The Short Plays of Harold Pinter

by The Short Plays of Harold Pinter (retail) (epub)

  LEN exits. Lights in MARK’s room fade out and then fade in again. Doorbell rings, MARK rises, goes off to front door.

  Silence.

  PETE (entering) Hullo, Mark.

  MARK (re-enters and sits again) Hullo.

  PETE What are you doing?

  MARK Nothing.

  PETE Can I sit down?

  MARK Sure.

  PETE sits right armchair. Pause.

  PETE Well, what are you doing with yourself?

  MARK When’s that?

  PETE Now.

  MARK Nothing.

  MARK files his nails. Pause.

  PETE Len’s in hospital.

  MARK Len? What’s the matter with him?

  PETE Kidney trouble. Not serious.

  Pause.

  Well, what have you been doing with yourself?

  MARK When?

  PETE Since I saw you.

  MARK This and that.

  PETE This and what?

  MARK That.

  Pause.

  PETE Do you want to go and see Len?

  MARK When? Now?

  PETE Yes. It’s visiting time.

  Pause.

  Are you busy?

  MARK No.

  Pause.

  PETE What’s up?

  MARK What?

  PETE What’s up?

  MARK What do you mean?

  PETE You’re wearing a gas mask.

  MARK Not me.

  Pause.

  PETE (rising) Ready?

  MARK Yes.

  He rises and exits.

  PETE (as he follows MARK off) Fine day.

  Pause.

  Bit chilly.

  The door slams as they leave the house. Lights up on LEN in hospital bed. Listening to wireless (earphones).

  PETE and MARK enter.

  LEN You got here.

  PETE (sitting left of bed) Yes.

  LEN They can’t do enough for me here.

  PETE Why’s that?

  LEN Because I’m no trouble.

  MARK sits right of bed.

  They treat me like a king. These nurses, they treat me exactly like a king.

  Pause.

  Mark looks as though he’s caught a crab.

  MARK Do I?

  PETE Airy, this ward.

  LEN Best quality blankets, home cooking, everything you could wish for. Look at the ceiling. It’s not too high and it’s not too low.

  Pause.

  PETE By the way, Mark, what happened to your pipe?

  MARK Nothing happened to it.

  Pause.

  LEN You smoking a pipe?

  Pause.

  What’s it like out today?

  PETE Bit chilly.

  LEN Bound to be.

  PETE The sun’s come out.

  LEN The sun’s come out?

  Pause.

  Well, Mark, bring off the treble chance this week?

  MARK Not me.

  Pause.

  LEN Who’s driving the tank?

  PETE What?

  LEN Who’s driving the tank?

  PETE Don’t ask me. We’ve been walking up the road back to back.

  LEN You’ve what?

  Pause.

  You’ve been walking up the road back to back?

  Pause.

  What are you doing sitting on my bed? You’re not supposed to sit on the bed, you’re supposed to sit on the chairs!

  PETE (rising and moving off) Well, give me a call when you get out.

  He exits.

  MARK (rising and following him) Yes, give me a call.

  He exits.

  LEN (calling after them) How do I know you’ll be in?

  Blackout. Lights come up on MARK’s flat. MARK enters and sits. PETE enters, glances at MARK, sits.

  PETE Horizontal personalities, those places. You’re the only vertical. Makes you feel dizzy.

  Pause.

  You ever been inside one of those places?

  MARK I can’t remember.

  PETE Right.

  Stubs out cigarette, rises, goes to exit.

  MARK All right. Why do you knock on my door?

  PETE What?

  MARK Come on. Why do you knock on my door?

  PETE What are you talking about?

  MARK Why?

  PETE I call to see you.

  MARK What do you want with me? Why come and see me?

  PETE Why?

  MARK You’re playing a double game. You’ve been playing a double game. You’ve been using me. You’ve been leading me up the garden.

  PETE Mind how you go.

  MARK You’ve been wasting my time. For years.

  PETE Don’t push me, boy.

  MARK You think I’m a fool.

  PETE Is that what I think?

  MARK That’s what you think. You think I’m a fool.

  PETE You are a fool.

  MARK You’ve always thought that.

  PETE From the beginning.

  MARK You’ve been leading me up the garden.

  PETE And you.

  MARK You know what you are? You’re an infection.

  PETE Don’t believe it. All I’ve got to do to destroy you is to leave you as you wish to be.

  He walks out of the room. MARK stares, slowly goes off as lights fade. Lights come up on the down centre area. Enter LEN.

  LEN They’ve stopped eating. It’ll be a quick get out when the whistle blows. All their belongings are stacked in piles. They’ve doused the fire. But I’ve heard nothing. What is the cause for alarm? Why is everything packed? Why are they ready for the off? But they say nothing. They’ve cut me off without a penny. And now they’ve settled down to a wide-eyed kip, cross-legged by the fire. It’s insupportable. I’m left in the lurch. Not even a stale frankfurter, a slice of bacon rind, a leaf of cabbage, not even a mouldy piece of salami, like they used to sling me in the days when we told old tales by suntime. They sit, chock-full. But I smell a rat. They seem to be anticipating a rarer dish, a choicer spread. And this change. All about me the change. The yard as I know it is littered with scraps of cat’s meat, pig bollocks, tin cans, bird brains, spare parts of all the little animals, a squelching, squealing carpet, all the dwarfs’ leavings spittled in the muck, worms stuck in the poisoned shit heaps, the alleys a whirlpool of piss, slime, blood, and fruit juice. Now all is bare. All is clean. All is scrubbed. There is a lawn. There is a shrub. There is a flower.

  THE COLLECTION

  The Collection first published

  by Methuen & Co. 1963,

  second edition 1964

  © FPinter Limited, 1963, 1964

  The Collection was first broadcast by Associated Rediffusion Television, London, on 11 May 1961, with the following cast:

  HARRY Griffith Jones

  JAMES Anthony Bate

  STELLA Vivien Merchant

  BILL John Ronane

  Directed by Joan Kemp-Welch

  The play was first presented on the stage at the Aldwych Theatre, Londn, on 18 June 1962, with the following cast:

  HARRY Michael Hordern

  JAMES Kenneth Haigh

  STELLA Barbara Murray

  BILL John Ronane

  Directed by Peter Hall and Harold Pinter

  Characters

  HARRY

  a man in his forties

  JAMES

  a man in his thirties

  STELLA

  a woman in her thirties

  BILL

  a man in his late twenties

  Autumn

  The stage is divided into three areas, two peninsulas and a promontory. Each area is distinct and separate from the other.

  Stage left, HARRY’s house in Belgravia. Elegant décor. Period furnishing. This set comprises the living room, hall, front door and staircase to first floor. Kitchen exit below stair case.

  Stage right, JAMES’s flat in Chelsea. Tasteful contemporary furnishing. This set comprises the living room only. Offstage right, other rooms and front door.

/>   Upstage centre on promontory, telephone box.

  The telephone box is lit in a half light. A figure can be dimly observed inside it, with his back to the audience. The rest of the stage is dark. In the house the telephone is ringing. It is late at night.

  Night light in house fades up. Street fades up.

  HARRY approaches the house, opens the front door and goes in. He switches on a light in the hall, goes into the living room, walks to the telephone and lifts it.

  HARRY Hullo.

  VOICE Is that you, Bill?

  HARRY No, he’s in bed. Who’s this?

  VOICE In bed?

  HARRY Who is this?

  VOICE What’s he doing in bed?

  Pause.

  HARRY Do you know it’s four o’clock in the morning?

  VOICE Well, give him a nudge. Tell him I want a word with him.

  Pause.

  HARRY Who is this?

  VOICE Go and wake him up, there’s a good boy.

  Pause.

  HARRY Are you a friend of his?

  VOICE He’ll know me when he sees me.

  HARRY Oh yes?

  Pause

  VOICE Aren’t you going to wake him?

  HARRY No, I’m not.

  Pause.

  VOICE Tell him I’ll be in touch.

  The telephone cuts off. HARRY replaces the receiver and stands still. The figure leaves the telephone box. HARRY walks slowly into the hall and up the stairs.

  Fade to blackout.

  Fade up on flat. It is morning.

  JAMES, smoking, enters and sits on the sofa.

  STELLA enters from a bedroom fixing a bracelet on her wrist.

  She goes to the cabinet, takes a perfume atomiser from her handbag and uses it on her throat and hands. She puts the atomiser into her bag and begins to put her gloves on.

  STELLA I’m going.

  Pause.

  Aren’t you coming in today?

  Pause.

  JAMES No.

  STELLA You had to meet those people from …

  Pause. She slowly walks to an armchair, picks up her jacket and puts it on.

  You had to meet those people about that order. Shall I phone them when I get to the shop?

  JAMES You could do … yes.

  STELLA What are you going to do?

  He looks at her, with a brief smile, then away.

  Jimmy …

  Pause.

  Are you going out?

  Pause.

  Will you … be in tonight?

  JAMES reaches for a glass ashtray, flicks ash, and regards the ashtray. STELLA turns and leaves the room. The front door slams. JAMES continues regarding the ashtray.

  Fade to half light.

  Fade up on house. Morning.

  BILL brings on a tray from the kitchen and places it on the table, arranges it, pours tea, sits, picks up a newspaper, reads, drinks. HARRY, in a dressing-gown, descends the stairs, trips, stumbles.

  BILL (turning) What have you done?

  HARRY I tripped on that stair rod!

  He comes into the room.

  BILL All right.

  HARRY It’s that stair rod. I thought you said you were going to fix it.

  BILL I did fix it.

  HARRY Well, you didn’t fix it very well.

  He sits, holding his head.

  Ooh.

  BILL pours tea for him.

  In the flat, JAMES stubs his cigarette and goes out. The lights in the flat fade out.

  HARRY sips the tea, then puts the cup down.

  Where’s my fruit juice? I haven’t had my fruit juice.

  BILL regards the fruit juice on the tray.

  What’s it doing over there?

  BILL gives it to him. harry sips it.

  What’s this? Pineapple?

  BILL Grapefruit.

  Pause.

  HARRY I’m sick and tired of that stair rod. Why don’t you screw it in or something? You’re supposed … you’re supposed to be able to use your hands.

  Pause.

  BILL What time did you get in?

  HARRY Four.

  BILL Good party?

  Pause.

  HARRY You didn’t make any toast this morning

  BILL No. Do you want some?

  HARRY No. I don’t.

  BILL I can if you like.

  HARRY It’s all right. Don’t bother.

  Pause.

  How are you spending your day today?

  BILL Go and see a film, I think.

  HARRY Wonderful life you lead. (Pause.) Do you know some maniac telephoned you last night?

  BILL looks at him.

  Just as I got in. Four o’clock. Walked in the door and the telephone was ringing.

  BILL Who was it?

  HARRY I’ve no idea.

  BILL What did he want?

  HARRY You. He was shy, wouldn’t tell me his name.

  BILL Huh.

  Pause.

  HARRY Who could it have been?

  BILL I’ve no idea.

  HARRY He was very insistent. Said he was going to get in touch again. (Pause.) Who the hell was it?

  BILL I’ve just said … I haven’t the remotest idea.

  Pause.

  HARRY Did you meet anyone last week?

  BILL Meet anyone? What do you mean?

  HARRY I mean could it have been anyone you met? You must have met lots of people.

  BILL I didn’t speak to a soul.

  HARRY Must have been miserable for you.

  BILL I was only there one night, wasn’t I? Some more?

  HARRY No, thank you.

  BILL pours tea for himself.

  The telephone box fades up to half light, disclosing a figure entering it.

  I must shave.

  HARRY sits, looking at BILL, who is reading the paper After a moment BILL looks up.

  BILL Mmnnn?

  Silence, HARRY stands, leaves the room and exits up the stairs, treading carefully over the stair rod. BILL reads the paper. The telephone rings. BILL lifts the receiver.

  Hullo.

  VOICE Is that you, Bill?

  BILL Yes?

  VOICE Are you in?

  BILL Who’s this?

  VOICE Don’t move. I’ll be straight round.

  BILL What do you mean? Who is this?

  VOICE About two minutes. All right?

  BILL You can’t do that. I’ve got some people here.

  VOICE Never mind. We can go into another room.

  BILL This is ridiculous. Do I know you?

  VOICE You’ll know me when you see me.

  BILL Do you know me?

  VOICE Just stay where you are. I’ll be right round.

  BILL But what do you want, who –? You can’t do that. I’m going straight out. I won’t be in.

  VOICE See you.

  The phone cuts off. BILL replaces the receiver.

  The lights on the telephone box fade as the figure comes out and exits left.

  BILL puts on his jacket, goes into the hall, puts on his overcoat, swift but not hurried, opens the front door, and goes out. He exits up right, HARRY’s voice from upstairs.

  HARRY Bill, was that you?

  He appears at the head of the stairs.

  Bill!

  He goes downstairs, into the living room, stands, observes the tray, and takes the tray into the kitchen.

  JAMES comes from up left in the street and looks at the house.

  HARRY comes out of the kitchen, goes into the hall and up the stairs.

  JAMES rings the bell.

  HARRY comes down the stairs and opens the door.

  Yes?

  JAMES I’m looking for Bill Lloyd.

  HARRY He’s out. Can I help?

  JAMES When will he be in?

  HARRY I can’t say. Does he know you?

  JAMES I’ll try some other time then.

  HARRY Well, perhaps you’d like to leave your name. I can tell him when I see him.

  JAMES No, that�
��s all right. Just tell him I called.

  HARRY Tell him who called?

  JAMES Sorry to bother you.

  HARRY Just a minute.

  JAMES turns back.

  You’re not the man who telephoned last night, are you?

  JAMES Last night?

  HARRY You didn’t telephone early this morning?

  JAMES No … sorry …

  HARRY Well, what do you want?

  JAMES I’m looking for Bill.

  HARRY You didn’t by any chance telephone just now?

  JAMES I think you’ve got the wrong man.

  HARRY I think you have.

  JAMES I don’t think you know anything about it.

  JAMES turns and goes. HARRY stands watching him.

  Fade to blackout.

  Fade up moonlight in flat.

  The front door closes, in flat.

  STELLA comes in, stands, switches on a lamp. She turns in the direction of the other rooms.

  STELLA Jimmy?

  Silence.

  She takes her gloves off, puts her handbag dozen, and is still. She goes to the record player, and puts on a record. It is ‘Charlie Parker’. She listens, then exists to the bedroom.

  Fade up house. Night.

  BILL enters the living-room from the kitchen with magazines. He throws them in the hearth, goes to the drinks table and pours a drink, then lies on the floor with a drink by the hearth, flicking through a magazine. STELLA comes back into the room with a white Persian kitten. She lies back on the sofa, nuzzling it. HARRY comes downstairs, glances in at BILL, exits and walks down the street to up right, JAMES appears at the front door of the house from up left, looks after HARRY, and rings the bell, bill stands, and goes to the door.