It's time for my review of Pinter 7: A Slight Ache / The Dumb Waiter.Throughout the past five months, Jamie Lloyd has directed a season of 'Pinter at the Pinter'. Each production features a selection of Harold Pinter's short plays performed back to back with a variety of different performers. The season is concluding with Pinter 7, which has paired A Slight Ache with The Dumb Waiter.
A Slight Ache revolves around a middle-class couple, Edward and Flora, who invite a match-seller into their home. The match-seller may be silent, but what begins as a pleasant midsummer’s day slowly descends into total chaos. This play was originally written as a radio play, however in recent years it has been performed as a fully staged theatrical production. On this occasion, however, Lloyd has chosen to return the play to its original form, and has re-imagined it as a staged radio play with the set consisting purely of a radio station and two microphones. The character of the match-seller, who usually makes an appearance in fully staged theatrical productions, has in this instance been removed. The audience are therefore left to conjure up the appearance of this character in their minds, which allows imaginations to run wild. Lloyd's decision to not have the match-seller physically appear on stage helps to create an element of mystery to the play, which makes for very interesting viewing. Lloyd's direction and staging of this piece is undoubtedly excellent. A Slight Ache has a compelling storyline, and the impact that this unseen character has on the characters of Edward and Fiona is fascinating.
Gemma Whelan, as Flora, gives an exceptional and all-round excellent performance. The dynamic created between Whelan and John Heffernan, who portrays Edward, was truly intriguing. Heffernan's performance was particularly compelling, however. Heffernan, at first, presents a characterisation of a pompous man with no apparent issues, but as the play progresses we see Edward becoming more and more unstable as a result of this mysterious match-seller. This progression was excellently portrayed and it was an absolutely astonishing performance.
The Dumb Waiter, on the other hand, sees two hit-men sit in a basement room awaiting confirmation of their next target. Gus, the younger of the two, is asking many questions to learn from Ben, the senior member of the team, as their evening takes unexpected turns. The Dumb Waiter is a highly engaging play, largely due to the themes explored. The play is mostly comical, however there are a number of darker elements to it.
The Dumb Waiter's main strength comes from the magnificent duo of actors that have taken on the roles of Ben and Gus: Danny Dyer and Martin Freeman. Dyer is highly impressive in the role of Ben. He begins the play as being full of confidence, however as time goes on Dyer shows signs of anxiety and insecurity. This progression is well performed and very believable. There is no doubt that Danny Dyer was well and truly perfect for this role. Martin Freeman as Gus also gives an extraordinary performance. He too portrays the change in character well, with Gus at first appearing somewhat unsure of himself and later gaining heaps of confidence, to the point where he has even overtaken Ben. The dynamic created between Dyer and Freeman really is quite something. Their heated exchanges were a particular highlight and throughout these moments it was clear that the stakes were rather high. This was therefore helpful in creating a tense atmosphere, both on stage and in the audience.
I would personally argue that these plays were quite well paired, due to the fact that interesting comparisons can be made between both A Slight Ache and The Dumb Waiter. Both plays create interesting character dynamics, where even the closest of partners are forced to turn on each other. Pinter explores themes of paranoia in both, with all main characters in both plays displaying certain traits of anxiety. Additionally, A Slight Ache and The Dumb Waiter each have underlying meanings and they feature endings that could be left open to interpretation.
Now for my final verdict on Pinter 7: A Slight Ache / The Dumb Waiter. I give Pinter 7: A Slight Ache / The Dumb Waiter...
Both A Slight Ache and The Dumb Waiter are excellently written and feature phenomenal acting. It is for this reason that I have decided to award Pinter 7 four stars!
Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.
Thanks for reading!
-The Reviewer
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