Pinter, whose silences are as dynamic as dialogue

Two hitmen will be waiting for the audience to arrive at the Globe Theatre tonight.

The Dumb Waiter by Harold Pinter is the suspenseful new Emily Duncan production about two hitmen who are waiting for a green light to carry out their next job.

"The great thing about The Dumb Waiter is that it will appeal to audiences familiar with the theatre and also those who have never set foot inside one.

"It is a 20th-century classic," Duncan says.

"The tension and comedy in the play works beautifully side by side.

"At one moment you're laughing and the next you're squirming in discomfort, or reeling from a hit that's just been delivered.

"It is accessible theatre, but there are also puzzles and twists to keep you hanging on."

Duncan says she has wanted to produce a Harold Pinter play for years.

"Pinter wrote on a variety of different topics and themes during his career, but one thing that threads them together are the complexities and believability of the characters.

"We see them grapple with dilemmas and the chaos they live in that is out of their control.

"There is explicit and psychological violence that erupts unexpectedly and the characters are left to pick up the pieces and regain some semblance of control.

"There is also great humour alongside this.

"His writing presents certain challenges that are extremely rewarding when conquered.

"In particular, he is famous for his pauses and silences.

"The key to them, I believe, is finding the meaning and movement behind those silences and pauses and communicating them," she says.

"The silences are in a sense as dynamic as the dialogue.

"We have spent as much time on the silences in rehearsal as we have the dialogue.

"In fact, I have become quite a tyrant when an actor forgets one or inserts one unnecessarily."

The play has influenced a generation of plays and films, such as In Bruges, she says.

"If you enjoyed that film, The Dumb Waiter will definitely appeal."

Andrew Morrison and Brian Kilkelly play the two hitmen, while Andrew Cook has designed the set.

• See it
The Dumb Waiter opens at 7.30 tonight at the Globe Theatre and runs until March 7.
Opening night special $8 for public and $6 for Globe members.
A 2pm matinee session will be performed this Sunday and March 7.