It is 1965 in a house in North London lived in by a father, two of his three grown-up sons and his brother. This all-male household is a fractious one, their combative instincts unchecked without the ameliorating influence of a mother. But their long-established routines and rivalries are about to be dramatically disrupted by the unannounced arrival of the third son, who has been living in America and not been back for some years. He brings with him his wife, a woman the family did not know existed, and whose provocative presence will bring unexpected changes to all of their lives.
This is Harold Pinter’s disturbing exploration of toxic masculinity and sexual maneuvering, The Homecoming. The play’s portrait of misogyny, and even more disturbing, the apparent female complicity, was shocking at the time it was written. Nearly 60 years on the sexual politics is if anything even more difficult to watch. So what was Pinter’s purpose in presenting such a provocative piece, and how do we process it in the post Me-Too age?
As we record this episode a new production of The Homecoming is currently playing at the Young Vic theatre in London. I am delighted to be joined by the show’s director, Matthew Dunster, who can help us answer those questions about Pinter’s challenging classic.
We covered another Pinter play, Betrayal, in episode 6 of the podcast:
06 – Betrayal, by Harold Pinter.Â
