'THE Caretaker' was written at the end of the 1950s, an extraordinary decade of world drama. Europe was recovering from the onslaught of the Second World War and Europe and America were teetering on the brink of great economical and social change. Just over the horizon was the swinging '60s; JFK was to be voted President of the United States and the contraceptive pill was to change society for ever...

Pinter's work has often been linked to Theatre of the Absurd, and the playwright has acknowledged a debt to Beckett and Kafka. However, his writing contains social and emotional issues of the day expressed in the colloquial language of the ordinary dispossessed man. It is a mixture of intellectual extravagance and down at heel realism.

The protagonist Davies (Owen Garmon) is the eponymous caretaker of the title. He is a homeless vagrant who is taken in by Aston (Keith Woodason) and Mick (Sean Kearney). He is by turns welcomed and ridiculed and threatened by the brothers, who carry out random acts of charity and aggression.

Aston is the more mysterious of the two brothers who offers Davies the job as caretaker. Mick owns the house and through feigned friendship and unpredictable mood swings, he proceeds to terrorise Davies. Davies is arrogant and vulnerable, proud and sentimental, brutal and tender, racist and egalitarian.

There is a struggle for territory raging throughout the play. The geography of modern London is a permanent reference and the house within the play is the subject of constant debates - who owns it? Who lives next door? Who is its caretaker? Ultimately, family and property triumph over charity.

Pinter's 20th century masterpiece is directed by Dave Bond and designed by Sean Crowley in the Torch Theatre Company's production which runs from Tuesday-Saturday, February 5-16, 7.30 pm.

Tickets, priced at £8.50 (£5.50 discounts), may be purchased from the Torch Theatre box office on (01646) 695267.

Please note, on every Tuesday and Thursday of this production, youth tickets are available, priced at £3 each. All students in full-time education are eligible (this deal dot not apply in conjunction with any other offers). Please call the box office for details.