Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot - (Modern Theatre Guides) by Mark Taylor-Batty & Juliette Taylor-Batty (Paperback)

About the Book

Informative critical introduction to Beckett's Waiting for Godot, one of the most commonly studied modern plays.

Book Synopsis

"An impressively complete survey of the play in its cultural, theatrical, historical and political contexts." - David Bradby, co-editor of Contemporary Theatre Review
Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot is not only an indisputably important and influential dramatic text -it is also one of the most significant western cultural landmarks of the twentieth century. Originally written in French, the play first amazed and appalled Parisian theatre-goers and critics before receiving a harshly dismissive initial critical response in Britain in 1955. Its influence since then on the international stage has been significant, impacting on generations of actors, directors and audiences.

Review Quotes

"An impressively complete survey of the play in its cultural, theatrical, historical and political contexts." - David Bradby, co-editor of Contemporary Theatre Review

Briefly reviewed in the Year's work in English Studies journal, vol 89, No. 1Â 'Its major strength is its exploration of the play's French origins, and especially the first production in Paris directed by Roger Blin.'

This new introductory textbook is an extremely useful resource for both readers and performers of Beckett's Waiting for Godot. It provides some very interesting and readable biographical and historical background for the play, including some helpful analysis of genre and language.

About the Author

Mark Taylor-Batty is Senior Lecturer in Theatre Studies at the University of Leeds, UK Juliette Taylor-Batty is Associate Senior Lecturer in English at Leeds Trinity &All Saints, Leeds, UK.