"Bloomsbury presents The Godot Diaries, written and read by Lucian Msamati.
A fascinating, behind-the-scenes diary account of working on a major production of Beckett’s iconic play from acclaimed actor Lucian Msamati.
From his agent’s phone call offering him the role of Estragon, Lucian Msamati brings brilliantly to life the experience of co-starring with Ben Whishaw in James Macdonald’s celebrated production of Waiting for Godot in London’s West End. With the likes of Jonathan Slinger as Pozzo and Ben Edden as Lucky, this production has some of today’s finest theatre actors bringing new life and meaning to Beckett’s 1949 play.
Through rehearsal room highs and lows, workaday laughs and tears, literal stumbles and grumbles, we journey with Lucian, his fellow actors and creatives, and Beckett’s play, sharing in the personal and dramaturgical discoveries they make and the inevitable emotional contours of an experience as intense as this one.
As the final curtain comes down (and Lucian’s trousers, too, as it happens) after the production’s four-month run, we feel intimately connected with Beckett’s elusive play and characters, slightly more able to navigate the play’s surprising twists and turns, and with a renewed sense of appreciation for the work and graft of an actor and all that comes with it. P 2026 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC C 2026 Lucian Msamati"
"Bloomsbury presents Acting, written and read by Lucian Msamati.
From one of the most celebrated actors of the stage and screen comes this book on the craft of acting.
Lucian Msamati draws on his rich experience, particularly in the context of productions at the National Theatre - including:
Amadeus
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Master Harold and The Boys
Death and The King's Horseman
The Comedy of Errors
The Overwhelming
- to delve into sets of challenges and possibilities that actors might face.
He offers up his tips on getting started in the industry; navigating the various professional relationships and roles inside a rehearsal room; and offers insights into running your own company and generating your own work.
Peppered with quoted interviews with other industry professionals and personal anecdotes, which are sure to resonate with any reader, this will be a cherished book on any actor's bookshelf. C 2025 Lucian Msamati P 2025 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC"
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