0°C | Saturday October 11, 2025 
How could a guest that hangs around like a bad smell, quite literally, keep the audience hanging around for more? The Ensemble invites us to a leaky, crammed London apartment to play fly on the wall for Harold Pinder’s 1960 comedy classic, The Caretaker.
There is junk everywhere, including spread over the simple two beds. A burlap sack has replaced the curtains, a buddha statue sits on a broken oven and the floor is littered with every wood, papers, a lawn mower and rolled up carpet.
It is in this setting that homeless man Davies, played by Darren Gilshenan, captures the audience’s heart and attention from the get-go. Aston, played by Anthony Gooley, has offered Davies a place to stay for now until he gets back on his feet. The interplay between these two characters is masterfully written and performed. Gooley captures the disheveled, manic nature of Davies perfectly, providing a stark contrast to Aston, who appears to have a slow wit and clean appearance.
Despite early signs of harmony, this is easily thrown off by Henry Nixon’s character Mick, Aston’s brother, who also lives in the building which he partly runs. Mick is a complete contrast to Aston: confident, quick tongued, manipulative and a bit of a joker. Nixon’s performance was impressive, delivering difficult, Cockney soaked dialogue with ease.
As the drama unfolds, Davies puts the patience and generosity of the brothers to the test. The dynamic between all three characters evolves, morphs and flips, leaving the audience guessing about any potential resolutions to the many problems. A small drip feed of details from the past offer insights that explain aspects of the three men’s lives, yet leave many questions unanswered, creating even more intrigue.
Director Iain Sinclair has brought out the best in all three actors. The stage dynamic, physicality and pace of the piece draws the audience in deeply, despite the fact the storyline is quite simple, at least compared to other plays.
The Caretaker is running at the Ensemble Theatre now until 19 November. Get in quick before Davies potentially moves out!
Review by James Mullan