Review: Waiting for God at People’s Theatre

“…I really recommend it to both fans of the show and those new to the characters…”

Waiting for God by Michael Aitkens, People’s Theatre

By Lauren Powell

When I was a kid, I used to love the TV series Waiting for God. I can’t remember too much about it now, but what a strange thing for a child to be into – a show about old people in a nursing home. What a strange thing to do a play about too, I suppose. As a former strange child – now a strange adult – I enjoyed this play a lot. I was hit by a wave of nostalgia. It was comforting and familiar, but my plus one, who had not seen the TV show, enjoyed it as much, if not more, than I did. 

One thing I always appreciate about the People’s Theatre is their relatively minimalistic staging and lovely painted backdrops. This show cycled through several different venues by simply changing the seating and some signage – honourable mention to a bed and a coffin. They do a lot with very little and I love that; less is more. The scene changes are very frequent, but the way they do them is brilliant. The furniture is moved around by extras-cum-stagehands who are acting out their own little world in the background as they set down chairs. The sleepy seaside bird-spotter, teddy bear lady and the randy nurses were my favourites, but it really is all a feast for the eyes. In my opinion, it’s the best and worst bit of this show. Best because they are so engaging; worst because there are so many scene changes that it felt choppy to me.

This play is very 90s. The humour and content are so reminiscent of that time, where quippy, slightly silly retorts and insults were de rigueur. As I’ve said, I particularly enjoyed that sense of nostalgia that this kind of humour triggered in me. Some of it has not aged well. For example, it’s got a little bit of that humour based on domestic violence/sexual assault that was acceptable back then, but wrinkles the nose now. When I mentioned this to my plus one, he delicately pointed out that the rest of the audience was fairly mature and they probably weren’t as concerned about being PC as I am – which is a fair assessment. The gentleman on my other side was positively braying with laughter throughout! 

The actors were a treat. On opening night, Karen Elliot, who played the lead, Diana, took a little time to warm into her role at the start of the show. This may be down to the fact that the People’s theatre doesn’t have mics so the actors have to project. This can lead to a feeling of being spoken directly to, which I find immersion-breaking. However, once she warmed up, they were off to a flying start and what an amazing lead she was. I felt deep affection for Tom (Jim Boylan) – what a great performance. I shed a little tear when he went to his wife’s grave. I also think Harvey was well cast, with Tom Kelly reminiscent of Rowan Atkinson and Rik Mayall, if they had a child, which intensified the whole 90s nostalgia for me. 

What a lovely evening I had with old friends, Diana and Tom. This play may not appeal to a younger audience – after all, a geriatric rom-com is a hard sell to those under 40. However, I know that my mum and her boyfriend will have a fantastic time when they go to see it later this week. I really recommend it to both fans of the show and those new to the characters. It’s a very good working of old material!   

Waiting for God plays at People’s Theatre until Saturday 19 July. Tickets are available here.

Lauren Powell is a recovering academic from the North East of England. Currently residing in South Shields with her partner and two malevolent gerbils. Lauren is a short form writer who writes fiction as well as reviews. She has loved the theatre since childhood, and many years ago volunteered back stage with an amateur group, Stage Focus.  From one man readings to musical and beyond, Lauren can not get enough! You can find her on Twitter/X here.