Orton

Orton - a new musical 

Above the Stag Theatre, London, 20th April, 2014

It was actually a rather spontaneous idea going to see this show arriving just in the morning in London and with not much else being on I fancied to see that day plus knowing the plays “Entertaining Mr Sloane” and “What The Butler Saw” I was interested to learn more about the person behind these plays. 

The musical, written by Richard Silver and Sean J. Hume, tells of the rather controversial English playwright Joe Orton and his long-term lover Kenneth Halliwell’s lives and their relationship from the day they met at RADA in 1951, follows them leaving RADA, Joe’s first writing attempts and his eventual success and rise in fame to August 1967 when Halliwell bludgeoned Orton with a hammer and committed suicide. 

Cast: 

Joe Orton -  Richard Dawes 

Kenneth Halliwell - Andrew Rowney

Mrs Cordon/Peggy Ramsay - Valerie Cutko

Kenneth Williams - Simon Kingsley

Tina - Katie Brennan

Trevor - Robert McNeilly

Ensemble - Danielle Irvine

Ensemble/Dance Captain - Jordan Langford

The story is certainly one rather tragic one worth telling with the sad ending and there are plenty of tragic moments in the show especially watching Halliwell’s mental decline feeling left behind (even though he feels his contributions should be acknowledged) when Orton shot to but Silver and Hume managed to balance it with humour, wit (some brilliant one liners especially for Halliwell) heart and campness to make it not too depressing with also some funny musical numbers as “Another Night Another Man” about Joe’s love for sex in public lavatories or “Form An Orderly Line”. 

But there are also some beautiful touching ballads as the final number “Together In Paradise” that support the emotional seriousness of the subject well. 

Saying that the show could do with the odd cut of two, three musical numbers, there are just so many numbers I need about Joe’s sex drive and not all really bring the show forward. 

Tim McArthur directs this production and he and his team came up with a convincing staging concept for this piece – especially the witty musical numbers are staged and choreographed (by Phillip Aiden) so cleverly, with the subject of sex being presented appropriately enough but never too far, and comically utilising the small stage space fully even with that simple set of pretty much just a wall having several doors and a few other props to create bedsits, an office or public lavatories 

Musical support comes from Chris Huntley on the piano and what I assume pre-recorded tracks supporting the cast well. 

Orton is played by Richard Dawes (who has a rather striking resemblance with the by my highly rated Jye Frasca (Jersey Boys, Thrill Me, Wicked), not only in looks but also in diction and expression) appealingly with a strong but also sweet singing voice and, while in the book the change from an apparent “pretty boy from Leicester” to a grown up confident gay man who lives a very animalistic sexy driven lifestyle was a bit too quick for me and I was at least not sure at the beginning what his character saw in Halliwell, there could be more emphasis on what really formed the relationship, with so much enthusiasm and charming energy in his play the character’s development still believable. 

At his side is Andrew Rowney as the socially awkward and later manic depressive Kenneth Halliwell gives an accomplished absorbing performance (even if Halliwelll’s severe mental decline in act 2 leading to the fatal end was a bit too quick too) full of vulnerability and that you cannot help but just care for the haunted character as much as you may want to hate him for what he did to Orton at end. 

Valerie Cutko as the couple’s landlady Mrs Cordon and Orton’s agent Peggy Ramsay does not have the strongest singing voice but gives a tremendous acting performance being especially as the agent. 

Completing the main parts is Simon Kingsley who stars in act 2 as the actor Kenneth Williams (Carry On...) being another highlight of the evening nailing the typical characteristics of the actual Williams with the right mix of campness and and repression and delivering a hilarious performance of the already mentioned rather saucy song called ‘Form an Orderly Line’ 

There are also wonderful performances from the ensemble, especially Katie Brennan can shine with her powerful voice and brilliant comic timing. 

Overall “Orton” is a captivating ambitious exploration that with some polishing up can go far. But this production is worth alone a visit for its brilliant cast

Orton is on at the http://www.abovethestag.com/ until 9th May, 2014 

Pictures taken from website.