Jonathan Pryce made a triumphant return to Liverpool’s Everyman theatre, starring in Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker.
On the very stage where he began his career, Pryce gave a convincing and often comical performance as Welsh tramp Davies.
Temporarily taken in off the streets by the hoarder of clutter, Aston (Peter McDonald), the character started off appreciative of the goodwill gesture but soon had his feet firmly under the table and with a more permanent arrangement in mind.
And while Pryce may have been billed as the star of the show, his two co-stars also gave excellent performances.
The behaviour of Aston’s brother Mick (Tom Brooke) was almost as unpredictable as the storyline, switching from understanding to aggressive in a heartbeat.
Meanwhile the play’s mysterious characters and plot kept the audience guessing until the very end, as questions remained unanswered and it was never certain which of the trio had genuine intentions.
Top-class performances teamed with Pinter’s script won a standing ovation to roundoff the performance.
The Caretaker runs until October 31. To book, log on to www.everymanplayhouse.com
Champ verdict: 4/5
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