In this absurdist, menacing comedy of horrors, Gus and Ben are two hitmen on the job, sitting and waiting for their target to arrive. Into this waiting silence rattles the dumb waiter with extraordinary demands for dishes they cannot supply: but who is operating the dumb waiter in an empty house? Who is their target? What will their fate be? Pinter’s characteristic blend of comedy with thrilling tension leaves the answers unclear until long after the play has finished.
Critically-acclaimed and beloved by generations of theatre-goers, such that actors ranging from Martin Freeman to David Thewlis and Jason Issacs have taken on one of the two main roles, The Dumb Waiter is a masterpiece in generating drama from the mere fact of existence. As Gus and Ben trade jokes, newspaper extracts and theories about who their mystery target could be, the tension only ratchets up as they await what the dumb waiter might bring.