Pinter: Betrayal
Harold Pinter Theatre. March 7, 2019
The final piece in the Pinter at the Pinter season, the epic undertaking from Jamie Lloyd at the Harold Pinter Theatre and this one is a corker.
Betrayal was penned by Pinter in the late 70s and was apparently inspired by his 7 year affair with the legend that is Joan Bakewell. It is the story of Emma, the wife and the lover; Robert, the husband, the cuckold and the publisher and Jerry, the lover, the husband and the editor.
They are all betrayed by each other in different ways. Emma betrays her husband with her lover, she betrays her lover to her husband, they in turn betray her through a continued friendship and an absence of truth.
We see the story unfold backwards through a series of scenes that wind back the years.
The stage design is exceptional in its simplicity and what it allows to unfold. The double revolve on the stage and the use of shadow is sublime — I was trasfixed by it for a lot of the show. Absolutely beautiful. It’s going to take a lot to top that this year.
Our three actors are superb and are all equally balanced in their performances. I particularly liked Zawe Ashton’s incredibly subtle performance of Emma and her unhappiness and sorrow.
5/5 Beautiful sorrow.
Special mention for Hiddleston’s hair, as one also blessed with curls, his locks looked grand, almost grecian. Glorious.
