Betrayal Media Release

Dominic Hill, the Citizens Theatre’s new Artistic Director, launches his inaugural Spring season with a bold new production of Harold Pinter’s BETRAYAL.  This will be Hill’s first production for the theatre since taking up post in October 2011. 

Harold Pinter’s semi-autobiographical play describes the complex web of lies and deceit that are spun over a seven year extra-marital affair. Emma is caught in a love triangle between her husband Robert and her lover Jerry, who is also her husband’s best friend. But who is betraying who? Often regarded as the most accessible of Pinter’s plays, it is as much an examination of the men’s friendship as the deterioration of the romantic relationships. 

The story of the affair between Emma and Jerry, who is her husband Robert’s close friend, is told in reverse; the first scene takes place once the affair has ended whilst the final scene occurs before the affair has begun. Published in 1978, Pinters’s usage of reverse chronology was particularly innovative at the time. 

The biographical context for the play was long attributed to Pinter’s affair with Lady Antonia Fraser during the 70s but in the mid 1990s, Pinter explained to his official authorised biographer Michael Billington that he actually based some details of the play on an earlier affair with BBC presenter Joan Bakewell.

Robert will be played by CAL MACANINCH, who was a regular Citizens Company actor from the late ‘80s and first appeared on the Citizens stage in the 1988 production of ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore. Other notable roles during this period include title roles in Oedipus Rex (1994) and Hamlet (1996) before his most recent appearance in Whistle in the Dark (2006). Recent theatre credits elsewhere include Wee Andy (Oran Mor), Peter Pan and The Bacchae (National Theatre of Scotland), and Under the Black Flag (Royal Shakespeare Company). Film credits include Dear Frankie but Cal is most recognised for his roles in Wild at Heart (ITV) and Holby Blue (BBC). 

The role of Emma will be played by NEVE MCINTOSH, who returns to the Citizens after her first appearance here in Don Juan (2008). Neve’s recent theatre credits include King Lear (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and The Lady from the Sea (Royal Exchange Theatre). TV credits include Lip Service, Case Histories, Bodies, Single Father and The Accused (BBC).   

HYWEL SIMONS will play Jerry. His recent theatre credits include The Passion of Port Talbot (National Theatre of Wales) and Red Bud (Royal Court Theatre). TV credits include Casualty 1907 and Little Britain (BBC), Heartbeat (Yorkshire Television) and as series regular Sgt. Craig Gilmore in The Bill (Thames). 

The production will also feature BARRIE HUNTER, who has previously appeared at the Citizens in Hamlet, No Mean City and Swing Hammer Swing. Recent theatre credits include Tutti Frutti (National Theatre of Scotland) and Mull Theatre’s tour of Laurel and Hardy, in which he played Oliver Hardy.

An original soundtrack has been composed by the BAFTA award-winning composer and sound designer, DAN JONES. His scores include The Life of Mammals (BBC), Charlie Brooker’s Dead Set (C4) and Fred West drama, Appropriate Adult (ITV). Other collaborators include Alpha (band) and Jarvis Cocker. His work for stage includes scores for Royal Shakespeare Company, Rambert Dance Company and Sound and Fury Theatre Company, of which he is founder and co-artistic director. 

Design is by COLIN RICHMOND whose recent work for theatre includes the National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Men Should Weep, Future Proof (Dundee Rep/Traverse), The Three Musketeers & the Princess of Spain (Traverse), The Firebird and Sweeney Todd for Dundee Rep. For the Citizens Theatre he designed Shadow of a Gunman.

50P TICKETS
To celebrate the arrival of new Artistic Director Dominic Hill and part of a series of recession-busting offers, the Citizens Theatre is celebrating it’s history with 100 seats at just 50p across 10 performances of Betrayal. On sale at 10am on Sat 25 Feb.

ENDS

For further information, press ticket, interview and picture requests please contact:
Cat McNaught, Marketing Manager, 0141 418 6233 / cat@citz.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

PRESS NIGHT: TUESDAY 6 MARCH, 7.30PM

1. DOMINIC HILL
Dominic Hill was appointed Artistic Director of the Citizens Theatre in 2011. Prior to this he was Artistic Director of the Traverse Theatre from 2007. He had previously worked at Dundee Rep where he was first Associate Director and then, from 2003, Joint Artistic Director. Highlights at the Traverse include his recent productions of The Three Musketeers and the Princess of Spain by Chris Hannan, The Goat or Who is Sylvia? by Edward Albee (for which he was nominated Best Director in the 2010 CATS Awards) and The Dark Things by Ursula Rani Sarma (winner of Best Play, Best Production and nominated for four other awards including Best Director in the 2010 CATS Awards). While at Dundee Rep, Dominic directed Peer Gynt in co-production with the National Theatre of Scotland which went on to win four awards in the 2008 CATS Awards including Best Director and Best Production. He also directed the multi-award winning revival of Scenes from an Execution by Howard Barker. Dominic recently directed Falstaff for Scottish Opera and The City Madam by Massinger for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has directed in theatres in London and throughout the UK.

2. HAROLD PINTER
Harold Pinter was born in London in 1930. He lived with Antonia Fraser from 1975 until his death on Christmas Eve 2008. He wrote 29 plays including The Birthday Party, The Caretaker, The Homecoming and Betrayal, 21 screenplays including The Servant, The Go-Between, The French Lieutenant’s Woman and Sleuth.  He directed 27 theatre productions, including James Joyce’s Exiles, David Mamet’s Oleanna, seven plays by Simon Gray and many of his own plays including his last, Celebration, paired with his first, The Room at The Almeida Theatre, London in the spring of 2000. In 2005 he received the Nobel Prize for Literature. Other awards include the Companion of Honour for services to Literature, the Legion D’Honneur, the Laurence Olivier Award and the Moliere D’Honneur for lifetime achievement. In 1999 he was made a Companion of Literature by the Royal Society of Literature. He received honorary degrees from seventeen universities. www.haroldpinter.org

3. BACKGROUND TO 50P TICKETS
The Citizens Theatre directorship of Giles Havergal, Phillip Prowse and Robert David McDonald were renowned in the 70s and 80s for their entrepreneurialism. However, their innovations and risk-taking not only include the famous choice of programme but in a whole series of experimentation including pricing and marketing. In the early 70s the theatre operated a tiered pricing structure, with tickets ranging from 40p to £1.10, but in 1976 a new 50p ticket price for all seats was introduced (25p for students and a free preview on the Thursday before the Friday opening). To put 50p in context, in 1976 the average weekly wage for a man was £70 and £45.30 for a woman. A loaf of bread was 19.2p and a pint of beer 32p.

LISTINGS

BETRAYAL
By Harold Pinter

Directed by Dominic Hill
Designed by Colin Richmond
Lighting Design by Colin Davey
Music by Dan Jones

Cast
Robert Cal Macaninch
Emma Neve McIntosh
Jerry Hywel Simons
Waiter Barrie Hunter

Main Theatre
Fri 2 – Sat 24 March, 7.30pm

Previews: Fri 2 & Sat 3 March, 7.30pm
Matinee: Sat 17 March, 2.30pm
Audio Described Performance: Wed 14 March, 7.30pm
Signed Performance: Wed 14 March, 7.30pm
Captioned Performance: Thu 15 March, 7.30pm

Director’s Notes – Thu 15 March, 5.30pm
With Artistic Director, Dominic Hill.
Ever wondered how a play is put on stage? This pre-show event offers fascinating insights into casting, rehearsal, design, lighting and costume.

Tickets
£12-£19 (concessions available)
Previews | £6
Cheap Tuesdays in partnership with The List | All tickets £10
50p Tickets | 10 tickets, 10 performances on sale at 10am Saturday 25 February.
NB – 50p Tickets must be bought in person at the theatre, cash only.

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