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Orton, Joe
Orton, Joe (1933–67), English dramatist, whose first play, Entertaining Mr Sloane (1964; NY, 1965), shocked and amused its audience by the contrast between its prim-and-proper dialogue and the violence and outrageousness of its action. The same contrast was apparent in Loot (1966; NY, 1968), a satire on police corruption and the conventions of detective fiction. In 1967 an earlier play The Ruffian on the Stair, written for radio, was staged at the Royal Court Theatre with The Erpingham Camp, previously televised, in a double bill, Crimes of Passion (NY, 1969). Orton was brutally murdered by his homosexual partner who then committed suicide—an episode as violent and bizarre as any in his plays. His last full-length work, What the Butler Saw, a parody of conventional farce, was produced in 1969 (NY, 1970), with Ralph Richardson in the lead in London, and had a mixed reception. A one-act play, Funeral Games, was produced at the end of 1970.
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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Orton, Joe." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Orton, Joe." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-OrtonJoe.html PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Orton, Joe." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-OrtonJoe.html |
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Orton, Joe
Orton, Joe (1933–67), playwright and novelist, born in Leicester, left school at 16 to train as an actor. His comedies, which include Entertaining Mr Sloane (1964), Loot (1965), and the posthumously performed What the Butler Saw (1969), are black, stylish, satirical, and violent, and their emphasis on corruption and sexual perversion made them a succès de scandale. Orton was battered to death in his Islington home by his friend and companion, Kenneth Halliwell, who then committed suicide. Orton's novel Between Us Girls, written in 1957, was published in 1998.
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Cite this article
MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Orton, Joe." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Orton, Joe." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-OrtonJoe.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Orton, Joe." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-OrtonJoe.html |
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Joe Orton
Joe Orton 1933-67, English playwright, b. John Kingsley. After studying acting, he wrote farcical comedies noted for their cynical humor. His plays include The Ruffian on the Stair (1963), Entertaining Mr. Sloan (1964), Loot (1966), and What the Butler Saw (1969). He was murdered by his lover, Kenneth Halliwell, who then committed suicide. |
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Cite this article
"Joe Orton." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Joe Orton." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Orton-Jo.html "Joe Orton." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Orton-Jo.html |
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Orton, Joe
Orton, Joe ( John Kingsley) (1933–67) English playwright who specialized in black satirical comedies. Entertaining Mr Sloane and Loot were staged in London in 1964 and 1965 respectively. What the Butler Saw was produced posthumously (1969) after Orton's murder by his lover, Kenneth Halliwell.
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Cite this article
"Orton, Joe." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Orton, Joe." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-OrtonJoe.html "Orton, Joe." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-OrtonJoe.html |
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