The Homecoming

Harold Pinter’s 1965 play The Homecoming is considered the third and concluding hit of his prolific early period. That period also included the notable works The Birthday Party (1957) and The Caretaker (1959). The Homecoming is a two-act play that depicts the family conflict that ensues when a prodigal son returns to London from the US, bringing with him his new wife. It was first staged in the West End in 1965 before debuting on Broadway in 1967. There, it won four coveted Tony awards, including Best Play. Pinter himself would go on to have a long and decorated career, winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005. The Homecoming is an elusive, absurdist, work and a good introduction to Pinter’s extensive oeuvre. The edition referenced here is the 1967 Grove Press Evergreen edition; scene numbering in this guide refers to the divisions created by the “BLACKOUT” stage direction.

Please be advised that The Homecoming features derogatory terms for women and mentions of sexual and domestic violence as part of the play’s exploration of the intersection of violence and masculinity.

Plot Summary

Aged patriarch Max bickers with his second son, Lenny, in the living room of a North London house.