Part of the collection
Complete Works Volume 2.
THE STORY: As George Oppenheimer describes: "The action of
The Collection takes place on a divided stage, shared by a house in London's Belgravia and a flat in Chelsea. In the house live Harry, an older man, and Bill, a young dress designer. One night the life of Harry and Bill is distorted by an anonymous phone call, followed by a visit from a young man who refuses to leave his name. The visitor turns out to be James, owner of the flat where he lives with his wife, Stella, a decorative model, who has confessed to her husband that she had a one-night affair with Bill. James is obsessed with a desire to meet the man who had cuckolded him and when he does, a weird attraction-repulsion arise between the two young men. Harry discovers what is going on and in the end casts doubt on whether the affair ever took place and thereby reestablishes an uneasy status quo. All this is done with subtlety and good taste and affords a stimulating glimpse into the shadow abyss that lies between the true and the false, illusion and reality, normalcy and abnormalcy."
Often produced on a double bill with
The Dumb Waiter under the omnibus title of
The Pinter Plays, this intriguing short play probes into the tensions and conflicts surrounding four people who seek to learn the unfortunate truth about each other.
“Once again Harold Pinter exhibits his talent for strange effects and mysterious menace in a stunning and frightening one-act play
The Collection.” —Newsday (NY).
“
The Dumb Waiter and
The Collection represent very nearly the ideal in theatre.” —New York World-Telegram & Sun.
