Party Time Written by Harold Pinter Gavin's flat. A large room. Sofas, armchairs, etc. People sitting, standing. A Waiter with a drinks tray. Two doors. One door, which is never used, is half open, ina dim light. Gavin and Terry stand in foreground. The others sit in half-light, drinking. Spasmodi party music throughout the play. Terry | tell you, it's got everything. Gavin Has it? Terry Oh, yes. Real class. Gavin Really? Terry Real class. | mean, what | mean to say, you play a game of tennis, you have a beautiful 282 swim, they've got a bar right there — Gavin Where? Terry By the pool. You can have a fruit juice on the spot, no extra charge, then they give you this fantastic hot towel —Gavin Terry Gavin Terry Gavin Terry Gavin Terry Gavin Terry Hot? Wonderful. And | mean hot. I'm not joking. Like the barber. Barber? In the barber shop. When | was a boy. Oh yes? Pause. What do you mean? They used to put a hot towel over your face, you see, over your nose and eyes. | had it done thousands of times. It got rid of all the blackheads, all the blackheads on your face. Blackheads? It burnt them out. The towels, you see, were as hot as you could stand. That's what the barber used to say: 'Hot enough for you, sir?’ It burnt all the blackheads out of your skin. Pause. | was born in the West Country, of course. So | could be talking only of West Country barber shops. But on the other hand |'m pretty sure that hot towels for blackheads were used in barber shops throughout the land in those days. Yes, | believe it was common practice in those days. Well, I'm sure it was. I'm sure it was. But no, these towels I'm talking about are big bathabout pure comfort, that's why I'm telling you, the place has got real class, it's got everything. Mind you, there's a waiting list as long as - | mean you've got to be proposed and seconded, and then they've got to check you out, they don't let any old spare bugger in there, why should they? Gavin Terry Gavin 284 Quite right. But of course it goes without saying that someone like yourself would be warmly welcome - as an honorary member. How kind. Dusty walks through the door and joins them. Dusty Terry Dusty Gavin Dusty Did you hear what's happened to Jimmy? What's happened to Jimmy? Nothing's happened. Nothing? Nobody is discussing this. Nobody's discussing it, sweetie. Do you follow me? Nothing's happened to Jimmy. And if you're not a good girl I'll spank you. What's going on? Terry Gavin oA a iecvadl ue moe oes 285 Tell him about the new club. I've just been telling him about the club. She's a member. What's it like?Dusty Terry Dusty Terry Dusty Terry Dusty Terry Dusty Terry Gavin Oh, it's beautiful. It's got everything. It's beautiful. The lighting's wonderful. Isn't it? Did you tell him about the alcoves? Well, there's a bar, you see, with glass alcoves, looking out to under the water. People swim at you, you see, while you're having a drink. Lovely girls. And men. Mostly girls. Did you tell him about the food? The cannelloni is brilliant. It's first class. The food is really first class. They even do chopped liver. You couldn't describe that as a local dish. Melissa comes through the door and joins them. Melissa What on earth's going on out there? It's Terry like the Black Death. What is? Melissa The town's dead. There's nobody on the streets, there's not a soul in sight, apart from some... soldiers. My driver had to stop at a... you know... what do you call it?... a roadblock. We had to say who we were... itreally was a trifle... Gavin Oh, there's just been a little... you know... 287 Terry Nothing in it. Can | introduce you? Gavin White - our host. Dame Melissa. Gavin So glad you could come. Terry What are you drinking? The Waiter approaches. Have a glass of wine. He hand's Melissa a glass. Dusty | keep hearing all these things. | don't know what to believe. Melissa (to Gavin) What a lovely party. Terry (to Dusty) What did you say? Dusty | said | don't know what to believe. Terry You don't have to believe anything. You just have to shut up and mind your own business, 288 how many times do | have to tell you? You come to a lovely party like this, all you have to do is shut up and enjoy the hospitality and mind your own fucking business. How many more times do | have to tell you? You keep hearing all these things. You keep hearing all these things spread by pricks about pricks. What's it got to do with you? Lights up on Liz and Charlotte, sitting on a sofa.Liz So beautiful. The mouth, really. And of course the eyes. Charlotte Yes. Liz Not to mention his hands. I'll tell you, | would have killed - Charlotte | could see — Liz But that bitch had her legs all over him. Charlotte | know. Liz | thought she was going to crush him to death. 289 Charlotte Unbelievable. Liz Her skirt was right up to her neck - did you see? Charlotte So barefaced - Liz Next minute she's lugging him up the stairs. Charlotte | saw. Liz But as he was going, do you know what he did? Charlotte What? Liz He looked at me. Charlotte Did he? Liz | swear it. As he was being lugged out helooked back, he looked back, | swear, at me, like a wounded deer, | shall never, as long as | live, forget it, | shall never forget that look. Charlotte How beautiful. Liz | could have cut her throat, that nymphomaniac slut. Charlotte Yes, but think what happened. Think of the wonderful side of it. Because for you it was love, it was falling in love. That's what it was, wasn't it? You fell in love. Liz | did. You're right. | fell in love. | am in love. | haven't slept all night, I'm in love. Charlotte How many times does that happen? That's the point. How often does it really happen? How often does anyone experience such a thing? Liz Yes, you're right. That's what happened to me. That is what has happened — to me. Charlotte That's why you're in such pain. Liz Yes, because that bigtitted tart - Charlotte Raped the man you love. Liz Yes she did. That's what she did. She raped my beloved. Lights up on Fred and Douglas, drinking. Fred We've got to make it work.Douglas What? Fred The country. Pause. Douglas You've brought the house down with that one, Fred. Fred But that's what matters. That's what matters. Doesn't it? Douglas Oh, it matters. It matters. | should say it matters. All this fucking-about has to stop. Fred You mean it? Douglas | mean it all right. Fred | admire people like you. Douglas So dol. Fred clenches his fist. Fred A bit of that. Douglas clenches his fist. Douglas A bit of that. Pause. Fred How's it going tonight? Douglas Like clockwork. Look. Let me tell you something. We want peace. We want peaceFred and we're going to get it. Quite right. Douglas We want peace and we're going to get it. Fred But we want that peace to be cast iron. No leaks. No draughts. Cast iron. Tight as a drum. That's the kind of peace we want and that's the kind of peace we're going to get. A cast-iron peace. He clenches his fist. Like this. You know, | really admire people like you. Douglas So dol. Lights up on Melissa, Dusty, Terry and Gavin. Melissa (to Dusty) How sweet of you to say so. Dusty But you do have a really wonderful figure. Terry Honestly. Doesn't she? I've known this lady for years. Haven't 1? How many years have | known you? Years. And she's always looked the same. Haven't you? She's always looked the same. Hasn't she? Gavin Has she? Dusty Always. Haven't you? Terry She has. Isn't that right? Melissa Oh, you're joking.Terry Not me. | never joke. Have you ever heard me crack a joke? Melissa No, if | still look all right, it's probably because I've just joined this new club - (To Gavin) Do you know it? Terry We were just telling him. We were just telling him all about it. Melissa Oh, were you? Gavin Just now, yes. Sounds delightful. You're a member, are you? Melissa Oh yes. | think it's saved my life. The swimming. Why don't you join? Do you play tennis? 25 Gavin |'m a golfer. | play golf. Melissa What else do you do? Gavin (smiling) | don't understand what you mean. Terry What else does he do? He doesn't do anything else. He plays golf. That's what he does. That's all he does. He plays golf. Gavin Well... | do sail. | do own a boat. Dusty | love boats. Terry What? Dusty | love boats. | love boating. Terry Boating. Did you hear that?Dusty | love cooking on boats. Terry The only thing she doesn't like on boats is being fucked on boats. That's what she doesn't like. Melissa That's funny. | thought everyone liked that. Silence. Dusty Does anyone know what's happened to my brother Jimmy? Terry | don't know what it is. Perhaps she's deaf or perhaps my voice isn't strong enough or distinct enough. What do you think, folks? Perhaps there's something faulty with my diction. I'm forced to float all these possibilities because | thought | had said that we don't discuss this question of what has happened to Jimmy, that it's not up for discussion, that it's not on anyone's agenda. | thought | had already made that point quite clearly. But perhaps my voice isn't strong enough or perhaps my articulation isn't good enough or perhaps she's deaf. Dusty It's on my agenda. Terry What did you say? Dusty | said it's on my agenda. Terry No no, you've got it wrong there, old darling. What you've got wrong there, old darling, what you've got totally wrong, is that you don't have any agenda. Got it? You have noagenda. Absolutely the opposite is the case. (To the others) |'m going to have to give her a real talking to when | get her home, | can see that. Gavin So odd, the number of men who can't control their wives. Terry What? Gavin (to Melissa) It's the root of so many ills, you know. Uncontrollable wives. Melissa Yes, | know what you mean. Terry What are you saying to me? Gavin (to Melissa) | went for a walk in the woods the other day. | had no idea how many squirrels were still left in this country. | find them such vivacious creatures, quite enchanting. Melissa | used to love them as a girl. Gavin Did you really? What about hawks? Melissa Oh | loved hawks too. And eagles. But certainly hawks. The kestrel. The way it flew, and hovered, over my valley. It made me cry. | still cry. The lights in the room dim. The light beyond the open door gradually intensifies. It burns into the room. The door light fades down. The room lights comeup on Douglas, Fred, Liz and Charlotte. Douglas Oh, have you met my wife? Fred (to Liz) How do you do? Liz This is Charlotte. Fred We've met before. Liz You've met before? Charlotte Oh yes. We've met. He gave me a leg up in life. Douglas Did you really? How exciting. Fred It was. Douglas Was it exciting for you too? To be given a leg up? Charlotte Mmmmunnn. Yes. Oh, yes. I'm still trembling. Douglas How exciting. Liz | think this is such a gorgeous party. Don't you? | mean I just think it's such a gorgeous party. Don't you? | think it's such fun. I love the fact that people are so well dressed. Casual but good. Do you know what | mean? Is it silly to say | feel proud? | mean to be part of the society of beautifully dressed people? Oh God | don't know, elegance, style, grace, taste, don't these words, these concepts, mean anything any more? I'm not alone, am I,Fred in thinking them incredibly important? Anyway | love everything that flows. | can't tell you how happy | feel. (to Charlotte) You married someone. I've forgotten who it was. Silence. Charlotte He died. Silence. Douglas If you're free this summer do come to our island. We take an island for the summer. Do come. There's more or less nobody there. Just a few local people who do us proud. Terribly civil. Everything works. | have my own generator. But the storms are wild, aren't they darling? If you like storms. Siroccos. Makes you feel alive. Truly alive. Makes the old pulse go rat-at-tat-tat. God it can be wild, can't it darling? Makes the old pulse go rat-at-tat-tat. Raises the ante. You know. Gets the blood up. Actually, when I'm out there on the island | feel ten years younger. | could take anyone on. Man, woman or child, what? He laughs. | could take a wild animal on. But then when the storm is over and night falls and the moon is out in all its glory and all you're left with is the rhythm of the sea, of the waves, you know what God intended for the human race, you know what paradise is. Lights up on Terry and Dusty, in a corner of the room.Terry Dusty Terry Dusty Terry Dusty Terry Dusty Terry Are you mad? Do you know what that man is? Yes, | think | know what that man is. You don't know what he is. You have no idea. You don't know what his position is. You have simply no idea. You simply have no idea. He has lovely manners. He seems to come from another world. A courteous, caring world. He'll send me flowers in the morning. No he bloody won't. Oh no he bloody won't. Poor darling, are you upset? Have | let you down? I've let you down. And I've always tried to be such a good wife. Such a good wife. They stare at each other. Perhaps you'll kill me when we get home? Do you think you will? Do you think you'll put an end to it? Do you think there is an end to it? What do you think? Do you think that if you put an end to me that would be the end of everything for everyone? Will everything and everyone die with me? Yes, you're all going to die together, you and all your lot. How are you going to do it? Tell me. Easy. We've got dozens of options. We could suffocate every single one of you at a given signal or we could shove a broomstick up each individual arse at another given signal or we could poison all the mother's milk in theworld so that every baby would drop dead before it opened its perverted bloody mouth. Dusty But will it be fun for me? Will it be fun? Terry You'll love it. But I'm not going to tell you which method we'll use. | just want you to have a lot of sexual anticipation. | want you to look forward to whatever the means employed with a lot of sexual anticipation. Dusty But you still love me? Terry Of course | love you. You're the mother of my children. Dusty Oh incidentally, what's happened to Jimmy? Lights up on Fred and Charlotte. Fred Such a long time. Charlotte Such a long time. Fred Isn't it? Charlotte Oh, yes. Ages. Fred You're looking as beautiful as ever. Charlotte So are you. Fred Me? Not me. Charlotte Oh, you are. Well, in a manner of speaking. Fred What do you mean, in a manner of speaking?304 Charlotte Oh, | meant you look as beautiful as ever. Fred But | never was beautiful. In any way. Charlotte No, that's true. You weren't. In any way at all. I've been talking shit. In a manner of speaking. Fred Your language was always deplorable. Charlotte Yes. Appalling. Fred Are you enjoying the party? Charlotte Best party I've been to in years. Pause. Fred You said your husband died. Charlotte My what? Fred Your husband. 305 Charlotte Oh my husband. Oh yes. That's right. He died. Fred Was it a long illness? Charlotte Short. Fred Ah. Pause. Quick then. Charlotte Quick, yes. Short and quick.Pause. Fred Better that way. Charlotte Really? Fred | would have thought. Charlotte Ah. | see. Yes. Pause. Better for who? Fred What? Charlotte You said it would be better. Better for who? Fred For you. Charlotte /aughs. Charlotte Yes! I'm glad you didn't say him. Fred Well, | could say him. A quick death must be better than a slow one. It stands to reason. Charlotte No it doesn't. Pause. Anyway, I'll bet it can be quick and slow at the same time. | bet it can. | bet death can be both things at the same time. Oh by the way, he wasn't ill. Pause. Fred You're still very beautiful.Charlotte | think there's something going on in the street. Fred What? Charlotte | think there's something going on in the street. Fred Leave the street to us. Charlotte Who's us? Fred Oh, just us... you know. She stares at him. Charlotte God, your looks! No, seriously. You're still so handsome! How do you do it? What's your diet? What's your regime? What is your regime by the way? What do you do to keep yourself so... | don't know... so... oh, | don't know... so trim, so fit? Fred | lead a clean life. Douglas and Liz join them. Charlotte (to Douglas) Do you too? Douglas Do! what? Charlotte Fred says he looks so fit and so... handsome... because he leads a clean life. What about you? Douglas _| lead an incredibly clean life. It doesn't make me handsome but it makes me happy.Liz And it makes me happy too. So happy. Douglas Even though I'm not handsome? Liz But you are. You are. Isn't he? He is. You are. Isn't he? Douglas puts his arm around her. Douglas When we were first married we lived in a two-roomed flat. | was — I'll be frank — | was a traveller, a commercial traveller, a salesman — it's true, that's what | was and | don't deny it — and travel | did. Didn't I? Travel | did. Because my little girl here had given birth to twins. He laughs. Can you believe it? Twins. | had to slave my guts out, | can tell you. But this girl here, this little girl here, do you know what she did? She looked after those twins all by herself! No maid, no help, nothing. She did it herself — all by herself. And when | got back from my travelling | would find the flat immaculate, the twins bathed and in bed, tucked up in bed, fast asleep, my wife looking beautiful and my dinner in the oven. Fred applauds. And that's why we're still together. He kisses Liz on the cheek. That's why we're still together. The lights in the room dim. The light beyond the open door gradually intensifies. It burns into the room.The door light fades down. The room lights come up on Terry, Dusty, Gavin, Melissa, Fred, Charlotte, Douglas and Liz. Terry The thing is, it is actually real value for money. Now this is a very, very unusual thing. It is an extremely unusual thing these days to find that you are getting real value for money. You take your hand out of your pocket and you put your money down and you know what you're getting. And what you're getting is absolutely gold-plated service. Gold-plated service in all departments. You've got real catering. You've got catering on all levels. You've not only got very good catering in itself — you know, food, that kind of thing — and napkins — you know, all that, wonderful, first rate — but you've also got artistic catering -you actually have an atmosphere - in this club - which is catering artistically for its clientele. I'm referring to the kind of light, the kind of paint, the kind of music, the club offers. I'm talking about a truly warm and harmonious environment. You won't find voices raised in our club. People don't do vulgar and sordid and offensive things. And if they do we kick them in the balls and chuck them down the stairs with no trouble at all. Melissa Can | subscribe to all that has just been said? Pause. | would like to subscribe to all that has just been said. | would like to add my voice. | have belonged to many tennis and swimming clubs. Many tennis and swimming clubs. Andat some of these clubs | first met some of my dearest friends. All of them are now dead. Every friend | ever had. Or ever met. Is dead. They are all of them dead. Every single one of them. | have absolutely not one left. None are left. Nothing is left. What was it all for? The tennis and the swimming clubs? What was it all for? What? Silence. But the clubs died too and rightly so. | mean there is a distinction to be made. My friends went the way of all flesh and | don't regret their passing. They weren't my friends anyway. | couldn't stand half of them. But the clubs! The clubs died, the swimming and the tennis clubs died because they were based on ideas which had no moral foundation, no moral foundation whatsoever. But our club, our club - is a club which is activated, which is inspired by a moral sense, a moral awareness, a set of moral values which is — | have to say — unshakeable, rigorous, fundamental, constant. Thank you. Applause. Gavin Yes, I'm terribly glad you've said all that. (To the others) Aren't you? Douglas First rate. Liz So moving. Terry Fantastic. Fred Right on the nail.Charlotte So true. Dusty Oh yes. She claps her hands. Oh yes. Douglas Absolutely first rate. Gavin Yes, it was first rate. And it desperately needed saying. And how splendid that it was said tonight, at such an enjoyable party, in such congenial company. | must say | speak as a very happy host. And by the way, I'll really have to join this wonderful club of yours, won't |? Terry You're elected forthwith. You're an honorary member. As of today. Laughter and applause. Gavin Thank you very much indeed. Now | believe ‘one or two of our guests encountered traffic problems on their way here tonight. | apologise for that, but | would like to assure you that all such problems and all related problems will be resolved very soon. Between ourselves, we've had a bit of a round-up this evening. This round-up is coming to an end. In fact normal services will be resumed shortly. That is, after all, our aim. Normal service. We, if you like, insist on it. We will insist on it. We do. That's all we ask, that the service this country provides will run on normal, secure and legitimate paths and that the ordinary citizen be allowed to pursue his labours and his leisure in peace. Thank you alllabours and his leisure in peace. Thank you all so much for coming here tonight. It's been really lovely to see you, quite smashing. The room lights go down. The light from the door intensifies, burning into the room. Everyone is still, in silhouette. ‘A man comes out of the light and stands in the doorway. He is thinly dressed. Jimmy Sometimes | hear things. Then it's quiet. | had a name. It was Jimmy. People called me Jimmy. That was my name. Sometimes | hear things. Then everything is quiet. When everything is quiet | hear my heart. 314 When the terrible noises come | don't hear anything. Don't hear don't breathe am blind. Then everything is quiet. | hear a heartbeat. It is probably not my heartbeat. It is probably someone else's heartbeat. What am |? Sometimes a door bangs, | hear voices, then it stops. Everything stops. It all stops. It all closes. It closes down. It shuts. It all shuts. It shuts down. It shuts. | see nothing at any time any more. | sit sucking the dark. It's what I have. The dark is in my mouth and | suck it. It's the only thing | have. It's mine. It's my own. I suck it. FracarS? limita 1001