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Declan Rodgers as McCann and Jonathon Ashley as Goldberg The Birthday Party
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
*** One should consider carefully before accepting
the invitation to this particular birthday party. This is no jelly and ice cream beano! Pinter is
very much a Marmite dramatist and this play, written in 1957 conjoins
moments of comedy with uncomfortable scenes of sheer terror. It is a dark, sinister piece of theatre. Thought
provoking to the extreme. Never before been involved in an interesting
discussion post play in the toilets, but this was the scenario last
night at the Belgrade! Opinions varied greatly but the overriding
feelings voiced were of confusion, uneasiness and threatening tension. The action begins in the sparse, shabby, sea side boarding house lounge of Meg, (Cheryl Kennedy) and Petey, (Ged McKenna) as they have breakfast. The banal dialogue of their mundane lives gives no suggestions of the emotional turmoil that will unfold throughout the ensuing three acts. Joined by Stanley, the lodger, (Gareth Bennett
Ryan) we are given a taster of a mysterious, troubled young man who
relishes his somewhat private, reclusive existence but the arrival of
two more 'gentleman' paying guests, Goldberg, (Johnathan Ashley) and
McCann, (Declan Rodgers) turn his world into a descending spiral of
fear, violence, sexual menace and mental abuse. Words are used as
weapons of torture but the playwright gives only subtle hints as to the
meaning of this disturbing drama. The strong cast, was completed with Imogen Wilde
as Lulu, the pretty naïveté drawn into the sticky web of horror at the
sleazy hands of the evil, overtly sexual Goldberg. With excellent
acting, and good characterisation from the players, this isn't a piece
of theatre that will appeal to everyone but, fans of Pinter's unique
style of writing may appreciate this classic which may have provoked
similar feelings when it was first presented on the London stage in the
late 1950's. Unsurprisingly, it only ran for 6 performances! Pinter may be regarded as a highly influential
voice of his generation but his astonishing ground breaking writing is
an acquired . . . just like the Marmite eh? An uncomfortable experience at a not very happy
birthday. (don't expect a party bag full of goodies!) Directed by
Michael Cabot the party continues to 18-06-16 Rosemary Manjunath/Elizabeth Smith 14-06-16
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