The Funeral, written, cast and directed by Harold Pinter

He died on Christmas Eve at the age of 78 after battling cancer for several years.

Careful to ensure the right words in death as he had in his plays, poems and polemic, a number of those closest to him had been already cast for their part at the private service.

Sir Michael Gambon, who has been appearing in London in No Man's Land, was asked three months ago if he would read from what is one of Pinter's most famous plays. The extract, unlikely to have been heard at a funeral before, includes the lines: "Allow the love of the good ghost. They possess all that emotion trapped. Bow to it."

And Matthew "Harry" Burton, who had worked with Pinter and also played with Gaieties Cricket Club, will read from the poem At Lord's by Francis Thompson. Pinter traditionally read the poem at the end of each season at the club for which he played for many years and of which he was chairman. Cricket was one of his passions.

Mr Burton said of the funeral arrangements: "He seems to have given very precise instructions. I believe the funeral will be carried out to his instructions."

He added: "He had this extraordinary presence. His presence was physical, it was intellectual and it was theatrical. The absence of him now is in proportion to the presence of him."

The playwright, who was married to the writer Lady Antonia Fraser, had already had two brushes with death in recent years as he fought cancer of the oesophagus and a rare skin disease.

Despite growing frailty, he had attended the opening night of No Man's Land in London in October. He continued to lunch and dine with close friends. But this month, he was forced to pull out at the last moment from a poetry reading at the Donmar Warehouse.

A public memorial service will be held next year.