Ever since the first episode of Bottom came to an end, way back in 1991, and the continuity announcer told us that Rik and Ade were appearing in a production of Waiting For Godot, I’ve indelibly linked the two things together in my mind.
For a long time, little information was to be found about this production, as the internet was in its infancy, but now there’s more to be enjoyed about it. Take this snippet, for example, from the Hammersmith And Shepherds Bush Gazette, appropriately enough.
I learned later that Christopher Ryan had a part in the play too, but it had completely passed me by that this was one of the first roles for Robbie out of Eastenders.
Then there’s this nice little sidebar from the Nottingham Evening Post on the 1st October 1991.
It’s fair to say that Tony Purnell was much less impressed in the next day’s Daily Mirror.
In the same edition of the paper though, there was this slightly bizarre piece about Adrian Edmondson backstage at the play.
Lynn Power, in the Kensington Post on the 10th October is more positive about it, and mentions that the set is designed by Derek Jarman.
The Mirror reviewed the production once again, this time on the 17th October, in a brief round-up, and in contradiction to the earlier one.
There’s an annoying lack of footage from the production though, which shares a grotty aesthetic with Bottom.
