The Caretaker

Even though I am a big fan of Harold Pinter, I have never seen "The Caretaker" on stage. I remember watching part of a movie version years ago, but thinking how it did not seem anything like it would in the theatre. So it took a small touring company called Classic London Theatre to bring this play to the provinces, in my case the tiny Old Town Hall in Hemel Hempstead. The conversion to a hundred seat auditorium in a seedy old building is pretty tatty, but who cares when the lights go down.

I have to say I was not encouraged by the first half hour. The acting seemed distinctly amateurish, but maybe it was just a case of getting used to the three characters. Because half way through it becomes a much better and enjoyable experience. Pinter is not easy to act or to watch. His scripts contains specific instructions about pauses and tone. Some work, some don't but in the end you are lead to find your own meaning to the piece. And in this the production was quite successful. And good luck to an unfunded, unsponsored company to put on such classic plays. Next year it's Ibsen's "Ghosts", I hope they make to Hemel again.