Prick Up Your Ears - Comedy Theatre (review)
Review by Lizzie Guilfoyle
INSPIRED by John Lahr’s biography and the diaries of Joe Orton, Simon Bent’s Prick up Your Ears examines the private lives of two extraordinary men – Kenneth Halliwell (Matt Lucas) and Joe Orton (Chris New).
A dark comedy, it imagines what happened when, after years of creative collaboration, the door slammed shut and Halliwell found himself alone in the bed-sit he and Orton shared, reduced to the lowly status of ‘house-husband’ and becoming increasingly threatened and isolated by his lover’s success.
However, keeping a neighbourly eye on Halliwell and Orton is the kindly Mrs Corden (Gwen Taylor).
With his reputation for comedy, Lucas might seem an odd choice for the role of Halliwell but it’s one that he handles extremely well, particularly in the much darker second half when his acting skills are tested to the full.
Consequently, in his hands, the drug dependent Halliwell’s downward spiral into soul destroying despair makes uncomfortable viewing. And its climax – when he finally snaps – is shocking, all the more so because it actually happened.
And if you don’t how it all ends, there’s a collage of newspaper cuttings outside the theatre that will fill you in – providing, of course, you really do want to know before seeing the play.
Lucas did, however, slip out of character just the once, when, at the very beginning of the second act, he answered a telephone that continued to ring. For a fleeting moment his facial expression betrayed the comic within the actor (and the audience didn’t help!) but then, all credit it to him, it was back to business. I have to say, I’m not a fan of Little Britain but his performance as the tormented Halliwell certainly earned him my respect.
New’s Orton, though suitably self-assured and cocky, came across as extremely likeable and he certainly looked the part. Moreover, he managed to capture the inner pathos of a man caught between celebrity and a lover he was beginning to tire of.
And full marks must go to Gwen Taylor for her wonderful portrayal of Mrs Corden, a simple woman who, nosey as she most certainly was, genuinely cared for her unconventional neighbours. Taylor is one of a rare breed – an actress who can speak volumes without uttering a single word.
Moreover, her comic timing is second to none. All that, plus Mrs Corden’s inadvertently wry observations, plus the playful interaction between Halliwell and Orton during happier times, lightens the mood of what would otherwise be an oppressive play.
A simple but effective set (keep an eye on Halliwell’s collage), highly commendable performances and a dramatic storyline, make Prick Up Your Ears a riveting piece of theatre. Moreover, its impact will stay with you long after the final curtain.
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NB: Matt Lucas has withdrawn from the production for an indefinite period following the death of his former civil partner Kevin McGee.
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Update: Matt Lucas will not be returning to Prick Up Your Ears and from October 22, Con O’Neill will play Kenneth Halliwell. In the meantime, understudy Michael Chadwick continues in the role.
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