Two Plays in Two Nights

Sock Monkey has been at it again. The theatre that is. Went to see Entertaining Mr Sloane at the Trafalgar Studios. I've never been to this theatre before. From the outside it looks quite modern but once you are in the auditorium its obvious that this is a nice old theatre - its all ornate ceilings and the like. And the obligatory teeny-tiny seats which only the smallest of arses can fit into and nota lota of legroom. A bit like being on EasyJet without the garish orange livery then. Anyway for the princely sum of 20 quid each we got a decent seat and a free beer. Can't say fairer than that - particularly as Andrew doesn't drink beer so I drank his. Nye he he.

So Entertaining Mr Sloane is about a middle aged woman who rents out a room in the house she shares with her elderly father. The father, or 'The Dadda' as he's called in the play, recognises the new tennant, the 20 year old Mr Sloane, as someone he saw kill his old boss. Sloane starts an affair with the landlady, knocking her up in the meantime. Meanwhile the sexually repressed brother takes a fancy to Sloane, employs him as his driver and kits him out in leather trousers, waistcoat and cap. All very Village People. The Dadda confronts Sloane about the killing, and during the resulting argument Sloane gives him a right kicking and he later dies. The brother & sister concoct a story that The Dadda fell down the stairs and in return for them not shopping him to the police Sloane is shared between them pretty much as their toyboy.

I don't think I can be bothered with Joe Orton plays. Although his use of dialogue is sort of whole point of his humor I find it forced and false. Imelda Staunton is very good and The Dadda is also good. I didn't really like Mathew Horne as Sloane though. I don't know if it was the direction or the fact that he's a bit over-rated and flavour of the month (*in my opinion*) but he had no menace about him. Sloane is supposed to be a dark and slightly sinister character but there was none of that edge here. But for 20 quid a ticket (don't forget the free beer) you can't really go wrong. Unless you are sitting between the over-aftershaved blokes we were sitting next to.

The next night I went to see Plague Over England at the Duchess Theatre. I loved it. It recounts the true episode in 1953 when John Gielgud was arrested for 'importuning' in a public toilet. That is - a pretty boy policemen is sent into said bog to wink at blokes and if they take the bait, arrest them. This is a nice ensemble piece, the cast playing several parts each. The story follows Gielgud (Micheal Feast doing a pretty good impression) and his ensuing collywobbles at what has happened. Sub-plots include an affair between an English civil servant and ex American GI, a public schoolboy and the pretty boy policeman with a smattering of Sybil Thorndyke, Binkie Beaumont and bobs your uncle. I did wonder if John Gielgud was as annoying in real life as he appeared to be in this play. What a Drama Queen.

I really enjoyed this play. The only things I didn't enjoy was the utter stench from the stage cigarettes they smoked pretty much non-stop and the fact that, because we were in the 2nd row from the front we could see the actors spitting when they spoke. It was like the episode of Friends where Gary Oldman teaches Joey that to be a good actor you have to spit when you deliver your lines. Even Celia Imrie was at it. She'd never have spat in Acorn Antiques. YUK!