Before the actors even take to the stage, a big ‘Hooray!’ to the University of Oxford cast and crew for finally bringing a Pinter play to an Oxford stage after what seems like forever.
But despite being his first, and arguably his best, play, ‘The Birthday Party’ is no mean feat to stage. So how would the cast of young, successful, fresh-faced students convincingly portray the down at heel, messed up, middle-aged misfits that populate Pinter’s classic comedy?
And yet the whole cast are admirably believable in their roles and suited to bringing out the dark humour of the play – where things are very funny until they really aren’t funny at all – classic Pinter.
‘the ensuing farcical, absurd, funny and horrendous party that follows means that even the morning after, nothing will ever be the same again’
The fun kicks off with the scruffy, dejected failed-musician Stan (Rufus Stutter), who is Meg and Petey’s long-term, and only, lodger at their south-coast boarding-house. Meg half mothers, half flirts with the irritable Stan, while Petey keeps well out of it.
Their peaceful yet stifling normality is shattered when besuited duo McCann and Goldberg come to stay, with the intention of taking Stan away. But who are they? What has Stan done? Where are they going to take him? And what will they do to poor Stan when they get there?
‘This talented young cast at the Burton Taylor Theatre have successfully conveyed the absurdity, poignancy, humour and terror of one of Pinter’s best loved plays’
With these questions swirling around in our heads, it then transpires that it also happens to be Stan’s birthday, the ensuing farcical, absurd, funny and horrendous party that follows means that even the morning after, despite Meg’s deluded best intentions, nothing will ever be the same again.
In spite of stiff competition from Cait Kremenstein as nice-but-dim Meg, it is Will Hamp as the swaggering, verbose Goldberg who steals the show. And having some of the best lines, so perhaps he should. As he toasts the seething, recalcitrant Stan, Goldberg observes: ‘What a thing to celebrate, birth! Like getting up in the morning. Marvelous!’.
This talented young cast at the Burton Taylor Theatre have successfully conveyed the absurdity, poignancy, humour and terror of one of Pinter’s best loved plays, which is presumably why it’s SOLD OUT. As Goldberg would say: ‘Marvelous!’
Edward Bliss
THE BIRTHDAY PARTY runs at BT until Saturday May 9 but is SOLD OUT. Book here https://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/events/the-birthday-party
