Entertaining Mr Sloane
Encyclopedia
Entertaining Mr Sloane is a play by the English playwright Joe Orton
. It was first produced in London
at the New Arts Theatre
on 6 May 1964
and transferred to the West End's
Wyndham's Theatre
on 29 June 1964.
Mr Sloane is a young man looking for a place to board, who happens by the home of Kath, a middle-aged landlady whose home is on the outskirts of a rubbish dump
. Kath is eager to have Mr Sloane as a tenant at her home, which she shares with her nearly blind father. In getting to know Mr Sloane, Kath is open with Mr Sloane about a previous relationship she had, which led to her bearing a child, whom her brother insisted on her giving up for adoption
as it was conceived out of wedlock
. Mr Sloan reveals he is himself an orphan, though vague about his parents' death, aside from the fact they “passed away together.” Kath’s father has an immediate distrust of Mr Sloane, believing he is the same man who killed his employer some years earlier. After an altercation between Kemp and Sloane, resulting in Sloane being stabbed in the leg, Kath begins to make somewhat subtle advances toward the young man. When Mr Sloane attempts to reciprocate, Kath warns him facetiously not to betray his trust. Kathy’s brother Ed arrives soon after to find the visitor staying with his sister, much to his dismay. Kemp has an estranged relationship with his son as he found him to be "committing some kind of felony in the bedroom" as a teenager. Despite Ed’s initial opposition to Mr Sloane staying with his sister, after speaking with Sloane, Ed eventually relents and even goes so far as to offer him a job as his chauffeur
. As Sloane recovers from his injury earlier in the evening, Kath returns wearing a transparent negligee and seemingly seduces Mr Sloane as the lights go down and Act One ends.
Act 2
The action resumes 'some months later’ and begins with Mr Sloane recounting an evening in which a young woman gave him her telephone number. Kath ambiguously hints at her jealousy, before ultimately revealing she is pregnant and concerned that her brother will strongly disapprove. Ed arrives soon after and discovers that Mr Sloane had taken his car out joyriding the night before with his friends. Upon finding out that they also had a woman with them, Ed divulges that he feels women are crude, and misleading. Ed advises Sloane to pack his things as he will be on call as his assistant at all hours. When Sloane leaves the room to pack, Kemp mildly attempts to reconcile with his son, and conveys that Kath and Sloane have been sleeping together and believes Kath is now pregnant. When confronted, Sloane confirms he has been sleeping with Kath, but claims she “threw herself” at him. A short time later, Ed departs to buy cigarettes, and Kemp returns to confront Sloane as his employer’s murderer. Sloane eventually attacks Kemp, resulting in his death.
Act 3
Upon finding his dead father, Ed is initially insistent that justice be served and Sloane be turned over to the police. However, Sloane persuades Ed to fabricate a story
to make the death appear an accident, in exchange for his servitude
. When Kath discovers the dead body, she is apprehensive to stray from the truth especially given Sloane’s intention to go and live with her brother. Sloane finds himself in a predicament: if he stays with Kath, Ed will report the murder to the authorities, and vice versa if he choses to leave with Ed. Ultimately, a compromise is reached that will result in the pair ‘sharing’ Mr. Sloane a few months at a time.
in 1964, thanks to the financial support of Terence Rattigan
, who had seen the play at the New Arts Theatre, rated it highly and put up £3,000 in sponsorship. It was directed by Patrick Dromgoole and starred Madge Ryan as Kath, Dudley Sutton
as Sloane, Charles Lamb
as Kemp, and Peter Vaughan
as Ed. It was designed by Timothy O'Brien
, with costumes supervised by Tazeena Firth.
The Broadway
production, directed by Alan Schneider
, opened at the Lyceum Theatre on 12 October 1965 and closed after 13 performances. It starred Sheila Hancock
as Kath, Dudley Sutton
as Sloane, Lee Montague
as Ed, and George Turner as Kemp. William Ritman designed the sets and costumes.
The play was revived as part of the Joe Orton Festival at the Royal Court Theatre
in London
. Directed by Roger Croucher, it opened on 17 April 1975 and subsequently transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre
. It starred Beryl Reid
as Kath, Malcolm McDowell
as Sloane, James Ottaway as Kemp, and Ronald Fraser
as Ed. John Gunter
designed the sets and Deirdre Clancy supervised the costumes. A subsequent London and touring production was directed by Kenneth Williams
and starred Barbara Windsor
as Kath.
The Roundabout Theatre Company
revived the play in 2005 under the direction of Scott Ellis
. It starred Alec Baldwin
as Ed, Chris Carmack
as Sloane, Jan Maxwell
as Kath, and Richard Easton
as Kemp. The design team included Allen Moyer
(sets), Michael Krass (costumes), Ken Posner (lights), and John Gromada
(original music and sound).
In 2007, the Melbourne Theatre Company
staged a production at the Fairfax Theatre in the Melbourne Arts Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Directed by Simon Phillips, it starred Richard Piper as Ed, Ben Guerens
as Sloane, Amanda Muggleton
as Kath, and Bob Hornery
as Kemp. It was designed by Shaun Gorton, with music by David Chesworth
.
From 29th January 2009, a production at the Trafalgar Studios
in London starred Imelda Staunton
as Kath, Mathew Horne
as Sloane and Simon Paisley Day
as Ed. Horne collapsed during a performance on 2nd April 2009 with a suspected virus.
on July 15, 1968. Clive Exton
wrote the screenplay for a 1970 feature film
directed by Douglas Hickox
and starring Beryl Reid, Peter McEnery
, Harry Andrews
, and Alan Webb
.
Joe Orton
John Kingsley Orton was an English playwright.In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies...
. It was first produced in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the New Arts Theatre
Arts Theatre
The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. It now operates as the West End's smallest commercial receiving house.-History:...
on 6 May 1964
1964 in literature
The year 1964 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Jean-Paul Sartre becomes head of the Organization to Defend Iranian Political Prisoners....
and transferred to the West End's
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
Wyndham's Theatre
Wyndham's Theatre
Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by the actor/manager Charles Wyndham . Located on Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, it was designed by W.G.R. Sprague about 1898, the architect of six other London theatres between then and 1916...
on 29 June 1964.
Plot summary
Act 1Mr Sloane is a young man looking for a place to board, who happens by the home of Kath, a middle-aged landlady whose home is on the outskirts of a rubbish dump
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
. Kath is eager to have Mr Sloane as a tenant at her home, which she shares with her nearly blind father. In getting to know Mr Sloane, Kath is open with Mr Sloane about a previous relationship she had, which led to her bearing a child, whom her brother insisted on her giving up for adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
as it was conceived out of wedlock
Wedlock
Wedlock may refer to:* Marriage* Wedlock , an album by Sunburned Hand of the Man* Wedlock , directed by Lewis Teague* Billy Wedlock, an English footballer* Fred Wedlock, an English folk singer...
. Mr Sloan reveals he is himself an orphan, though vague about his parents' death, aside from the fact they “passed away together.” Kath’s father has an immediate distrust of Mr Sloane, believing he is the same man who killed his employer some years earlier. After an altercation between Kemp and Sloane, resulting in Sloane being stabbed in the leg, Kath begins to make somewhat subtle advances toward the young man. When Mr Sloane attempts to reciprocate, Kath warns him facetiously not to betray his trust. Kathy’s brother Ed arrives soon after to find the visitor staying with his sister, much to his dismay. Kemp has an estranged relationship with his son as he found him to be "committing some kind of felony in the bedroom" as a teenager. Despite Ed’s initial opposition to Mr Sloane staying with his sister, after speaking with Sloane, Ed eventually relents and even goes so far as to offer him a job as his chauffeur
Chauffeur
A chauffeur is a person employed to drive a passenger motor vehicle, especially a luxury vehicle such as a large sedan or limousine.Originally such drivers were always personal servants of the vehicle owner, but now in many cases specialist chauffeur service companies, or individual drivers provide...
. As Sloane recovers from his injury earlier in the evening, Kath returns wearing a transparent negligee and seemingly seduces Mr Sloane as the lights go down and Act One ends.
Act 2
The action resumes 'some months later’ and begins with Mr Sloane recounting an evening in which a young woman gave him her telephone number. Kath ambiguously hints at her jealousy, before ultimately revealing she is pregnant and concerned that her brother will strongly disapprove. Ed arrives soon after and discovers that Mr Sloane had taken his car out joyriding the night before with his friends. Upon finding out that they also had a woman with them, Ed divulges that he feels women are crude, and misleading. Ed advises Sloane to pack his things as he will be on call as his assistant at all hours. When Sloane leaves the room to pack, Kemp mildly attempts to reconcile with his son, and conveys that Kath and Sloane have been sleeping together and believes Kath is now pregnant. When confronted, Sloane confirms he has been sleeping with Kath, but claims she “threw herself” at him. A short time later, Ed departs to buy cigarettes, and Kemp returns to confront Sloane as his employer’s murderer. Sloane eventually attacks Kemp, resulting in his death.
Act 3
Upon finding his dead father, Ed is initially insistent that justice be served and Sloane be turned over to the police. However, Sloane persuades Ed to fabricate a story
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
to make the death appear an accident, in exchange for his servitude
Sex worker
A sex worker is a person who works in the sex industry. The term is usually used in reference to those in the sex industry that actually provide such sexual services, as opposed to management and staff of such industries...
. When Kath discovers the dead body, she is apprehensive to stray from the truth especially given Sloane’s intention to go and live with her brother. Sloane finds himself in a predicament: if he stays with Kath, Ed will report the murder to the authorities, and vice versa if he choses to leave with Ed. Ultimately, a compromise is reached that will result in the pair ‘sharing’ Mr. Sloane a few months at a time.
Productions
The play premiered in the West EndWest End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
in 1964, thanks to the financial support of Terence Rattigan
Terence Rattigan
Sir Terence Mervyn Rattigan CBE was one of England's most popular 20th-century dramatists. His plays are generally set in an upper-middle-class background...
, who had seen the play at the New Arts Theatre, rated it highly and put up £3,000 in sponsorship. It was directed by Patrick Dromgoole and starred Madge Ryan as Kath, Dudley Sutton
Dudley Sutton
-Life:He served in the RAF as a mechanic before enrolling in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from which he was later expelled.Known for his eccentricity, he became a cult figure after playing a gay biker in The Leather Boys . He married American actress Marjorie Steele in 1961; she had previously...
as Sloane, Charles Lamb
Charles Lamb (actor)
Charles Lamb was a British film and television actor.His longest role was as Mrs Dale's gardener, Monument, in the radio soap opera Mrs Dale's Diary.-Selected filmography:* Once a Crook...
as Kemp, and Peter Vaughan
Peter Vaughan
Peter Vaughan is an English character actor, known for many supporting roles in a variety of British film and television productions. He has worked extensively on the stage, becoming known for roles such as police inspectors, Soviet agents and similar parts...
as Ed. It was designed by Timothy O'Brien
Timothy O'Brien (theatre designer)
Timothy O’Brien RDI, is a British theatre designer. [1]Educated at Cambridge University 1949-52 and as a Henry Fellow at the Yale School of Drama 1952-3, his career began in television at the BBC in 1954...
, with costumes supervised by Tazeena Firth.
The Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production, directed by Alan Schneider
Alan Schneider
Alan Schneider was an American theatre director and mentor responsible for more than 100 theatre productions. In 1984 he was honored with a Drama Desk Special Award for serving a wide range of playwrights...
, opened at the Lyceum Theatre on 12 October 1965 and closed after 13 performances. It starred Sheila Hancock
Sheila Hancock
Sheila Cameron Hancock, CBE is an English actress and author.-Early life:Sheila Hancock was born in Blackgang on the Isle of Wight, the daughter of Ivy Louise and Enrico Cameron Hancock, who was a publican. Her sister Billie is seven years older...
as Kath, Dudley Sutton
Dudley Sutton
-Life:He served in the RAF as a mechanic before enrolling in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from which he was later expelled.Known for his eccentricity, he became a cult figure after playing a gay biker in The Leather Boys . He married American actress Marjorie Steele in 1961; she had previously...
as Sloane, Lee Montague
Lee Montague
Lee Montague is an English actor noted for his roles on film and television, usually playing tough guys.Film credits include: Moulin Rouge, The Camp on Blood Island, The Savage Innocents, Billy Budd, The Secret of Blood Island, Deadlier Than the Male, The Legacy and Brother Sun, Sister...
as Ed, and George Turner as Kemp. William Ritman designed the sets and costumes.
The play was revived as part of the Joe Orton Festival at the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Directed by Roger Croucher, it opened on 17 April 1975 and subsequently transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre
Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
. It starred Beryl Reid
Beryl Reid
Beryl Elizabeth Reid, OBE was a British actress of stage and screen.-Early life:Born in Hereford, England in 1919, Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents and grew up in Manchester where she attended Withington and Levenshulme High Schools.-Career:Reid applied for and was accepted in a revue in...
as Kath, Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
as Sloane, James Ottaway as Kemp, and Ronald Fraser
Ronald Fraser
Ronald Fraser was an English character actor, who appeared in numerous British films of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s whilst also appearing in many popular TV shows.-Background:...
as Ed. John Gunter
John Gunter
John Gunter was secretary-manager of Middlesbrough F.C. from February 1909 to June 1910.Following the departure of Andy Aitken to Leicester Fosse, Boro were left without a manager in name for sixteen months, and so the responsibilities of management fell to secretary John Gunter.Gunter joined the...
designed the sets and Deirdre Clancy supervised the costumes. A subsequent London and touring production was directed by Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
and starred Barbara Windsor
Barbara Windsor
Barbara Ann Windsor, MBE , better known by her stage name Barbara Windsor, is an English actress. Her best known roles are in the Carry On films and as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders....
as Kath.
The Roundabout Theatre Company
Roundabout Theatre Company
The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in New York City.-History:The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist and Elizabeth Owens and now operates five theatres, all in Manhattan: the American Airlines Theatre ; Studio 54 ; the Stephen Sondheim Theatre The...
revived the play in 2005 under the direction of Scott Ellis
Scott Ellis
Scott Ellis is an American stage director and television director.-Biography:Ellis has directed numerous Off-Broadway and Broadway productions, including the New York City Opera Company revivals at the New York State Theatre: A Little Night Music and 110 in the Shade up to his current show, the...
. It starred Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
as Ed, Chris Carmack
Chris Carmack
James Christopher "Chris" Carmack is an American actor and former fashion model.-Early life:Carmack was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Derwood, Maryland. He has two siblings, a brother and sister. As a young boy, he enjoyed participating in all types of sports: baseball, basketball,...
as Sloane, Jan Maxwell
Jan Maxwell
Jan Maxwell is an American stage and television actress. She is a four-time Tony Award nominee.-Biography:She is the daughter of former First District Judge Ralph B. Maxwell and Elizabeth Maxwell, a lawyer for the EPA. She attended West Fargo High School, West Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead...
as Kath, and Richard Easton
Richard Easton
Richard Easton is a Canadian actor. He is best known in for his portrayal of Brian Hammond in the 1970s BBC serial The Brothers.-Biography:...
as Kemp. The design team included Allen Moyer
Allen Moyer
Allen Moyer is an American set designer particularly known for his work in operas and Broadway musicals. He grew up in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania and holds a MFA degree from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where he studied under John Conklin...
(sets), Michael Krass (costumes), Ken Posner (lights), and John Gromada
John Gromada
John Gromada is a prolific, award-winning composer and sound designer. He is best known for his many scores for theatrical productions in New York on and off-Broadway and in regional theatres...
(original music and sound).
In 2007, the Melbourne Theatre Company
Melbourne Theatre Company
The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne. Founded in 1953, it is the oldest professional theatre company in Australia, and has its own theatre, The MTC Theatre – which houses the 500-seat Sumner Theatre and the 150-seat Lawler Studio – located in Melbourne's Arts...
staged a production at the Fairfax Theatre in the Melbourne Arts Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Directed by Simon Phillips, it starred Richard Piper as Ed, Ben Guerens
Ben Guerens
Ben Geurens is an actor.-Biography:Geurens graduated from NIDA in 2004. At drama school his credits include The Return, Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing and Who's Afraid of the Working Class.-Roles:Geurens is best known for playing suburban rascal Toby Mangel on the soap opera Neighbours...
as Sloane, Amanda Muggleton
Amanda Muggleton
Amanda Lillian Muggleton is a British-born theatre, television and film actress. She is best known for her role on television soap opera Prisoner.-Early life:Muggleton was born in Stepney, London in 1951 and emigrated to Australia in 1974...
as Kath, and Bob Hornery
Bob Hornery
Bob Hornery is an Australian actor.As well as other stage roles, Bob Hornery appeared in the stage production of "The Importance of Being Earnest" as the "Rev. Canon Chasuble"...
as Kemp. It was designed by Shaun Gorton, with music by David Chesworth
David Chesworth
David Chesworth is an award-winning Australian-based composer and installation artist. Known for his experimental, and at times minimalist music, he has worked in rock groups, classical ensembles, theatre, opera...
.
From 29th January 2009, a production at the Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Studios, formerly The Whitehall Theatre until 2004, is a West End theatre in Whitehall, near Trafalgar Square, in the City of Westminster, London....
in London starred Imelda Staunton
Imelda Staunton
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton, OBE is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for her performances in the British comedy television series Up the Garden Path, the Harry Potter film series and Vera Drake...
as Kath, Mathew Horne
Mathew Horne
Mathew Frazer Horne is an English actor, stand-up comedian, television presenter and narrator best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey portraying Gavin Shipman, The Catherine Tate Show, Teachers and Horne and Corden.-Early life:Horne was born...
as Sloane and Simon Paisley Day
Simon Paisley Day
Simon Paisley Day also known as Simon Day is a British stage and screen actor. His most recent work includes Timon Of Athens , Entertaining Mr Sloane , Private Lives and Twelfth Night .-Film:-Theatre:His stage credits inclue;-TV:-External links:* on IMDB* - National Theatre...
as Ed. Horne collapsed during a performance on 2nd April 2009 with a suspected virus.
Film adaptations
The play was developed for British television and telecast by ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
on July 15, 1968. Clive Exton
Clive Exton
Clive Exton was a British television and film screenwriter, sometime playwright, and former actor. He is best known for his scripts of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, P. G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster, and Rosemary & Thyme.-Early career:He was born Clive Jack Montague Brooks in Islington, London,...
wrote the screenplay for a 1970 feature film
Entertaining Mr Sloane (film)
Entertaining Mr Sloane is a 1970 black comedy film directed by Douglas Hickox. The screenplay by Clive Exton is based on the 1964 play of the same title by Joe Orton...
directed by Douglas Hickox
Douglas Hickox
Douglas Hickox was an English film director. Hickox was born in London, where he was educated at Emanuel School. Hickox worked extensively as an assistant director and second unit director throughout the 50's and early 60's, making his first major picture in 1970...
and starring Beryl Reid, Peter McEnery
Peter McEnery
Peter McEnery is an English stage and film actor. His daughter Kate, by his first marriage to British actress Julie Peasgood, is an actress....
, Harry Andrews
Harry Andrews
Harry Fleetwood Andrews, CBE was an English film actor known for his frequent portrayals of tough military officers. His performance as Sergeant Major Wilson in The Hill alongside Sean Connery earned Andrews the 1965 National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor and a nomination for the...
, and Alan Webb
Alan Webb (actor)
-Biography and Career:Educated at Bramcote School, Scarborough, and RN Colleges Osborne and Dartmouth. He served in the Royal Navy.Webb's early days were spent performing with the Lena Ashwell Players , J. B. Fagan's Oxford Players , The Croydon Repertory Company , and the Old Vic-Sadler's Wells...
.
Awards
- 1982 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding RevivalDrama Desk Award for Outstanding RevivalThe Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival is presented by the Drama Desk, a committee of New York City theatre critics, writers, and editors. It honors the Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, or legitimate not-for-profit theater revival of a production previously staged in New York City.It...
- 1996 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival