Loot (play)
Encyclopedia
Loot is a two-act play by the English playwright Joe Orton
. The play is a dark
farce
that satirises the Roman Catholic Church
, social attitudes to death, and the integrity of the police force.
Loot was Orton's third major production, following Entertaining Mr Sloane
and the television play The Good and Faithful Servant. Playing with the conventions of popular farce, Orton creates a hectic world and examines English attitudes and perceptions in the mid twentieth century. The play won several awards in its London run and has since gained a reputation as a comic masterpiece and has had many revivals.
on 1 February 1965. The production starred Geraldine McEwan
, Kenneth Williams
, Duncan Macrae and Ian McShane
and was directed by Peter Wood
.
Responses to the first production were extremely mixed, with many in the audience outraged, as Orton had intended, but largely negative reviews also affected the box office. The first run ended at Wimbledon on 20 March 1965 with the play considered a flop due to its problems with repeated script rewrites, uneven direction, a stylish and unsympathetic set, and what many considered the miscasting of Williams.
Loot was successfully revived the following year, however, at the Jeanette Cochrane Theatre in Holborn
. It opened on 27 September 1966 with Gerry Duggan as McLeavy, Sheila Ballantine as Fay, Kenneth Cranham
as Hal, Simon Ward
as Dennis, and Michael Bates
as Inspector Truscott. It was directed by Charles Marowitz
and designed by Tony Carruthers. The production transferred to the Criterion Theatre
in November 1966.
The play had its first Broadway production in New York at the Biltmore Theatre. It opened on 18 March 1968. Kenneth Cranham
played Hal (as he had in the 1966 London production), James Hunter played Dennis, Liam Redmond
played McLeavy, Carole Shelley
played Fay, George Rose
played Truscott, and Norman Barrs played Meadows. It was directed by Derek Goldby
and designed by William Ritmann.
Albert Finney
directed a production at the Royal Court Theatre
as part of its Joe Orton Festival. This production opened on 3 June 1975. Arthur O'Sullivan
played McLeavy, Jill Bennett played Fay, David Troughton
played Hal, James Aubrey
played Dennis, Philip Stone
played Truscott, and Michael O'Hagan played Meadows. It was designed by Douglas Heap, with costumes by Harriet Geddes.
A production was staged at the Lyric Hammersmith
in 1984 during the run of which the actor Leonard Rossiter
died whilst waiting to go on stage.
The play was staged at the Manhattan Theatre Club
in a production directed by John Tillinger
. It opened on 18 February 1986. Kevin Bacon
played Dennis, Željko Ivanek
played Hal, Zoë Wanamaker
played Fay, Charles Keating
played McLeavy, Joseph Maher
played Truscott (winning a Drama Desk Award
for his performance), and Nick Ullett
played Meadows. This production transferred to the Music Box Theatre
on Broadway on 28 June 1986. Alec Baldwin
, in his Broadway debut, replaced Kevin Bacon in the role of Dennis. It was awarded the 1986 Outer Critics Circle Award
s for best revival and best director.
The Lyric Hammersmith
staged a production directed by Peter James, which opened on 7 May 1992. Patrick O'Connell
played McLeavy, Dearbhla Molloy
played Fay, Ben Walden played Hal, Colin Hurley played Dennis, David Troughton
(who had played Hal in the 1975 Royal Court production) played Truscott, and Richard Hodder played Meadows. It was designed by Bernard Culshaw.
Loot was revived from 11 December 2008 to 31 January 2009 at the Tricycle Theatre
, London starring Matt Di Angelo
and David Haig
as Hal and Truscott. It transferred to Theatre Royal, Newcastle
and ran between 2–7 February 2009.
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...
. The play is a dark
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
that satirises the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, social attitudes to death, and the integrity of the police force.
Loot was Orton's third major production, following Entertaining Mr Sloane
Entertaining Mr Sloane
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.-Plot summary:Act 1...
and the television play The Good and Faithful Servant. Playing with the conventions of popular farce, Orton creates a hectic world and examines English attitudes and perceptions in the mid twentieth century. The play won several awards in its London run and has since gained a reputation as a comic masterpiece and has had many revivals.
Plot outline
Loot follows the fortunes of two young thieves, Hal and Dennis. Together they rob the bank next to the funeral parlour where Dennis works and return to Hal's home to hide the money. Hal's mother has just died and the money is hidden in her coffin while her body keeps on appearing around the house. Upon the arrival of Inspector Truscott the plot turns topsy turvy as Hal and Dennis try to keep him off their trail.Production history
Orton completed a first draft in October 1964, which premiered in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
on 1 February 1965. The production starred Geraldine McEwan
Geraldine McEwan
Geraldine McEwan is an English actor with a diverse history in theatre, film, and television. From 2004 to 2009 she appeared as Miss Marple, the Agatha Christie sleuth, for the series Marple.-Background:...
, 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...
, Duncan Macrae and Ian McShane
Ian McShane
Ian David McShane is an English actor, director, producer, voice artist, and comedian.Despite appearing in numerous films, McShane is best known for his television roles, particularly the BBC's Lovejoy and HBO's Western drama Deadwood...
and was directed by Peter Wood
Peter Wood
Peter John Wood was an English musician, born in Middlesex, England. In his early years he lived with his parents in Hythe Field Avenue, Egham, Surrey...
.
Responses to the first production were extremely mixed, with many in the audience outraged, as Orton had intended, but largely negative reviews also affected the box office. The first run ended at Wimbledon on 20 March 1965 with the play considered a flop due to its problems with repeated script rewrites, uneven direction, a stylish and unsympathetic set, and what many considered the miscasting of Williams.
Loot was successfully revived the following year, however, at the Jeanette Cochrane Theatre in Holborn
Holborn
Holborn is an area of Central London. Holborn is also the name of the area's principal east-west street, running as High Holborn from St Giles's High Street to Gray's Inn Road and then on to Holborn Viaduct...
. It opened on 27 September 1966 with Gerry Duggan as McLeavy, Sheila Ballantine as Fay, Kenneth Cranham
Kenneth Cranham
Kenneth Cranham is a film, television and stage actor. He starred in the title role in the popular 1980s comedy drama Shine on Harvey Moon. He also appeared in Layer Cake, Gangster No. 1, Rome, Oliver! and many other films. He is probably best known to horror genre fans as the deranged Dr...
as Hal, Simon Ward
Simon Ward
Simon Ward is an English stage and film actor.-Early life:Simon Ward was born in Beckenham, Kent, near London, the son of a car dealer. From an early age he wanted to be an actor. He was educated at Alleyn's School, London, the home of the National Youth Theatre, which he joined at age 13 and...
as Dennis, and Michael Bates
Michael Bates (actor)
Michael Bates was a British actor born in Jhansi, United Provinces, India.-Biography:Bates served as a Major serving with the Brigade of Gurkhas in Burma before his discharge at the end of World War II...
as Inspector Truscott. It was directed by Charles Marowitz
Charles Marowitz
Charles Marowitz is an American critic, theatre director, and playwright who has been a regular columnist on Swans Commentary—a cultural-political bi-weekly—since 2004...
and designed by Tony Carruthers. The production transferred to the Criterion Theatre
Criterion Theatre
The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has an official capacity of 588.-Building the theatre:...
in November 1966.
The play had its first Broadway production in New York at the Biltmore Theatre. It opened on 18 March 1968. Kenneth Cranham
Kenneth Cranham
Kenneth Cranham is a film, television and stage actor. He starred in the title role in the popular 1980s comedy drama Shine on Harvey Moon. He also appeared in Layer Cake, Gangster No. 1, Rome, Oliver! and many other films. He is probably best known to horror genre fans as the deranged Dr...
played Hal (as he had in the 1966 London production), James Hunter played Dennis, Liam Redmond
Liam Redmond
Liam Redmond was an Irish actor known for his stage, film and television roles.-Early life:Redmond was one of four children born to carpenter Thomas and Eileen Redmond...
played McLeavy, Carole Shelley
Carole Shelley
Carole Shelley is an English actress. Among her many stage roles are the character of Madame Morrible in the original Broadway cast of the musical Wicked.-Life and career:...
played Fay, George Rose
George Rose (actor)
\...
played Truscott, and Norman Barrs played Meadows. It was directed by Derek Goldby
Derek Goldby
Derek Goldby is an Australian-born theatre director who has worked internationally, particularly in Canada, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the United States and France.- Early life :...
and designed by William Ritmann.
Albert Finney
Albert Finney
Albert Finney is an English actor. He achieved prominence in films in the early 1960s, and has maintained a successful career in theatre, film and television....
directed a production 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...
as part of its Joe Orton Festival. This production opened on 3 June 1975. Arthur O'Sullivan
Arthur O'Sullivan
Arthur O'Sullivan , also known as Archie O'Sullivan, was an Irish actor who appeared on stage, screen and radio.- Radio career:...
played McLeavy, Jill Bennett played Fay, David Troughton
David Troughton
David Troughton is an English actor, best known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage.- Biography :David Troughton was born in Hampstead, North London. He comes from a theatrical family: he is the son of Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton, elder brother of Michael Troughton, and father...
played Hal, James Aubrey
James Aubrey (actor)
James Aubrey was an English stage and screen actor. He trained for the stage at the Drama Centre London. He made his professional acting debut in a 1962 production of Isle of Children. Aubrey made his screen acting debut in the 1963 adaptation of Lord of the Flies. Aubrey performed with the Royal...
played Dennis, Philip Stone
Philip Stone
Philip Stone was an English actor.He was born Philip Stones in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Stone appeared in three successive Stanley Kubrick films: playing the central character's "Dad" in A Clockwork Orange , "Graham" in Barry Lyndon and as "Delbert Grady," the original caretaker in The Shining...
played Truscott, and Michael O'Hagan played Meadows. It was designed by Douglas Heap, with costumes by Harriet Geddes.
A production was staged at the Lyric Hammersmith
Lyric Hammersmith
The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on King Street, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, which takes pride in its original, "groundbreaking" productions....
in 1984 during the run of which the actor Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter
Leonard Rossiter was an English actor known for his roles as Rupert Rigsby, in the British comedy television series Rising Damp , and Reginald Iolanthe Perrin, in The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin...
died whilst waiting to go on stage.
The play was staged at the Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...
in a production directed by John Tillinger
John Tillinger
John Tillinger is a theatre director and actor.Born in Tabriz, Iran, Tillinger was raised in England, where he first was exposed to the theatre...
. It opened on 18 February 1986. Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
played Dennis, Željko Ivanek
Željko Ivanek
Željko Ivanek is an Emmy award-winning Slovenian American actor best known for his role as Ray Fiske on Damages. He is also known for playing Blake Sterling on short-lived NBC series The Event and Emile Danko on Heroes....
played Hal, Zoë Wanamaker
Zoe Wanamaker
Zoë Wanamaker, CBE is an American-British actress. She has performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company; in films, including the Harry Potter series; and in a number of television productions, including a long-time role as Susan Harper in the sitcom My Family.-Early life and family:Wanamaker was...
played Fay, Charles Keating
Charles Keating (actor)
Charles Keating is a British actor of stage, screen, and television, and narrator of audiobooks.Of Irish Catholic extraction, Keating was born on October 22, 1941 in London, England, the son of Charles James Keating and Margaret Shevlin...
played McLeavy, Joseph Maher
Joseph Maher
Joseph Maher was an Irish character actor who appeared in 43 films and was nominated for three Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award for his supporting roles on the stage.-Career:...
played Truscott (winning a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for his performance), and Nick Ullett
Nick Ullett
Nicholas Metson "Nick" Ullett is a British-born American actor.-Filmography:*Call of Duty: Finest Hour *Yes, Dear...
played Meadows. This production transferred to the Music Box Theatre
Music Box Theatre
The Music Box Theater is a Broadway theatre located at 239 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.The once most aptly named theater on Broadway, the intimate Music Box was designed by architect C. Howard Crane and constructed by composer Irving Berlin and producer Sam H. Harris specifically to...
on Broadway on 28 June 1986. 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...
, in his Broadway debut, replaced Kevin Bacon in the role of Dennis. It was awarded the 1986 Outer Critics Circle Award
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on and Off-Broadway and were begun during the 1949-1950 theater season. The awards are decided upon by theater critics who review for out-of-town newspapers, national publications, and other media outlets...
s for best revival and best director.
The Lyric Hammersmith
Lyric Hammersmith
The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on King Street, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, which takes pride in its original, "groundbreaking" productions....
staged a production directed by Peter James, which opened on 7 May 1992. Patrick O'Connell
Patrick O'Connell (actor)
Patrick O'Connell is a retired Irish actor known for numerous performances on UK television and in films.He was brought up in Birmingham, England and after working in the office of a department store he trained as an actor at RADA...
played McLeavy, Dearbhla Molloy
Dearbhla Molloy
Dearbhla Molloy is an Irish actress of the stage and screen from Dublin.Molloy consolidated her stage reputation at both the Abbey and the Gate theatres, coming to England to tour with an Abbey production. She was invited to join the Royal Shakespeare Company and has played Gertrude to Kenneth...
played Fay, Ben Walden played Hal, Colin Hurley played Dennis, David Troughton
David Troughton
David Troughton is an English actor, best known for his Shakespearean roles on the British stage.- Biography :David Troughton was born in Hampstead, North London. He comes from a theatrical family: he is the son of Doctor Who actor Patrick Troughton, elder brother of Michael Troughton, and father...
(who had played Hal in the 1975 Royal Court production) played Truscott, and Richard Hodder played Meadows. It was designed by Bernard Culshaw.
Loot was revived from 11 December 2008 to 31 January 2009 at the Tricycle Theatre
Tricycle Theatre
The Tricycle Theatre is located on Kilburn High Road in Kilburn in the London Borough of Brent, England. During the last 30 years, the Tricycle has been presenting plays reflecting the cultural diversity of its community; in particular Black, Irish, Jewish, Asian and South African works, as well as...
, London starring Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo
Matt Di Angelo in London, England is an English actor and singer.He is mostly known for playing fictional character Deano Wicks in the popular British soap EastEnders, and for his current role of Sean Kennedy in the BBC series Hustle.-Education:He attended Southgate School, and started studying...
and David Haig
David Haig
David Haig is an Olivier Award-winning English actor and FIPA Award-winning writer. He is known for his versatility, having played dramatic, serio-comic and comedic roles, playing characters of varied social classes...
as Hal and Truscott. It transferred to Theatre Royal, Newcastle
Theatre Royal, Newcastle
The Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green as part of Richard Grainger's grand design for the centre of Newcastle, and was opened on 20 February 1837 with a performance of The Merchant...
and ran between 2–7 February 2009.
Film version
- Loot was made into a film of the same nameLoot (film)Loot is a 1970 British comedy film directed by Silvio Narizzano, based on the play of the same name by Joe Orton. It was entered into the 1971 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Richard Attenborough - Inspector Truscott* Lee Remick - Nurse Fay McMahon...
in 1970, directed by Silvio NarizzanoSilvio NarizzanoSilvio Narizzano was a Canadian film director, educated at Bishop's University, Quebec.His best received film was Georgy Girl , which was entered into the 16th Berlin International Film Festival...
and starring Richard AttenboroughRichard AttenboroughRichard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
, Lee RemickLee RemickLee Ann Remick was an American film and television actress. Among her best-known films are Anatomy of a Murder , Days of Wine and Roses , and The Omen .-Early life:...
, Hywel BennettHywel BennettHywel Thomas Bennett is a Welsh film and television actor. Bennett is best known for his recurring title role as James Shelley in the television sitcom Shelley from 1979 to 1984 and its sequel The Return of Shelley from 1988 to 1992....
and comedian Dick EmeryDick EmeryRichard Gilbert "Dick" Emery was an English comedian and actor. Beginning on radio in the 1950s, an eponymous television series ran from 1963 to 1981. He was the brother of Ann Emery.-Life and career:...
.