Midnight’s Enigmatic “Old Times” Features Strong Cast and Direction

Old Times
by Harold Pinter
Directed by Sarah Lynne Holt
The Midnight Company
July 11, 2024

Theatre comes in all types and styles, from light and entertaining to more intellectually challenging; from straightforward in story to more obscure. Harold Pinter’s Old Times is not one of those more obscure, challenging shows. It’s one of those plays you can write academic essays about, or debate interpretations of while still not being entirely sure what’s going on. It also doesn’t have much in the way of action, consisting mainly of conversation and reflection. This complex, fascinating, unsettling show is the latest production from The Midnight Company, currently being staged at The Chapel with deliberately paced, thoughtful direction, and a cast that is giving their all. 

Old Times is characterized as one of Pinter’s “memory plays”, and the concept of memory looms large, since much of the “action” is driven by recollection and reflection of things that supposedly happened twenty years before. As the play begins, married couple Kate (Colleen Backer) and Deeley (Joe Hanrahan) are recalling Kate’s old friend Anna (Kelly Howe), who is due to visit soon after an absence of many years, since Anna has apparently been living abroad. Much is said concerning the contrasting personalities of the two women–the more reserved, isolated Kate and the more outgoing, fun-loving Anna. Deeley claims to never have met Anna, but that claim is called into question later after Anna arrives. There’s a lot of talking and “remembering”–discussing various events such as Anna’s and Kate’s exploits attending various events in London, and Deeley’s first meeting and developing relationship with Kate. There are several recurring themes, and various events and situations are brought up repeatedly, and the tension among the three becomes more palpable and disturbing, leading to a somewhat ambiguous ending that can be interpreted a few different ways.

That’s about all I can say about the plot without spoiling, but I will say that this is an especially talky play, and it requires full attention to follow the recurring themes and try to figure out what exactly is going on. The characters are an enigma, and they aren’t easily likable. The story seems more to be an exploration of the various personalities and power balances in the relationships. It’s Pinter at his most obscure, and it could easily come across as detached and boring if not paced or performed well. Kudos for this production go to director Sarah Lynne Holt and the cast for deliberately measured, well thought-out staging and performances, with as much being communicated in the silences between words as in the lines themselves.

The three performers work together well, with a palpable awkwardness and tension that grows throughout the production, and well-defined portrayals of the characters.  Kate is perhaps the most enigmatic character, and Backer’s performance highlights a calculated aloofness and underlying reflectiveness. Howe, as the more talkative, outgoing Anna, imbues her characterization with a sense of insistent ingratiation, and Hanrahan’s Deeley has an air of self-aggrandizement and objectification. The three play off of one another with convincing chemistry, lending energy to the proceedings even when its degree of verbosity threatens to veer into the overly obtuse. 

The look and atmosphere of this production is augmented by a strong sense of aesthetic, with Chuck Winning’s simple but effective set and Kayla Dressman’s well-suited costume design help set the scene and mood well. There’s also excellent lighting from Tony Anselmo and a memorable use of music in between scenes. 

Overall, this might not be a show for all audiences, considering its enigmatic, talky nature, but as staged by The Midnight Company, Old Times provides much food for thought, with a well-measured tension and strong performances. It’s Pinter, so it’s going to be odd, but it’s odd in an intriguing way. It’s a short play, even with an intermission, but there’s a lot to be said here, and in the hands of a talented director and cast, it’s worth a look, a listen, and a whole lot of thought. 

The Midnight Company is presenting Old Times at The Chapel until July 27, 2024