Brighton Emporium’s glowing rendition of Joe Orton’s fantastically crude ‘Entertaining Mr Sloane’ was an unadulterated success.
Staged with a cosy floor-level 1960s set and performed with a strong cast of only four, it included all the quick-witted dark humour that Orton promises.
Amidst the controversial political issues touched upon, such as sexual deviance or gender stereotypes, the cast consistently tickled the audience with perfectly-timed jokes, back-handed comments and slap-stick humour.
Having sent shockwaves through English society in the year of its release in 1964, the effect was not entirely dissimilar for the contemporary Brightonian audience. The odd gasp could just be made out amongst the sea of giggles.
The big shoes belonging to the beloved characters of Mr Sloane, Kath, Ed and Kemp were all excellently filled in this interpretation. Manipulation, naivety and psychosis were all effortlessly portrayed through these famous characters.
The poster for this adaption of Entertaining Mr Sloane reads: ‘WARNING! This show contains nudity, violence and scenes of a strong sexual nature’, and in the unexpected setting of a converted church, it delivers all aforementioned and more. Certainly not for the faint-hearted.
All the black humour you expect from an Orton play: completely professional, endearingly rude.
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