Lockdown Theatre Announces Live Virtual Table Read Of A BIT OF WAITING FOR GODOT In Aid Of The Royal Theatrical Fund

Lockdown Theatre in association with The Royal Theatrical Fund today announces a live virtual table read of "A Bit of Waiting for Godot" taken from Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot on Sunday 28 June at 7pm. Jonathan Church directs Robert Lindsay (Estragon), Michael Palin (Vladimir) and Joanna Lumley narrates. Tickets are £35 in aid of The Royal Theatrical Fund.

This is a unique opportunity to take part in a one-night-only, once-in-a-lifetime event. A peek behind the curtain of the theatrical process, in the company of a group of national treasures.

The live table read of Samuel Beckett's peerless masterpiece will take place via Zoom, followed by a live Q&A with the cast and director. Bring your own wine. No popcorn.

Rob Grant today said, "Many industries are under threat in these troubled times, but the entertainment industry is facing an existential crisis. We simply don't know when, or even if, theatres will be able to accommodate audiences safely in sufficient numbers to make productions viable again. Theatres are closing, good theatres, and may never reopen their doors.

We at Lockdown Theatre want to do what we can to help safeguard and preserve our rich national heritage of theatre, and give it as healthy a future as possible, so absolutely every penny generated from this production will be donated to The Royal Theatrical Fund (Patron, Her Majesty the Queen)."

Limited tickets available at www.rtflockdown.com

Robert Lindsay plays Estragon. He is a BAFTA award-winning actor, whose credits range from the smash hit Citizen Smith in the Seventies to My Family in the noughties, with a generous sprinkling of award-winning stage roles in between, including Me and My Girl, which won him the Olivier Award in the West End, and a Tony Award when it transferred to Broadway. His TV work has ranged from sitcoms (his first was Get Some In!) to BBC Shakespeare productions, and Stephen Poliakoff dramas Friends and Crocodiles and Gideon's Daughter. He co-starred in Alan Bleasdale's GBH along with ... Michael Palin. He appeared in Ricky Gervais's Extras as an arrogant, mean-spirited version of himself. Or, as his friends prefer to say: as himself.

Joanna Lumley narrates. From Bond girl in On Her Majesty's Secret Service to the iconic Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous, Joanna's glittering career has spanned over four decades, through Purdey in The New Avengers, Sapphire in the cult classic Sapphire and Steel and movies including Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride and Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street. She has garnered multiple awards, including two BAFTAs and honours (OBE, FRGS and five honorary doctorates). Among her many charity endeavours, she is best known for her tireless support of the Gurkha Justice Campaign.

Michael Palin plays Vladimir. Part of the legendary team that created the ground-breaking comedy, Monty Python, Michael went on to create Ripping Yarns with Terry Jones, and appeared in many hit films, including Time Bandits (which he co-wrote with Terry Gilliam), The Missionary (self-penned), and A Fish Called Wanda (BAFTA for best supporting actor). He also shared the lead in Alan Bleasdale's GBH, along with ... Robert Lindsay. Latterly, he has concentrated largely on his renowned travel writing and documentaries, from Around the World in 80 Days, to Michael Palin in North Korea. Among a cascade of honours, he received his knighthood in the 2019 New Year's honours list, is a CBE, and has an asteroid named after him: Asteroid 9621 Michaelpalin.

Jonathan Church CBE directs. He is currently Artistic Director of Bath Theatre Royal's Summer Season, Chair of Marlowe Theatre Canterbury and on the Board of the Almeida Theatre. He was Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre (2006-2016); Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre (2001-2006); Associate Director of Hampstead Theatre (1999-2001); Artistic Director of Salisbury Playhouse (1995-1999); Associate Director of Derby Playhouse (1994-1995) and Assistant Director of Nottingham Playhouse (1992- 1994).

Jonathan's West End Productions as a Director include Hobson's Choice, Taken At Midnight (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Singin' In The Rain (Palace Theatre), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Duchess Theatre), Of Mice and Men (Savoy Theatre and The Old Vic), The Witches (Wyndham's Theatre), A Busy Day (Lyric Theatre), The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickleby (Gielgud Theatre).

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