LOOT

Presented by - The Nonentities (A)

Location - Main House

Standard Ticket Prices

Curtain Up 7.30pm

When Hal robs a bank and hides the money in Mrs. McLeavey, his late [but only just “late”] mother’s coffin, Fay, who is trying to marry

Mr.McLeavy, the widower, for his money, becomes suspicious, and demands a share of the Loot. Outrageous developments follow outrageous developments. The enigmatic Mr. Truscott, enters the scene and many situations are turned upside down as Jo Orton’s back to front and inventive plot runs riot.

Sensational and shocking when first performed, Loot is still anarchic, definitely not “politically-correct” ..and very, very funny.

Director's Note

Joe Orton, a working class boy from Leicester who thought Middle Class Morality was Humbug, produced his first success “Entertaining Mr. Sloane” in 1964, just as the sexual revolution [for both sexes!] was underway. ”Loot” followed in 1966.

Orton has been called” The Oscar Wilde of the Welfare State” although the comparison is tenuous; Wilde was never “a giggler” or“a sniggerer”. Orton uses verbal gymnastics and strange conversational juxtapositions, which, on occasions, might remind audiences of Wilde’s superior linguistic skills. Orton attacked Life as he knew it and we might still find similar contemporary concerns in the 21st Century. We are all under scrutiny. Our post codes, credit cards, applications of strict political correctness, stringent Health and Safety regulations etc. all could have been targeted by Orton today.

A “Truscott” could knock on your door at any time!

Orton died wealthy and famous, perhaps more notorious, because of the violence of his death [ murdered by his partner, Kenneth Halliwell]. His last play, ” What the Butler Saw”, was produced
posthumously.

We have found that the nonsensical plot, its twists and turns, Orton’s verbal dexterity and his use of opposing styles of speech delivery, all made for much hilarity in Rehearsals. The play is Farce.

We hope you also will laugh, enjoy and appreciate his “ way with words”

This is the third time that the Nonentities Society have successfully produced “Loot”, to appreciative audiences. Language and Shared Values have changed a great deal over time, reflected in print, film and T.V. , and today’s audiences perhaps have even more relaxed attitudes to the content than before.