"e;Betrayalisanewdepartureandaboldone...Pinterhasfoundawayofmakingmemoryactiveanddramatic,givinganaudiencetheexperienceofthemind'sacceleratingmomentumasitpiecestogetherthepastwithacombinationofcuriosityandregret.Heshowsmanbetrayednotonlybyman,butbytime-arecurringthemewhichhasfounditspropersceniccorrelative...Pintercapturesthepsyche'sslymanoeuvresforself-respectwithasardonicforgiveness...amastercraftsmanhonouringhistalentbysettingitnew,difficulttasks"e;.(NewSociety)."e;Thereishardlyalineintowhichdesire,pain,alarm,sorrow,rageorsomekindofblendoffeelingshasnotbeencompressed,likevolatilegasinacylinderlessstablethanitlooks...Pinter'snarrativemethodtakes"e;what'snext?"e;outofthespectator'sandreplacesitwiththeratherdeeper"e;how?"e;and"e;why?"e;Whydidlovepass?Howdidthesepeoplecopewiththelies,theevasions,thesuddendangers,panicandthecontradictoryfeelingsbehindtheirowndeftlyengineeredmasks?Theplay'ssubjectisnotsex,notevenadultery,butthepoliticsofbetrayalandthedamageitinflictsonallinvolved"e;.(TheTimes).FirststagedattheNationalTheatrein1978,BetrayalwasrevivedattheAlmeidaTheatre,London,in1991.Twentyyearsafteritsfirstshowing,itreturnedtotheNationalin1998.