REVIEW
Southend Shakespeare Company
THE HOMECOMING
by Harold Pinter
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre
Westcliff on Sea
Tue 5 March to Sat 9th March 2024
Southend Shakespeare Company
THE HOMECOMING
by Harold Pinter
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre
Westcliff on Sea
Tue 5 March to Sat 9th March 2024
The City of Southend on Sea is very lucky to have a very rich and concentrated seam of Drama and Musical Societies. In terms of drama, Southend Shakespeare Company sits at the very centre like a smooth running Rolls Royce. It produces at least four plays a year to be performed in the Dixon Studio at the Palace, as well as it’s open-air summer season tour.
For its latest offering at the Dixon, the company has chosen The Homecoming, by Harold Pinter. On the face of it, this play seems as far away from Shakespeare as you can get, but a closer look shows that the two writers had more in common than you might think. Both write with great precision. Their choice of language is extremely important to the plays, and have to be performed with the same exacting precision. In addition, it seems that Pinter may well have taken King Lear as a starting point for his own play.
The lights come up on a dowdy, oppressive living room. There is an armchair in the middle. This is occupied by Max, an elderly man, whilst to the left of him, his son Lenny sits reading a newspaper. Max is angry. He is raging at how getting old has lost the respect of his family. He is losing his grip on his position as head of the family, and it is clear his son treats his father with casual contempt. From the outset, the tone is abusive, hostile, even contemptuous.
Lenny is a brutish man. He considers killing his father just to get some peace and quiet in order to read the paper. Into this atmosphere comes Sam, brother to Max, a chauffeur who is still working and needs to feel important, and youngest son Joey, a demolition worker who aspires to be a great boxer.
The atmosphere is most definitely one of toxic masculinity. Insults and abuse fly, and it is clear that there is no love lost here between anyone, although young Joey seems to enjoy the banter more than taking part himself, and seems the most likeable character so far.
Into this hostile environment comes long-departed son Teddy, with his wife Ruth, who are paying a brief visit from the USA where Teddy is a Professor of Philosophy, hence the ‘homecoming’ of the title.
There is nothing natural about this family, or this visit. Teddy and Ruth’s marriage is clearly not a happy one. They are just as hostile to each other. Interestingly, when she goes to sit down, it is in Max’s chair, which horrifies Teddy. He refuses to allow Ruth to sit in it. He clearly remembers that this is sacred territory, and it is this chair that becomes the symbol of power, like a tatty throne. Who will end up sitting on it at the end?
If all this sounds like a very grim, dark evening’s entertainment, it actually is, but thanks to the bitter, ironic writing, it is very funny indeed. The triumph of Malcolm Toll’s production is that every single member of his well chosen cast rise admirably to the challenge of performing the difficult, riff like monologues of irony and bitterness with total conviction and clarity worthy of any professional stage, if not better. The cast work so well together and make a formidable team
At the very centre, as Max, Brian Eastty effortlessly captures the frustration and bitterness of the old man. He powers the play and makes it easy for the other actors to bounce off him, whilst Marius Clemence gives a strong, brooding, dark performance as the menacing, violent Lenny, who speaks laconically of women he has abused.
They all meet their match with Megan Goodger’s Ruth. Dressed to the nines, and moving around the room like a steel leopard, it is clear she is going to effortlessly take control of this ill-tempered group of men. They need her and she knows it. At the end, it is she who takes the throne, and the new Queen is in place.
Pinter plays are extremely difficult to bring off, as the dialogue is so unnatural and complex. Characters, whilst answering each other, rarely relate to each other, so to achieve cohesion must be immensely difficult. Thanks to Malcolm Toll’s expert direction, with great support from set designer Tracey Peacock, and costumes by Jacquee Storozynski Toll, and its brilliant cast, this production is astonishingly good. It plays at the Dixon Studio until Saturday. Do not miss it!
Review by Andrew Walters
For its latest offering at the Dixon, the company has chosen The Homecoming, by Harold Pinter. On the face of it, this play seems as far away from Shakespeare as you can get, but a closer look shows that the two writers had more in common than you might think. Both write with great precision. Their choice of language is extremely important to the plays, and have to be performed with the same exacting precision. In addition, it seems that Pinter may well have taken King Lear as a starting point for his own play.
The lights come up on a dowdy, oppressive living room. There is an armchair in the middle. This is occupied by Max, an elderly man, whilst to the left of him, his son Lenny sits reading a newspaper. Max is angry. He is raging at how getting old has lost the respect of his family. He is losing his grip on his position as head of the family, and it is clear his son treats his father with casual contempt. From the outset, the tone is abusive, hostile, even contemptuous.
Lenny is a brutish man. He considers killing his father just to get some peace and quiet in order to read the paper. Into this atmosphere comes Sam, brother to Max, a chauffeur who is still working and needs to feel important, and youngest son Joey, a demolition worker who aspires to be a great boxer.
The atmosphere is most definitely one of toxic masculinity. Insults and abuse fly, and it is clear that there is no love lost here between anyone, although young Joey seems to enjoy the banter more than taking part himself, and seems the most likeable character so far.
Into this hostile environment comes long-departed son Teddy, with his wife Ruth, who are paying a brief visit from the USA where Teddy is a Professor of Philosophy, hence the ‘homecoming’ of the title.
There is nothing natural about this family, or this visit. Teddy and Ruth’s marriage is clearly not a happy one. They are just as hostile to each other. Interestingly, when she goes to sit down, it is in Max’s chair, which horrifies Teddy. He refuses to allow Ruth to sit in it. He clearly remembers that this is sacred territory, and it is this chair that becomes the symbol of power, like a tatty throne. Who will end up sitting on it at the end?
If all this sounds like a very grim, dark evening’s entertainment, it actually is, but thanks to the bitter, ironic writing, it is very funny indeed. The triumph of Malcolm Toll’s production is that every single member of his well chosen cast rise admirably to the challenge of performing the difficult, riff like monologues of irony and bitterness with total conviction and clarity worthy of any professional stage, if not better. The cast work so well together and make a formidable team
At the very centre, as Max, Brian Eastty effortlessly captures the frustration and bitterness of the old man. He powers the play and makes it easy for the other actors to bounce off him, whilst Marius Clemence gives a strong, brooding, dark performance as the menacing, violent Lenny, who speaks laconically of women he has abused.
They all meet their match with Megan Goodger’s Ruth. Dressed to the nines, and moving around the room like a steel leopard, it is clear she is going to effortlessly take control of this ill-tempered group of men. They need her and she knows it. At the end, it is she who takes the throne, and the new Queen is in place.
Pinter plays are extremely difficult to bring off, as the dialogue is so unnatural and complex. Characters, whilst answering each other, rarely relate to each other, so to achieve cohesion must be immensely difficult. Thanks to Malcolm Toll’s expert direction, with great support from set designer Tracey Peacock, and costumes by Jacquee Storozynski Toll, and its brilliant cast, this production is astonishingly good. It plays at the Dixon Studio until Saturday. Do not miss it!
Review by Andrew Walters
“The Homecoming” is the story of a family. However, this is a very particular family.
Life is turned upside down when one of the sons returns from America with his wife, whom they have never met. That is when the fun begins.
A Pinter masterpiece, laced with great drama and very quirky humour.
Hold on to your hats, as this is going to be one very exciting rollercoaster ride!
Note:- Contains adult themes and language that some might find offensive, which reflects the time when it was written.
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre
5th March – 9th March 2024
Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat at 7.45pm Sat Mat 3.00pm
£16.00 / Concs. £1.50 off
Cast List
MAX Brian Eastty
LENNY Marius Clements
SAM Simon Cannon
JOEY Luke Bush
TEDDY Ben Smerdon
RUTH Megan Goodger
DIRECTOR Malcolm Toll
For more information about the SSC visit our website at
www.southendshakespeare.org.uk
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Life is turned upside down when one of the sons returns from America with his wife, whom they have never met. That is when the fun begins.
A Pinter masterpiece, laced with great drama and very quirky humour.
Hold on to your hats, as this is going to be one very exciting rollercoaster ride!
Note:- Contains adult themes and language that some might find offensive, which reflects the time when it was written.
Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre
5th March – 9th March 2024
Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri/Sat at 7.45pm Sat Mat 3.00pm
£16.00 / Concs. £1.50 off
Cast List
MAX Brian Eastty
LENNY Marius Clements
SAM Simon Cannon
JOEY Luke Bush
TEDDY Ben Smerdon
RUTH Megan Goodger
DIRECTOR Malcolm Toll
For more information about the SSC visit our website at
www.southendshakespeare.org.uk
CURTAIN CALL with MEGAN GOODGER, 29 from GREAT WAKERING
When did you start to take an interest in theatre? Did you take part in any productions at school?
I have loved theatre for as long as I can remember. My earliest productions would have been in my grandparents front room, using their red velvet curtains as my stage.
Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama?
My dad was an actor for around 20 years. This is why I have a huge love for it. I remember being little and hearing him learning his lines in the bath! It always seemed very magical being able to watch my dad on stage and visit him in the dressing rooms. He would give me his scripts after he finished each show and I would re-enact them to myself in my bedroom.
Have you done any sort of formal training for acting/singing/dancing?
No formal training. I was rejected for drama school 3 years in a row so I ended up getting a job in a touring company and spent 2 years doing it professionally. I had the best time and I think I learned more from others in those 2 years than I would have at school.
Do you have any specialist skills – anything from stilt walking to dress-making – which you work into your repertoire?
I am pretty good at special effects make up but I don’t think I’ve ever used it on stage.
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your amdram career to date?
I loved playing Jo in “A Taste of Honey” which was a lot of lines to learn. The most fun I’ve had was doing a play written by a friend. I got to play a Cabaret performer during the occupation of Paris. I had to learn songs in French and there were some great dances.
What has been your most embarrassing moment involving drama, on or off stage?
When I was very little I went to ballet lessons. At the end of the year they put on a performance at the Cliffs Pavilion. I was chosen to run across the stage with a long ribbon to stop the little children from getting too close to the front of the stage. The lady in the wings unravelling the ribbon wasn’t paying attention and the ribbon ended up snapping. I heard the audience laugh and was so embarrassed that I didn’t want to come on for my dance and that was the end of my ballet lessons!
How do you earn your living?
I am the HR Lead at a local care company. I have worked there for almost 10 years!
Following on from the previous question, has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage activities?
As the Head of HR I have to take some not so nice meetings so I use my acting skills to make myself feel more confident and in control. Bringing out my inner Meryl Streep in the devil wears prada.
Are your friends mostly involved in theatre - perhaps even working with you on a regular basis - or do you socialise across a wider circle?
I actually met my husband in the Southend Shakespeare Company so we share a lot of the same friends. We had a theatre themed wedding and even have some seats from the New Empire theatre on display in our house. As a big theatre nerd I find it hard to socialise with people who don’t enjoy it, it’s such a big part of my life.
Which actor do you most admire and why?
Dame Maggie Smith. I got the chance to see her in a one woman show a few years back and she was an absolute force of nature. I would love to still be acting at her age.
What role would you most like to play and why?
I would love to be in a musical but I would need singing and dancing lessons for sure.
I think Eponine from Les Mis would be the ultimate dream come true
Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?
I try so hard not too, which means that I have worked with people that try their hardest to break me. I think my favorite was when I was in “Flare Path” and a friend that I was acting along side decided on the last night to jump up on the sofa next to me and shout “yippee”. It was in the stage directions but we had decided from the very start of rehearsals not to do it as it didn’t look quite right. Luckily my character was allowed to laugh so I could get away with the shocked “Ha!” that came out of me.
Tell us a bit about "The Homecoming."
All of Harold Pinter’s plays have an underlying tension. It’s like a snapshot of someone’s life going upside down. When I first auditioned, I decided to watch the 1973 Peter Hall film, and I found it so boring! When we started rehearsing, I was glad that everyone was in agreement that we would be making it our own. It’s like a completely different play and there are some fantastic lines. Don’t expect a light hearted comedy but I’m sure there will be some laughs.
Any plans for the future, after "The Homecoming”?
The company have some great plays coming up this year, I think I’ll be taking a break until the autumn and then we’ll see…
Any tricks for remembering your lines or other useful tips to pass on to others involved in drama?
I go to the gym before rehearsal and make sure to spend the last 20-30 minutes of my workout on the treadmill running lines. I must look mad but it works!
I have loved theatre for as long as I can remember. My earliest productions would have been in my grandparents front room, using their red velvet curtains as my stage.
Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama?
My dad was an actor for around 20 years. This is why I have a huge love for it. I remember being little and hearing him learning his lines in the bath! It always seemed very magical being able to watch my dad on stage and visit him in the dressing rooms. He would give me his scripts after he finished each show and I would re-enact them to myself in my bedroom.
Have you done any sort of formal training for acting/singing/dancing?
No formal training. I was rejected for drama school 3 years in a row so I ended up getting a job in a touring company and spent 2 years doing it professionally. I had the best time and I think I learned more from others in those 2 years than I would have at school.
Do you have any specialist skills – anything from stilt walking to dress-making – which you work into your repertoire?
I am pretty good at special effects make up but I don’t think I’ve ever used it on stage.
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your amdram career to date?
I loved playing Jo in “A Taste of Honey” which was a lot of lines to learn. The most fun I’ve had was doing a play written by a friend. I got to play a Cabaret performer during the occupation of Paris. I had to learn songs in French and there were some great dances.
What has been your most embarrassing moment involving drama, on or off stage?
When I was very little I went to ballet lessons. At the end of the year they put on a performance at the Cliffs Pavilion. I was chosen to run across the stage with a long ribbon to stop the little children from getting too close to the front of the stage. The lady in the wings unravelling the ribbon wasn’t paying attention and the ribbon ended up snapping. I heard the audience laugh and was so embarrassed that I didn’t want to come on for my dance and that was the end of my ballet lessons!
How do you earn your living?
I am the HR Lead at a local care company. I have worked there for almost 10 years!
Following on from the previous question, has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage activities?
As the Head of HR I have to take some not so nice meetings so I use my acting skills to make myself feel more confident and in control. Bringing out my inner Meryl Streep in the devil wears prada.
Are your friends mostly involved in theatre - perhaps even working with you on a regular basis - or do you socialise across a wider circle?
I actually met my husband in the Southend Shakespeare Company so we share a lot of the same friends. We had a theatre themed wedding and even have some seats from the New Empire theatre on display in our house. As a big theatre nerd I find it hard to socialise with people who don’t enjoy it, it’s such a big part of my life.
Which actor do you most admire and why?
Dame Maggie Smith. I got the chance to see her in a one woman show a few years back and she was an absolute force of nature. I would love to still be acting at her age.
What role would you most like to play and why?
I would love to be in a musical but I would need singing and dancing lessons for sure.
I think Eponine from Les Mis would be the ultimate dream come true
Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?
I try so hard not too, which means that I have worked with people that try their hardest to break me. I think my favorite was when I was in “Flare Path” and a friend that I was acting along side decided on the last night to jump up on the sofa next to me and shout “yippee”. It was in the stage directions but we had decided from the very start of rehearsals not to do it as it didn’t look quite right. Luckily my character was allowed to laugh so I could get away with the shocked “Ha!” that came out of me.
Tell us a bit about "The Homecoming."
All of Harold Pinter’s plays have an underlying tension. It’s like a snapshot of someone’s life going upside down. When I first auditioned, I decided to watch the 1973 Peter Hall film, and I found it so boring! When we started rehearsing, I was glad that everyone was in agreement that we would be making it our own. It’s like a completely different play and there are some fantastic lines. Don’t expect a light hearted comedy but I’m sure there will be some laughs.
Any plans for the future, after "The Homecoming”?
The company have some great plays coming up this year, I think I’ll be taking a break until the autumn and then we’ll see…
Any tricks for remembering your lines or other useful tips to pass on to others involved in drama?
I go to the gym before rehearsal and make sure to spend the last 20-30 minutes of my workout on the treadmill running lines. I must look mad but it works!