The History of Production of the Works of Harold Pinter
The Room (1957)
Harold Pinter
Play script
English
In this, Pinter's first play, Rose and Bert rent a room that might almost be a paleolithic cave; the outside is terrifying and unknown. Rose never goes out, Bert only goes to drive his van with furious aggression. Their landlord is unable to define the house fully. A young couple call, and then a blind black man. Bert comes home, massive with triumph at smashing every car that challenged his van. Finding the stranger he kicks him to death and Rose goes blind.
Browse productions of The Room in the database
Date of Composition: January 1957 - February 1957 Confidence Level
Linked Works
No Linked works have been added to this work record yet.
Linked Places
129 Beaufort Street, Chelsea (Type of place: Place of inspiration)
129 Beaufort St, Chelsea, London SW3 6BS, England
At a party here in 1955, Pinter was invited to an upstairs flat, where he met Quentin Crisp. Crisp was happily chatting away and busy making eggs and bacon for a silent, burly gentleman. Pinter recounted later using the scene as the basis for the opening scene of The Room
Confidence LevelPublishers
Eyre Methuen on (1960)
Appears in 'The Birthday Party and Other Plays', 1st edition.
Samuel French Ltd on (1961)
British Acting edition.
Grove Press on (1999)
Appears in 'The Birthday Party and The Room', Book Club edition.
Grove Press on (1999)
Appears in 'The Birthday Party and The Room', 1st American edition.
Methuen on (1986)
Appears in 'The Room and The Dumb Waiter', 1st British edition.
Grove Press on (1999)
Appears in 'The Birthday Party and The Room', Standard Trade edition, revised version.
Grove Weidenfeld on (1968)
Appears in 'The Birthday Party and The Room, Grove Weidenfeld reprint.
Methuen on (1986)
Appears in 'The Room and The Dumb Waiter', 2nd British edition.
[2nd edition status TBC (CF)]
Methuen on (1986)
Appears in 'Plays: One', 1st edition.
Grove Press on (1999)
Appears in 'Complete Works: One', Black Cat edition.
Methuen on (1986)
Appears in 'Plays: One', Methuen expanded edition.
Grove Press on (1999)
Appears in 'Complete Works: One', Grove edition.
Faber and Faber Ltd on (2000)
Appears in 'The Room and The Dumb Waiter', Faber edition.
Faber and Faber [DO NOT USE (CF)] on (1991)
Appears in 'Plays: One', Faber 1st edition.
Faber and Faber Ltd on (2000)
Appears in 'Plays: One', Reissued Faber edition.
Grove Press on (1999)
Appears in 'Celebration and The Room', American edition.
Faber and Faber Ltd on (2000)
Appears in 'Celebration and The Room', British edition.
Methuen on (1967)
Characters
Bert Hudd (Age: 50, Male)
Rose (The Room) (Age: 60, Female)
Mr Kidd (Age: old, Male)
Described as 'an old man'
Mr Sands (Age: young, Male)
Described as part of 'a young couple'
Mrs Sands (Age: young, Female)
Described as part of 'a young couple'
Riley (Age: Not specified, Male)
Resources
Full text on Drama Online (URL)
Type: Script
External Link: https://www.dramaonlinelibrary.com/plays/the-room-iid-129723
Subscription required
Sources
Samuel French Website
http://www.samuelfrench.co.uk/p/11980/the-room
URL
The summary of the play is taken from Samuel French Publishers website.
Correspondence from Pinter to Henry Woolf
Add MS 89094/4, British Library Manuscripts
Library archive
In a letter dated probably 29 January (Pinter states it is a month to the end of February, and dates his letter on ‘Tuesday’) Pinter tells Woolf he has begun to write his play. We know that it took just a few days to write. This gives us some certainty over the composition dates.