Last updated at 10:53, Monday, 28 June 2010

JOE Orton’s What The Butler Saw first appeared in December 1967 when plays were still censored by the Lord Chamberlain.

No ball games: Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw is at The Theatre by the Lake, Keswick while the big match is on

But the head censor must have known his days were numbered – censorship ended a few months later – and only requested “all references to Sir Winston Churchill’s private parts are to be omitted”.
Fortunately they were reinstated for the performance this summer at Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake. Guardian writer David Ward wondered in the programme notes whether such jokes would still offend in 2010. Offend, no. But they still provide a good excuse for some great laughs in that strangely British way.
And the good news is that Orton’s writing has lost none of its bite. What challenged the censor in the 1960s now challenges our 21st century predilection for political correctness. The sharp and sizzling script alone makes it worth seeing this play at least twice.
After Shakespeare, farce is probably the most challenging of theatrical genres. It requires a first-rate cast to deliver the lines at speed, with clarity and with aplomb. By and large, the Keswick cast do just that. Duelling doctors Dr Rance (Stephen Ley) and Dr Prentice (Robert Calvert) work well together and Mrs Prentice (Maggie Tagney) adds a dash of vitriol to proceedings.
Each of the characters bring something different to the play. None of them are just mobile props acting as foils for the stronger characters. Amy Ewbank as Geraldine Barclay serves as the bemused innocent entering this increasingly surreal world or psychiatrists gone mad. And Adam O’Brian as Nicholas Beckett is the loveable rogue keen to grab any chance for a quick profit. Even the Orton-esque policeman Sergeant Match (Patrick Bridgman) makes the most of his role as the figure of authority who, of course, has absolutely no authority at all. He’s a pastiche but still manages to be more than just a stool pigeon
Farce calls for more than just pin-sharp delivery from actors getting the most out of bizarre situations (and often bizarre lines!). It also calls for a great deal of movement – often at high speed. In the first half the Keswick crew seem to struggle with the world of Orton but by the second half they had moved up a gear and the audience laughed with abandon – particularly at the over-the-top climax.
Director Ian Forrest has brought this Sixties’ classic into the 21st Century and it will be a wonderful summer outing for all. Keswick have proved that British society needs Orton just as much now as it did in the burgeoning Sixties. Even if we don’t feel we need to question what’s right or proper any more we most certainly need a good laugh in these days of austerity. Keswick certainly provide that.
What The Butler Saw runs at Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, until November 6. Box office: 017687 74411.

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First published at 10:48, Monday, 28 June 2010
Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk