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Timothy Bateson obituary

Source: The Guardian

Nov 08, 2009

Summary

British character actor whose role in Waiting for Godot led to more than 50 years on stage, television and film

Timothy Bateson, who has died aged 83, was a character actor of boundless versatility and great warmth of personality who will always be remembered for playing Lucky in the controversial British premiere of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot at the Arts Theatre, London, in 1955. The production, directed by Peter Hall, moved on to the Criterion amid a continuing debate about what the play meant: the actors were no wiser themselves, though Bateson came to love the piece. He delivered his torrential monologue at the end of a rope with a blithe technical perfection, said the critics, and Kenneth Tynan noted that he made anguish sound comic – "a remarkable achievement".

Bateson had already appeared at the Old Vic, in Stratford-on-Avon, and on tour in America with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, but Godot set him up for a busy five decades in theatre, TV and film. His last stage appearance was at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, in Jonathan Kent's 2007 revi

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