The Dukes' Studio Theatre, Lancaster
Thursday 11 March to Saturday 2 April 2005

Timely issues well portrayed
in a visual and dramatic feast

The latest in-house stage production at The Dukes, Harold Pinter's 1979 play Betrayal, is a heady mix of sex, lies, exquisite visual detail and hard-hitting modern issues, all laced with some fine and delightful comedy.

Although Harold Pinter is by no means my favourite living dramatist, I came away well impressed by the contemporary resonances of the play which, far from having dated, are part of the human condition throughout the ages.

Diverse background issues
Twenty five years on, and knowing what we do now about the writer's own personal life (relationships with Vivien Merchant, Lady Antonia Fraser and "Thinking Man's Crumpet', Joan Bakewell), the excellent programme notes for Betrayal show the complex background of the playwright. This begins with his East End childhood to a career in acting, national fame, political anger, critical ‘classic' celebrity, diversions into poetry and, er, cricket.

Quite a guy, you say, and Pinter's take on life, people and their antics social and political are highly distinctive. Often seen as a revered literary hero, Pinter's work is always highly personalised – he is fascinated by our behaviours in the ‘Human Zoo'. His keen eye and incisive investigation of our innermost emotions add further dimensions to this strong play with its archly comic portrayal of infidelity and emotional change.

Ménage à trois?
Written in a curious but engaging blend of flashback and reminiscence, we meet the two long-standing buddies from London's glitzy world of publishing, Jerry (Timothy Deenihan) and Robert (Keith Woodason). Relations between the two of them and art gallery director Emma (Sally Mais) are minutely scrutinised with self-evident honesty and even glee during the play's tight narrative.

Picture postcards – and local paintings
But let's start from the beginning. The different scenes during the trio's exploits are all laid out in a series of postcards you are given as you arrive at the theatre. This is only one of several visual surprises of the evening. The next thing that struck me, before we even got into the auditorium, was the new, striking décor and eye-catching paintings/art works in the corridor.

These link in well with the pivotal "Pinter Woman,' Robert's wife Emma, who works in a London art gallery when not busy with her men. Thus the paintings, by artists from the Luneside Studios in Lancaster, well complement the setting for the glitterati-cum-literati world of Betrayal.

Strikingly set
Moving on into the auditorium, I was immediately struck by Paul Kondras' exquisitely detailed and flexible set. As the action got under way, the staging of the nine scenes takes place in some very different settings – in Venice, a Hampstead flat, trendy-retro offices, a private house and a stylish restaurant…

… which is where the play's fourth character, the Waiter (Marco Rossi) comes in. Don't ask me how or why - see for yourself how he, plying yet more alcohol, fits into the story. Is it too fanciful to suggest that, like Hitchcock, Pinter would be ideal playing this cameo role himself?

Theatre in the round
But back to the setting and staging, which was pure ‘theatre in the round', with the audience on all four sides. This is not easy to achieve without ignoring or ‘blanking' some parts of the space. But The Dukes' artistic director, Ian Hastings was on his usual superb form, with his unwavering and sharp eye for the detail of the overall production.

"A triumphant marriage'
Every move was intelligently placed, every line carefully nuanced, and every bit of the multi-location set thoughtfully and economically used. Perhaps not reflecting real life or Pinter's own world of Betrayal, this was a triumphant marriage of concept, direction and design. The sensitive lighting by Brent Lees also highlighted the action and the space admirably. The total overall visual and dramatic impact of the play was very striking indeed.

Intimate venue
This is one of The Dukes' strong points. It was entirely appropriate, too, to use the intimacy of The Dukes' Studio for this intensely personal production. But this small and intimate venue should be used more often. It is a wonderfully versatile space, and could - should – easily be adapted to a variety of theatrical and wider artistic purposes. Think chamber concerts, comedy, gigs, poetry reading etc …

A first-class evening's entertainment – and local, too
Even if you are not a Pinter fan, this production is well worth a visit – for the laughs, the aching twists of tangled love, and a visual feast that all add up to an evening of first-class and locally-produced entertainment.

Copyright © 14 March 2005 Michael Nunn