Julian’s tribute to Pinter in a poetic evening of words

Sands is appearing at Ilkley Playhouse in the show, directed by his old friend John Malkovich. First presented at last year’s Edinburgh, it was a huge success – the Edinburgh Guide described it as “an enriching and rewarding experience” – and the Otley-born actor has since performed it all over the world.

A Celebration of Harold Pinter has its roots in 2005 when Pinter, by then seriously ill and with his own voice failing, asked Sands to be his substitute in presenting a selection of his poems for a benefit recital in London.

“We spent some time working together on the material, which was a real privilege and very thrilling for me,” says Sands. “There seemed to be some empathy between us. Then after Harold died in 2008 I reproduced the recital as a memorial tribute to him in Los Angeles and peppered it with anecdotes, recollections of working with him and other people’s appreciations of him.” The response to the tribute was overwhelming and Sands was asked to perform it again at various venues in America. John Malkovich heard a recording of the show and approached Sands with the idea of developing it further.

Out of that came the Edinburgh show, which was followed by a UK tour, stopping at the Alhambra in Bradford, and performances in Paris, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Mexico City.

There are plans to present the production in New York in October and there has also been interest from Italy and Poland – such is the power of Pinter’s writing that the show is able to cross cultural and linguistic barriers.

“When we performed in Mexico City to an audience who perhaps weren’t fluent in English, they responded to the sound of Pinter’s poetry,” says Sands. “Most people are aware of Pinter through his dramatic works but through his poetry I think you get a real sense of the man – he reveals his passions, wit and intelligence, compassion, humanity and capacity for love. What also comes through strongly is his sense of humour.”

Sands offered to perform his show at Ilkley Playhouse having seen a production there of The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh, in which his younger brother Quentin was appearing. “I was so taken with the production, the integrity of the theatre and the quality of the work that I spoke to the artistic director Walter Swan about the possibility of putting on the show there,” says Sands.

The show takes the form of readings from Pinter’s plays, poems and essays, anecdotes about Sands’ own experiences of working with Pinter, with extracts from interviews and from Must I Go? the memoir by Pinter’s wife Antonia Fraser.

The result is a warm, moving and affectionate tribute to the man who has been described as the defining British playwright of the 20th century. “What you see of Pinter in the show is his human side,” says Sands. “He is a man not an emblem and that is what makes it so effective for an audience and for me as a performer – it is a constantly evolving experience and I am utterly fascinated by the work every time I perform.”

Saturday August 25, 7.30pm Ilkley Playhouse. Tickets £12.50 and £10 concessions on 01943 609539 or www.ilkleyplayhouse.co.uk