Teatro Meron: Review of WAITING FOR GODOT: Dallying in Despair

February 10, 2026

Camping beside a bare tree were two homeless men dressed in rags named Vladimir (nicknamed "Didi") and Estragon (nicknamed "Gogo"). They talked about a lot of nothing and did a lot of silly activities to spend their empty days as they were waiting for the expected arrival of the mysterious Godot. To break their monotony, they encounter haughty master Pozzo and his leashed slave Lucky, and a Boy who had one message to deliver.  

Fledgling theater company Teatro Meron debuted last year with absurdist play "Sopranong Kalbo," a Filipino adaptation of Eugene Ionescu's "The Bald Soprano" (1950). This year, they aimed higher and went directly for the best-known of all absurdist plays -- Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" (1953). It had once been hailed as "the most significant English-language play of the 20th century," a reputation that makes this a must-watch for all theater fans.

Previously, Didi and Gogo had been played by such acclaimed actors as Steve Martin and Robin Williams, Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen, and just recently, Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves. The whole play is anchored on the back and forth conversations of these two chaps, whose tramp costumes, as well as sense of humor imbued with pathos, were inspired by silent film comedians, like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy. 

Tarek El Tayech and Jj Ignacio play Didi and Gogo. They are not exactly as famous as the aforementioned Hollywood movie stars were, so it is a bigger challenge for them to make their Didi and Gogo lovable and sympathetic to local audiences. Act 1 may be tough to get into at first, especially as their interactions seemed monotonous and pointless. But by Act 2, El Tayech and Ignacio had succeeded to thoroughly endear their characters to us. 

The over-the-top pair of Pozzo and Lucky tended to steal scenes from our leads when they come on. In Act 1, upon Pozzo's order to "Think," heretofore mute Lucky launched all his long-repressed thoughts into a lengthy tirade of gobbledygook. In Act 2, Pozzo passionately bemoaned his fate as he suffered a debilitating physical handicap. John Bernard Sanchez and Lenard Tiongson understood Pozzo and Lucky, and fully inhabited their bizarreness. 

Before each act ended, Yael Ledesma appeared as the Boy, with that naughty smile plastered on his face. He came in just to tell Didi and Gogo that Godot was not coming that day. How he received this message from Godot was in itself a big question. How many days had he been coming around to deliver that bit of unwelcome news for Didi and Gogo -- news that would once again render their whole day of waiting totally meaningless?

This plotless play may not be for everyone, but Capinding's style of direction made the challenging material accessible without spoon-feeding. Still, a few may not have the patience to even get through the first act.  Some may see meaning in the props -- the tree, the hats (that hilarious hat-passing scene!), Gogo's shoes, Lucky's luggage, all the rope. However, most of us will wax philosophical about the repetitive routines of our mundane lives with days passing us by so fast as we wait with uncertainty for the fulfillment of our dreams. 

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Teatro Meron's "Waiting for Godot" runs from February 13 to March 1, 2026 at the Special Exhibition Hall, The Mind Museum, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig. Tickets at P2000 via Ticket2Me at this LINK. 

This show is co-produced by Eastern Communications and Tunog at Liwanag ng Teatro (TLT), with support from Alfred Vargas and the Ateneo de Manila University Department of Philosophy.