With the drawn out days of the start of summer Greenwich Theatre puts on a pair of dark comedies. Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter and A Slight Ache are the evening’s tragicomedy double bill, writes Christopher Peacock.
Both plays are from Pinter’s earlier works and many claim The Dumb Waiter to be one of his most complete from that stage of his career. But kicking off the entertainment is A Slight Ache, a hour in the life of Flora and Edward, a middle-aged, upper middle-class couple. Their day is disturbed by an old match seller who seems to hang around their property daily without ever selling any matches and never saying a word.
Originally a radio play, the role of the match seller was thought of as a mere imaginary character in the heads of Flora and Edward that they offload their woes and concerns onto. With its transfer to the stage, having the character involved in the action – though still mute – does change this dynamic but the role is not depreciated when holding a mirror up to these two people who inevitably tie themselves in knots.
The Dumb Waiter is certainly the better known of the double bill. Two hitmen wait in a basement room for their victim to walk through one of the doors. At the back a dumb waiter occasionally springs into action with notes demanding food orders be sent up even though there is no working kitchen. Naturally more sinister that A Slight Ache, there is definitely more humour and has a cleaner resolution as a piece.
The cast of three certainly tried their best to get comfortable with Pinter’s style. Jude Akuwudike had the most to do, playing Edward in A Slight Ache and Gus in the Dumb Waiter. At times I felt there was a tendency to overplay the pauses and with a couple of fumbled lines thrown in it made what should be two pacy one act plays drag a touch. Tony Mooney as Ben in The Dumb Waiter certainly captured the quirks and mannerisms so typical of Pinter’s working-class characters; however, of the three, Kerrie Taylor as Flora in A Slight Ache was the pick of the performances. She pitched the well-to-do frustrated middle-class housewife perfectly and garnered quite a few laughs
As a double bill production the set was utilised well and was swiftly altered in the interval. If anything the stage at Greenwich Theatre feels a little large for this style of show and these two plays could possibly benefit from a more intimate space.
For fans of Harold Pinter, this production doesn’t fall short in delivering what you would expect and I think with more performances it will tighten up nicely.
Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London, SE10 8ES until June 3rd. Times: 7.30pm; matinees 2.30pm. Admission: £22 – £29.
Booking: www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk
