The Birthday Party (2009)
Directed by Lisa Thomas
Performances: Tue 7th – Sat 11th July 2009, Prompt Corner
Contents
Introduction
The Birthday Party is about Stanley Webber, an erstwhile piano player in his 30s, who lives in a rundown boarding house, run by Meg and Petey Boles, in an English seaside town, "probably on the south coast, not too far from London".<ref name=Naismith>Harold Pinter, Faber Critical Guides (London: Faber and Faber, 2000) 57: The setting evokes "Basingstoke and Maidenhead, southern towns ... and ... London — in both Goldberg and Stanley's reminiscences."</ref><ref name=audio>Audio interview with Harold Pinter, conducted by Rebecca Jones, bbc.co.uk/today 12 May 2008, accessed 14 May 2008.</ref> Two sinister strangers, Goldberg and McCann, who arrive purportedly on his birthday and who appear to have come looking for him, turn Stanley's apparently-innocuous birthday party organized by Meg into a nightmare.<ref name=SW/><ref name=French>The Birthday Party synopsis, in Samuel French Basic Catalog, rpt. in samuelfrench.com ("Little Theatre"), accessed 10 May 2008.</ref>
Cast
- Petey - John Lyne
- Meg - Carole Coyne
- Stanley - Simon Holland
- Goldberg - David Love
- McCann - Ian O'Brien
- Lulu - Louisa Evans
Crew
- Stage Manager - Graham Clements
- Lighting Design - Phil Gammon with Mark Ireson and Michelle Thompson
- Lighting Operator - Rachel Lovegrove
- Set design - Dave Hollander
- TC rep - Naomi Liddle
Reviews
Jason
Congratulations to Lisa, her cast and crew on their rendition of Pinter's The Birthday Party.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it on the stage for the first time and recommend it to all.
She has a good cast. I enjoyed all the performances. Simon Holland I think was at his best when, erm, 'under pressure'. Carole Coyne gave the best performance I have seen from her. John Lyne and Louisa Evans both delivered their more modest-sized roles with clarity.
Ian O'Brien as McCann and David Love as Goldberg (both debuts?) were splendidly menacing as the mysterious duo.
And you know what? I suspect this production will get even stronger and crisper as the week goes on.
David Lomas
I also really enjoyed the show last night - the only regrettable element was the shamefully tiny audience!
Please people - come and support Lisa and her very able cast who deserve so much better. Great set as well I thought.
And as well as being dark and unsettling this is also a hilariously daffy play at times I think...
Lionel
Absolutely BRILLIANT! Congratulations to Lisa and Cast and Crew. Don't miss this, whatever you do.
Michael Wilson
Couldn't agree more. Pure vintage Pinter - funny, menacing and utterly incomprehensible. Brilliant performances from all the cast, excellent direction, wonderfully dowdy set (nice work Dave). Congratulations to all. Not to be missed!
ChrisVS
Definitely a show to see.
Obviously, being Pinter (and early Pinter at that) I hadn't a clue what it was about.
There were some very watchable performances in this. I would say this is the best performance I have seen from Carole. As to the two visitors.... two incredibly different and well-portrayed characters and both deliciously sinister in their own different ways.
Go and see this play...... or "they" will come and get you......
Jon C
(by text). Great show tonight. Perfect cast. Well done.
Gallery
Please see Phil Gammon's photos for the production at [[1]]
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.
See Also
References
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