In a 2007 interview Pinter was asked about his work being at odds with his personal happiness.
“Drama is about conflict and degrees of perturbation, disarray. I’ve never been able to write a happy play, but I’ve been able to enjoy a happy life,” he said. The Pinter double bill chosen by Now Look Here theatre lives up to the 'theatre of menace' tag given to his early work. However these lesser known plays also demonstrate his familiarity with domestic happiness while they explore the contradictions and darkness than can lie beneath.
'The Lover' & 'A Slight Ache' are excellent examples of Pinter’s wit and ear for speech patterns and language, brilliantly highlighted by an outstanding performance from Daniel Murphy. Kerith Atkinson in equally strong, especially as the ambivalent wife in 'The Lover', but a little less obvious in the female roles. (A couple of good “you’re only a woman” quotes in these!)
The staging and direction accentuate the humour and carefully balance the audience between the pleasure and pain of Pinter’s vision of human kind. The music, set and lighting set the tone beautifully in 'The Lover' as a husband and wife struggle with their roles and desires. Their actions and words question what is and isn’t role-play, the effect on relationships and whether we can ultimately escape our roles even if we want to.
'A Slight Ache' was originally written for radio, and although re-written for theatre it remains fairly static. It is also more absurdist, hard to take at face value in any way. Patterns emerge as the husband identifies with and vilifies the helpless match seller he is evidently threatened by, and finally overcome by. Connections are drawn, but we are left with a chaotic picture of human intent and experience. As a result this piece is more demanding of actors and audience. Some (contemporary) pointers might have been helpful and justified (Pinter was a very political writer exploring the comfortable existence feeling threatened). However this production leaves the work to talk personally to us if we choose to engage with it.
Overall Kate Wild and her creative team have done a great job in taking us from outright belly-laughs to disconcerted chuckles in these one-act worlds where we can experience the essence of Pinter’s unsettlingly enjoyable drama.
'A Slight Ache' & 'The Lover' perform Metro Arts Theatre until 19 March.
