Pinter at the Pinter

[Steve]

Saw tonight's "happy birthday, harold" gala and absolutely loved it.

For the first half, the ensemble of actors all sat in chairs on stage, looking toward the audience, with the readings/performances taking place in front of them, at the front of the stage where the mics were. In the second half, the ensemble were placed stage right, looking at the readers/actors in the centre.

Here are some of my highlights of the evening, with the best saved for last:-

I enjoyed snippets of Pinter's real life activism:

Jon Snow broke his impartial newsreader persona to read Pinter's raging Commons protest speech against the war in Iraq;

Tamsin Greig read Pinter's love letter to Arthur Miller, detailing their joint visit to the US embassy in Ankara to protest the US involvement with Turkey's human rights abuses. Pinter was tickled pink that Miller walked out of the event in protest with him, and Greig gave this her usual witty wry reading.

I enjoyed Hayley Squires performing "request stop," in which her xenophobic and anti-social rants about supposedly unhelpful advice about the Shepherds Bush bus felt very now;

I enjoyed John Simm reenacting his sneering malevolent Lenny from Jamie Lloyd's previous production of "The Homecoming" opposite former castmates, Keith Allen and Ron Cook. I loved Indira Varma assuming Gemma Chan's role to enact the (Basic Instinct-Sharon Stone style) leg crossing and uncrossing scene, while 5 men drooled. Varma has always excelled with sexual power games on stage, and no less here.

I enjoyed Kristin Scott Thomas performing an excerpt from Pinter's "French Lieutenant's Woman" script, while original film cast member, Jeremy Irons, looked on from the wings.

I enjoyed Samuel West's casually decadent reading of Pinter's "Old Days" poem, in which he relishes the good old days of stabbing "lefties" to death.

I LOVED Felicity Kendal's reading of Pinter's poem "Message," in which the middle class doyenne advised her son in a letter to "kick the first blind man you see in the balls!"

I also LOVED the reunion of three key "The Hothouse" performers, in which Simon Russell Beale's haplessly sadistic and paranoid Roote hilariously forcefed cake to John Heffernan while a malevolent (again) John Simm lurked mere inches behind him.

I Loved Tom Edden's finicky pernickety aggressive insistence that pain only travels downwards in the body, from neck ache to the nether regions, but NOT upwards to the brain, in Pinter's perfect "That's your Trouble" sketch.

I LOVED Tom Hiddleston's eerie expressive calmness as Robert in Pinter's "Betrayal," carefully carving his stony words like a sculptor, taking on board Zawe Ashton's Emma's infidelity to him. Former Emma, Kristen Scott Thomas watched from the wings.

I ABSOLUTELY ADORED Jeremy Irons taking on the younger man's role of Briggs in "No Man's Land." His added age gave the Brigg's character's laugh-out-loud speech about the impossibility of finding Bolsover Street a lived-in jadedness that made the speech even funnier, especially coming from an actor so prone to seriousness. The contrast made his circuitous directions about finding a place, from which there is no escape, one of the wonders of the evening.

And I equally ABSOLUTELY ADORED Lee Evans persecuting long-suffering Tom Edden (great again) in Pinter's wondrously comic early sketch, "Trouble in the Works," in which Evans may have forgot his lines, but stand-up that he is, he got extra laughs for it from the audience, and it conveniently served to make Edden and his character suffer even more from Evans hilarious perverse obdurate line readings.

For me, an unforgettable 5 star evening.

[kathryn]

Wasn’t it just fab!? But I think you missed the revelation of the night - Con O’Neil’s bit from The Caretaker. Utterly spellbinding, I thought - I vaguely recognised him from off the telly but I had no idea he had that sort of performance in him.

As a Hiddles fangirl I was chuffed to realise I’ve finally seen him perform something on stage that was written less than 50 years ago - a real rarity! I am hoping this is a prelude to more contemporary (or, at least, 20th Century) stage work from him.

I took my Mum, who finally knows who SRB is - been telling her how great he is for years!

Spotted a few famous faces in the audience, too.

[samuelwhiskers]

Oct 11, 2018 0:01:36 GMT kathryn said:

Wasn’t it just fab!? But I think you missed the revelation of the night - Con O’Neil’s bit from The Caretaker. Utterly spellbinding, I thought - I vaguely recognised him from off the telly but I had no idea he had that sort of performance in him.

Phenomenal.

The one properly staged bit from Pinter 1 (Trump scene) was weird within the context of everything else being readings. But perfectly happy to see Jonjo twerking again.

[NeilVHughes]

Agree with kathryn Con O’Neill was a revelation, you could hear the proverbial pin drop during his performance.

The snippets of Pinter talking about his life and work between the performances gave an insight to his drive, gave context, and provided a gateway to the idea of the ‘Pinteresque’, the discussion on pauses followed by a masterclass in the dramatic pause by Sheila Hancock a perfect example.

So many highlights, a great night.

[galinda]

Oct 11, 2018 0:01:36 GMT kathryn said:

Wasn’t it just fab!? But I think you missed the revelation of the night - Con O’Neil’s bit from The Caretaker. Utterly spellbinding, I thought - I vaguely recognised him from off the telly but I had no idea he had that sort of performance in him.

Was he in The Caretaker a few years back.. I'm sure I saw him in it, it was at a fringe theatre somewhere .. Can't remember which one now. It also had David Bradley and Nigel Harman in it?

[kathryn]

Google is telling me that he was in a Jamie Lloyd-directed production at the Sheffield Crucible back in 2006 - his wikipedia says it was a tour, so you may have seen him elsewhere.

[kathryn]

Oct 11, 2018 1:11:14 GMT samuelwhiskers said:

Oct 11, 2018 0:01:36 GMT kathryn said:

Wasn’t it just fab!? But I think you missed the revelation of the night - Con O’Neil’s bit from The Caretaker. Utterly spellbinding, I thought - I vaguely recognised him from off the telly but I had no idea he had that sort of performance in him.

Phenomenal.

The one properly staged bit from Pinter 1 (Trump scene) was weird within the context of everything else being readings. But perfectly happy to see Jonjo twerking again.

Jonjo twerking is going to stay with me for a long time. 

[RedRose]

Oct 11, 2018 10:09:45 GMT kathryn said:

Google is telling me that he was in a Jamie Lloyd-directed production at the Sheffield Crucible back in 2006 - his wikipedia says it was a tour, so you may have seen him elsewhere.

That production played also at The Tricycle in 2007.

[Steve]

Yes, Con O'Neil's Aston was in the Jamie Lloyd Tricycle transfer of "The Caretaker," with David Bradley.

I enjoyed his reprise last night too, as he played the part (a man scarred by unnecessary electroconvulsive therapy) in the most weighty way I've seen, as if a great war ended, and he was calmly but emotively giving testimony in a war crimes tribunal.

Perhaps the reason I forgot to note how good he was last night is that I've never got over Peter McDonald's Aston, opposite Jonathan Pryce, in which McDonald's angelic and innocent Aston, in counterpoint to the horror that had been inflicted on him, matter-of-factly tried to play off the damage that had been done to him, while his whole performance evinced that he had been rendered close to a vegetable. It was McDonald's underplaying that had me in tears, a man trying to forget the unforgettable.

I LOVED Sheila Hancock last night, and I can't believe I forgot to mention it. I think my train arrived before I recalled her appearance lol. In "That's All," opposite Felicity Kendal, Hancock played the most pedantic, boring and annoying woman who ever lived, constantly fussing about whether things happened on Wednesdays or Thursdays. What made it so funny was the irritating pauses that she left before springing the obvious continuations of her oh-so-obvious story. This is the kind of fusspot that would drive you absolutely crazy if you were stuck with them in a lift.

In fact, a play involving Con O'Neil's weight-of-the-world Aston stuck in a lift with Sheila Hancock's "I know it was a Wednesday" pedant would be absolutely hilarious and very Pinter.

[RedRose]

And wikipedia reveals that Jamie Lloyd already directed The Lover/The Collection double bill at the same theatre- then still named Comedy Theatre- in 2008.

[galinda]

Oct 11, 2018 10:18:57 GMT RedRose said:

Oct 11, 2018 10:09:45 GMT kathryn said:

Google is telling me that he was in a Jamie Lloyd-directed production at the Sheffield Crucible back in 2006 - his wikipedia says it was a tour, so you may have seen him elsewhere.

That production played also at The Tricycle in 2007.

2007! Wow, time flies!

[kathryn]

Oct 11, 2018 10:26:08 GMT RedRose said:

And wikipedia reveals that Jamie Lloyd already directed The Lover/The Collection double bill at the same theatre- then still named Comedy Theatre- in 2008.

That one I saw! 2008 was when I really became a theatre addict - I'm forever kicking myself for missing out on stuff that was on the year before...

[RedRose]

Oct 11, 2018 11:52:42 GMT kathryn said:

Oct 11, 2018 10:26:08 GMT RedRose said:

And wikipedia reveals that Jamie Lloyd already directed The Lover/The Collection double bill at the same theatre- then still named Comedy Theatre- in 2008.

That one I saw! 2008 was when I really became a theatre addict - I'm forever kicking myself for missing out on stuff that was on the year before...

One year too early for me! But I still missed a lot in 2009 and 2010 when I didn't yet have the habit of seeing two shows a day and on every day during my visits to London.

[Deleted]

Urgh. So somehow I missed that the Pinter for £10 was for 24 hours only and now I am back to being irritated about how expensive these tickets are.

[jamesxxx]

So the £10 deal is still up there. They need to take down now as it dont apply and anyway when I got a seat yesterday it was stuck behind a piller. Great. Thanks. Give it to you with one hand and taken away with the other.10,000 seats to available in one day. Its more than irritating.

[clive]

It doesn't say that on the Pinter at the Pinter page either. It does say 24 hours on the page you then go through to, but doesn't say which 24 hours or when that was put up. Then the people on their phone lines don't know about it and can't work out why it won't work for them either!

[Jan]

Oct 11, 2018 12:16:42 GMT @happysooz said:

Urgh. So somehow I missed that the Pinter for £10 was for 24 hours only and now I am back to being irritated about how expensive these tickets are.

Try TodayTix daily Rush tickets.

[NeilVHughes]

Pinter 2 this afternoon, most excellent.

The kitten was definitely not on its best behaviour.

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2018 17:21:22 GMT Jan said:

Oct 11, 2018 12:16:42 GMT @happysooz said:

Urgh. So somehow I missed that the Pinter for £10 was for 24 hours only and now I am back to being irritated about how expensive these tickets are.

Try TodayTix daily Rush tickets.

Good idea. I’m going to try on Monday and if I don’t get them, just suck it up and pay. I’ve already organised the babysitter...

[dani]

I saw someone on Twitter saying she was really over these celebrations of male playwrights and we ought to have a season of Timberlake Wertenbaker, Zinnie Harris or Debbie Tucker Green instead. Can you imagine? I checked the person's profile and she is a playwright, evidently not with her finger on the commercial pulse. Also, she wrote "all this genuflecting to old white guys is getting boring". I'm not sure I would describe Pinter as an old white guy; all the people she thought should be celebrated were different from Pinter in the small matter of being alive.

[Jan]

Oct 13, 2018 17:48:59 GMT dani said:

I saw someone on Twitter saying she was really over these celebrations of male playwrights and we ought to have a season of Timberlake Wertenbaker, Zinnie Harris or Debbie Tucker Green instead. Can you imagine? I checked the person's profile and she is a playwright, evidently not with her finger on the commercial pulse. Also, she wrote "all this genuflecting to old white guys is getting boring". I'm not sure I would describe Pinter as an old white guy; all the people she thought should be celebrated were different from Pinter in the small matter of being alive.

Hannah Khalil. Writes for Hollyoaks. Surprised she didn’t add “Jewish” to get the bigotry full house.

It is an idea to revive some of Timberlake Wertenbaker’s plays apart from her famous one, but as she’s old and white let’s not bother eh ?

[dani]

Oct 13, 2018 19:43:01 GMT Jan said:

Hannah Khalil. Writes for Hollyoaks. Surprised she didn’t add “Jewish” to get the bigotry full house. 

Thank you for this. I had a look and she has written one episode of Hollyoaks. That's one more than me, but it's a little less than Pinter wrote for TV.

[samuelwhiskers]

Oct 13, 2018 17:48:59 GMT dani said:

I saw someone on Twitter saying she was really over these celebrations of male playwrights and we ought to have a season of Timberlake Wertenbaker, Zinnie Harris or Debbie Tucker Green instead. Can you imagine? I checked the person's profile and she is a playwright, evidently not with her finger on the commercial pulse. Also, she wrote "all this genuflecting to old white guys is getting boring". I'm not sure I would describe Pinter as an old white guy; all the people she thought should be celebrated were different from Pinter in the small matter of being alive.

It’s a wonderful idea? Why on earth not have more seasons celebrating accomplished female writers?

I’m not sure where the resistence to women of colour having opinions comes from. But then you evidently don’t follow new writing. If you want to stick only with the classics no ones going to force you otherwise, but it’s a big theatrical world out there.


Jan what a horrible racist comment.

[dani]

Oct 13, 2018 22:15:41 GMT samuelwhiskers said:

It’s a wonderful idea? Why on earth not have more seasons celebrating accomplished female writers?

I’m not sure where the resistence to women of colour having opinions comes from. But then you evidently don’t follow new writing. If you want to stick only with the classics no ones going to force you otherwise, but it’s a big theatrical world out there.


Jan what a horrible racist comment.

I'm all for female writers being celebrated. However, I'm not sure a standalone season of, for the sake of argument, Timberlake Wertenbaker plays would be something that would prosper in the commercial theatre. I'm also puzzled by the idea that it's wrong or boring to have a season looking back on the work of Harold Pinter. It's a great opportunity to reevaluate him, ten years on from his death. 

Where do you come by the idea that I don't follow new writing? Or the idea that I object to women of colour having opinions?! I didn't notice anything about the person posting on Twitter, to the extent of not even noticing whether the poster was female or male, but saw the post because someone else was drawing attention to it. 

[samuelwhiskers]

Hannah Khalil isn't exactly an obscure playwright. She's certainly well-known and well-regarded as part of the new generation of up and coming playwrights within the industry. I'd say she's one of perhaps 5 of 6 emerging playwrights who are causing the most excitement within the theatre world right now.

I redact my "you" comment which was a response to the tone of the discussion in general.


I've always loved Pinter. The current season is one of my highlights of the year. But there are overlooked female playwrights with a canon of work that equals Pinter's both in ambition and scope, and volume. A Wertenbaker season might not be the most commercial prospect but is months of Pinter's short and less well-known plays and monologues really all that commercial appealing to West End punters? Female and BAME playwrights often have less exposure and are given fewer commissions and mainspace shows and it's not because they're not as good as their white male peers. Redressing the balance isn't some worthy PC-thing it increases the amount of good theatre around.