The Dumb Waiter

The Dumb Waiter
By Harold Pinter. Metanoia Theatre. Director: Gorkem Acaroglu. Brunswick Mechanics Institute (Vic). 5th-16th November, 2013.

In a city like Melbourne, filled with excellent independent theatre companies, one might feel that another is superfluous. However Metanoia have slipped beneath the radar to show that there is always room for one more, if it has quality and originality.

This production is a “teaser”, since Metanoia doesn’t actually launch until early 2014, but it’s a delicious portent of things to come.

Pinter is a consummate user of banal repetitious language played against dark subtext, and as such is something of an acquired taste these days. The plot is basic, two hit men wait for instructions in the basement of an old café. They’re bored and Gus, the younger, certainly is a dumb “waiter” in his own right, unable to penetrate the thinking of the older, taciturn Ben. If it seems vaguely familiar you’ve probably seen the delicious “In Bruges” which has borrowed more than a little from Pinter’s play.

It’s the juxtaposition of the banal mediocrity alongside the life and death sinister undertones which makes this play a masterpiece, and it’s also bloody funny if directed well. Fortunately Metanoia gives us one of the funniest productions I have seen; all deadpan in its black entirety. Director Gorkem Acaroglu has stripped the play back even further than its original intent and trimmed the ending, which is absurdly obvious. The result is two beautifully measured performances by Leslie Simpson as Gus and Greg Ulfan as Ben. Simpson’s UK origins add authenticity and weight to the naïve and stupid eastender Gus, and somehow makes the character empathetic into the bargain. I’ve seen Simpson before and he’s an interesting actor always, with a grounded sense of truth. As a director of Metanoia he will undoubtedly bring us offerings which stretch both him and his audience. That’s an exciting prospect.  Greg Ulfan uses a Russian background to advantage and adds extra weight to the sinister older hit man. The mere “foreign-ness” of Ben is alienating and frightening and so the implicit ending shocks us more even as we laugh. He’s totally convincing and the two actors work extremely well together.

This is a small production using a black box setting – but there’s interesting sound and lighting and the contrast of the men in white singlets works a treat. Add some interesting props and it’s a totally satisfying, albeit short, night of theatre.

See this if you can in its limited run; it will whet your appetites for Metanoia’s full menu next year, and it’s highly entertaining.

Coral Drouyn

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