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Henry Hitchings's rating
, Yeah but no, for Prick Up Your Ears
By
Henry Hitchings
1 Oct 2009
If a friend’s success causes a little something inside us to die, the success of a lover can annihilate our whole being. Such, at least, is the premise of Simon Bent’s play, which limns the relationship between Joe Orton, enfant terrible of Sixties theatre, and his long-time partner Kenneth Halliwell.
Orton, once described as the Oscar Wilde of the Welfare State, was a brilliant farceur who loved chaos — including the rough magic of anonymous encounters in urinals. Halliwell, tormented by Orton’s promiscuity and his professional attainments, eventually battered him to death.
It is Matt Lucas as Halliwell who is the big draw in Daniel Kramer’s production, and the star of Little Britain delivers a performance that is complex and precisely gauged, albeit hyperbolic.
Rather than being a restrained Salieri to Orton’s flashy Mozart, Lucas’s Halliwell is hyperactive, a quaking, shrieking, reeling mixture of creative whirlwind, backbiter, martyr, ogre and baby.
His relationship with Chris New’s Orton intriguingly embodies the dangers of creative partnerships, and the comparatively little-known New is refreshingly plausible. He has a sinewy physical presence, at once affable and dangerous.
And as the couple’s landlady, Gwen Taylor, on hand to provide comic relief from Halliwell’s sulks and craziness, impresses with her smart timing.
All the action takes place in the claustrophobic Islington flat that Orton and Halliwell share, and Peter McKintosh’s design is effective both practically and metaphorically. At first the set is sparely decorated, but gradually the walls fill up with a collage — Halliwell’s work, and a testament to the livid riot of his subconscious, which by the end seems ready to invade the stalls.
Bent’s script, drawing on Orton’s diaries and John Lahr’s biography, occasionally oversimplifies psychological issues. But there are moments when it rises above its general decency to capture the effervescence of its subject, as gingery innuendoes blend with tart aphorisms and cascades of unconstrained camp. That said, it is far from clear how Orton became embroiled in his tiring relationship with the dyspeptic Halliwell. We see that they shared anarchic tendencies, a taste for verbal playfulness and, of course, their sexuality, but this hardly feels enough. It is a shame, too, that we do not see more of the almost psychotic hedonism of Orton’s life and Sixties milieu.
In the end, though, this is an actors’ piece — and above all a vehicle for Lucas. He conveys raw power and fine detail, demonstrating that he is an actor capable of fierce intensity, but it is hard to find his performance sympathetic, and Prick Up Your Ears, while amusing and finally poignant, lacks real emotional punch.
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Reader views (4)
The play was astonishing; Matt Lucas particularly. I have always been intrigued by the story of Halliwell and Orton and the decision to present the relationship from Halliwell's persepctive was fascinating and hugely successful. I'm sure we've all watched relationships where the power balance has suddenly shifted. Halliwell was the older in the relationship; the confident one, the one with the talent who suddenly became the man who people pushed out of the way as they clambered to get a piece of Orton.
I always knew Matt would do a good job of playing Halliwell. What I didn't expect was that he'd make me weep. He showed such extrordinary vulnerability and amazing emotional depth. Chris New did a stirling job of playing Orton and Gwen Taylor was terrific. I have never seen anyone make a chiffon bed jacket move with such style and comic timing!
My friend, who came with me to the performance (a television writer) didn't know much about the story, and watched the play purely as a piece of drama. She emerged afterwards saying it was the best piece of theatre she'd seen for years.
We both thought it was beautifully timed, beautifully written, beautifully staged (the sound designed was particularly striking) and beautifully acted.
It will stay with me for a very long time to come and I'd suggest anyone reading this should make a beeline for the Comedy Theatre.
- Benjamin, Highgate, London, 02/10/2009 13:32
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How can a "dramatic interpretation" show us "what really happened behind closed doors?" - a play is is just that - the dramatist's interpretation or indeed invention.
And neither Mr Halliwell or Mr Orton were "nice" people or particularly sympathetic - although both funny and talented. They were too complex for that. Actually, I have always thought that Mr Halliwell was the first wife - guy gets successful, dumps existing relationship and moves on. That affected Kenneth Halliwell and we all know the ending to the story.
- Sentry, London UK, 02/10/2009 08:41
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Beautifully played, intensely funny, dark and tragic - wonderful to see a dramatic interpretation of what really happened behind those closed doors.
Also a relief to see Halliwell and Orton portrayed as sympathetic characters, so different from the one dimensionality of the film.
Lucas proves himself a formidable straight actors, Gwen Taylor brings Orton's writing to life and Chris New is definately one to watch as an actor who brings depth and vitality to the stage.
Deserves to do very well
- Lucy, London, 01/10/2009 12:28
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a real emtional roller coaster.; funny, dark and gruesome
Lucas threw a lot into this performance - he looked drained at the end.
I enjoyed it - although i've never read book or seen the film
- Ross, london, 01/10/2009 10:35
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