The Dumb Waiter

Published Monday 12 November 2007 at 10:10 by Ian Barge

“Comedy of menace” characterises perfectly Pinter’s early work. Both elements demand very precise balance.

This Compass Theatre touring revival of The Dumb Waiter achieves precisely that. It is beautifully choreographed and powerfully charged.

“The language of the unspoken,” to use Pinter’s own phrase, is as tautly eloquent as the edgy staccato dialogue. In some respects the production echoes a sort of film noir version of a Laurel and Hardy classic, but with a much darker subtext and thrust.

Michael Onslow’s Ben and David Smith’s Gus also highlight Pinter’s debt to Beckett’s Godot - the two hired hitmen bicker in bewilderment of mutual dependence on the edge of terror. Both offer tightly controlled performances, sprung and strung with high voltage nervous tension, in turns absurd, touching and terrifying. They adroitly sidestep the usual pitfalls of ponderously “heavy” Pinter. Such is their control they are able to charge silence with an immense freight of menace.

There is a particularly telling moment when , in feeding the dumb waiter, Ben assumes the absurd posture of a high class Savoy waiter. The play’s title is suddenly given a new dimension. The climax likewise is played almost as balletic burlesque, leaving open and disturbing the issue of whether Ben actually shoots his psychopathic sidekick.

Neil Sissons’ direction has immense authority and a perceptive grasp of his chosen text. It almost persuades this reviewer that Pinter is more than an overrated theatrical trickster.

The Ludlow audience was left feeling short-changed by the Assembly Rooms’ decision not to include the Chekhov short plays on the grounds that they had been presented earlier in Ludlow. This was a venue, not a Compass decision. It would have been a fascinating experience.