LOOT till 27 March

Bristol
LOOT: Joe Orton
Bristol Old Vic Company
Theatre Royal: Tkts 0117 987 7877

Running Time 90 Minutes, till 27 March
Review: Stewart McGill, 10 March 2004

I laughed and smiled at this revival placed splendidly in its time
I laughed and smiled throughout David Farr's loving recreation of Joe Orton's black comedy. Perhaps the whole genre send up now seems a little dated as Orton re-explores the murder mystery form, so loved by 50's and 60's theatregoers, giving it his own particular take.

Clive Francis is quite hilarious as Truscott, the inspector, investigating the robbery giving the play its title. His timing and sense of playing with the audience gently mocks all those Fabians of the Yard of television and stage fame. There is a deal of mischief in his eyes. Corruption in the police force has long been a topic of satire and debate. I guess quite a few ex-met officers may have squirmed as they saw a little of themselves in the sadistic detective.

David Farr places Loot firmly in its time and Tom Piper's design brilliantly brings to life its suburban location you can quite imagine the neighbourhood beyond the front door.

As always with the revitalised Old Vic the acting is strong throughout although I did find Edward Hogg's Hal too much of a Frank Spencer clone. I think this gag in rehearsals must have been great but to retain it throughout the show is, in my opinion, a mistake and rather ridicules the whole thing.

The ongoing visual gags with the corpse take on a demented sickness that, if you stop to think about it, quite chills. I recall a major row empting at the time of its premiere when the Lord Chamberlain insisted on cuts being made to the wiping of the organ casket' of the dead Mrs McLeavy. David Farr has no such qualms and the offending stage directions are restored with grinning sauce! Orton really knew how to offend us, and we love him for it.

Why revive Loot? I'm not sure I would want to make an extended argument for a complete re-examination of Orton's work but it does suggest an influence on modern comedy that belongs in the line stretching back to Wilde and ahead to McDonagh.

Take some advice from an old mod arrive early and soak up the magnificent pre-show soundtrack of Kinks, Beatles etc played at volume, a relentless and joyous framing to an odd evening of dark and dirty humour.

Cast

Fay Pooky Quensel
McLeavy Andrew Melville
Hal Edward Hogg
Dennis Luke Jardine
Truscott Clive Francis
PC Meadows Andrew Hinton Brown

Creative Team

Director David Farr
Designer Tom Piper
Lighting Director Hartley T.A. Kemp
Sound Designer Jason Barnes

2004-03-12 20:56:55