All About Books discussion

Our next group play is Loot by Joe Orton. This group read for summer lasts from 21 June - 22 Sept.

Just a reminder of the rest of the schedule:
Fall (22 Sept - 21 Dec '14) - The Imaginary Invalid by Molière
Winter (21 Dec '14 - 20 March '15) -- Anna Christie by Eugene O'Neill

Looks quite interesting.

For once I'm ahead on a group read!

I will be reading more of Orton. If for no other reason then the fact that he had such a high flying career so quickly only to have it end when he was murdered is honestly fascinating.

As for the play
(view spoiler)[I laughed out loud a number of times while reading this. The trouble came at the point when the characters started making rape jokes, that just grated on me. I realize it's a play about hiding a dead body in a cabinet so people can hide money in the coffin, but that was a part of the story while the rape jokes just seemed pointlessly tactless. I also think it would have been better as a one act because I started to really want it to be over about twenty pages before it was. (hide spoiler)]

I loved this! I didn't know what to expect, but when I read the blurb in the introduction of The Complete Plays that his influences were Richard Sheridan, Oliver Goldsmith, and Oscar Wilde, I knew that I was in for a treat!

amber - I don't recall what you mentioned in your spoiler (although that may be selective recall). I will check the text again.

I did find myself thinking of Wilde while I was reading Loot.

By a curious co -incidence my son was working on "Orton" a new musical about Joe Orton recently! It enjoyed a very successful run at the Under the Stag theatre in Vauxhall.

Tweedledum wrote: "By a curious co -incidence my son was working on "Orton" a new musical about Joe Orton recently! It enjoyed a very successful run at the Under the Stag theatre in Vauxhall."

Sounds like something Orton himself would have appreciated! Did your son enjoy working on it? What did he do?

I am going to try to read Entertaining Mr. Sloane this weekend.

Leslie wrote: "Tweedledum wrote: "By a curious co -incidence my son was working on "Orton" a new musical about Joe Orton recently! It enjoyed a very successful run at the Under the Stag theatre in Vauxhall."

So..."

My son was the Musical Director. Yes he did enjoy it although it was not a walk in the park. Some of the acting was very powerful especially by the actor who played Orton's lover / murderer. Night after night he reduced the audience to tears.

Tweedledum- That sounds like an amazing play!

amber wrote: "As for the play
(view spoiler) ..."

I read What the Butler Saw the other day and it sounds more like what you describe in your spoiler than Loot. Did you read The Complete Plays (in which case, maybe you mixed up different plays)?

Leslie wrote: "amber wrote: "As for the play
(view spoiler) ..."

I read What the Butler Saw the other day and it sounds more like what you describe in your spoiler than Loot. Did you..."

Nope it was Loot. I read a single play edition.

(view spoiler)[ From pages 35-36
Hal. My mate Dennis has done you. He speaks of it with relish.
Fay. Young men pepper their conversation with tales of rape. It creates a good impression.
Hal. You never had the blessing of a rape. I was with him at his only ravishment. A bird called Pauline Ching. Broke a tooth in the struggle, she did. It was legal with you. While Jesus pointed to his Sacred Heart, you pointed to yours.

It was a small part of the play. It did however make everything after less fun for me to read.
(hide spoiler)]

Tweedledum wrote: "By a curious co -incidence my son was working on "Orton" a new musical about Joe Orton recently! It enjoyed a very successful run at the Under the Stag theatre in Vauxhall."

@Tweedledum, how interesting - would be curious to see a musical about Orton; hopefully it comes to the US at some point! Congratulations to your son on the successful run!

Has anyone seen Prick Up Your Ears, a biographical movie about Orton and his lover Halliwell starring Alfred Molina and Gary Oldman?

Greg wrote: "Has anyone seen Prick Up Your Ears, a biographical movie about Orton and his lover Halliwell starring Alfred Molina and Gary Oldman?

"

Not me, although I was recently told that it was worth watching... Have you seen it?

I hadn't even heard of it.

Leslie wrote: "
Not me, although I was recently told that it wa..."

I don't remember it well .. saw it on videocassette sometime in the early 90's when I was in college. I remember it being good, though unpleasant in spots .. no surprise given what happened. Curious to see it again now that I'm reading Orton. Double curious to see Alfred Molina in it too now that I know who he is. I recently saw a production of the play Red with Alfred Molina and Jonathan Groff as the leads on stage, and they were both spectacular in it - hilarious, slightly disturbing, and moving all at the same time.

I just read the first Act of Loot yesterday. I bet a good production of the play with the right actors would be hilarious, despite the off-color material!

Just finished Loot. While I agree with Amber that some of the jokes are over the top (the rape jokes were not funny and were in terrible taste), overall I haven't laughed so hard reading a play in a long time. It had the naughtiness of Wilde, but for me, it was much funnier. I found myself laughing against my will - thinking to myself, I can't laugh at that and yet I was.

For instance, this line just killed me (I could hear it with a perfect deadpan delivery in my head):

(view spoiler)[McLeavy: Oh yes, Inspector. You've a duty to do. My personal freedom must be sacrificed. I have no further questions. (hide spoiler)]

Toward the end I did feel sorry for poor McLeavy though. (view spoiler)[I was a bit sad to see him carted off by the utterly unscrupulous Truscott with his ungrateful son's support. (hide spoiler)] But the play being a farce, the feeling passed quickly.

I would so love to see this play done with a good cast! Thanks AAB to whoever chose it!

Greg wrote: "Just finished Loot. While I agree with Amber that some of the jokes are over the top (the rape jokes were not funny and were in terrible taste), overall I haven't laughed so hard read..."

Glad to read this Greg! I think that the inappropriateness of some of his stuff is part of what makes it so funny -- part shock & part humor perhaps?

Definitely Leslie - that is certainly the case!

Greg wrote: "Definitely Leslie -What the Butler Saw that is certainly the case!"

I would recommend trying some of his other plays as well -- I thought both What the Butler Saw and Funeral Games also hilarious.

I just noticed a sign advertising a production of What the Butler Saw coming to one of the bigger theaters downtown in November. Looking forward to having a chance to see it after I've read it!

http://www.centertheatregroup.org/tic...

Greg wrote: "I just noticed a sign advertising a production of What the Butler Saw coming to one of the bigger theaters downtown in November. Looking forward to having a chance to see it after I'v..."

Where is your "downtown"? Greg? I would love to see a production sometime...

It's in Los Angeles, California at the Mark Taper Forum (part of the Center Theater Group in LA)

Greg wrote: "Just finished Loot. While I agree with Amber that some of the jokes are over the top (the rape jokes were not funny and were in terrible taste), overall I haven't laughed so hard read..."

I have to admit I felt about the events of that second spoiler too Greg.

The first spoiler quote makes me wonder if you've read The Pillowman? If not you might want to give it a try. Actually you may want to try any of Martin McDonagh's plays.
Another twisted play I really liked was The House of Yes

Thanks Amber! I've never actually heard of McDonagh. I'll definitely check it out.

You're welcome Greg!

I have developed a real thing for joining the seasonal play party late, but it really isn't easy to get hold of English plays here that aren't translated without buying. However I've finally managed (arriving in the library end of the week) and I'll join you just in time for ... the autumn play to begin. ;) Umpfff.

Alright, so I travelled all the way to the university library to pick up Loot and what did they get me? Loot!! Spot the difference? LOL

However I then in desperation browsed the internet once more to find: https://archive.org/details/JoeOrtons..., which is a BBC 3 radio production from I don't know when which I am currently listening to online. Halleluja! Greg, if you'd like to compare your favorite line, and whether the deadpan delivery in your head is anything like the one in the BBC play: here's your chance.

I am halfway through the play now and I find myself erupting into laughter every 30 seconds or so. The political in-correctness sometimes has me blushing and laughing simultaneously because I can't quite believe I am actually laughing. I love the Sherlock Holmes parody. A question should anyone end up listening to this: what accent/dialect does the the water board inspector slash detective speak?!

Thanks Jenny! Can't wait to listen to the BBC radio link when I get back home!

Jenny wrote: "Alright, so I travelled all the way to the university library to pick up Loot and what did they get me? Loot!! Spot the difference? LOL

However I then in desperation browsed the inte..."

Ooh, I like audio versions of plays! I will see if I can get it onto my iPod & give a listen.

Jenny, I also had that blushing & laughing reaction -- I guess that kind of political incorrectness is one of my guilty pleasures :)

It's a really good one Leslie, well, the BBC 3 drama's usually are!

I really enjoyed Loot. Great pick Leslie!

I just read the German Wikipedia article on Joe Orton and my jaw dropped. Quite literally to be honest! (the german wiki is much shorter than the English one, so it sounds like a fast paced tour de force through a life that, if you invented it, would sound too made up to be believable).This feels like an awful thing to say, but his life sounds quite in keeping with his pitch black plays!

Thanks for pointing out the movie Greg, I will see if I can find it.