| Subject: The Birthday party - Brilliant but confusing! |
Author:
Leila (Happy)
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Date Posted: Saturday, May 17, 08:19:37am
Well...
As you all know yesterday Sandra and I went to see Harold Pinter's The birthday Party at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. The show was brilliant but as I sit and write this, the next morning, I am still confused with what really happened in the show.
The Lyric theatre was a really surprise for me, because from the outside I doesn’t look like a lovely old theatre, inside it is amazing, and very, very nice. Taking our seats we wait for the show. The show opens and as usual there are lots of pauses. Petey (Alan Williams) arrives on Stage, reads his paper, then you meet Meg (Sheila Hancock). Meg doesn’t seem to live in the real world, she seems to think everything is lovely and asks the same questions over and over. She lives in a dream world, however Petey does, he tells her he meet two men on the beach who wanted room, and that they would come and see her today. Then we meet Stan (Justin Salinger) and there seems to be a lot of Meg trying to get something more from Stan. She even tries to put her hand down his top, Meg seems like a teenager, in a grown woman, we meet Lulu (Sian Brooke) soon after Meg goes shopping. We meet Goldberg (Nicholas Woodeson) and McCann (Lloyd Hutchinson). When Mag tells them its Stan’s birthday they plan a party (even through Meg is a month early). The curtain falls on the first act and you’re not too sure what is really happening.
The Second Act is the Party, and strange things start happening, the funniest moment is Meg in her party dress. Goldberg slaps her bottom, which made me laugh! Meg is the belle of the ball. However Stan isn’t happy. I got the feeling that he knew Goldberg but as they start to bully him I really don’t get what is happening as Stan starts to snap. They play party games which ends with Stan trying to kill Meg, and the lights going out and the second act finishes with Stan laughing and Lulu lay on the table.
The third act is the morning after the night before and is shorter than the rest of the acts. Meg has a hangover, Petey missed the party and Goldberg slept with Lulu. Stan is going mad in his room. Petey tries to stop Goldberg and McCann leaving with Stan but they leave with him, but he doesn’t tell Meg, who seems to believe that Stan is still in his room and the curtain falls.
Nothing is explained, and you have to make guesses. However at the same time the play is amazing and well put together, its brilliantly acting. After the show I waited to meet Sheila in the bar of the theatre and her first question was how did you like it, I was truthful and said it was brilliant but I am completely confused. Sheila said that is the right reaction. Sheila told me what she thought the play was about and explain a few pointers. Before we talked about other things, all the time people were coming up to Sheila, and telling her she had been great. And she had been. It was brilliant. Sheila walked us to the underground stop before heading for her car (she only lives a short distance away from the theatre) It was great seeing her again!
Sandra I am glad you had a good time, and thanks for coming to my train with me, I got back to Nottingham and was in bed for three this morning! I hope to see you again soon!!
Love Leila x
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