THE RADICALS & AVANT-GARDE 1920–1970

In a Harold Pinter play, what isn’t said often matters more than what is. A pause can last an eternity; a simple phrase like “Come in” can carry a threat. Pinter’s dramatic world is one of everyday banality pierced by sudden menace. He had a word for the peculiar blend of humor and dread in his early plays: “comedy of menace.” Critics noticed that while you might chuckle at two characters chatting about the weather, you also felt an undefinable tension – as if at any moment, violence might erupt. It’s the theatrical equivalent of seeing a shadow move behind a pleasant conversation.

Pinter’s style is unmistakable. He writes dialogue that mimics how people actually speak: fragmented, repetitive, full of understatement and small talk. His characters say things like “Not much happening today” when  ...