The two women in the restaurant

I see Sid-Blitzen has had to wait a year for a response. I think you are right in thinking the Bishop and his curate are involved in some sort of relationship, or perhaps it is a servant and master matter? Note the Bishop's first line upon entering the restaurant, "where the hell do you think you are going?" Hardly a suitable expression for a Man of the Cloth, not to mention the way they both finish the meal by swallowing their brandy together, side by side. Then follow further unpleasant remarks from the Bishop concerning the way the curate may plan to spend his afternoon, once he is "off the leash" so to speak. Doesn't put the Catholic Church in a good light either....

The two women are no better, the one demanding of the other, jealously, what some third party whispered to her companion. It implies a lesbian-type relationship. The purpose of these two interludes are scene setters before we turn to Tony and Miss Stewart's (Susan) conversation which starts pleasantly enough and then deteriorates because of a disagreement as to why Barrett should continue in Tony's employ.

There's a third tiny cameo scene in the restaurant where a woman who is studying a theatre bill exclaims, "I'm so looking forward to seeing him!" to which her companion replies, "You won't - he's in prison." All rather sour meat.

I feel sure we see the guiding hand of Harold Pinter here.

After a second viewing, I had thought that the restaurant scene was about domination: in each case one individual is trying to dominate or control the other. The depiction of the clergy was I thought, an attempt to bring it home so to speak. That even within the Church, hierarchy leads to contempt and subservience.