A searing exploration of love, deceit and longing, Thursday’s Child Theatre presents Harold Pinter’s Betrayal at Chapel Off Chapel from 15 May 2025.
From the end of an illicit affair to its first forbidden spark, Betrayal examines its devastating impact with poetic precision, biting humour and profound emotional depth.
Based on the Nobel Prize winner’s seven-year affair with BBC presenter Joan Bakewell, the Olivier Award-winning play’s gripping depiction of infidelity is as intricate as a spy novel, full of double-crosses and shifting loyalties. With razor-sharp dialogue, biting humour and extraordinary emotional impact, Betrayal is Pinter at his passionate best.
Thursday’s Child collaborates with diverse creatives to bring bold, socially charged stories to life. The team were drawn to Betrayal, not only for its masterful storytelling, but for its striking relevance in contemporary Australia.
In a time where “trad wife” content has gained traction online – glamourising a nostalgic, idealised version of 1950s domesticity – Betrayal exposes the cracks beneath the fantasy’s surface, laying bare the enduring struggles of women seeking identity and autonomy in a society that often defines them by their relationships to men. Pinter’s words remain as urgent as ever: Who owns a woman’s time? Her choices? Her body?
Led by NIDA-trained director Rachel Baring (Slut by Patricia Cornelius, Too Ready Mirror), Betrayal features a powerhouse cast: Heath Ivey-Law (Australian Shakespeare Company, La Mama, Darebin Speakeasy), Michaela Bedel (Slut by Patricia Cornelius, Preacher, Complete Works Theatre), and Gabriel Partington (Malthouse, Attic Erratic).
Considered one of the most influential modern dramatists, Harold Pinter was a playwright, director, actor, poet and political activist. His acting and writing career spanned more than 50 years and in 2005 he won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
His legacy includes twenty-nine plays such as The Birthday Party, The Caretaker, The Homecoming, The Dumb Waiter, No Man’s Land, Moonlight, Ashes to Ashes, Party Time and Celebration; and twenty-four screenplays including The Servant, The Go-Between and The French Lieutenant’s Woman.
“One of those rare shows [you] seem destined to think about forever.” – The New York Times
Director: Rachel Baring | Featuring: Michaela Bedel, Heath Ivey-Law, Gabriel Partington | Set and Costume Design: Ella Firns | Lighting: Kris Chainney | Stage Management: Mikaela Innes, Lauren Kemp
Betrayal
The Loft – Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran
Season: 15 – 25 May 2025
Bookings: www.chapeloffchapel.com.au
For more information, visit: www.thursdayschildtheatre.com for details.
Image: Heath Ivey-Law, Michaela Bedel and Gabriel Partington to star in Betrayal – photo by Sarah Walker