Synopsis

A house in the country, near the sea

Kate and her husband Deeley await the arrival of Anna, Kate’s old friend from twenty years ago. As the evening unfolds, memories intertwine with the present, and the trio engages in a complex dance of reminiscence, desire, and power. Kate, seemingly passive, holds the key to their shared past, while Deeley and Anna vie for dominance through conflicting recollections and seductive storytelling. The boundaries between truth and fiction blur as each character attempts to claim ownership of their shared history and assert their place in Kate’s affections.

Pinter’s masterful play explores themes of memory, identity, and the fluidity of truth through his signature style of menacing ambiguity and loaded silences. The dialogue crackles with tension, punctuated by moments of dark humour and sudden shifts in power dynamics. As the characters reconstruct their past, the audience is left to question the reliability of memory and the ways in which we shape our personal narratives. The play’s non-linear structure and dreamlike atmosphere create a haunting exploration of how the past infiltrates and shapes the present.