Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Caretaker by Harold Pinter

    Uploaded by

    Ciobotaru Cosmina
    1 views38 pages

    Original Title

    Caretaker_by_Harold_Pinter

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    1 views38 pages

    Caretaker by Harold Pinter

    Uploaded by

    Ciobotaru Cosmina

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 38
    ‘The Caretaker was first presented by the Arts Theatre Club in association with Michael Codron and David Hill at the Arts Theatre, London, on 27 April 1960. ‘On 30 May 1960, the play was presented by Michael Codron and David Hall at the Duchess Theatre, London, with the following cast: MICK, a man in his late twenties Alan Bates ASTON, a man in his early thirties Donald ‘Woodthorpe DAVIES, an old man Donald Pleatence Directed by Donald MeWhinnic (On 2 March 1972, revival ofthe play was presented at the Mermaid Theatre, London, with the following cast: mick John Hurt aston Jeremy Kemp avis Leonard Rossiter Directed by Christopher Morahan ‘The play was produced at the Shaw Theatre, London, in January 1976 with the following cast: ick Simon Rouse aston Roger Loyd Pack avigs Fulton Mackay Directed by Kevin Billington It was produced at the National Theatre in November 1980 with the following cast: ick Jonathan Pryce aston Kenneth Cranham Davies Warren Mitchell Directed by Kenneth Ives ‘The action of the play takes place in a house in west London Act A nightin winter ACT It A few seconds later ‘Act 111A fortnight later A room. A window inthe back wall, he bottom half covered by a sack. An iron bad along the left wall. Above it a small cupboard, ‘aint bucket, bores containing mats, screws, exe. More boxes, ‘ues by the side ofthe bed. A door, upright. To the right ofthe swindot, a mowed: a itchn snk @sepladder, a coal bucket, sen-morzer, a shopping trolley, boxes, sideboard draners. Under ‘this mound an iron bed. In front of i gas stove. On the gas ttove 4 statue of Buddha. Down right, a fireplace. Around it a couple of ssitcaes, «rolled carpet, a blow-lamp, a wooden chair on its side, boxes, a monber of ornaments, a clothes horse, a few short lan of ood, a small elec fre anda wry ld electric totter. ‘Below this a ile of od mewxpapers. Under ASTON's bed by the lef wall, is an electrolur, which is mot sen wl wed. A bucket hangs from the ceiling. Act One [MICK is alone inthe room, siting on the bad. He ears a leather jacket. ‘Side. ‘He soa looks about the room looking at each object in tam. “Helooks up atthe ceiling, and stares atthe bucket. Ceasng, he sts ie sil, expressionless, looking out fron. ‘Silence for thiry seconds. A door bangs. Mafled voices are heard. MICK turns hit head. He sands, moves silently tothe door, ‘goes out, and clos the door guity. Silence Voices are heard again. They draw nearer, and stop. The door opent. ASTON and DAVIES enter, ASTON fist, DAVIES {Jollowng,shambling, breathing hecely. ASTON wears an old ted overcoat, and under ita thin shabby dark pinstripe suit single breasted, wich a pullover and faded ‘shirt ed te, DAVIES wears a worn brown overcoat, shapelest ‘routers, a waitcoat ost, no shirt, and sandals. ASTON puts the ‘ey in is pocket and closes the door. Dav18 looks about the rom. ASTON. Sit down. Davies. Thanks, (Looking abou) Vuh... ASTON, Justa minute. ‘ASTON loks around fora chair, ses one lying omits ide by the rolled carpet atthe freplace, and starts 10 get it ut Davins. Sit down? Huh . .. I haven't had a good sit down... [haven't had « proper sit down . . well, T coulda’ tell you... 6 [THE CARETAKER ASTON (placing the chat), Here you are. DAVIES. Ten minutes off for a tea-break in the middle of the ‘ight in that place and T coulda find a seat, not one. All them Greets had it, Poles, Greeks, lack, the lot of them, all chem aliens had it. And they had me working there... they had me working... ASTON sits om the Bed, thes outa tabacco tin and papers, cand begins to roll himself a cigarette, DAVIES watches him. ‘Allthem Blacks had i, Blacks, Geeks, Pols, the lo of them, that’s what, doing me out of a seat, treating me like drt, ‘When be come at me tonight I told him. Powe, ASTON, Take a set. DAVIES. Yes, but what I got todo fist, you see, what I got ro do, 1 got to loosen myself up, you see what T mean? I could ‘have got done in down there. DAVIES exclaims loudly, punches dowmvard with cowed ‘fist tars is back 10 ASTON and stares atthe wall, ‘Pause, ASTON lights a cigarette. aston, You want to roll yourself one ofthese? DAVIES (curing). What? No, no, I never smoke a cigarette. (Pause, He comes forard.) tell you what, though. PU have bit of that tobacco there for my pipe if you like. ‘370 (hang hin thes) Yes. Go 0, Take some ot of DAVIES. That's kind of you, mister, Just enough to fl my pipe, tha’ al. (HY takes a pipe frm his pocket and flit.) 1 had tiny only .. only a while ago. But it was knocked off It was knocked off on the Great West Road. (He holds out the sin). Where shall I put it? aston. Pll ake it. DAVIES (handing the tin). When he come at me tonight I told ‘him, Dida't 1? You heard me tell him, didn't you? Act ONE 7 ASTON. [saw him have a go at you. DAVIES. Go at me? You woulda’t grumble. The filthy skate, ‘an old man ike me, P've had dinner with the best. Pause. ASTON. Yes, I saw him have a goat you. DAVIES. A them toe-rags, mate, got the manners of pigs. I ‘might have been on the road afew years but you can take it from me I'm clean. I keep myself up. That's why I left my wife. Fortnight aftr I maried her, no, not so much as that, ‘no more than 2 week, I took the lid off a saucepan, you ‘know what was in it? A pile of her undercothing, unwashed. ‘The pan for vegetables, it was. The vegetable pan. That's when I eft her and I havent seen her since. DAVIES turns, shambles across the room, comes face 1 face swith a tatu of Buddha sanding on the gas stove, looks ait ‘and tnt. TPve eaten my dinner off the best of plates. But I'm not young any more. I remember the days I was as bandy as any of them. They dida'r take any Liberties with me. But I ‘haven't been so well ately. I've ad a few attacks. Paws, (Coming closer.) Did you see what happened with that one? ASTON. Tonly got the end of i. ‘DAVIES. Comes up to axe, parks # bucket of rubbish st me tells me to take tout the back It's nt my job to take out the bucket! They got a boy there for taking out the bucket. I wasn't engaged to take out buckets. My job's cleaning the for, clearing up the tables, doing a bit of washing-up, nothing to do with taking out buckets! astox. Uh, He eres down right 0 get the electric toaster. Davins (following). Yes, wel say Thad! Even iT had! Even if 1 was supposed to take out the bucket, who was this git to 8 ‘THE CARETAKER come up and give me orders? We got the same standing. He's not my bos, Hes nothing superior to me. stow. What was bey « Geek? DAVIES. Not him, be was Seotch, He was a Scotchman, (ASTON goa back 0s Bed withthe toaster and sara 19 seueree the phi. DAVIBS follows hin. You got an eye of hi, did you? astox. Yeu DAVIES. I tod him what do with his bucket. Dida’ 1? You ‘beard, Look here, sid Pm an oldman, Isai, where Iwas ‘brought up we had some idea how to tal o old people with the proper respect, we was brought up with the right des, HFT had « few yea off me Td. . Pd break you in hal ‘That was after the gurmor give me the bullet. Making 10 ‘much commotion, he says. Commotion, me! Look here, 1 said to him, I got my rights T told him that. X might have been on the road but nobody's go more right than T have. Lee's have abit of fir play std. Anyy, be give me the bullet. (Hess inthe cha). Thats the sot of place. Pause, 1 you hada't come out and stopped that Scotch git Pd be inside the hospital now. Pd have cracked my head on that pavement i'd have landed. 1 get him. One night get him. Whea Ind myself round that direction. {ASTON crone 10 the plag box to get another pg. 1 woulda't mind so much but Ilefall my belongings in that poe inthe back oom there. All of them the lt there was, you se, in this bag. Every our baste bt of all my bleed- ing beloagings Tet down thre now. In the rash oft bet tse’ having a poke around in it now this very moment. -AsTow. TU pop down sometime and pick them up for you. ASTON got Back to hit Bd and starts ofthe lag on the DAvUs. Anyway, I'm obliged to you, leting me... letting Act one ° sme have a bit of «ref ke... for 4 few minutes. (He deok about) This your rom? aston. Yeu DDAviRS. You go a good bt of sul here. AstoN. Yes. Davies. Must be worth a few bob, this... put it all to- ether. Pawe, ‘There's enough of it ASTON. There's a good bit of tall right. DavtEs. You sleep here, do you? ASTON. Yes. Davies. What, in that? ASTON. Yes. DAVIES. Yes, well, you'd be well out ofthe draught there. ‘ASTON. You don't get much wind. DAVIES. You'd be well out of it. I's different when you're ‘ipping out. Aston. Would be, DAVIES. Nothing but wind then. Pause, ASTON. Yes, when the wind gets up it... Pause, aviss. Yes. astox. Mman. Powe. Davins. Gets very draught. asTOw. Ab. Davias. I'm very sensitive to it ASTON. Are you? avans. Always have been. Powe. ‘You got any more rooms thea, have you? to ‘THE CARETAKER Atton. Where? Davins. T mean, lng the landing bere... up the landing there ASTON. Theyre out of commision, DAVIES. Getaway. ASTON. They ned alot of ding to ‘Stich passe. Davis. What sbout downstairs? ASTON. Thats closed up. Needs secing to... . The Powe, Davins. Twas lucky you come iato that cfl.T might have ‘been don by that Sch gi been left for dead more than Powe, 1 noticed that there was someone was living in the house ert dot. stow. What? DAVIES. (gesturing) T noticed. stow. Yes. There's people living al along the road Davias. Yes T noticed the curais pulled down there next door s we came song ASTON. They're neighbours. Powe, avias. This your house then, if Powe, aston. Pim in charge. Davis. You the landlord, ae you? He puta pipe in Bis mouth and pfs without gh i ‘Yes, T noice them beavy curtains plled across next door ACT ONE " ss we came along. I noticed them heavy big curtains right cross the window down there. I thought there must be someone living there. ASTON. Family of Indian live there, Davies. Blacks? ‘ASTON. I don’t see much of them. DAVIES. Blacks, eh? (DAVIES stands and moves abou.) Well ‘you've got some knick-knacks here allright, YU say that. I ‘don't Like a bare room. (ASTON joins DAVIES upstage contre). TM tell you what, mate, you haven't got a spare pair of shoes? ASTON. Shoes? ASTON mover doonstage right. DAVIES. Them bastards a the monastery let me down agin. ASTON. (going to his be) Where? DaviES. Down in Luton, Monastery down at Luton... 1 ‘ota mate at Shepherd's Bush, you se.» ASTON (looking ners bed), Tight have a pi. Davias. T got this mate at Shepherd's Bush, Ia the oon- ‘eneace. Wel was in the convenience. Run about the ‘est convenience they had. (He watches ASTON.) Ru about the best one. Always slipped me abit of soap, any time T ‘wea in thee. Very god soap. Tey have to have the best soap. T was never without a piece of soap, whenever T happened to be knocking about the Shepherd's Bush ASTON (emerging from under the bed with shoe) Pai of brown. DAVIES. He's gone now. Went. He was the one who put me on to this monastery. Just the other side of Luton, He'd heard they give avay shoes. Aston. You've got to have a good pair of shoes DAVIES. Shoes? Ie life and death to me. Thad to go all the ‘way to Luton in these n THE CARETAKER ‘ASTON, What happened when you got there, then? Paws, DAVIES. I used to know a bootmaker in Acton, He was a good ate to me. Pause. ‘You know what that bastard monk said to me? Paws. ‘How many more Blacks you got around bere then? ASTON. What? Davies. You got any more Blacks around here? ASTON (folding out the shoe). See if these are any good. Davies. You know what that bastard monk said to me? (He looks over tothe shoes.) I think those'd bea bit smal. ASTON. Would they? Davras. No, don't look the right size. ASTON. Not bad trim. DAVIES. Can't wear shoes that don't fit. Nothing worse. Isaid to this monk, hee, I said, look here, mister, he opened the oor, big, door, be opened it, look here, mister, T said, T ‘come all the way down here, look, I sid, I showed him these, 1 said, you havea’t gota pai of shoes, have you, a pair of ‘hoes, I said, enough to keep me on my way. Look at these, they're nearly out, Tsai, they're no good to me. Theard you {got a stock of shoes here. Pst off, he said to me. Now look ‘bere, [said Pm an old man, you can't tak to me like tha, 1 don't care who you are. If you don’t piss off, he says, lL Ikck you all the way tothe gate. Now look here, said, now ‘wait a minute, ll Pm asking for is a pair of shoes, you doa't ‘want to start taking liberties with me, i's taken me three days to get here, I said to him, three days without a bite, Tm worth a bite to eat, en I? Get out round the coener 10 the kitchen, he says, get out round the corner, and when you've bad your meal, piss off out ot. I went round to this ‘itchen, see? Meal they give me! A bird Ttll you, a Bite Act ONE B ‘ied, «lite tiny bird, he could have ste it in under two ‘nutes. Right, they sid t me, you've had your meal, get (off out oft. Meal? T sid, what do you think I am, « dog? ‘Nothiog better than a dog. What do you think Tam, a wild ‘simal? What about them shoes I come all the way here to ‘gt I heard you was giving away? Ive a good mind to report Youto your moter superior. One of them, an Irish ooliga2, ‘come at me. I cleared out. took a short cut to Watford and picked up « pair there. Got onto the North Ciculr, just past Hendon, te sle come of right where Iwas walking. Lacty Thad my old ones wrapped up sill carrying them, ‘otherwise I'd have been finshed, man. So I've had to sty with these, you see, theyre gone, theyre no good all the ‘ood's gone ou of them. aston. Try these DAVIES takes the thoes ake off is onda nd re them avis. Not a bed pair of shoes. (He erudges rund the room) "They'e strong, allright. Yes. Not a bad shape of shoe. ‘This leather’ hardy, en't? Very hardy, Some bloke tried to flog me some suede the other day. T wouldn't wear them. Can't beat leather, for wear. Suede goes off, it creases, it ‘stains for life in five minutes. You can't beat leather. Yes. Good shoe this. Astox. Good. DAVIES maggles his fet avuss. Doo't fr though. ASTON. Oh? aviss. No. I got a very broad foot. asTox. Mma. DAVIES. These are too pointed, you see. ASTON. Ab. DAVIES. They'd cipple me in a week. I mean these ones I got “4 ‘THE CARETAKER 0, they're no good but at least they're comfortable. Not ‘mich cop, but mean they don’t hurt. (He takes them off and gives them back). Thanks anyway, mister. ASTON. P'l see what I can lok out for you. DAVIES. Good luck. Tean't goon like this. Can't get from one place to another. And I'll have to be moving about, you see, ‘uy to get Ged wp. ‘aston. Where you going to 50? Davies. Ob, I got one or two things in mind. I'm waiting for the weather to break. Powe. ‘ASTON (attending 0 the toaster), Would . . . would you lke tw sleep here? avies. Here? ‘aston. You can seep here if you like. DAVias. Here? Ob, I doa't know about that. Pause. How long for? ASTON. Till you ... get yourself fixed up. DAvrES (siting) AY well that... ‘ASTON. Get yourself sorted out. - Davis. Ob, Tl be fixed up.» prety soon now... Pawe, ‘Where would I sleep? ASTON, Here. The other rooms would... would be no ‘good to you. DAVIES (rising ooking about). Here? Where? ASTON (rising, pointing upstage righ). There's a bed behind all that, DAVES. Ob, I see. Wel tha’s handy. Well, thats... I tell you what, T might do tha... . just til I get myself sorted ‘ut, You got enough furniore here. ASTON. I picked it up. Just keeping it here forthe time being. "Thought it might come in handy. Act ONE 15 DAVIES. This ga tove work, do it? aston. No. DAVIES. What do you do for a cup of tea? bit rough. (DAVIES obervr the planks.) You ? something? ‘ASTON. I might build a shed out the back. DAVIES. Carpenter, ch? (He unt 10 the eemmower.) Got a lawn, ASTON. Have a Took -asTON lifts the sack atthe window. They lok out DAVIES. Looks abit thick. ASTON, Overgrown. avias. What's that, a pond? ASTON. Yes. DAVES. What you go, fish? ASTON. No. There isn’t anything in there. Paws, avits. Where you going to put your shed? [ASTON (turing), 1 have to clear the garden fst, avris. You'd need a tractor, man. stow. I'l get it done. avigs, Carpentry, ch? ASTON (standing sil) Tike... working with my hands, DAVLES picks up the statue of Budiha. DAVIES. What’ thie? ASTON (taking and sudying if), That's a Buddha, avigs. Get on. aston. Yes. I quite lke it. Picked it up in a... in a shop. ‘Looked quite nice to me. Don't know why. What do you think of these Buddbas? DAVIES. Ob, they're «they're allright, ent they? 6 ‘THE CARETAKER ‘aston. Yeo Iwas plesed when I got hld ofthis oo es ‘very wel made, DAVIES trond par under he ik Davtns. This the bed bere sie? [ASTON (moving 19 the Bd) Well get id of al that. The adder under he bed. (Thy pt the ade inde the bd) DavrasGndting the sink), Wht about thi? ‘STON. [think thal ander here a well Davies. Pl give you a hand. (They fic) K's a ton weight, eat? astow. Under bee. DDAVIRS, Thin wea al, then? Aston. No, I'l be geting rd of it. Here. They plac the ik wr the bd “There a lavatory down the landing 1's goa sink there. We ean put hs su over there. They bein to move the col buck, ppg rely, aon rocer and cba drer othe right wall. ‘Davies (appr) You don't share it, o you? stow. What? Davies. I mean you dont sare the toilet with them Blacks,

    You might also like