The Homecoming

 

Review by Paul Towers, 27/4/22

The Homecoming by Harold Pinter

Directed by Jamie Glover

Produced by Theatre Royal, Bath

At Curve til Saturday 30^th April 2022

“a star studded cast”

A star-studded cast is led by Keith Allen as patronising, misogynistic patriarch Max, channelling both Alf Garnett and Albert Steptoe, snarling at his three sons who are, unusually, all at home at the same time. Teddy, the youngest (Sam Alexander) brings his wife, Ruth (Shanaya Rafaat) home from America for the first time in their six year marriage to meet his father and older brothers Lenny (Matthew Horne), Sam (Ian Bartholomew) and Joey (Geoffrey Lumb). This being Harold Pinter there are long pauses and lots of the darkest humour.

Lenny is a know-it-all wide boy pimp pontificating to imply intellect while Joey is the dim demolition worker and failed boxer. Father Max is a retired butcher with a gammy leg still missing his deceased wife. Max’s brother, Sam is a chauffeur and single, still lives in the family home.

Introducing his wife into this testosterone fuelled household is a big mistake for Teddy as the men all vie for her attention, thus adding coals to the fire of her fantasy of escaping her mundane life with her husband and three sons.

Just as you are coming to terms with the snarling point scoring of the men a lightening bolt of black humour pulls you up and we see the ridiculous machismo that is prevalent in the household.

Then downtrodden wifey, Ruth, suddenly bares her teeth and the tables are turned. In the end we have to wonder whether the men have succeeded in putting one over on her or whether she has subtly bent them to her will.

The set, a huge empty North London house echoes their lives while the real life lighting effects engender a layer of realism.

The Homecoming continues touring til May.

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