Aidan Scott's 'The Dumb Waiter': a directorial debut packed with tension and drama

Currently running at the Theatre on the Square, Harold Pinter’s “The Dumb Waiter” is being praised as a masterclass in tension, dark humour and theatrical precision. 

Performed by Brent Palmer as Ben and Jock Kleynhans as Gus, both hitmen, the play explores Gus’s unravelling curiosity and emotional fragility alongside his much more confident senior partner.

Director Aidan Scott, who has a wealth of acting experience under his belt, including playing a series regular on Netflix’s “One Piece”, recently starred in Louis Viljoen’s thrilling two-hander “Mrs Mitchell Comes to Town” alongside Jenny Stead and in “La Ronde”, directed by Liela Henriques.

On taking the director’s seat for “The Dumb Waiter”, Scott shared: “It is the brainchild of a collaboration between myself and Jock Kleynhans, who stars in the show. We felt a gap in the local theatre landscape for classic plays and Harold Pinter’s work in particular. 

“Unfortunately, plays like ‘The Dumb Waiter’ are a big risk for commercial theatres to produce, so we sought to independently produce the production together. 

“We knew it was a risk, but audiences came and we sold out our run in Cape Town and are now working with Daphne Kuhn in our second rendition of the play in Johannesburg. This is the first time I have directed, and it’s been an absolute joy.”

As for the casting of Palmer and Kleynhans, he added, “The idea to do this particular piece really originated from picturing these two actors together on stage. 

“I couldn’t imagine two other actors in the country playing these two respective parts, and when they both said yes, I knew I had the key to unlocking this strange puzzle of a text.”

On realising his vision with this offering, Scott pointed out: “You come into a process with an idea of how the play looks, feels and sounds. And you then take that ball of thoughts and springboard it off your actors, which then morphs and emerges as a new vision. A collaborative vision. 

“As a director, being open to that collaborative process is key. Retaining your voice but also allowing the voices of the team to mesh with yours brings about an end product you could never have imagined in the first place. I think our production does just that.”

Following the second run in Joburg, they are looking at touring the shows to the rest of South Africa. 

When asked what else is in the kitty, Scott revealed: “I’m currently rehearsing 'Noises Off' at Theatre On The Bay, which will have a two-week run at the end of August before transferring to Johannesburg from October 2 to 12.

"I’m also currently learning Zulu for a secret, exciting project that will be announced in the coming months.”

Where: Theatre on the Square.

When: Runs until August 24, 7.30pm. No under 12s allowed.