Frontmezzjunkies reports: Harold Pinter’s OLD TIMES comes to Soulpepper Theatre
SOULPEPPER THEATRE PRESENTS
OLD TIMES
Written by Harold Pinter
Directed by Peter Pasyk
Featuring Anita Majumdar, Christopher Morris, and Jenny Young
“There are some things one remembers even though they may never have happened, but as I recall them, so they take place.”
On stage August 6 to September 7
Toronto, ON – In August, Soulpepper Theatre invites us all to take in a simmering seductive theatrical masterpiece, presenting Harold Pinter’s OLD TIMES on stage August 6th through to September 7th. And this theatre junkie is super excited to see this play once again after experiencing it on Broadway back in 2015, produced by Roundabout Theatre Company and starring Clive Owen, Eve Best, and Kelly Reilly.
This three-character memory creation play that many consider one of Pinter’s most interesting and complex will be directed at Soulpepper by Peter Pasyk (Stratford’s Love’s Labour’s Lost) and featuring performers Anita Majumdar (YPT’s Boys with Cars), Christopher Morris (Human Cargo’s The Runner), and Jenny Young (Amazon’s “The Lake“).
Pinter’s OLD TIMES is a taut psychosexual thriller exploring memory, power, and desire. When Anna visits her old friend Kate and her husband Deeley after twenty years, conflicting recollections surface, blurring the line between past and present. As a battle for dominance unfolds, memory becomes a weapon, and reality becomes increasingly uncertain.
Minimalist and enigmatic, OLD TIMES invites the audience to question what is real, what is remembered, and what is imagined. A haunting masterpiece that speaks deeply to a time when truth is up for debate. Pinter states, “What goes on in my plays is realistic, but what I’m doing is not realism.” And that twisted logic sets the stage for some captivating theatre.
“OLD TIMES is one of the great classics of modern drama and an incredibly entertaining and rewarding play,” says Soulpepper Artistic Director Weyni Mengesha. “While challenging the audience to contemplate how reality is, in large part, perception, the play unravels like a twisting, sexy thriller. This production harkens back to Soulpepper’s roots, and in Peter’s hands, I know it is going to be a captivating and haunting experience for our audiences.”
OLD TIMES was first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in June 1971 at the Aldwych Theatre in London; the play premiered on Broadway later that year. Ranked among the 40 greatest plays ever written by The Independent, it has been described as one of Pinter’s “most haunting and unnerving pieces.” A deeply appealing playground for actors, the play has been performed by such greats as Julie Christie, Anthony Hopkins, Helen McCrory, Clive Owen, and Kristen Scott Thomas.
Peter Pasyk is an acclaimed theatre director who has worked with Canada’s leading theatre companies, including Stratford Festival, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Tarragon Theatre, Soulpepper, and Canadian Stage. In 2022, Peter directed an acclaimed production of Hamlet at the Stratford Festival. He has directed several world premieres, including Jordan Tannahill’s Late Company (Theatre Centre). Peter’s Dora-nominated productions include The Nether, Killer Joe, Dying City, When the World Was Green, and The Jones Boy. Most recently, Peter directed The Seafarer starring Paul Gross at Alberta Theatre Projects. Also a filmmaker, he co-wrote one of Poland’s highest-grossing feature films: “Planeta Singli (Planet Single)” and his award-winning short film, “The Understudy” (theunderstudyfilm.com) is currently playing film festivals around the world.
Joining Pasyk on the creative team are lighting designer Imogen Wilson (Crow’s Wights), sound designer Jacob Lin 林鴻恩 (Crow’s The Wrong Bashir), and set and costume designer Snezana Pesic (Crow’s Bad Roads). OLD TIMES is on stage August 6th to September 7th with performances Tuesday through Saturday at 8:00pm and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sundays at 2:00pm at Soulpepper’s Michael Young Theatre (50 Tank House Lane). Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit Soulpepper.ca
A Soulpepper Theatre Company Production
OLD TIMES
Written by Harold Pinter
Directed by Peter Pasyk
Featuring Anita Majumdar, Christopher Morris, and Jenny Young
Set & Costume Designer: Snezana Pesic
Lighting Designer: Imogen Wilson
Sound Designer: Jacob Lin
Stage Manager: Victoria Wang
Assistant Stage Manager: Katie Fitz-Gerald
WHEN: August 6th – September 7th at 8:00PM (Tuesday – Saturday). Weekend matinees and Wednesday matinees at 2:00PM
Preview Performances: August 6th – 13th, 8:00PM
Where: Michael Young Theatre at Soulpepper, 50 Tank House Lane
To purchase tickets: https://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/old-times
