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Harold Pinter.
"The Birthday Party".

27, 28, 29 April 2006, at the Gulbenkian Theatre.

Canterbury Players are presenting The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter at the Gulbenkian Theatre on April 27, 28 and 29.

Pinter’s award of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005 was long overdue and, to mark the renewed interest in his work, a cleverly selected double bill (A Slight Ache and A Kind of Alaska) is now being presented at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill.

He had little success with The Birthday Party, his first commercially produced full-length play in the 1950s. Visiting a matinee performance, Pinter discovered the audience numbered six, after the play had been demolished by the critics. Michael Codron, the director, closed the show on the Saturday night.

This was unfortunately before Harold Hobson’s review hailed Pinter as ‘the most original, disturbing and arresting talent in theatrical London’. The play is now hailed as a modern classic.

The Birthday Party may appear to be straightforward, but like everything else in this mesmerising drama, that is possibly an over-simplification. “A Birthday Party” conjures up images of eager anticipation, happiness and joyous attention to the guest of honour. In this case, none of this is true - except the anticipation.

Soon there appear the famous pauses and silences, the air of unease that deepens into menace, the issue of territory and who has control over it. These are now seen as essential elements in this comedy of menace.

What seems remarkable about The Birthday Party is just how confidently Pinter found his distinctive voice right from the start of his career. Everything we understand by the word ‘Pinteresque’ (an adjective which the dramatist himself claims not to accept) is already present and correct.

The questions keep coming. Who are the two strangers who come unexpectedly to the dreary seaside boarding-house? Why have they come? The play has a far greater resonance than it would if everything were explicitly stated. It taps into everyone’s private fear that they might one day be taken away for a crime they have not committed. The questions will remain long after the final curtain.

This Canterbury Players’ production is directed by Ian Burroughs, with the set designed by Derek Standing. The Birthday Party is at the Gulbenkian Theatre on April 27 Thursday, 28 Friday and 29 Saturday at 7.45 pm. Tickets £8 from the Theatre Box Office on 01227 769075.

Published by Geoffrey Learner, Chairman of Canterbury Players, on 31.03.2006
(01227 768885)

Tickets £8

* Amateur

Ian Burroughs. Honorary Secretary. Performance director (Seasons Greetings; The Birthday Party; Gosforth's Fete; Play It Again, Sam) Ian is one of the major stalwarts of the Canterbury Players, working hard behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly: organising sponsorship; publicity; ticket sales; venues; taking part in the choice of performances and a great deal more besides. His first production, as a director with the Players, was Alan Ayckbourn's "Seasons Greetings". This was a joint production between Playcraft and Canterbury Dramatics Society, before their merger into The Canterbury Players. Since then, he since been involved in one way or another with virtually every - if not all - productions. This includes directing "When we are Married" in November 2004; Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party" and later, Alan Ayckbourn's "Gosforth's Fete", here giving a few of the newer members the opportunity to take their first tentative steps on stage - after which they have never looked back.

The Cast:

As Meg

Read more about Sarah?

Sarah Gooch Performance Director (Blue Remembered Hills), Stage Manager, Social Secretary & Actor Sarah has been involved in theatre since the age of thirteen and has been a member of Canterbury Players for the past ten years. Recent acting roles with Canterbury Players include Meg in “The Birthday Party”, the actress in "La Ronde", Viola in “Twelfth Night” and May in "The Accrington Pals".

James Newberry Actor: Goldberg in "The Birthday Party" ; John in "Blue Remembered Hills" Until April 2006, James (Jim) had spent the past 20 years or so on an acting break between career engagements, latterly running his own management consultancy, training and coaching business, People Scope.

In his first acting life - primarily for the Cambridge University Players, at Uni in Birmingham, and the Goodrich Theatre, Putney - he got to play in different stuff: including a panoply of Shakespeares (Much Ado, As You Like It, Merchant of Venice, Hamlet), Beckett (Krapp's Last Tape), Bennett, Simon Gray, Pinter, Edward Bond, Athol Fugard et al. In late 2005, Pinter's the Birthday Party - in all its non-sequitury weirdness - re-appeared and he started again....

Harold Pinter. "The Birthday Party".

27, 28, 29 April 2006, at the Gulbenkian Theatre.

Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party" The Canterbury Players Gulbenkian Theatre

Reviewed by: Elaine Godden. Kentish Gazette.

PARTY DESRVED MORE GUESTS.

PINTER is a challenging undertaking for any company; this cast of the The Birthday Party met it confidently from the outset on a drab, late-50s set.

Pinter's characteristically empty dialogue between the frumpish, middle-aged seaside couple played convincingly by Patrick Folkard and Sarah Gooch, was interrupted by their boorish lodger and the plot - disquieting but never quite explicit - began to unfold.

Elements of the characters' personality, particularly the sullen resentfulness of Stanley about his predicament, evolving into agoraphobia, sexual disgust and paranoia (albeit ultimately justified), were the stuff of the drama, not wholly dependent on the indeterminate nature of the plot, which was left to the audience to interpret.

Philip Gittins, as Stanley, looked the part in his grubby pyjama jacket and his facial expressions were eloquent. Later, persecuted by the two "guests" to his unwanted birthday party, his distress was palpable and poignant.

Harriet Kemsley as Lulu gave a charming portrayal of her enigmatic character.

James Newberry and Charlie Jubber, as Goldberg and McCann, entered with tangible menace and retained it in their dealings with the other characters.

Both were convincing but Jubber, with his economy of movement, expression, his apparent gentleness and his tactiturnity, was especially sinister.

All-in-all this was a thoughtful, successful production.

Elaine Godden.

MAJOR SPONSOR: Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party" was sponsored by: The Phoenix: A fine real ale public house. From the CAMRA "Good Beer Guide, 2006". (The Phoenix also appeared 2003, 2004 and 2005 and is one of the few Canterbury pubs to do so) "Cosy corner pub where cricket memorabilia abounds - the pub is very handy for the county ground. A continuously changing range of three or four guest beers come from all over the UK. A popular beer festival is staged in December. Fun quiz nights are held on Wednesday. Good value food is available during opening hours but not after 4pm on Thursdays." The Phoenix Old Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent. www.thephoenix-canterbury.co.uk

Patrons of the Players, for Harold Pinter's "The Birthday Party".

See the sponsors page for details on becoming a sponsor, supporter or patron.

DIGITAL VIDEO TRAINING: dv-training is a company providing a completely fresh approach to digital video training.  Our trainers are industry professionals in all fields and courses are based on twenty years of experience in designing training programmes for major TV stations around the world. Our objective is to promote the highest standards in dv production for media practitioners. Courses  all take place in London, are informal and presented through an enjoyable and relaxed mixture of hands on learning, combined with a variety of practical exercises relevant to the needs of each individual delegate.
Contact: 0845 226 5349

Digital Video Training have kindly handed their sponsor's tickets for "The Birthday Party" back to the Players, for use by drama students and others who might otherwise not have been able to attend.

CATHEDRAL GATE HOTEL: You too can rest where pilgrims did before Blenheim, the Boyne or even Bosworth were contested.This ancient and modern hotel provides city centre comfort from which to brave re-enactments from all ages, even unsettling ones like "The Birthday Party", assured in the knowledge that a hospitable welcome awaits you on return. Twisting passageways, low beams and just the occasional ghost lend drama to the experience, as do the stunning Cathedral and Buttermarket views. 27 well appointed rooms, Bow-Window restaurant and a cosy bar for that post-performance palliative. Prices from £22 per person (15% preferment) on presentation of the programme for "The Birthday Party".
Contact Cathedral Gate Hotel: 36 Burgate, Canterbury. Tel: 01227 464381 or email cgate@cgate.demon.co.uk

The Cathedral Gate Hotel have kindly handed their sponsor's tickets for "The Birthday Party" back to the Players, for use by drama students and others who might otherwise not have been able to attend.

MERRYGARDENS FLORISTS: Drama queens take note - insist on the recognition you deserve in the shape of our traditional bouquets, hand ties and presentations which only a highly trained florist can accomplish. Our flowers come fresh from Holland markets and local nurseries and so last and last. Impressarios, lovers, apologists and "just friends": those wilting supermarket and garage flat-packs just won't stand up. For the result you want only the real thing will do and we deliver it right to her door or dressing room. Covering East Kent (and the world). 15% snipped off when you display your programme from "The Birthday Party".
Contact MERRYGARDENS FLORISTS: 96 High Street, DEAL. Tel 01304 374228.

Merrygardens Florists have kindly handed their sponsor's tickets for "The Birthday Party" back to the Players, for use by drama students and others who might otherwise not have been able to attend.

ENCOUNTERS: For cooking courses. At Encounters, our one-day cookery courses, covering various specialities and using fresh, local and where possible, organic ingredients, are provided near to Canterbury in Kent.
Contact: Encounters, Garden House, Chillenden, Canterbury, Kent, CT3 1YA.
Tel/Fax: (01304) 841136

TREE-GATE: Tree-gate provide a range of speciality teas, produced from trees and plants with medicinal properties, both for drinking and for bathing in. Not only that, but for every 10 packets sold, they plant a new tree, and being Kent based, many of those are in Kent itself. They also donate 50p to The Woodland Trust for each 10 packets sold. So, if you'd like to try something new - and help Tree-gate to improve your local environment - please try their lovely products.
Contact: +44(0) 1304 824190 / 823602
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Website provision and maintenance, effective internet marketing campaigns. http:/www.i-m-k.co.uk
Contact: 01227 281611

Internet Marketing Kent Ltd have kindly handed their sponsor's tickets for "The Birthday Party" back to the Players, for use by drama students and others who might otherwise not have been able to attend.

Our thanks too, for help with props:

John Frost Newspapers and Data Reprographics (Telephone 01784 243996), for the reprint of an original 1950's newspaper used in the production.