Influential British dramatist Harold Pinter was an only child. Apparently, as a boy, he would have conversations in the back garden with imaginary friends. In Miriam Higgins’ new play My Chat With Harold Pinter, our protagonist Jen gets to have a conversation with an imaginary Harold.

The black performance space of the Old Fire Station is dressed simply with a couple of chairs and pieces of paper strewn across the floor. What’s in store? Some creative brainstorming? A therapy session?

Jen (Ashleigh Aston) walks on stage, dressed in dungarees and a stripy jumper. After introducing herself to the audience, with a description of her appearance (“a ponytail”) and personality (“awkward”), she sits down and tries to make some progress with her latest play. For neurodivergent Jen, writing this play has its challenges. So, when Harold Pinter (Louis Pieris) turns up, it stands to reason that she should try to get some help, but it seems that he just wants to tell her about the recent encounter he’s had with a ‘pervy squirrel.’

There’s a tradition of playwrights putting versions of themselves into their own plays. Dario Fo, David Hare and Alan Bennett have done it. In this play, Miriam Higgins does the same and she can’t resist the urge to join the actors on stage at one point, just to say hello to Harold.

“You do look a lot like Jen,” notes Harold, as Miriam steps briefly onto the stage. Yes, the “masked version,” is the reply. “Are you aware that you’re staring at my forehead?” asks Harold. “Sorry, I do that,” says the playwright and director.

Neurodivergent people, among whom Higgins counts herself, have brains which process the world slightly differently to others. This play is an attempt to share that experience. The character of Jen is someone who calms herself by listing Best Picture winners at the Oscars. Sometimes the world gets too much for her. Sometimes thoughts just tumble around.

Music and sound designer Dan Pollard does a great job of creating soundscapes which help us to get a sense of the way that Jen experiences the world, from ear popping sounds and the buzzing of Jen’s tinnitus to multiple recordings of Harold layered over the actors' live performance. Another notable moment is when Jen describes being in the middle of an orchestra, having the sounds of different instruments surround her. Abi Turner’s lighting also adds to the mood.

This two-hander is made up of a series of short conversations. There’s much discussion of Pinter’s plays - a game of Pinter bingo helps us to lay out a few common themes of the playwright’s work. As well as a lot of humour, there are also serious moments. At one point, Jen recalls an experience of a sexual assault, perhaps an attempt to make us think about the ways in which Pinter dealt with the themes of gender and power in his own plays.

There’s also a lot of talk about cricket - apparently, Pinter was a big fan. Harold provides a particularly helpful visual demonstration of all the fielding positions, much to the delight of the audience.

Ashleigh Aston and Louis Pieris do a fantastic job with the back and forth between the two playwrights and create a believable picture of their developing relationship. As the play progresses, the more cynical Harold gradually softens and ultimately becomes more supportive towards Jen.