Complete Works, Volume IV by Harold Pinter Read Free Book Online

down.
    The sobbing stops.
    Silence
    Deeley stands. He walks a few paces, looks at both divans.
    He goes to Anna’s divan, looks down at her. She is still.
    Silence
    Deeley moves towards the door, stops, his back to them.
    Silence
    Deeley turns. He goes towards Kate’s divan. He sits on her divan, lies across her lap.
    Long silence
    Deeley very slowly sits up.
    He gets off the divan.
    He walks slowly to the armchair.
    He sits, slumped.
    Silence
    Lights up full sharply. Very bright.
    Deeley in armchair.
    Anna lying on divan.
    Kate sitting on divan.

No Man’s Land

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    No Man’s Land was first presented by the National Theatre at the Old Vic, London, on 23 April 1975, with the following cast:
    HIRST
Ralph Richardson
SPOONER
John Gielgud
FOSTER
Michael Feast
BRIGGS
Terence Rigby
    Directed by Peter Hall
    Designed by John Bury
    This production transferred to Wyndham’s theatre, London, on 15 July 1975.
    The play was revived at the Almeida theatre, London, on 2 November 1992, with the following cast:
    HIRST
Harold Pinter
SPOONER
Paul Eddington
FOSTER
Douglas Hodge
BRIGGS
Gawn Grainger
    Directed by David Leveaux
    Designed by Bob Crowley
    This production transferred to the Comedy Theatre, London, in February 1993.
    The play was revived on the Lyttelton stage of the National Theatre, London, on 6 December 2001, with the following cast:
    HIRST
Corin Redgrave
SPOONER
John Wood
FOSTER
Danny Dyer
BRIGGS
Andy de la Tour
    Directed by Harold Pinter
    Designed by Eileen Diss

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    CHARACTERS
    HIRST, a man in his sixties
    SPOONER , a man in his sixties
    FOSTER, a man in his thirties
    BRIGGS, a man in his forties
    P LACE
    A large room in a house in North West London. Well but sparely furnished. A strong and comfortable straight-backed chair, in which Hirst sits. A wall of bookshelves, with various items of pottery acting as bookstands, including two large mugs.
    Heavy curtains across the window.
    The central feature of the room is an antique cabinet, with marble top, brass gallery and open shelves, on which stands a great variety of bottles: spirits, aperitifs, beers, etc.

    Â 
    ACT ONE
    Summer.
    Night.
    SPOONER stands in the centre of the room. He is dressed in a very old and shabby suit, dark faded shirt, creased spotted tie.
    HIRST is pouring whisky at the cabinet. He is precisely dressed. Sports jacket. Well cut trousers.
    HIRST As it is?
    SPOONER As it is, yes please, absolutely as it is.
    Hirst brings him the glass.
    SPOONER Thank you. How very kind of you. How very kind.
    Hirst pours himself a vodka.
    HIRST Cheers.
    SPOONER Your health.
    They drink. Spooner sips, Hirst drinks the vodka in one gulp. He refills his glass, moves to his chair and sits. Spooner empties his glass.
    HIRST Please help yourself.
    SPOONER Terribly kind of you.
    Spooner goes to cabinet, pours. He turns.
    SPOONER Your good health.
    He drinks.
    SPOONER What was it I was saying, as we arrived at your door?
    HIRST Ah . . . let me see.
    SPOONER Yes! I was talking about strength. Do you recall?
    HIRST Strength. Yes.
    SPOONER Yes. I was about to say, you see, that there are some people who appear to be strong, whose idea of what strength consists of is persuasive, but who inhabit the idea and not the fact. What they possess is not strength but expertise. They have nurtured and maintain what is in fact a calculated posture. Half the time it works. It takes a man of intelligence and perception to stick a needle through that posture and discern the essential flabbiness of the stance. I am such a man.
    HIRST You mean one of the latter?
    SPOONER One of the latter, yes, a man of intelligence and perception. Not one of the former, oh no, not at all. By no means.
    Pause.
    May I say how very kind it was of you to ask me in? In fact, you are kindness itself, probably always are kindness itself, now and in England and in Hampstead and for all eternity.
    He looks about the room.
    What a remarkably pleasant room. I feel at peace here. Safe from all danger. But