The Caretaker

This 1960 drama showcases Harold Pinter’s masterful sense of musicality, using each water droplet, footstep and offstage door slam to build suspense among flat owner Mick (Kareem Bandealy), his brother Aston (Anish Jethmalani) and Davies (William J. Norris), an unwitting tramp Aston invites off the streets to stay in their claustrophobic home. Writers’ production, directed by Ron OJ Parson, is a well-acted, beautifully designed, carefully paced oddity; without hitting a single false note, Parson manages to stage a capable production without creating the esoteric dread The Caretaker hinges upon. The staccato back-and-forth between head-game-playing Mick and his simple-minded target is here, but the sense of urgency isn’t.