‘Waiting for Godot’ sparkles at Wuzhen Theatre Festival

The Wuzhen Theatre Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary, bringing a wide range of masterpieces to the ancient water town of Wuzhen. One of this year’s highlights will be the return of international plays. In total, there are 28 specially invited plays, with 14 of them originating from abroad, spanning 11 different countries. 

As one of the most anticipated international works this year, “Waiting for Godot” by Irish author Samuel Beckett, is considered one of the greatest of the twentieth century. Greek director Theodoros Terzopoulos has taken up the challenge of bringing the production to new audiences in his second appearance at the festival. The stars of the play are Enzo Vetrano and Stefano Randisi, who have been working together since 1976. 

“We’ve been cooperating for almost fifty years. It’s just like one of the lines in ‘Waiting for Godot.’ How long we have been together? Fifty years,” said Stefano Randisi, one of the two lead actors in the production. 

This is the first time the duo have performed in Wuzhen, and they say the experience has brought them fresh ideas and inspiration. 

“We really like the theater festival concept, as it involves putting on productions from around the world on stage together. We haven’t had the chance to see other works yet, but we feel really excited, which is all part of the festival, too,” Randisi said. 

“Waiting for Godot” is a classic that’s seen many different versions and performances, but the cast believe they’ve managed to offer something new through their production.  

“The innovation lies in creating a physical space that represents a group of people who can’t see the future, or find hope. They’re still waiting, still looking for hope. But what are they waiting for? It’s impossible to achieve, this so-called hope,” Randisi said. 

The play is performed in Italian, but one of the actors says the work transcends language, culture, and even time. Paolo Musio, the other lead actor from “Waiting for Godot” said: “It carries strong and sincere emotions, including the feeling of human suffering, conveyed through emotional voices and bodily movements. This transcends language and can be understood by all people on a universal level.” 

The Wuzhen Theatre Festival serves as a platform for global communication. And if sales are anything to go by, audiences are clearly eager to see more international masterpieces make their welcome return to the stage.