The Homecoming at the Young Vic
Smoke consumes the entire auditorium of the Young Vic as loud jazz reverberates. It makes us feel slightly unsettled and on edge as we enter, but this is a Pinter play after all and one of the writer’s most revered at that. The last London revival was in 2015 at Trafalgar Studios under the helm of Jamie Lloyd, who placed his own stylised stamp on proceedings. Now it is the turn of director Matthew Dunster, fresh off his revival of another dark play, The Pillowman. Dunster adopts a more naturalistic approach, which only serves to heighten the relentless tension that permeates throughout. Jared Harris of TV’s The Crown and Mad Men is the big draw; however, it is very much the writing and the work of the entire ensemble that are the stars of the show here.
Premiering in 1965 and vastly ahead of its time, Pinter’s patriarchal play takes us to a London residence. Set entirely in the large living room, we meet butcher Max, his brother Sam and his two sons Lenny and Joey. Conversations are often clipped. Repeated digs at one another are the norm and explosive bouts of anger a regular occurrence. Each character feels the need to prove their manliness with egos constantly clashing. A happy home it is not.
Enter another sibling, who has returned from six years in the US. Unlike his father and brothers who have more manual (and in their view manly) jobs, Teddy is a professor of philosophy. Introducing his wife Ruth to his family for the first time, the home dynamics immediately shift. The men are not used to having a woman under their roof.
Designer Moi Tran keeps things suitably minimal with chairs scattered around the sparse space – the stage protruding out towards the audience. Sally Ferguson’s lighting perfectly emphasises key moments, occasionally pulling us out of the naturalistic setting before plunging us right back in. Words, so crucial to any Pinter play, are afforded the time to linger. While this makes the first act somewhat of a slow burn, by the time we get into the second things flow at a healthy tempo towards the climax, before closing on a powerful tableau.
Harris is utterly engrossing as Max. We fully buy into his unpredictable temper yet are also permitted glimpses of a more sensitive and tormented man beneath the façade. He, like the others, cannot escape his past and seems forever doomed to be stuck in a vicious circle of anger and upset. Harris has an incredibly strong cast accompanying him. Nicolas Tennant as the presumably gay Sam showcases some excellent comedy skills. Joe Cole of Peaky Blinders fame has a lot to do as Lenny and expertly embodies the erratic energy of his shady character.
Also convincing as aspiring boxer Joey is David Angland and Robert Emms as Teddy is another example of great casting. Lisa Diveney as Ruth effortlessly morphs between innocent flirt and powerful, calculating controller of the men around her. Collectively, this is acting of an immensely high calibre that more than does justice to Pinter’s script. Although those new to the play might struggle to get to grips with it – such is the level of ambiguity – others will view this as a pleasingly fresh take on well-trodden material.
Still shocking all these decades later and still relevant thanks to its astute exploration of toxic masculinity and gender roles, The Homecoming really is a play like no other. This revival reaffirms it as a masterpiece in tension.
Jonathan Marshall
Images: Manuel Harlan
The Homecoming is at the Young Vic from 27th November until 27th January 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.
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