Hopscotching its way through time, the play deals with trust, friendship and deceit between three people -- a husband, wife and his friend. Having read Harold Pinter's script a long time ago, Padamsee had been mulling over it for a while. "It is about strong friendships, male bonding and breach of faith in marital relationships. All the three characters completely trust each other and yet break faith," informs Pearl. Originally set in England in the seventies, the play has been newfangled to meet the demands of the 21th century. Pearl has used a great deal of tender warmth in characterisation.

Padamsee's involvement with theatre was always complete, and she is still as fully involved.Consequently, people working with her end up with absolutely new experiences. "It's like getting an education on theatre. Unlike most people she is ready to share her ideas and techniques with others. You realise that all these people around you have learned from her,'' says Devika Shahani, who is also the assistant director of Betrayal.

The greatest challenge in her life, reveals Padamsee, was to deal with her workaholic attitude and settle down for a much more slow-paced existence. Correspondence plays an important role as she unfailingly writes a letter a day to her friends. "The trick is to live by the clock," she says.

On March 13 at the Experimental Theatre, NCPA. TIME: 7.00 pm and on March 14 at the Experimental Theatre. TIME: 6.30 pm. Tickets will be available at the venue.