Waiting for Gogot

Jokai Theatre Komárno recently ended the fourth decade of its existence. It performs at the Theatre Festival in Nitra for the first time. Adaptation Waiting for Godot was staged by Sandor Beke, the director, who in the 1960's and at the beginning of the 1970's substantially contributed to the profile of the Hungarian theatres in Slovakia – the Jokai Theatre in Komárno (until recently the Hungarian regional theatre) and Thália theatre in Košice. After almost fifteen-year break (since 1976, he worked in Hungary), Sander Beke came back again to the places of his artistic beginnings. Since 1990, Beke adopted many interesting titles in our country, e.g., A Streetcar Named Desire by Williams, Salesman with the Rain by Nash (Thália, Kosice), the White Marriage by Rozewicz, Madách's Tragedy of a Man.... (Komárno).

In the theatre season 1993-94, new actors joined the Komárno Theatre and Sandor Beke offered a chance to young, promising newcomers, O. Bologhy, A. Mokos and G. Benkö. Thus, we are given an opportunity to watch an adaptation in the Komarnostyle production, interesting mainly from the actors' performance point of view. In an interpretation of young performers, we can observe the moods of helplessness of a grotesque if not even a clown-like flavour, which sometimes touch the moments of a tragic, depressing feeling of life. They present almost authentic recording of a human, conflict less, passing of the time...

„Estragon and Vladimir are waiting, Pozzo and Lucky are rushing around the world, while seek ing something. Result for both couples is the same – nothing”. (Eslin)

„Question remains, whether Beckett is offering really only two possibilities or two possibilities at either end of the spectrum between which there are (maybe) other possibilities. Although, The Waiting for Godot is undoubtedly presenting itself as more humane than factual enslaving, is it the only way how not to lose the humankind?” (Veselý). Beke's adaptation too, is searching for something immaterial, something that rushes forward and fills, repeatedly with new energy... Waiting for Godot is that something, what one is waiting for and what is not coming... It is, what gives one every morning an energy to continue with life, an expectation that today is the day when one shall live through the most deciding moment, the most deciding human relationship, which will clarify the meaning of life for him.” (Eslin)

Silvia Hroncová

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