Harold Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists and a Nobel Prize winner. English playwright. Co-founder of The Actors Studio, KLpac and penangpac, Joe Hasham OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) is bringing one of Pinter’s best known plays, Betrayal, to penangpac this month.
Betrayal won the 1979 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, and the New York Critics’ Circle Award. As Director Hasham explains: “Pinter’s genius is showcased in the dialogues he has written. Each dialogue, though minimal, can convey a myriad of meanings. Much of the dialogue is also punctuated with pauses – pauses which are important and crucial in the setting up of each scene. Every line, every word, every moment, every pause has an intrinsic influence on the outcome of the ten year journey of the play.”Joe says Pinter is a playwright who understood the human psyche and nature and was able to relate this through his work.“Betrayal is a play which begins at the end of the story and ends at the beginning of the story. Only a genius can come up with something like that,”
Set in London and Venice, between 1968 and 1977, the story revolves around a love triangle between Emma, her husband Robert and his best friend Jerry. One day after a party, Jerry confesses his love for Emma and the two begin an affair that will continue for years. Unbeknownst to Emma, Robert actually caught whiff of the affair but remains quiet. The cast for these performances in Penang, and those that precede them in KL, are Stephanie Van Driesen, Omar Ali, Razif Hashim and Jad Hidhir.
Betrayal will be performed at penangpac on June 16th and 17th at 8.30pm. Tickets are priced at RM 60 (Adults) / RM45 (Conc.). A promotion of “Buy 2 Free 1” for RM 120 is available, and you also have the opportunity to buy a “Double B Combo” – a ticket for Betrayal, and a ticket for July’s performance of Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo – for only RM 70.Tickets are available at penangpac’s Box Office (open 10am – 6:30pm daily) or online at http://www.ticketpro.com.my/jnp/theatre/2113113-penangpac-Harold-Pinters-Betrayal.html