Old Times Summary

Old Times is a drama by Harold Pinter, first performed in 1971. Presented through a limited third-person perspective, the play offers no direct access to the characters' inner thoughts, relying solely on their dialogue. It revolves around the reunion of two friends after 20 years, where initial nostalgia gives way to unsettling revelations as each character recalls past events differently, exposing the fragility and subjectivity of memory.

The story kicks off in such a way that a man and a woman are in the living room. Both are in their early forties. Kate is resting on a divan, while Deeley sits in an armchair, leaning forward slightly.

Kate and Deeley talk about Anna, who is coming to visit. Kate hasn’t seen Anna in 20 years. They were close friends when they were younger and even lived together. Deeley is surprised to hear that they lived together.

Deeley is curious about Anna and asks Kate many questions. Kate says Anna was her only friend, but Anna had many other friends. She also tells Deeley that Anna used to steal her underwear and wear it. Kate barely remembers Anna and prepares a casserole for dinner. Deeley worries that Anna might be a vegetarian.

Anna suddenly appears by the window instead of coming through the door. She talks about the times she and Kate spent in London years ago. Anna says she now lives on a volcanic coast. Deeley says he has been there. He is happy Anna is visiting because Kate doesn’t have many friends. He says Kate lacks curiosity. Anna calls Kate a dreamer. Deeley wishes he had known both women when they were younger.

Deeley and Anna talk about Kate as if she isn’t there. Kate interrupts at times to remind them she is listening. Anna remembers the music she and Kate used to play. Deeley and Anna start singing lines from old songs.

Deeley tells how he met Kate. He went to a rundown theater to watch the movie Odd Man Out (1947). Kate was the only other person there. After the movie, they went out for tea and talked about how much they liked the actor Robert Newton (1905–1956). Deeley says that Robert Newton brought them together.

Anna shares a memory. She says she came home one night and found a man sitting in an armchair, crying with his hand over his face. Kate was sitting on the bed with coffee. Anna undressed and lay in her bed. The man came to her but left when she refused him. Later, she saw him lying across Kate’s lap. By morning, he was gone, and Anna never saw him again. Deeley speaks only when Kate mentions the man who lay across her. Otherwise, he stays silent.

Anna and Deeley discuss his marriage to Kate. Deeley says he was unsure about getting involved with her at first. Anna says she was happy when she heard Kate was getting married because Kate is not impulsive. It meant she truly loved Deeley. Anna says Kate always takes her time before making decisions. Anna was also happy that Deeley was interested in the arts because Kate loves them.

Anna and Deeley talk about his work. He travels a lot, and Anna worries Kate might be lonely. Anna offers to keep Kate company when Deeley is away, but Deeley wonders if her husband would mind.

Anna talks about her home in Sicily, and Kate joins the conversation. Deeley says he had a great film crew in Sicily and boasts that his name is Orson Welles (1915–85). He brags about the people he has worked with. Meanwhile, Kate and Anna talk to each other and ignore Deeley.

The women discuss their plans for the evening. Anna suggests going for a walk, but Kate doesn’t like the idea. Anna offers to read to Kate or invite some friends over. Kate says she will think about it while taking a bath. Anna offers to run the bath, but Kate says she will do it herself. She walks to the bedroom door and leaves. Deeley and Anna look at each other.

The furniture is rearranged. The two divans are now in different positions from the armchair. The lights are dim. Anna is sitting on a divan. Deeley enters with a tray of coffee and places it on the table.

Deeley and Anna recall memories. Deeley says he remembers meeting Anna at the Wayfarers Tavern years ago. He admired her black stockings and looked up her skirt while others were talking. He was focused on Anna and another woman who arrived with her. He never saw Anna at the tavern again. At first, Anna denies meeting Deeley, but then she remembers the flirtation and teases more details out of him.

Deeley and Anna realize that Kate is still in the bath. They know she enjoys long baths. Anna says Kate floats in the water, unaware of the world around her. Deeley says Kate doesn’t dry herself properly. Anna suggests he dry her off.

Deeley and Anna discuss the best way to dry Kate. Deeley says Anna should know best since she is a woman. Then he excitedly suggests using powder to help with the drying. He says he should apply the powder while Anna supervises.

The bathroom door opens. Kate enters the bedroom in a bathrobe. She smiles and walks to the window. Deeley starts singing. Anna joins in, and they sing They Can’t Take That Away from Me. Kate smiles as she walks toward them.

Kate tells them she loves living in the countryside. She likes the soft light, the shapes, and the sea more than London’s sharp lines. She enjoys not knowing where the sea begins and ends. They decide to stay inside for the evening. Deeley and Anna talk about Kate’s beautiful smile. Kate asks if their friend Charley is coming over. She says she dislikes their friend McCabe because he says strange things. She likes their friend Duncan and his poetry, but he is out of town.

Deeley and Anna continue talking about Kate as if she isn’t there. Anna remembers Kate’s first blush. Anna told Kate that she had borrowed her underwear to a party. A man at the party spent the evening admiring Anna.

Deeley and Anna say they both want to take care of Kate. Deeley worries that Anna’s husband might be lonely without her. Anna invites Kate and Deeley to visit her in Sicily anytime. She says she introduced Kate to new people and wants her to be happy.

Deeley suddenly tells Kate that he and Anna met before. He describes their meeting at Wayfarers Tavern. Anna was quiet that night and didn’t say much. Kate asks Deeley what attracted him to Anna. She says Anna wanted to be with Deeley because Anna was in love with him.

Kate shares a disturbing memory from years ago. She says she remembers Anna dead, her face covered in dirt. Kate was standing over her, looking down. Anna woke up and tried to smile, but her mouth wouldn’t move. She had no pupils, and her facial bones were breaking. Kate took a long bath before sitting naked beside Anna.

Kate says that later, she brought Deeley into the room after Anna’s body was gone. There were two beds—one for Kate and one for Anna. Deeley and Kate lay in Anna’s bed. Kate thought Deeley wanted to be with her. Instead, she dug dirt from a window box, put it in a bowl, and spread it over Deeley’s face. He resisted and then suggested they get married. Kate never told Deeley who slept in the other bed.

When Kate finishes speaking, Deeley begins to cry. Anna turns off the light and lies down on a divan. Deeley moves to Kate’s divan and lies across her lap. It is silent for a moment. Deeley moves to the armchair, sits down, and slumps forward.