The Lover is a 1962 one-act play by Harold Pinter, originally written for television, but subsequently performed on stage.[1] The play contrasts bourgeois domesticity with sexual yearning.[2]
As with the drama of Anton Chekhov, some of Pinter's plays support "serious" and "comic" interpretations; The Lover has been staged successfully both as an ironic comedy on the one hand and as a nervy drama on the other.[3][4] As is often the case with Pinter, the play probably contains both.[5]
Pinter leads the audience to believe that there are three characters in the play: the wife, the husband and the lover. But the lover who comes to call in the afternoons is revealed to be the husband adopting a role. He plays the lover for her: she plays the whore for him. As the play goes on the man (first as the lover and then as the husband) expresses a wish to stop the pretend adultery, to the dismay of the woman. Finally, the husband suddenly switches back to the role of the lover.
It opened at the Arts Theatre on 18 September 1963 in a production by the author, as part of a double bill with his play The Dwarfs; and closed on 5 October.[7]
The Financial Times wrote "The little play works simply beautifully, like a perfectly adjusted piece of miniature machinery, except that machinery is dead and this play is scintillating alive."[8]
References
^Billington, Michael (30 January 2008). "Theatre review: The Lover/The Collection / Comedy Theatre, London". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
^"THE LOVER by Harold Pinter". www.englishtheatre.de.
^Raby, Peter (20 September 2001). The Cambridge Companion to Harold Pinter. Cambridge University Press. ISBN9780521658423 – via Google Books.
^Richards, Lee-Ann. "A moment's pause for Pinter's black comedy double bill". Romford Recorder.
^Burkman, Katherine H. (21 October 1971). The Dramatic World of Harold Pinter: Its Basis in Ritual. Ohio State University Press. ISBN9780814201466 – via Google Books.
^"BFI Screenonline: Lover, The (1963)". www.screenonline.org.uk.
^"The Lover and The Collection by Harold Pinter on stage in London - theatre tickets and show information". www.thisistheatre.com.
lover, play, lover, 1962, play, harold, pinter, originally, written, television, subsequently, performed, stage, play, contrasts, bourgeois, domesticity, with, sexual, yearning, loveropening, title, 1963written, byharold, pinterdate, premiered28, march, 1963, . The Lover is a 1962 one act play by Harold Pinter originally written for television but subsequently performed on stage 1 The play contrasts bourgeois domesticity with sexual yearning 2 The LoverOpening title ITV 1963Written byHarold PinterDate premiered28 March 1963 1963 03 28 Place premieredITVOriginal languageEnglishGenreOne act playAs with the drama of Anton Chekhov some of Pinter s plays support serious and comic interpretations The Lover has been staged successfully both as an ironic comedy on the one hand and as a nervy drama on the other 3 4 As is often the case with Pinter the play probably contains both 5 Contents 1 Plot 2 Original production 3 Original London stage production 4 References 5 External linksPlot EditPinter leads the audience to believe that there are three characters in the play the wife the husband and the lover But the lover who comes to call in the afternoons is revealed to be the husband adopting a role He plays the lover for her she plays the whore for him As the play goes on the man first as the lover and then as the husband expresses a wish to stop the pretend adultery to the dismay of the woman Finally the husband suddenly switches back to the role of the lover Original production EditThe play originally premiered in a 60 minute TV production directed by Joan Kemp Welch for Associated Rediffusion transmitted by ITV on 28 March 1963 6 Husband Lover Alan Badel Wife Mistress Vivien Merchant Milkman Michael ForrestOriginal London stage production EditIt opened at the Arts Theatre on 18 September 1963 in a production by the author as part of a double bill with his play The Dwarfs and closed on 5 October 7 Richard Scott Forbes Sarah Vivien Merchant John Michael ForrestCritical receptionThe Financial Times wrote The little play works simply beautifully like a perfectly adjusted piece of miniature machinery except that machinery is dead and this play is scintillating alive 8 References Edit Billington Michael 30 January 2008 Theatre review The Lover The Collection Comedy Theatre London The Guardian via www theguardian com THE LOVER by Harold Pinter www englishtheatre de Raby Peter 20 September 2001 The Cambridge Companion to Harold Pinter Cambridge University Press ISBN 9780521658423 via Google Books Richards Lee Ann A moment s pause for Pinter s black comedy double bill Romford Recorder Burkman Katherine H 21 October 1971 The Dramatic World of Harold Pinter Its Basis in Ritual Ohio State University Press ISBN 9780814201466 via Google Books BFI Screenonline Lover The 1963 www screenonline org uk The Lover and The Collection by Harold Pinter on stage in London theatre tickets and show information www thisistheatre com www haroldpinter org Plays www haroldpinter org External links EditThe Lover at IMDb The Lover at the BFI s Screenonline D4DR The Lover at Spanish Version Essay This article on a play from the 1960s is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Lover play amp oldid 1159395131, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
