Part of ACT's Pinter Festival.
First half, The Dumb Waiter, written in 1957. I'm completely lost. 2 hit men waiting for the order in a Birmingham basement, where food orders come down via the dumb waiter from time to time. At the end of the play, we might guess that the junior partner is the target of today's murder. The dumb waiter represents a one-way communication, orders given to a lower class. Pauses and repetition are used to create tension and emphasis. The logistics how the junior partner went to the kitchen/bathroom and later appeared in the front door without his attire is flawed and strange.
2nd half, Celebration of 2000, is equally puzzling, but at least entertaining. 2 tables in the town's best restaurant. One celebrates an older couple's wedding anniversary with wife's sister and her husband. The other, a young couple, where the husband just got a promotion of sort. Meaningless and sometimes ridiculous (yet funny) conversations, interjected by the restaurant owner, the beautiful maitresse d', and a waiter who associates his grandfather with every famous men in 1920s and 30s. The play ends in the mid sentence of this waiter, again talking about his grandpa.
I don't understand either play, what's the intention of Pinter. Excellent stage sets: simple and effective. The basement's wall are nicely stained. The restaurant wall seems frosted glass with an elegant green glow. Great acting, as always. The house was quite full, to my surprise. This is a Wednesday.
