The Birthday Partyby Harold Pinter

Created by: Christian Rios

“My second play, The Birthday Party, I wrote in 1958 - or 1957. It was totally destroyed by the critics of the day, who called it an absolute load of rubbish.” - Harold Pinter

Who is Harold Pinter?His Life:• Born: Oct. 10, 1930

Hackney, East London, England

• Died: Dec. 25, 2008 West London, England

His Work:• playwright, screenwriter,

actor, theatre director, political activist and poet

• Was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature

What kind of man was he?“I don't give a damn what other people think. It's entirely their own business. I'm not writing for other people.” -interview, Dec. 1971

“The past is what you remember, imagine you remember, convince yourself you remember, or pretend you remember. “

“I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that God ever created on earth - certainly greater than sex, although sex isn't too bad either”

“This particular nurse said, Cancer cells are those which have forgotten how to die. I was so struck by this statement. “

Absurdist TheaterFrench Dramatic Movement• late 1940’s - 1960’s• Martin Esslin

Pinter "The Homecoming"

The Birthday Party

Meg & Stanley

Meg & Goldberg; Stanley ; Lulu & McCann;