The History of Production of the Works of Harold Pinter
A Slight Ache (1958)
Harold Pinter
Radio script
English
This short play focuses on a married couple, Flora and Edward, who invite a matchseller into their home. The matchseller is silent. Faced with this silence, Edward destroys himself while Flora gains strength, until finally Flora turns Edward out with the tray of matches. The midsummer's day which began with Edward having a 'slight ache' ends in his total disintegration. A Slight Ache was Pinter's first play written for radio; it was broadcast on the BBC Third Programme in 1959, and later televised (first by the BBC, 1967) and staged. The published text is one prepared for stage production.
Browse productions of A Slight Ache in the database
Date of Composition: 1958 - 1958
Linked Works
No Linked works have been added to this work record yet.
Linked Places
373 Chiswick Road, London (Type of place: Place of composition)
Pinter moved here with his wife and newborn son in 1958. They lived here until 1960.
Publishers
Methuen on (1961)
Characters
Edward (Age: Not specified, Male)
Flora (Age: Not specified, Female)
Matchseller (Age: Not specified, Male)
Resources
Full text on Drama Online (URL)
Type: Script
External Link: https://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/plays/a-slight-ache-iid-129729
Subscription required
Sources
Samuel French Website
http://www.samuelfrench.co.uk/p/11984/a-slight-ache
URL
The summary of the play is taken and adapted from Samuel French Publisher's website.
William Baker's A Harold Pinter Chronology
William Baker, A Harold Pinter Chronology (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013)
Academic book
Baker notes the date of composition as 28 April 1958: that is, the day Pinter sat down and re-wrote the rejected radio play Something in Common as A Slight Ache.