This is an impeccable production of an important, deeply unpleasant play. Harold Pinter’s heightened domestic drama from 1964, in which an academic finally introduces his wife to the brutish all-male north London home he escaped, juxtaposes comedy and threat.
Matthew Dunster’s stylish production operates a notch above naturalism until the latent violence and misogyny of the script erupt in spotlit bursts, accompanied by percussive jazz. It’s a gripping watch but a hard one, even though Dunster gives the female character Ruth (Lisa Diveney) more agency than is usual.
