ACTOR Chris Bissex-Williams, 75, is performing the role of Davies, the caretaker in Harold Pinter’s classic play, for the third time this April in Newport Playgoers Society’s production of The Caretaker at The Dolman Theatre.

He said: “The first time I played Davies was with The Elizabethan Players in Newport and Toronto. I was 25 and wore lots of prosthetic makeup. Then I played him again for Newport Playgoers in 1994 at the age of 45 with a little less prosthetic makeup, and now at 75 with no prosthetics!

“It has been a pleasure working with director Jack Guard on his directing debut for Newport Playgoers and with my fellow performers Ryan Salter and James Reynolds who play brothers Aston and Mick.

“The play has some great absurd comic moments as well as a lot of pathos. It is a challenging piece for all three actors. We have been rehearsing hard and we are really looking forward to performing it for our audiences.”

The iconic play is a literary masterpiece that explores the turbulent relationships between a homeless man and two polar opposite brothers.

“The Caretaker examines the relationship between the three characters and the way this develops throughout the piece,” said director Jack Guard. “This is something that I really wanted to focus on. It illustrates themes such as power, loneliness and the isolation of these three male characters and this really appealed to me when I first read the script.

“It cleverly shows us the delicate balance between trust and betrayal in sibling relationships. Each character has their own emotional foibles. Aston is a slow-witted man who befriends Davies, a wheedling, garrulous tramp. Aston takes Davies to the flat he shares with his brother Mick, who is smarter but unstable, and he also tries to befriend Davies. Separately, both brothers offer Davies a job as their caretaker but they finally realise that the equilibrium they have created is in jeopardy and they ultimately reject Davies.

“I hope the play will have a lasting effect on the audience. It has some really emotive scenes and we have really enjoyed exploring these in rehearsal.”

The Caretaker is at The Dolman Theatre, Kingsway, Newport April 19 to 22. Tickets: www.dolmantheatre.co.uk