ACT Reviews 2022-2023 Season

WAITING FOR GODOT By Samuel Becket Director: Gordon Ingleby Colne Dramatic Society

I t was a pleasure to visit Colne Dramatic Society for their season opener “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Becket. This was my first visit to the Little Theatre, which is a very charming venue that reminded a bit of the Bijou from the Peter Sellers film “The Smallest Show on Earth”, minus the noisy trains passing by. I most certainly will be back and will look forward to seeing future productions. It was also my first foray into the worlds of Becket as I’ve never seen “Godot” before but

had heard of it, especially knowing of the professional production with Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart. When it was first presented, it was a delight to as many audience members as it did shock audience members. I would envisage that it is like Marmite, you either love it or hate it. After what the whole world has gone through recently, and the effects it has had on us, especially within the amateur theatre world, it was a very daring and ambitious choice with which to open the season and this was evident with the house being approx. 50% full on the last night and think there was even fewer on the opening night. Nevertheless, it was chosen and was presented very well. It was just a shame not many more came to see the production as I’m sure that they would have enjoyed it, I certainly did. in my mind, every now and again a Society should experiment and show what it can do. This play certainly did hit the mark with the company’s presentation. I was welcomed very well by the front of house team and the stage manager, John Mills who gave me a short tour of the stage and backstage. The set was a ruined mill, which was expertly designed and