Waiting for Signore Gondolino

“Day after day you can see them just sitting there.”

Dance and movement for 6 years +
Duration: 40 Minutes

Inspired by Samuels Beckett's play „Waiting for Godot“ the schallundrauch agency has engaged with and explored the phenomenon of „waiting“. The result of this engagement is a theatre production entitled „Waiting for Signore Gondolino“.

A production for young theatre-goers, the audience gets a view into the strange and curious world of Erstragon and Wladimir, a most unlikely pair of comrades who get so lost in waiting that life almost passes them by.

This unique theatrical experience raises a whole host of questions that are presented to the audience through a mixture of dance and humour with an undertone of poetic sensibility. Questions are posed – answers are not necessarily given. Questions such as:
Is it really worthwhile to spend time waiting? And if so, what for? Or is life itself a form of waiting? Is life waiting for me? Do we let time pass us by? If so, where does it go? And if we don't let it pass us by, then what do we do with it?

Civic Theater Tavira l Portugal l 2002
WUK l Szene Bunte Wähne Tanzfestival l Wien l 2004
Seven Lights Theatre l Peking l 2004
Kunsthausfest Horn l 2004
Hauptbücherei Wien l Lesofantenfest l 2004

crew

Idea, Direction, Performance:
Gabriele Wappel (Estragon)
Janina Sollmann (Wladimir)
Narration: Frank Hoffmann
Text: Helmut Jasbar
Lighting: Silvia Auer
Sound: Markus Bruckner

Programme Text

Day after day you can see them just sitting there. Two figures perched on two dustbins on the outskirts of a large city. They have been there such a long time now, so long that they even believe the bins are their own personal property. Rumour has it that they even sleep in the dustbins. They come across, without question, as a decidedly odd couple. And we are sure that we are normal and they are, well, less so. Or so we like to think…
Estragon and Wladimir. They do nothing, and after that nothing, and then for good measure nothing again. They are convinced that they have a special purpose, to receive Signore Gondolino at the city's edge. Actually, he should be here already...

With friendly support of: Stadt Wien
Special thanks to: tanzpool, Nicole Kanter, Nikolaus Selimov