Jon Brown, Hawthorne Theatre Review Team
I was delighted to be given the
opportunity to review this play as I am a big Pinter fan; having previously directed
and performed in his plays. I therefore was optimistic and hopeful of
experiencing an absorbing and confrontational spectacle.
I wasn’t disappointed. Firstly, a
brief synopsis; Emma is married to Robert, a publisher. However for
seven years, she has been having an affair with Jerry, a literary agent who just
happens to be Robert’s best friend. What is clever and refreshing is that
it’s not the traditional beginning to end story, but quite the opposite as time
is whipped upside down as the play presents major events in
reverse. The audience are taken ahead to the end of the affair in
the spring of 1977, and then are pushed into a complex and engrossing journey
back to its very beginning; the winter of 1968.
As with all Pinter’s work, there is a
quirki-ness, an oddness and a surreal feeling, that are all woven into his
plays. The one element that significantly distinguishes his work from other
playwrights is the execution of the dialogue. The deliberate use of pauses and
at times sharp and quick delivery of the lines tend to be the heartbeat of all Pinter’s
plays, making it a tense and at times uncomfortable experience.
I was very impressed with what London
Classic Theatre did with the play. Despite it being set in the sixties and
seventies, they injected a freshness and at times electrifying pace to all the
scenes, that brilliantly counter-balanced the more anxious and uneasy silences.
Here were four actors who completely
knew and ‘got’ the play and who were totally comfortable with the dialogue. For
me it’s always special when you see a chemistry between actors, and when they
have a giving nature on stage. They all had that. They bounced off each other brilliantly,
controlling each scene with an exquisite self-assurance, ease and pace.
Pete Collis as Robert impressed me a
lot with a cool confidence in all his scenes. He attacked the dialogue superbly
and managed this complex and at times aggressive character with an effortless
technique. Rebecca Pownall gave a delightful portrayal as Emma, bringing comedy
and some welcomed lighter touches to the play. Her versatility as an actress
was demonstrated throughout when we then saw the more fragile and vulnerable
side of her character. Her best example of this was during the final scene where
we see the foundation of Emma and Jerry’s affair. She begins with stubbornness
and control but then visibly and emotionally conveys a delicate and exposed
side, as she gives in to Jerry’s attention and lust. Steven Clarke as Jerry was
‘on the ball’ from the start showing energy, panache and attack from the
opening few lines, which gave the play the best possible start. The only slight
disappointment I had was that he at times seemed to over play the trademark ‘Pinterest’ delivery. This may have been
deliberate but for me it resulted in a lack of depth and emotion to this
character which I wanted to see more of. Max Wilson as the
waiter was charming, funny and was skillfully and modestly integrated into the
whole piece, delivering an impressive professionalism and energy.
I
enjoyed the simple, very natural and thoughtful direction by Michael Cabot and it
worked in total unison with Bek Palmer’s design. The subtle cut-out sections of
rooms worked brilliantly and I believed in the various locations. It was all
that was needed to allow you to focus totally on the characters, action and the
writing. Andy Grange’s lighting was simple and beautifully delivered. Having
the actor’s set each new scene and location was perfect and slick and following
this with a brief announcement of the year and season was a helpful and nice
touch.
Betrayal is a ruthless exploration of
the complexity of the human heart and is definitely one of Pinter’s most
accessible works with desire at its core. I very much look forward to seeing a
performance by London Classic Theatre again. It was enthralling and tense and I
was really drawn into the bubble of this stimulating piece of theatre; a bubble
that definitely didn’t burst for me.
No comments:
Post a comment