The Birthday Party

I have to confess that this was the first time I had seen this play by Harold Pinter and so decided to do a little research; which was not a lot of help, as everything I read conflicted, so decided to keep an open mind.  After seeing it I think the most helpful comment I read was a quote from Michael Billington, Pinter’s biographer, ‘he understood that conversation rarely proceeds according to question-and-answer logic, but is often more in the nature of an interrupted private monologue’.  I found it a hauntingly thought provoking play with much humour, which I was not expecting.

The play is set in a rundown seaside boarding house “probably on the south coast, not too far from London” in the 1950’s.  Petey and Meg run it and they have a long-term lodger Stanley, a young man in his 30’s.  It is apparently Stanley’s birthday and Meg has arranged a party for him, inviting Lulu the girl next door to it.  But the sudden appearance of two strangers who met Petey on the beach the night before, and asked him if he has a room to let, changes everything and the atmosphere becomes much more sinister.   

The action takes place over 24 hours in the living room of Meg and Petey’s house.        The set had been well constructed and painted to give the impression of a house that has seen better days.  There were French Windows to the garden stage right; a serving hatch with kitchen beyond and a door leading to the front door and hall, with a staircase leading to the bedrooms on the back wall; a lovely window stage left.  The room was furnished appropriately with sideboard, dining table and chairs and seats, with interesting set dressing.  The lighting had been well designed, with light coming in through the window and French door, and good night and day differentiation.

The cast of six had all developed strong characters, which they maintained and developed throughout.  Ken Allinson as Petey provided a very calm contrast to Heidi Price’s Meg.  At the beginning he sat reading the newspaper while Meg fussed around with his breakfast continually asking if ‘everything was nice’, and making seemingly irrelevant comments on the articles he reads to her, but he is obviously used to it, and his activities outside the home maintains his sanity.  He delivered ‘Don’t let them tell you what to do’ the line Pinter once said was the most important in the play, with great feeling.  Heidi Price handled the difficult character of Meg well; she was fussy and very insecure, wanting to please everyone but never quite managing it.  She really inhabits a world of her own and after the disastrous party seems to have forgotten the horrors.  Saul Bateman as Stanley, the young lodger, showed good character development as the play progressed.  He appeared a little unpredictable and unstable at first but with the arrival of Goldberg and McCann his mental state gradually declines until he is a shell of his former self.  This was all well portrayed and towards the end before he is taken away, his stillness was amazing, he cut out everything going on around him.  Claire Howard was believable as the young neighbour Lulu, who is caught up in something she does not understand, and to whom who Goldberg takes a liking.  The arrival of the duo of Goldberg and McCann brought a feeling of instant menace to the proceedings, although initially there was no reason for this.  Richard Tiley as Goldberg, dominated the action when he was on stage controlling everything, conveying calm civility but there was an iron fist in a velvet glove, a very complex character.  Dave Kilmister as the singing, more brutish Irishman McCann, displayed anger and underlying agitation to ‘get on with things’, although we are never told what he wants to get on with.  Between them they destroy Stanley and we are left wondering why.

Director Lloyd Morgan obviously enjoyed the challenge of directing Pinter and had gathered a strong cast, who also rose to the challenge.  The meaningful pauses were well timed, did not slow the pace and were necessary to absorb what was happening.  I found the question and answer session after the play very interesting, hearing the cast giving their interpretation of what was happening in the play.  I am still not sure I understood it, but I enjoyed the skilled performances.  Well done everyone.

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