THE DUMB WAITER
BY HAROLD PINTER
AND
UPSTAIRS
A NEW PLAY BY IAN McCOLM
DIRECTED BY MICHAEL CONNOR
SEPTEMBER 19 - 29, 2024
The Dumb Waiter is a one-act play set in the basement of an old rooming house. There are no windows. The stark room is only connected to the outside world by a hidden food elevator and a closed door. The two occupants are partners - one submissive, the other more dominant. They are waiting to execute a task that is never properly explained, only hinted at. Most of the conversations are mundane - about football, newspaper stories and food - but the feeling of menace is always present, even in these ordinary moments.
Harold Pinter once rather flippantly described his plays as the ‘weasel in the cocktail cabinet’, a phrase which seems to capture the feeling of menace in the Dumb Waiter. There is something threatening hiding in the ordinary day-to-day life, ready to escape at any moment. This thoroughly engaging black comedy will keep you guessing, make you laugh, and make you sigh in disbelief as the two men navigate their uncertain world.
The Dumb Waiter will be paired with a performance of Upstairs, a new one-act drama by local playwright Ian McColm.
Tickets: Adult $30 | Concession $25