Cast for RSC 50th Revival of Pinter’s Homecoming

Premiered by the RSC in 1965, The Homecoming is directed by RSC associate David Farr, who also helmed the 50th anniversary production of Pinter’s The Birthday Party at the Lyric Hammersmith shortly before the playwright’s death.

The production will play in rep in the RSC’s Swan Theatre from 3 August (previews from 28 July) until 15 October 2011 as part of the RSC’s 50th birthday celebrations.

The Homecoming sees eldest brother Teddy return with wife Ruth to his North London home after six years in America. An unsettling show of one-upmanship develops as his father and brothers battle to impress her. Ruth finds herself increasingly comfortable in her new family, as savage psychological rivalry, fraught with sexual tension, escalates into a disturbing challenge to moral and social order.

Jonathan Slinger and Aislin McGuckin, who are currently playing Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Michael Boyd’s opening production in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, play Lenny and Ruth. Nicholas Woodeson and Justin Salinger, who both appeared in Farr’s 2008 production of The Birthday Party, play Max and Lenny. Completing the cast McAleer plays Sam and Ridell plays Joey.

Speaking about the upcoming production, director David Farr said today in a press statement: “To direct one of the first productions after (Harold Pinter’s) death is a great honour. To direct The Homecoming, which I think is possibly his greatest achievement, is a genuine thrill. It will be strange doing it without him.”

The production is designed by Jon Bausor with lighting by Jon Clark. The revival is being set in the 1960s – the period in which it was written and first performed by the RSC.