Add MS 89094/2

Eighteen communications from Pinter to Woolf. Most letters are dated by no more than the day of the week.

• 1. Sat. 22 [September 1951]. Anew McMaster Comp., c/o Post Office, Skibereen, County Cork. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (6 sheets). Beginning 'The only disaster so far', the letter reads as if it was Pinter's first letter to Woolf following his employment with McMaster (Pinter was engaged in August 1951 - see Billington, p. 36). The calendar for 1951 suggests a plausible Saturday date. 'McMaster's Othello is awesome. He's a most impressive actor, and a simple kind person.' Probable first reference to Pauline Flanagan: 'The company's fine - nice people. One girl especially - we have a close relationship - very fond. She's a grand person.'
• 2.Tipperary, Thur. [?1952]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (7 sheets, incomplete). 'I'm making me name here. Am accounted a good actor. I play the leads in "Lady Windemere" & in that shitbox, the "Ideal Husband". Also Bassanio ....'
• 3. Thurles, Tuesday [summer 1952?]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (7 sheets). 'I had a rather splendid & stimulating first night as Iago [...] Acting is all a matter of timing, of a coincidence between internal impulse & external execution.' Pinter refers to getting 'the [cricket] scores, to being 'back in a month' and being able to watching some cricket, indicating a summer date for the letter. Has received a letter from [Barry] Foster (who will soon join Pinter in McMaster's company - see Billington, p. 38).
• 4. [From Ireland, autumn 1952?] Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (7 sheets, incomplete, pp. 8-13 plus un-numbered sheet with poem). The poem, written 'in Dublin' and refers to Pinter's Hackney friends, begins: 'I touch the sight of continent, / And see the call of Henry start'. Yesterday Pinter and Pauline were taken to the hills around Tipperary - mentions 'Autumn browns', suggesting the season when letter written. Also refers to performing in The Taming of the Shrew: 'I put in a bit of bawdy business as Hortensio the other night, & six people crossed themselves in the front row.'
• 5. Kenmare, Co. Kerry. Monday [autumn 1952?]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (10 sheets). 'Since my return I've been working like a horse. We've put on Oedipus, The Importance, & Priestley's Inspector Calls, & this week Macbeth.' Refers to 'Barry' [Foster], which detail, together with the plays performed, suggest the letter was written in 1952.
• 6. Cork, Wed., 5 November 1952 (postmark). Pinter to Woolf. Autograph lettercard.
• 7. King's Theatre, Hammersmith. Wed., 13 May 1953 (postmark). Pinter to Woolf (at Mardon Hall, Exeter). Autograph lettercard. 'Pauline [Flanagan] and I are getting married as soon as is possible [...] I'm leaving for Ireland immediately the season ends.'
• 8. Ireland, Pay-day. [May 1953]. Pinter to Woolf (in Exeter). Autograph letter (6 sheets). 'You know, on my return to London in three weeks time, I am leaving home, & taking a room.' (Letter date confirmed by Woolf's location and by Pinter asking if he had received his lettercard, i.e. Pinter's previous communication from Hammersmith.)
• 9. Dundalk, County Louth. Sat 18 [July 1953]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (6 sheets). Decision on marriage deferred until the end of the year, but deeply in love. Remainder of letter refers to England v Australia (facilitating letter dating): 'Rain has been a curse this season. I hope to Christ it holds off at Leeds.'
• 10. Seatown, Dundalk. [August 1953]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (1 sheet). Brief letter referring to an enclosure 'on which you will, no doubt, comment' - enclosure not present. Ends by asking if Woolf will be at the Oval (i.e. 5th Test, England v Australia, 15-19 August 1953).
• 11. Skibereen, Wed., 19 August 1953 (postmark). Pinter to Woolf. Autograph lettercard. Refers to 5th Test (England won by 8 wickets, winning the Ashes for the first time in 19 years): 'If you were there at all, write me about it. "We want Len" was too much. Who better, besides Him, than Edrich & Comp[ton] to finish it?' ('We want Len' was a spontaneous call for Hutton from the spectators on England winning the Ashes.)
• 12. Waterford, Thursday [?September 1953]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (9 sheets). Discusses Woolf's (and Pinter's) relationship with 'Barbara'. (Barbara is referred to in Chapter Nine, 'Dumped', of 'Barcelona is in Trouble', Add MS 89094/7). The letter includes reference to Woolf's plans, after National service, to attend the University of London: 'Moishe mentioned college. What does that mean?' (p. 12). Next week, Pinter will be in Cashel, County Tipperary.
• 13. Cashel, Thursday [?September 1953]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (15 sheets, of differing sizes, the final sheet of which is much larger than the others). Further discussion of Barbara. Refers to Henry going to 'College'. The irregular pagination of the final 5 sheets is: pp. 20/22, 23/21, 24/29, 25/27, 26/28.
• 14. Listowel, County Kerry, Friday [September 1953]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (6 sheets). Refers to Woolf's intended studies: 'Will you be taking Laughing and Grief this year, with a lecture on Mystery every second day of the month?' Letter can be dated by the reference to England winning the Ashes by taking the 5th Test ('England, then, won'), and by a second cricket reference: 'I should have liked dearly to have witnessed [Hutton's] 241 at Scarborough' (Hutton scored 241 in Gentlemen v Players at Scarborough, 5-8 September 1953). Pinter will be in Cork for the next two weeks.
• 15. Galway, Sat Oct. [1953]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (7 sheets). 'Last week I played Iago in the city of Galway & got a good notice. In a fortnight we play at the Opera House, Cork. My Iago becomes more & more interesting.'
• 16. Carlow, County Carlow, Nov. 8 [1953]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (6 sheets). Pinter announces that he and Pauline are not to marry after all ('Pauline might go to America, to her sisters'). 'I love Ireland, & my time here. I think you would too, Woolf. In the work itself, two uncommon & stimulating experiences. Edgar in King Lear. And the production of that brilliant play, "Rope". And Mr McMaster always.'
• 17. Westport, County Mayo. [November 1953]. Pinter to Woolf. Autograph letter (5 sheets, incomplete: only pp. [1]/2, 3/4, 5/6, 7/18, 19). Remarks on the coincidence that Woolf is also doing 'The Rope': 'We have an English producer who is one of the finest in the business. He's made a very fine job of it indeed. I play Brandon & with it do probably the best work I've done on the stage.' Pinter also informs Woolf again ('I believe I did tell you') that he is not getting married to Pauline Flanagan after all (although they are still 'terribly happy'). Pinter's contemporaneous letters to Michael Goldstein, which include the same information, facilitate the dating of this and the previous letter (see Add MS 89083/1/1/1, items 11-12).
• 18. Castlebar, Friday [December 1953?]. 'Autumn's been snuffed out'. Pinter travels 'to Hackney very soon. Dec. 10 I'll be home.' He has been performing in Hamlet ('Exhilarating stuff. Packed house again. Had a great week.').