Pinter at the Pinter

I have very mixed feelings about Pinter. I've seen some excellent productions, such as 'The Hot House' , and others which I enjoyed less, such as 'The Birthday Party', and 'The Caretaker', or where I enjoyed them because the talents of the actors made p for the text!

So when I saw that there was to be a season of 'Pinter at the Pinter', showing all of Pinter's short plays, I was ambivalent about whether or not to try to see any of them.

As I was going to London anyway for King Lear, I did decide to go to see 'Pinter One', mainly on the basis of the cast, which includes Paapa Essiedu, Antony Sher and Maggie Steed.

And afterwards, I still had mixed feelings about Pinter.

'Pinter One' started with Press Conference - a politician, the new Minister for Culture, (Jonjo O'Neill) taking questions about his new role...including comparing it to his old role, as head of the secret police. He cheerily confirms that he has the same aims, and chats about abducting children and raping women, and about, in his new role, stifling criticism or dissent.

It sets the tone for the rest of the evening, which includes One for the Road, in which Antony Sher is an apparently affable government functionary, interviewing a man his wife, and son. His chatty manner and apparent wish to be liked, initially masking his ruthlessness and near absolute power over them, as he interrogates them, revealing that they have been tortured. 

There was also a new sketch, discovered by Pinter's wife following his death, The Pres and an officer, in which we see a Trump-alike American President (Jon Culshaw)  give orders to nuke London, in the mistaken belief that it is the capital of France - which is too horribly plausible, right now, to be funny..

I didn't stay for the final play, Ashes to Ashes, as I had a train to catch, but over all, I enjoyed some of the performances, but less the actual plays. 

King Lear - Antony Sher at the RSC

Antony Sher's King Lear originally played at Stratford 2 years ago, and has returned after a US tour.I missed it the first time round, so decided to go this time, and in Stratford-Upon-Avon for the matinee on Saturday

It's a big, bold production - Lear presents as a feudal lord,surrounded by a medieval-styled cast. His first entrance comes as he is carried in, enthroned, wearing a huge, fur, gown and (somewhat bizarrely) seated inside a perspex box (which detracts a little from the early medieval feel of the rest of the props and costumes. 

It means that his curses upon his daughter feel believable - both he, and Goneril,(Nia Gwynne) seem genuinely to believe that his curse has force, that the gods will listen, and his bewilderment when this doesn't make her back down is palpable.


Buom Tihnbang was an excellent Edmund,and David Troughton, as Gloucester, is also an excellent choice. 

I was less taken with the random, unspeaking characters on stage - homeless 'poor wretches' pointing up Lear's speech in the storm scene, (and incidentally, responsible for the death of the Fool, left behind when Gloucester intervenes to send Lear to Dover) They didn't seem to add much to the performance, it felt more that the director didn't trust us to understand the text without them!

Over all, however, well worth seeing. I'm glad I went (I believe the run is now over)