Toward Greater Realism

Abstract

The title A Night Out would seem to herald a departure from the interiors of Pinter’s first five plays. With the benefit of hindsight, however, the departure probably derives from the medium for which he wrote the work, radio, which permits an easier flow through different locales than the stage does. When writing a play for the stage, in contrast to writing one for another theatrical medium (as he originally wrote A Slight Ache for radio), Pinter usually thinks in terms of a clearly delineated space. The chief exceptions are the lyric Silence, whose dramaturgy is unique in the Pinter canon, and the multi-scenic Betrayal, whose structure may derive partly from his cinema experience. Furthermore the intrinsic quality of A Night Out suggests an emphasis not on the last word of the title but on the first two. Departure is temporary.