Theatre Night: Season 2, Episode 6The Birthday Party (21 Jun. 1987)Director:Kenneth IvesWriter:Harold Pinter |
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Title: The Birthday Party (21 Jun 1987)
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Cast
| Episode cast overview: | |||
| Joan Plowright | ... | ||
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Harold Pinter | ... | |
| Kenneth Cranham | ... | ||
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Colin Blakely | ... | |
| Julie Walters | ... | ||
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Robert Lang | ... | |
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Details
Country:
UKLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
21 June 1987 (UK) See more »Company Credits
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Most critics didn't understand this play when it was first put on, and it's actually not fair to blame them: nothing like it had appeared on stage before. Pinter's understanding of how people talk and don't listen to each other is unique: no amount of bad imitators can detract from his achievement. The cast are all fine, but Pinter and Blakely stand out, though Kenneth Cranham with his vest under his pyjamas is a memorable sight as well. High time this was out on video.
Goldberg and McCann, working for the mysterious Monty, can be seen as representatives of evil repressive regimes everywhere, but they're not just symbolic figures: they're credible people: the brutal but occasionally maudlin McCann and the seemingly friendly Goldberg, full of talk of loyalty and family, yet, in his treatment of Lulu, utterly callous. They act the way powerful people everywhere act, hence the play's resonance.