Robert (Sam) with Emma (Dervla)
After Sam West returned to London after resigning as Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, I was delighted to discover that he was to star in a new West End revival of the Harold Pinter play called 'Betrayal'. The show itself is quite short at only 90 mins without an interval. The story consists of three characters, Jerry played by Toby Stephens, Emma played by Dervla Kerwin and Robert played by Sam West. It revolves around a secret love affair between Jerry and Robert's wife Emma. I thought it was very clever at the way Pinter chose to write the scenes in reverse. A very confusing concept until you see the very last scene which allows the whole story to fit together. It must of been quite challenging for the cast to play these characters with all the emotional scene complexity. I actually saw this production several times and noticed extra little things I had missed before. And what fascinates me the most about Pinter is his past. I read that he began his life in an area not too far from where I live now. It's utterly amazing that Pinter managed to achieve so much. I admire him for that. My heart goes out to Sam's character Robert. Sam portrays his inner grief perfectly. Sam has a talent for portraying misunderstood men. Poor bloke.
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