Press Conference was first presented as part of an evening of sketches on 8 and 11 February 2002 at the Royal National Theatre, London.
The MINISTER was played by
Harold Pinter
The PRESS were played by
members of the company.
The company included
Linda Bassett, Danny Dyer, Douglas Hodge, Patrick Marber, Kika Markham, Catherine McCormack, Corin Redgrave, Samantha Robson, Gary Shelford, Andy de la Tour, Frances de la Tour, Penelope Wilton, Susan Wooldridge, Henry Woolf
Directed by
Gari Jones
PRESS
Sir, before you became Minister of Culture I believe you were the head of the Secret Police.
MINISTER
That is correct.
PRESS
Do you find any contradiction between those two roles?
MINISTER
None whatsoever. As head of Secret Police it was my responsibility, specifically, to protect and to safeguard our cultural inheritance against forces which were intent upon subverting it. We were defending ourselves against the worm. And we still are.
PRESS
The worm?
MINISTER
The worm.
PRESS
As head of the Secret Police what was your policy towards children?
MINISTER
We saw children as a threat if – that is – they were the children of subversive families.
PRESS
So how did you employ your policy towards them?
MINISTER
We abducted them and brought them up properly or we killed them.
PRESS
How did you kill them? What was the method adopted?