There is something deliciously unsettling about entering the world of Harold Pinter. Beneath the everyday conversation, the pauses and the seemingly innocuous remarks, something is always shifting. In The Homecoming, one of Pinter’s most celebrated plays, that sense of unease gradually gives way to a compelling struggle for power, with humour and menace frequently occupying the same space.
First performed in London in 1965, The Homecoming remains a remarkably sharp examination of family, masculinity, sexuality and belonging. Teddy, an academic who has been living in America, returns to his north London family home with his wife Ruth. Their arrival sets in motion a series of encounters in which the rules of the household are gradually exposed, challenged and ultimately rewritten.
Directed by Greg Carroll, who also designs the production, this is a confident and well-paced interpretation that understands the importance of allowing Pinter’s words room to breathe. The pauses are as important as the dialogue, while the seemingly casual exchanges are charged with an undercurrent of threat. Carroll resists the temptation to overplay the material, allowing the audience to discover the shifting dynamics for themselves.
Kate Kendall gives a compelling performance as Ruth. Initially appearing as the outsider entering an unfamiliar family environment, Kendall gradually reveals a woman far more complex and self-possessed than those around her might expect. There is a quiet authority to her performance, particularly as Ruth begins to exert an increasingly powerful influence over the household.
Richard Piper is equally effective as Max, the patriarch whose authority is repeatedly tested. Ben Geurens brings an appealingly slippery quality to Lenny, while Peter Houghton provides Teddy with an intriguing mixture of intellectual detachment and vulnerability. David Field is particularly good as Sam, finding the humanity beneath the character’s awkward position within the family, while Eddie Orton brings considerable physicality and humour to Joey.
The ensemble works particularly well together. Pinter’s characters are rarely what they first appear to be, and the cast captures the constant negotiation of status and control that sits beneath their exchanges. A laugh can quickly become uncomfortable, while a moment of apparent calm can carry considerable menace.
Carroll’s design places the action firmly within the claustrophobic world of the family home, complemented by Peter Amesbury’s lighting and Paul Norton’s soundscape. Costumes by Amelia Carroll and Margaret Goy further establish the period without drawing attention away from the drama.
More than six decades after its premiere, The Homecoming retains its ability to unsettle. Pinter does not provide easy explanations for his characters or their behaviour, and this production wisely avoids supplying them. Instead, it allows the ambiguities to remain, leaving the audience to wrestle with what has happened and, perhaps more importantly, what might happen next.
For Melbourne audiences, this The Homecoming is a welcome return to one of twentieth-century theatre’s most distinctive voices. Greg Carroll’s assured production, supported by a strong cast, finds plenty of dark humour and dramatic tension in Pinter’s elusive family drama. A provocative, often funny and quietly disturbing evening of theatre.
The Homecoming
Athenaeum Theatre 2, 188 Collins Street, Melbourne
Performance: Friday 18 September 2026
Season continues to 3 October 2026
Information and Bookings: www.homecomingplay.com.au
Images: Eddie Orton, Richard Piper, David Field, Peter Houghton, Kate Kendall and Ben Geurens in The Homecoming – photo by Ben Fon | Kate Kendall and Ben Geurens in The Homecoming – photo by Ben Fon | Richard Piper in The Homecoming – photo by Ben Fon | Eddie Orton and Kate Kendall in The Homecoming – photo by Ben Fon
Review: Rohan Shearn