John Sands has the type of upper-class English voice one could imagine reading bedtime stories to a small child and laughing over a good Scotch. Reading from a worn copy of Harold Pinter’s ‘Prose, Poetry and Politics’, he discusses the life and work of the late great wordsmith. Pinter was an intense man, resenting political violence and loving cricket, and the Nobel laureate personally tutored Sands in the performance of his words. With further direction from John Malkovich, Sands’ presence on stage is breathtaking. If you have any interest in Pinter, this is unmissable. “His plays capture a moment of subjective feeling, but the poetry came from himself.” That is what you get: a glimpse into the heart of a truly remarkable man.

Pleasance Courtyard, 5 – 21 Aug, 3.00pm (4.00pm), £7.50 – £15.00, fpp273.
tw rating 5/5
[tw]

Sections: by Taylor Wallace - ED2011 Theatre Reviews - tw rating 5/5 | Tags: John Malkovich, The Pleasance

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