(1930– )
an English writer of plays who has had a major influence on modern British theatre. His characters are often ordinary, unimportant people who find it difficult to communicate properly with each other, and his plays combine humour with an atmosphere of danger and unhappiness. The word Pinteresque is sometimes used to describe these qualities. Pinter’s best-known plays include The Birthday Party (1958), The Caretaker (1960), The Homecoming (1965), Old Times (1971), No Man’s Land (1975) and Betrayal (1978). He has also written many film scripts, including those for The Go-Between (1969), The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1982) and The Comfort of Strangers (1983). Pinter also worked as an actor and director and is a campaigner against war and human rights abuses.