Chaseplay Theatre Company brings us an innovative reworking of Beckett’s Waiting for Godot almost to put a time on something timeless. Replacing the male cast with women, rocks with stilettos, and rotten turnips with unlit cigarettes, they make some imaginative changes. The most notable however is that instead of waiting for the enigmatic Godot, Lulu (Meghan Tyler) and Cece (Emma Curtins) restlessly wait for a train. Inspired by Beckett’s existentialism, this absurdist piece grapples with whether life is a process of waiting or loitering.
It is not hard to see the good rapport between Curtin and Tyler whilst sitting in the audience. Cece (Curtins), who can’t bear to forget and Lulu (Tyler), who can’t bear to remember, are in sync, bantering back and forth at the perfect pace. And if you are familiar with Waiting for Godot then you are sure to get a kick out Titis (Clíodhna McCorley) and Happy’s (Laura Woff) arrival on stage. Prancing around in glamorous white garments Titis belligerently dominates, whilst Happy concedes to her submissive position, just as in Godot. However this scene is stripped from its tragedy - Titis struts around in heels referring to Happy as bitch or her art instillation - and is replaced with light hearted humour.
The play heralds itself as a Godot-inspired piece and in true Beckettian fashion Nothing to be Done incorporates a comic element found also in Waiting for Godot. With witticisms and great word play the cast get the audience laughing which is on one hand a good thing.On the other, if you are tempted to see this play expecting to see something deep and harrowing then perhaps you should reconsider. It’s difficult to say whether it was the audience’s reception of the show or the acting but the humour almost took away from the gravity of the subject matter. The night I had the pleasure of seeing it (which was the preview), Nothing to be Done was more like a clever wordplay, lacking the seriousness and depth that we associate with Beckett, so rather than haunting us we couldn’t help but laugh.
A good knowledge of Waiting for Godot is not essential as this play stands on its own two feet. If you are up for some tantalising comedy Nothing to be Done definitely delivers.
