Author: Harold Pinter (1930-) Britain dramatist, whose plays are approximated to the absurd theatre.
Title: `The Collection´.
Subtitle: A tragicomedy.
Publishing: `faber and faber´.
Year of publication: This play was wrote in 1961.
Place of publication: London, Britain.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
The characters are four:
Harry: He is friend of Bill, both live together. He does of mediator between the rest of the characters.
James: He knows the infidelity of her wife and he goes at Bill ´s home in order to talk to him about it.
Stella: She is James ´s wife and, also, a fashion designer, who meets to Bill in a hotel.
Bill: He is a fashion designer, who lives with Harry and meets to Stella in a hotel and he falls in love with her. He tells James about his relation with Stella in the hotel.
PLOT:
Harry and Bill live together. The phone rings and Harry answers the phone and the other person asks about Bill , who aren ´t staying at home at this moment. At the following day, Harry talks to Bill about the conversation and the telephone rings again. The person who rings doesn ´t tell them what ´s his name and appears in their home. He is James, who explains to Bill he knows the infidelity of her wife with Bill because Bill and James ´s wife are fashion designers and they met in a hotel.
SCENERY:
It is divided into a stage left, Harry ´s house, the living-room, the hall and the kitchen;
in the stage centre, there is a telephone box and in the stage right, James ´s flat.
TIME:
Now, that is, the present ( in sixties ).
CRITIC:
This is one of his plays which are the most influenced in the absurd theatre. `The Collection´ reflects, clearly, the situation of his country and his time.
PERSONAL OPINION:
In my opinion, this is a good story because reflects and odd situation, which becomes absurd but it ´s an entertaining play because it has provoked laughs in me and , also, there are a love story and intrigue along the play.
Ana Calatayud Moreno – Teatro Inglés de los siglos XIX y XX.
