Harold Pinter wrote Betrayal in 1978. The play tells the story of a classic three-cornered relationship in which Emma has been cheating on her husband Robert for seven years by having an affair with his best friend Jerry.
Pinter uses an unusually dramatic structure the play begins at the end and ends at the beginning to explore themes like loyalty, insincerity and self-deception. He presents characters who are caught up in the untenability of an all-consuming passion, who struggle against the inevitable mediocrity of their daily lives, who want to live grandly in a world that is too small. As if with a scalpel, he exposes the pride and longings, the lies and weaknesses of his characters, and, in that laconic and ruthless style at which he excels, succeeds both in glorifying and ridiculing love. In this way Pinter elevates the prosaicness of human relations to poetry.
So shall I live, supposing thou art true,
Like a deceived husband; so love’s face
May still seem love to me, though alter’d new;
Thy looks with me, thy heart in other place:
For there can live no hatred in thine eye,
Therefore in that I cannot know thy change.
In many’s looks the false heart’s history
Is writ in moods and frowns and wrinkles strange,
But heaven in thy creation did decree
That in thy face sweet love should ever dwell;
Whate’er thy thoughts or thy heart’s workings be,
Thy looks should nothing thence but sweetness tell.
How like Eve’s apple doth thy beauty grow,
If thy sweet virtue answer not thy show!
William Shakespeare, Sonnet 93
In Dutch
text ‘Betrayal’ by Harold Pinter
by and with Robby Cleiren, Jolente De Keersmaeker and Frank Vercruyssen
lichting design Thomas Walgrave
costumes Ann DHuys
technique Tim Wouters
production tg STAN
premiere 19 October 2011, Monty, Antwerp (B)
premiere of French version 15 May 2014, Théâtre Garonne, Toulouse (FR)
2012
september
Tue 04.09.12 20:30
Theater Bellevue
Amsterdam
Wed 05.09.12 20:30
Theater Bellevue
Amsterdam
Sat 08.09.12 20:30
Theater Kikker
Utrecht
2011
october
Wed 19.10.11 20:30
Monty
Antwerpen
Thu 20.10.11 20:30
Monty
Antwerpen
Fri 21.10.11 20:30
Monty
Antwerpen
Sat 22.10.11 20:30
Monty
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Wed 26.10.11 20:30
Kaaistudio's
Bruxelles
Thu 27.10.11 20:30
Kaaistudio's
Bruxelles
Fri 28.10.11 20:30
Kaaistudio's
Bruxelles
Sat 29.10.11 20:30
Kaaistudio's
Bruxelles
november
Wed 02.11.11 20:00
Toneelschuur
Haarlem
Thu 03.11.11 20:00
Toneelschuur
Haarlem
Sat 05.11.11 20:30
Corrosia
Almere
Tue 08.11.11 20:30
Grand Theatre
Groningen
Thu 10.11.11 20:30
Frascati
Amsterdam
Fri 11.11.11 20:30
Frascati
Amsterdam
Sat 12.11.11 20:15
Stadsschouwburg
Mechelen
Tue 15.11.11 20:00
Minard
Gent
Wed 16.11.11 20:00
Minard
Gent
Thu 17.11.11 20:00
Minard
Gent
Fri 18.11.11 20:00
Minard
Gent
Sat 19.11.11 20:00
Minard
Gent
Tue 22.11.11 20:00
Schouwburg
Leuven
Wed 23.11.11 20:00
Schouwburg
Leuven
Thu 24.11.11 20:30
MALPERTUIS
Tielt
Fri 25.11.11 14:00
Bronks
Bruxelles
Tue 29.11.11 20:00
Rataplan
Borgerhout
december
Tue 06.12.11 20:30
Theater Kikker
Utrecht
Wed 07.12.11 20:15
CC De Mol
Lier
Thu 08.12.11 20:00
Schouwburg
Sint-Niklaas
Sat 10.12.11 20:00
CC De Schakel
Waregem
Tue 13.12.11 20:15
CC Maasmechelen
Maasmechelen
Wed 14.12.11 20:30
Plaza Futura
Eindhoven
Fri 16.12.11 20:30
De Werf
Brugge
Sat 17.12.11 20:30
De Werf
Brugge
Sun 18.12.11 20:30
Monty
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