China's most influential dramatist takes on the pinnacle of the Theatre of the Absurd

Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot—a cornerstone of absurdist drama—has captivated artists and audiences for generations. A play without a beginning or an end, its timeless themes continue to resonate across eras and cultures.

Meng Jinghui, a leading figure in contemporary Chinese theatre since the 1990s, was one of the pioneers in introducing Beckett’s play to Mainland China. His 1991 staging of Waiting for Godot was a bold declaration that marked the beginning of an “absurdist theatre” movement in China. Now, three decades later and in celebration of the 120th anniversary of Beckett’s birth, Meng brings his 2024 rendition of Waiting for Godot to Hong Kong with a new generation of performers, paying tribute to the original while daring to re-invent it.

Meng reshapes the play through a fragmented, 21st-century lens—revealing the paradox of absurdity as a mirror reflecting our deepest truths. Audience members are invited to step beyond the fourth wall and share their thoughts and drawings on giant graffiti walls onstage before the performance starts. Meanwhile, a towering portrait of Beckett looms over the stage, symbolising a century-spanning conversation between the playwright and today’s world. On stage, actors embody the surreal spirit of postmodernism, transforming the theatre into a playground of shared imagination.

Meng’s Waiting for Godot is a manifesto about innovation and experimentation of the theatre. Join us on this bold, immersive journey into the absurd, the existential and the profoundly human.

Advance bookings will start at 10am on 16 October 2025