Harold Pinter

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Harold Pinter Biography

Harold Pinter began his career as an actor, but he quickly turned his attention to writing and became one of the twentieth century’s most prolific and important playwrights. Pinter loved to play with words, and many of his works feature witty banter between characters interspersed with long pauses. Pinter did not originally want to be categorized as a political writer, but in the 1980s, his work took on a decidedly leftist tone. Pinter’s personal life was as stormy as that of many of his characters. He was married to actress Vivien Merchant for several years, and they had one son. He then embarked on several long affairs, which cost him his marriage and the love and respect of his son.

Facts and Trivia

  • Harold Pinter’s stage name as an actor was David Baron.
  • Pinter won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2005 and the Legion d’honneur in 2007.
  • Pinter was a huge cricket fan. He said, “One of my main obsessions in life is the game of cricket—I play and watch and read about it all the time.”
  • Pinter was vocal about his politics and was once thrown out of the U.S. embassy in Turkey.
  • Pinter publicly announced in 2005 that he was retiring from playwriting. Since then and his death in 2008, he wrote a screenplay, some short dramatic sketches, and a great deal of poetry.

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Harold Pinter, a luminary in modern theatre, emerged from humble beginnings in Hackney, London, where he was born on October 10, 1930. Known for his profound depictions of human emotion and conflict, Pinter's works are deeply influenced by his early experiences. His remarkable journey from a working-class environment to international acclaim is a testament to his enduring impact on the arts.

Early Life and Education

Pinter's upbringing in the working-class district of Hackney was shaped by his family's immigrant roots. His father, Hyman (or Jack), was a dedicated tailor specializing in women's clothing, while his mother, Frances, managed their household. The Pinter family, part of a Jewish immigrant wave from Poland and Odessa, carried a deep appreciation for culture and education. When World War II erupted in 1939, young Pinter was evacuated to a Cornwall castle, an experience that sparked recurring themes of solitude and loss in his writing. This formative period also exposed him to the harsh dynamics of isolated peer groups. Back in Hackney, Pinter's awareness of life's fragility deepened amid the war's relentless uncertainties.

Formative Years and Schooling

From 1944 to 1948, Pinter attended Hackney Downs Grammar School, where he found inspiration under the mentorship of English teacher Joe Brearley. Here, he honed his skills in writing and acting, contributing to the school magazine and participating in theatrical productions. He also became part of "The Boys," a group bound by intellectual curiosity and literary debates. Despite the group's occasional tussles over dominance and romantic interests, these friendships often endured into adulthood.

Choosing the Stage

After graduating, Pinter received a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art but soon grew disenchanted, leaving after two terms. In 1948, he faced conscription for national service and declared himself a conscientious objector, a stance that led to a trial. Although prison seemed imminent, a sympathetic magistrate fined him thirty pounds instead. Pinter resumed his acting education at the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1951 and spent the following years touring Ireland with Anew McMaster's theatre company. He also performed with Donald Wolfit's troupe in London. Adopting the stage name David Baron, Pinter continued acting in provincial theatres, where he met actress Vivian Merchant, marrying her in 1956.

First Steps as a Playwright

In May 1957, Henry Woolfe, one of the "Boys" from Hackney, challenged Pinter to write a play for a Bristol University production scheduled in six days. Rising to the occasion, Pinter penned The Room in just four afternoons. The play's success at the Sunday Times student drama festival caught the attention of critic Harold Hobson, who praised it highly.

Recognition and Growth

Harold Hobson’s endorsement brought Pinter to the attention of Michael Codron, a burgeoning producer in London, who showed interest in Pinter’s other works. Given The Birthday Party and The Dumb Waiter, Codron staged the former in April 1958, though it initially met with mixed reviews. Hobson, however, lauded the play as evidence of Pinter's "most original, disturbing, and arresting talent," though it couldn't prevent the play's early closure. The Dumb Waiter was later staged alongside The Room at the Hampstead Theatre Club in 1960.

Prolific Period

By the late 1950s, Pinter’s reputation as a playwright was on the rise. The BBC commissioned him to write a radio drama titled Something in Common, which remained unproduced. However, another commission resulted in A Slight Ache (1959), marking the first of many successful radio and television plays. Pinter also penned a series of comic sketches for popular revues. The 1960 play The Caretaker became his first major theatrical triumph, solidifying his status as a significant...

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voice in British drama. Over the next decade, Pinter continued to produce influential works, includingNight School, The Dwarfs, The Collection, The Lover, The Tea Party, and The Basement. He ventured into film, writing acclaimed screenplays for The Servant and The Pumpkin Eater.

International Acclaim

Pinter’s third full-length play, The Homecoming, debuted at the New Theatre in Cardiff in 1965 before moving to London's Aldwych Theatre under the Royal Shakespeare Company's banner. Its American premiere at Broadway's Music Box Theatre in 1967 cemented Pinter’s status as a renowned dramatist in the U.S., following its critical success.

A Legacy of Influence

Throughout the subsequent decades, from the 1960s to the 1990s, Pinter thrived in the theatre world as a playwright, director, and occasional actor. He continued to contribute to film by writing screenplays for The Last Tycoon, The French Lieutenant's Woman (an adaptation of John Fowles' novel), and Turtle Diary, in addition to adapting his own plays for film, including The Birthday Party, Betrayal, and The Homecoming.

Personal Life and Continued Impact

Pinter and Vivian Merchant had one son, Daniel, before divorcing in 1980. Later that year, Pinter married writer Lady Antonia Fraser. Over a career spanning five decades, Harold Pinter has remained one of the world's most esteemed and frequently performed playwrights, leaving a lasting legacy in the world of theatre and beyond.

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