Teddy’s coming home
Leitheatre stage Pinter’s The Homecoming
Leitheatre is returning to the Studio at the Festival Theatre this week, with four performances of Harold Pinter’s morally ambiguous and darkly humorous The Homecoming, from Wednesday 16 May 2018.
The play divided opinion when it was first staged, in 1965 in London in a production directed by Peter Hall. For some it appeared plotless and meaningless, but over time its worth and social commentary have become clearer. The 1967 New York revival won a Tony for best new play.
Brian Thomson, Dougie Arbuckle and Ewan Jardine in rehearsal. Pic: Carol Hajducka
Set in North London, The Homecoming concerns the return after six years of college professor Teddy to his childhood home. With him, to the surprise of his two brothers and his father Max, is his wife Ruth, who he married before leaving and with whom he has three sons.
Although initially seeming to be somewhat at odds with the family, Ruth soon makes herself at home. The sexual tension mounts as she flirts with Teddy’s brothers and father – while the men taunt one another in a game of oneupmanship which ends badly for more than one of them
Playing the role of Teddy is Alan Richardson, who was excellent at the heart of last May’s production of Bouncers at the Studio. Lindsay Corr is taking on the tricky role of Ruth, among her many credits is a role in Leitheatre’s House of Bernarda Alba at the Studio two years ago.
The patriarch of the family, Max, will be played by Brian Thomson, with Hamish Hunter as his brother Sam. The roles of Teddy’s younger brothers Lenny, a pimp, and Joey, a boxer, will be played by Dougie Arbuckle and Ewan Jardine.
Favourite
Director Lynne Morris says that she has loved the plays of Harold Pinter since she was introduced to them by her Higher English teacher, who himself was a huge admirer of the playwright and his work.
Lindsay Corr, Ewan Jardine, Dougie Arbuckle, Alan Richardson, Hamish Hunter and Brian Thomson in rehearsal. Pic Carol Hajducka
“The first serious play I ever saw was Pinter’s The Birthday Party,” she says. “But my favourite was always The Homecoming.
“Someone asked me recently if I thought it appropriate these days to do a play which has themes around the violence and exploitation of women. I said I thought that recent events make The Homecoming more relevant than ever. And apart from this its just very, very funny!”.
The production is timely, as a major revival of all Pinter’s one act plays has just been announced for the Harold Pinter Theatre in London. But The Homecoming is the standout work in the playwright’s early period of comedies with menace which started with the ill-received The Birthday Party.
And a comedy – with menace – is exactly what The Homecoming is.
Listing and links
The Homecoming
The Studio, 22 Potterrow, EH8 9BL. Phone booking: 0131 529 6000
Wednesday 16 to Saturday 19 May 2018
Evenings: 7.30pm.
Tickets and further details: www.capitaltheatres.com/homecoming.
Leitheatre website: http://leitheatre.com/
Leitheatre on Facebook: Leitheatre.
Leitheatre on Twitter: @LeitheatreEdin
The script to The Homecoming is available to buy from Amazon – and there might still be a copy of the DVD of Peter Hall’s production. Click on the images for details:
ENDS
