The Caretaker Tickets

At the end of 2008 the world had to say goodbye to Harold Pinter as one of the UK’s leading playwrights sadly passed away. Since then, none of his plays have appeared in the West End – but from January 2010 that will change.

It is fitting that the first play to appear since his death will be “The Caretaker”, the production that first cemented Pinter’s status as a playwright to be reckoned with.

It first appeared at the Arts Theatre in 1960, before a successful transfer to the Duchess Theatre made Pinter a household name. Now, almost half a century later it makes another triumphant appearance in the West End, this time with leading thespian Jonathan Pryce in the lead role of Davies the Tramp.

The show started out life at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool in October 2009 and earned enough admirers to secure a London transfer. It is no wonder; “The Caretaker” is a compelling piece of theatre, with comic writing that sets itself off against circumstances that are at times terrifying, with a power struggle tearing through the heart of the story.

The story introduces us to Davies (Pryce) who is down on his luck and has been living close to the bone for far too long. He is desperate for a location to spend the night and so eagerly takes up the invitation to stay in the home of Aston. His intentions are to wow his new host and hopefully seal the deal for something a little less temporary; it is an opportunity that he does not want to see wasted. But things do not go well for Davies, as the arrival of Aston’s intense brother Mick sets matters in a completely different direction, with three men coming head to head and Davies, the only non-relative, feeling like the odd one out.

It was a breath of fresh air in its time and a production that is often compared to Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting For Godot”, with absurdist writing that seems to tell a story with no plot.

It means that it is a show that requires magnificent acting talent, which in this case takes the form of Jonathan Pryce and Peter McDonald. Pryce is a two time Tony Award winning actor who has enjoyed a career spanning many decades, making him a highly respected thespian who has appeared in theatre, film and television. He won an award for his turn in “Hamlet” at the Royal Court Theatre as well as two Tony Awards for “Comedians” in 1977 and “Miss Saigon” in 1991. His other theatrical credits include “”My Fair Lady” at the National Theatre (2001), “A Reckoning” at the Soho Theatre (2003), “Glengarry Glen Ross” at the Apollo Theatre (2007) and “Dimetos” at the Donmar Warehouse (2009). People might also recognise him from films such as “Tomorrow Never Dies” and “The Pirates of the Caribbean”.

“The Caretaker” makes its appearance at the Trafalgar Studios 1 from Monday 18th January 2010 (as well as previews from Tuesday 12th January 2010) until Saturday 17th April 2010.