Watch our archive recording of Joe Orton's What The Butler Saw

Fri 10 Apr 2020

The show must go online and during lockdowns we were delighted to be able to share an archive recording of our 2017 Made at Curve and Theatre Royal Bath co-production of Joe Orton’s contemporary classic, What The Butler Saw.

What the Butler Saw was Orton’s final play, completed just a month before his untimely death. This Made At Curve production, directed by Nikolai Foster, was performed 50 years since the death of the celebrated Leicester playwright.

The captioned archive recording was available on this page from 7pm Sun 19 Apr until Curve fully reopened in 2021.

Archive recordings are made by theatres so we have a full record of the productions we work on. They’re filmed on a single camera at the back of the auditorium. Although the show was never intended for public broadcast, we made this video available with captions for everyone to enjoy.

If you’ve enjoyed watching our archive footage, please consider making a donation to Curve by clicking here.

At this time when we aren’t able to present shows at our home, any money you can spare is gratefully received. Thank you.

As a registered charity (no.230708), your support will help us ensure that our theatre remains open and can continue to serve all of our communities, both on and off our stages and online.To find out more about how you can support Curve, please click here.

Dr Prentice (Rufus Hound – One Man, Two GuvnorsDirty Rotten Scoundrels), a psychiatric doctor in a private clinic, is attempting to interview – and seduce – would-be secretary Geraldine (Dakota Blue Richards – Curve’s A Streetcar Named DesireThe Golden Compass). Unwittingly surprised by his wife (Catherine Russell – Holby City, Curve’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), he hides the girl. The affairs multiply as Mrs Prentice is seduced and blackmailed by young bellhop Nicholas Beckett (Jack Holden – RSC’s A Midsummer Night’s DreamOppenheimer and The Shoemaker’s Holiday), and promises him the secretarial post. When a government inspector arrives (Jasper Britton – The Libertine, RSC’s Richard II), closely followed by Sergeant Match (Ravi Aujla) who is in search of missing parts of Winston Churchill, chaos, cross-dressing and mistaken identity lead the charge.

Please note: this play contains explicit content and language some people may find offensive.

 

CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CAST

Ravi Aujla as Sergeant Match
Jasper Britton as Dr Rance
Jack Holden as Nicholas Beckett
Rufus Hound as Dr Prentice
Dakota Blue Richards as Geraldine
Catherine Russell as Mrs Prentice

Director NIKOLAI FOSTER
Designer MICHAEL TAYLOR
Lighting Designer BEN CRACKNELL
Sound Designer & Composer ADAM McCREADY
for POETICAL MACHINES LTD
Casting Director GINNY SCHILLER

Rehearsal & Production Photography by Catherine Ashmore

First presented by Lewenstein-Delfont Productions Ltd. and H.M. Tennent Ltd. at the Queen’s Theatre, London, on 5th March 1969.