Abstract/Summary

This article will examine the formative years of the Young Vic in London when productions of Waiting for Godot, Endgame and Happy Days were staged and embraced by a new generation of theatregoers and practitioners in a metropolitan theatre that began at the edge of the city’s mainstream theatre culture. Through a range of archival resources and an interview with the Young Vic’s founding director, this essay will discuss the reception of these performances and their ability to engage with young audiences. It will conclude by tracing the Young Vic’s more recent association with Beckett’s drama, as the theatre has grown into an independent force competing with larger, traditional theatre institutions.