Editing Harold Pinter (section)

===Early theatrical training and stage experience===

Beginning in late 1948, Pinter attended the [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] for two terms, but hating the school, missed most of his classes, feigned a nervous breakdown, and dropped out in 1949.<ref name=BillingtonBatty1>Billington, ''Harold Pinter'' 20–25, 31–35; and Batty, ''About Pinter'' 7.</ref>  In 1948 he was called up for [[National service|National Service]]. He was initially refused registration as a [[conscientious objector]], leading to his twice being prosecuted, and fined, for refusing to accept a medical examination, before his CO registration was ultimately agreed.<ref>Billington, ''Harold Pinter'' 20–25.</ref>  He had a small part in the Christmas [[pantomime]] ''[[Dick Whittington and His Cat]]'' at the Chesterfield Hippodrome in 1949 to 1950.<ref name=BillingtonBatty2>Billington, ''Harold Pinter'' 37; and Batty, ''About Pinter'' 8.</ref>  From January to July 1951, he attended the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]].<ref name=BillingtonBatty3>Billington, ''Harold Pinter'' 31, 36, and 38; and Batty, ''About Pinter'' xiii and 8.</ref>

From 1951 to 1952, he toured Ireland with the [[Anew McMaster]] repertory company, playing over a dozen roles.<ref name=Mac>Pinter, "Mac", ''Various Voices'' 36–43.</ref> In 1952, he began acting in regional English repertory productions; from 1953 to 1954, he worked for the [[Donald Wolfit]] Company, at the King's Theatre, [[Hammersmith]], performing eight roles.<ref name=BattyAct>{{cite web |editor=Batty, Mark |url=http://www.haroldpinter.org/acting/index.shtml |title=Acting |work=haroldpinter.org |access-date=29 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709085529/http://www.haroldpinter.org/acting/index.shtml |archive-date=9 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=BillingtonActing>Billington, ''Harold Pinter'' 20–25, 31, 36, and 37–41.</ref> From 1954 until 1959, Pinter acted under the stage name David Baron.<ref>Billington, ''Harold Pinter'' 3 and 47–48.  Pinter's paternal grandmother's maiden name was Baron.  He also used the name for an autobiographical character in the first draft of his novel ''The Dwarfs''.</ref><ref name=Rep>{{cite web |url=http://www.haroldpinter.org/acting/index.shtml |title=The Harold Pinter Acting Career |editor=Batty, Mark |work=haroldprinter.org |access-date=30 January 2011 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5zu83jkqV?url=http://www.haroldpinter.org/acting/index.shtml |archive-date=3 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}, {{cite web |url=http://www.haroldpinter.org/acting/acting_otherrepwork.shtml |title=Work in Various Repertory Companies 1954–1958 |editor=Batty, Mark |work=haroldprinter.org |access-date=30 January 2011 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5zu88k0a7?url=http://www.haroldpinter.org/acting/acting_otherrepwork.shtml |archive-date=3 July 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In all, Pinter played over 20 roles under that name.<ref name=Rep/><ref name=BillingtonHP1>Billington, ''Harold Pinter'' 49–55.</ref>  To supplement his income from acting, Pinter worked as a waiter, a postman, a bouncer, and a snow-clearer, meanwhile, according to Mark Batty,  "harbouring ambitions as a poet and writer."<ref>Batty, ''About Pinter'' 10.</ref>  In October 1989 Pinter recalled: "I was in English rep as an actor for about 12 years. My favourite roles were undoubtedly the sinister ones.  They're something to get your teeth into."<ref>Gussow, ''Conversations with Pinter'' 83.</ref> During that period, he also performed occasional roles in his own and others' works for radio, TV, and film, as he continued to do throughout his career.<ref name=Rep/><ref name=BillingtonActing2>Billington, ''Harold Pinter'' 20–25, 31, 36, 38.</ref>