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Premiere of Joe Orton's 'lost' first play tells bitter tale of early years on council estate Premiere of Joe Orton's 'lost' first play tells bitter tale of early years on council estate
(about 7 hours later)
Joe Orton's "lost" first play, described by his sister as his closest portrait of the world he grew up in, is to receive its world premiere later this summer, more than half a century after he wrote it. Joe Orton's "lost" first play, described by his sister as his closest portrait of the world in which he grew up, is to receive its world premiere later this summer, more than half a century after he wrote it. His younger sister, Leonie Orton-Barnett, a librarian at Leicester University who also runs the late playwright's literary estate, has given permission for a London theatre company to produce Fred and Madge, written in 1959 and never professionally produced.
His younger sister, Leonie Orton-Barnett, a librarian at Leicester University who also runs the late playwright's literary estate, has given permission for a London theatre company to produce Fred and Madge, written in 1959 and never professionally produced. "It reminds me so much of our young lives together with our parents on the council estate in Leicester," she told the Observer. "It will be very interesting to see it on stage at last. I do think Fred and Madge are based on my parents, and I can really hear my mother's voice.
"It reminds me so much of our young lives together with our parents on the council estate in Leicester," she told the Observer this weekend. "It will be very interesting to see it on stage at last. I do think Fred and Madge are based on my parents, and I can really hear my mother's voice.
"There are even some of her colloquialisms and sayings in there, like the line, 'She is growing, growing all the time'. My mother was always saying this superficial stuff, and yet other stuff was going on underneath.""There are even some of her colloquialisms and sayings in there, like the line, 'She is growing, growing all the time'. My mother was always saying this superficial stuff, and yet other stuff was going on underneath."
Orton went on to write three key plays in the modern British canon; the anarchic hits Loot, Entertaining Mr Sloane and the posthumously produced What the Butler Saw. In August 1967, at the height of his success, Orton was killed by Kenneth Halliwell, the partner he had met at drama school. Halliwell committed suicide on the same day by taking an overdose. Orton went on to write three key plays in the modern British canon: the anarchic hits Loot, Entertaining Mr Sloane and the posthumously produced What the Butler Saw. In August 1967, at the height of his success, Orton was killed by Kenneth Halliwell, the partner he had met at drama school. Halliwell committed suicide on the same day by taking an overdose.
Fred and Madge was found among his papers and not published until 2001. It is about a middle-aged couple with menial yet demanding jobs who realise they are performing a play about their own lives. Fred has to push a boulder up a hill, while Madge has to sieve bath water. Orton's father, William, worked as a council gardener, while his mother, Elsie, worked in a shoe factory.Fred and Madge was found among his papers and not published until 2001. It is about a middle-aged couple with menial yet demanding jobs who realise they are performing a play about their own lives. Fred has to push a boulder up a hill, while Madge has to sieve bath water. Orton's father, William, worked as a council gardener, while his mother, Elsie, worked in a shoe factory.
Orton-Barnett said she is not sure if her brother would be pleased to see the play produced, but believes it will provide an insight into how he developed. "You know what writers are like: they want you to believe they came out of the sea fully formed, and that is not the case."Orton-Barnett said she is not sure if her brother would be pleased to see the play produced, but believes it will provide an insight into how he developed. "You know what writers are like: they want you to believe they came out of the sea fully formed, and that is not the case."
One of Orton's three younger siblings, Orton-Barnett said the play's bleak outlook mirrors her brother's. "Joe thought life was dreary and awful, even while he was at Rada. But I don't think he is trying to be remorseful or sad. He is trying to get across the lives that most people lead. The character of Fred has this line, 'Oh, the boredom, the fatigue. No merriment, no frolics, no whoopee …Time hangs heavily', and that is just my memory of how it felt for us, although Joe did not articulate it like that at the time, of course." One of Orton's three younger siblings, Orton-Barnett said the play's bleak outlook mirrors her brother's. "Joe thought life was dreary and awful, even while he was at Rada. But I don't think he is trying to be remorseful or sad. He is trying to get across the lives that most people lead. The character of Fred has this line, 'Oh, the boredom, the fatigue. No merriment, no frolics, no whoopee … Time hangs heavily', and that is just my memory of how it felt for us, although Joe did not articulate it like that at the time, of course."
The director of the first production is 24-year-old Mary Franklin, a graduate of the Kings Head training scheme in north London and two years younger than Orton when he wrote the play. "It is a huge responsibility," she told the Observer. "I am going to treat it as a new play, which is what it is since it is not really like the three best-known plays. You can sense his love of theatre though, and it is incredibly erudite and gives a real picture of a play being performed." The director of the first production is 24-year-old Mary Franklin, a graduate of the King's Head training scheme in north London and two years younger than Orton when he wrote the play. "It is a huge responsibility," she told the Observer. "I am going to treat it as a new play, which is what it is since it is not really like the three best-known plays. You can sense his love of theatre though, and it is incredibly erudite and gives a real picture of a play being performed."
Producer Adam Spreadbury-Maher describes it as "a very theatrical piece", and points out that it was written in Noel Road in Islington, north London, close to the Hope Theatre where it will now premiere 55 years later.Producer Adam Spreadbury-Maher describes it as "a very theatrical piece", and points out that it was written in Noel Road in Islington, north London, close to the Hope Theatre where it will now premiere 55 years later.
None of the Orton children passed their grammar school entrance exam and the playwright remained bitter, said Orton-Barnett. "In Alan Bennett's screenplay for the film Prick Up Your Ears [a biopic of Orton's life], Joe says to Kenneth, 'I will never catch up,' and I know exactly what he means. Kenneth was Oxbridge and Joe never went. Because we were working-class, we didn't really have an idea of university. All the kids on the estate were going to be factory fodder." None of the Orton children passed their grammar school entrance exam and the playwright remained bitter, said Orton-Barnett. "In Alan Bennett's screenplay for the film Prick Up Your Ears [a biopic of Orton's life], Joe says to Kenneth, 'I will never catch up,' and I know exactly what he means. Kenneth was Oxbridge and Joe never went. Because we were working-class, we didn't really have an idea of university. All the kids on the estate were going to be factory fodder. If you didn't get into grammar school then you couldn't even take the exams and my parents couldn't afford to send us for tutoring," she said.
The obstacles in Orton's path, including the illegal status of his homosexuality, helped to make his voice stand out in the theatre, his sister believes. "All great writers give their slant on the times that they are writing in," she said, "and Joe is saying what it was like to be gay and persecuted."The obstacles in Orton's path, including the illegal status of his homosexuality, helped to make his voice stand out in the theatre, his sister believes. "All great writers give their slant on the times that they are writing in," she said, "and Joe is saying what it was like to be gay and persecuted."
She is trying to locate a lost best playwright award that Orton received in 1966 for Loot. It disappeared after she lent it to Leicester city council seven years ago. "The statuette is priceless to us, and we just want it back," she said after launching an appeal on the official Joe Orton website.She is trying to locate a lost best playwright award that Orton received in 1966 for Loot. It disappeared after she lent it to Leicester city council seven years ago. "The statuette is priceless to us, and we just want it back," she said after launching an appeal on the official Joe Orton website.
A spokeswoman for the city council said it had spoken to the family and carried out an internal investigation.A spokeswoman for the city council said it had spoken to the family and carried out an internal investigation.
Fred and Madge opens on 19 September at the Hope Theatre. Fred and Madge opens on 19 September at the Hope Theatre