In the canon of infidelity drama, Harold Pinter’sBetrayalmay hold the distinction of being the least … adulterated.
There are no costume changes, unless you count the retucking of a shirt.
(The scenic and costume design is by Soutra Gilmour.)
Credit: Marc Brenner
Virtually the only props are the bottles and glasses that keep our three principals in the drink.
From the start, we know what the characters do not: How this will end.
we are treated to pleasurable shocks of irony and melancholy.
A production this minimalist depends on its performances.
Hiddleston’s turn has the restraint and winning edge of a poker sharp.
It’s a simple yet stirring gadget.
Some comic business with a (scripted) Italian waiter also unnecessarily ripples the show’s otherwise sleek tone.
The dialogue, particularly between the two men, suggests the thrilling volley of a tennis match.
But Robert, as we are frequently reminded, is a squash enthusiast.
And, as with great infidelity dramas, that too is part of the spectacle.B+
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