"Bollocks about the Pause" - Harold Pinter platform at Trafalgar Studios
06/06/2013
Director Jamie Lloyd chaired a discussion about Harold Pinter's influence on British Theatre last night with Guardian theatre critic and Pinter biographer Michael Billington joining actors Gina McKee and Lia Williams and playwright Nick Payne for the discussion.
McKee and Williams particularly provided an interesting insight into working with Pinter and naturally there was a lengthy discussion on the Pinter pause. Here are some highlights of the discussion.
Influence
MB Pinter taught us that in drama everything should have significance.
NP A lot of contemporary playwrights influenced by Pinter: Mike Bartlett, Jez Butterworth and Simon Stephens. There is a desire to let the audience find their own meaning. [Of experience with first play being stage] I was surprised by how many questions actors asked during rehearsal and initially felt I had to have an answer for everything.
LW Pinter didn't know everything about his characters and it astonished me as I hadn't come across that before or since. You can go anywhere with performing Pinter as long as you are meticulous with punctuation and your timing.
GM I felt really scared when I did my first Pinter play because of the Pinter pause. I'd read anecdotes about he and Peter Hall ascribing three dot pauses and two dot pauses. Pinter said to me use them if they are useful... In the punctuation I always see Harold the actor speaking to you as an actor. It is like a musical score and it completely works.
LW I agree. When a pause works it is like liquid gold. What makes Harold's work mythical is when it works you have an entire audience feeling it and you've transmitted something and that is unique to theatre.
GM pause is active and it is saying a massive amount
JL Pinter said to me 'bollocks about the pause' on more than one occasion. Only use them if you need them and I have cut most of them out of The Hothouse which I have found very useful.
Portrayal of men and women
MB Men in Pinter plays self-destruct, they are riddled with insecurity. Woman are more resilient and tougher.
LW You have to be resilient to play them [women]. Douglas Hodge always said you have to be in a state of nervous breakdown before you go on stage and ask for a cup of coffee.
GM In The Lover/The Collection I felt great, it felt empowering.
LW He would start with lots and gradually chip away until you were left with [tucks her hair behind her ear] that meant so much. However, we always finished at 6pm with a class of Sancerre.
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