Do you like long awkward pauses?
What about 70s outfits?
Maybe you have a thing for complicated plays about infidelity!
Even if you don’t you should probably take a look at Harold Pinter’s play Betrayal.
Here is a brief synopsis, kudos to the MTC: ‘Emma is married to Robert. But for seven years, she’s been having an affair with Jerry, Robert’s best friend.
Betrayal begins at the end of the affair, and pursues an enthralling journey to its very beginnings. As memory reels backwards towards the moment the affair started, the lies tangle into a web of deception, and betrayal begets betrayal.’
Personally, I really enjoyed this production. The actors were amazing at building tension through all of those pregnant pauses. Additionally, the staging of Betrayal was fascinating. The props and costumes were on a circular frame around the performing space. The director employed Epic Theatre, where the audience is overwhelmed with light and sound. After each scene the lights would flash, the stage would rotate as the actors got changed and set up for the next scene. During this time the date and location were projected onto the wall behind. These transitional periods created more tension as well as adding to the feeling of time winding backwards.
If you want to watch a Nobel Prize winner’s work then you should take a look at Betrayal.
The play goes until the 3rd of October in the Southbank Theatre
Tickets range from $36-$109
Call +61 (03) 8688 0800 to ask for information about tickets.
