The Caretaker
Harold Pinter enjoyed a marvellous career as one of the UK’s leading playwrights and poets until his death in December 2008, penning famous works such as “The Homecoming”, “Betrayal” and “No Man’s Land”. However, even his iconic career had to start somewhere and amongst the many highlights of his life, the premiere of “The Caretaker” must have been somewhere near the top as it was the first of his plays to truly define him as one of Britain’s top voices.
Before 1960, Pinter was not the household name that he would soon become, but with the arrival of “The Caretaker” at the Arts Theatre in 1960 he would soon build up a following and a subsequent transfer to the Duchess Theatre only cemented this further. It is therefore only fitting that the show has become the first of his plays to be performed in the West End since his death. It is the perfect celebrations of a man who provided British culture with some timeless gems.
The current production of “The Caretaker” actually started out life at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool last year. It features Jonathan Pryce in the lead role and proved to be popular enough to warrant a West End transfer, opening at the Trafalgar Studios in January 2010.
Pryce is a well known actor who has appeared in numerous movies and stage productions over the years, with his best known roles taking the form of “The Pirates of the Caribbean” (playing Gov. Weatherby Swann, father of Keira Knightley’s character) and “Tomorrow Never Dies” (portraying villain Elliot Carver). For the stage he has appeared in the likes of “Comedians” and “Miss Saigon” on Broadway, earning him Tony Awards in 1977 and 1991 respectively, with further appearances in “Dimetos” at the Donmar Warehouse” and “My Fair Lady” at the National Theatre.
The Caretaker follows Pryce’s character of Davies, a tramp who is fed up of living his life so close to the bone and is currently all out of luck. It makes him a sad and depressed man who is yearning desperately for a place to stay for at least one night. He eventually gets help from a man called Aston, who offers him a bed for the night with Davies gladly accepting and immediately being on his best behaviour – hoping to secure something a little more permanent.
His plans are scuppered, however, by the arrival of Aston’s intense brother Mick, who sends the evening in a new direction as two brothers go head to head and Davis feels like the odd one out.
The Caretaker continues at Trafalgar Studio 1 where it is booking until Saturday 17th April 2010.
