Review: The Lover / The Collection by Harold Pinter

Comedy Theatre: The Lover / The Collection by Harold Pinter Director: Jamie Lloyd The Lover Richard: Richard Coyle Sarah: Gina McKee John: Charlie Cox The Collection Harry: Timothy West James: Richard Coyle Stella: Gina McKee Bill: Charlie Cox Having previously stage managed Harold Pinter’s The Lover (along with The Betrayal) in school; I was very excited to see a professional cast do the same show. Luckily, I was not disappointed! An absolutely excellent all-star cast and obviously brilliant direction made this a laugh-out-loud piece of theatre. The top-grade direction was palpable throughout the show, which held a humorous and consistently mischievous and mysterious atmosphere. Also, the set designer, Soutra Gilmour, and lighting designer, Jon Clark, both deserve standing O’s. The set and lighting that Gilmour and Clark designed was absolutely ingenious, aesthetically pleasing, gave the play amazing atmosphere, made everything seem as part of a larger world, and worked wonderfully for both one acts. The first thing that I must comment on is the voice work that these actors must have done. It was noticeable as soon as they opened their mouths. They had a voice coach, Jeanette Nelson, who must have trained them marvelously, because very word was heard with ringing clarity. The actors themselves were all quite good. I especially enjoyed the relationship between Richard Coyle and Gina McKee in The Lover, as well as Timothy West’s character, Harry, in The Collection. I was blown away by The Lover. It was definitely the most humorous Pinter show I have ever seen!