Party Time (1991)

Harold Pinter

Play script

English

At an elegant cocktail party, a stylish bourgeoisie discusses country clubs and summer homes, while below in the streets a sinister military presence protects them from the unmentionable horrors of poverty, vulgarity, and squalor.

Date of Composition: 9 March 1991 - 1991

Linked Works

Party Time [tv script]

Linked Places

No Linked places have been added to this work record yet.

Publishers

Faber and Faber Ltd on (4 November 1991)

First edition, stage version.

Grove Press on (29 December 1993)

Appears in 'Party Time and the New World Order: Two Plays by Harold Pinter', American edition.

Characters

Terry (Age: Unknown, Male)

Dramatis personae indicates ' A man of forty'

Gavin (Age: fifties, Male)

Dusty (Age: twenties, Female)

Melissa (Age: Unknown, Female)

Dramatis personae indicates 'a woman of seventy'

Liz (Age: thirties, Female)

Charlotte (Age: thirties, Female)

Fred (Party Time) (Age: forties, Male)

Douglas (Age: Unknown, Male)

for characters 'of fifty' such as Douglas shall we select 'early fifties'?

Jimmy (Age: young, Male)

Resources

Full text on Drama Online (URL)

Type: Script

External Link: https://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/plays/party-time-iid-134607

Subscription required

G.D. White, Party Time, London: Routledge, 2016 (Paper-based)

Type: Academic book

External Link: https://www.routledge.com/Harold-Pinters-Party-Time/D/p/book/9781138677258

Sources

William Baker and John C. Ross's biographical history of Harold Pinter's work

William Baker and John C. Ross, Harold Pinter: A Bibliographical History (London: British Library; New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Press, 2005)

Bibliography

On p. 100 Baker and Ross provide the publication information for the play script.

William Baker's A Harold Pinter Chronology

William Baker, A Harold Pinter Chronology (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013)

Academic book

Baker notes the dates of composition in March 1991, from Pinter's diaries.

Amazon Media Website (US)

https://www.amazon.com/Party-Time-New-World-Order/dp/0802133525

URL

The day, month and year of publication for the Grove American edition (1993) retrieved from the vendor's website.

Harold Pinter Appointments Diary, 1991

The British Library Modern Manuscripts, The Harold Pinter Archive, Add MS 88880/12/024, no ff

Library archive

Entries for 9, 10 and 13/3 indicate Pinter had begun work on the play. In each instance, the title 'Normal Service' appears but is crossed out and followed by 'Party Time'. It is unclear at what point Pinter altered the title.

Grove Atlantic Website

http://www.groveatlantic.com/?title=Party+Time+and+The+New+World+Order

URL

The summary of the play and the month and year of publication for the American edition taken from publisher's website.