Play review by Julia Pattison: The Homecoming at York Theatre Royal

Venue: York Theatre Royal

Review by: Julia Pattison

Harold Pinter’s 1960s masterpiece The Homecoming is widely regarded as his finest play, and having seen Theatre Royal Bath productions excellent revival at the press night on (Monday May 16) I can see why.

Actor Mathew Horne, who commanded the space playing Lenny, the family pimp, is one of the people behind the production and has a justified conviction along with co-star Keith Allen (playing misogynist Max, Lenny’s father) that post-pandemic audiences are ready to deal with the subject matter raised in this controversial play, through the emphasis of comedy.

Judging from the reaction of the audience their convictions were well placed.

All credit to director Jamie Glover for his fresh approach to this classic, and to designer Liz Ascroft for a superb set that reflected the mood created in this dark comedy.

Keith Allen was superb in the role of vindictive and vicious Father Max, with tension in the air you could cut with a knife.

We soon came to realise that there was no love lost between Max and son Lenny, with the famous Pinter pauses played to perfection.

When long-lost son Teddy (Sam Alexander) arrived at his old North London home in the early hours of the morning, along with his wife Ruth (brilliantly played by Shanaya Rafaat), it was evident that Ruth was very much her own woman, despite Teddy’s attempts to control her every move.

When Lenny tried to sexually intimidate her when he came across her on her own in the living room, she masterfully turned the tables. I’ll never look at a glass of water in the same way again!

Ian Bartholomew shone in his role as Max’s chauffeur brother Sam. His character may have seemed weak at times, but he knew how to wound his sibling with words and was more than a match for his brutal brother.

Credit to the talented cast that you were completely drawn into the family’s claustrophobic world; some of the scenes were completely surreal, particularly when Ruth eventually decided to leave her husband in favour of her new family, with the ghost of Max’s late wife Jessie very much the spectre in the room.

This play kept us continually on a knife edge, as fraught as the inner lives of the characters.

There was danger and menace throughout with the power to shock, and no doubt spark heated debates in the bar afterwards.