It’s hard to imagine anything more tragic than an artist struck down in the prime of their life; and when the tragic story is told as brilliantly as John Lahr’s Prick Up Your Ears, the impact is all the more powerful.
Joe Orton Tragedy – Love is Blind?
When one reads about a man or a woman murdering their spouse, one’s first thought is, how can someone live for years with another person, and not realize that this person is bat-crap-crazy, and is going to kill me one day? Love is blind?
What makes Joe Orton’s case all the more fascinating, is the fact that his murderer was not only his longtime lover, Kenneth Halliwell, but that many of the characters from Orton’s black comedies shared similar psychotic tendencies with Halliwell.
The mystery being, which came first, Halliwell’s bent personality, or Orton’s defective characters? Did Joe Orton continue his relationship with Halliwell past the point of no return, only so he could further mine his lover's twisted soul?
After Kenneth Halliwell bludgeoned Joe Orton to death, and before killing himself, Halliwell placed a note atop Orton's diary that read, If you read this diary, all will be explained.
Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell – Early Love Story
As a theatre critic, author John Lahr knows a thing or two about the life of the mind, and his love of the theatre shines through in Prick Up Your Ears.
Mr. Lahr goes into exceptional detail when discussing Orton's plays; and anyone who's fascinated by the theatre, or the creative process in general, will find Lahr's insights riveting; from the germ of an idea to the simplest inspiration for a character, to the over-arching story-lines, Lahr doesn't miss a beat.
Lahr examines the dynamics of a lower middle class gay man in 1950's and 60’s England, who did not know where his true talent lay, until he had exhausted his limited range as an actor; all the while satisfying his creative needs by writing elegantly and passionately daily, in his diary.
It is during Joe Orton’s search for a place to express his untapped talent (an acting class) that he meets Kenneth Halliwell.
Lahr tells the story of Orton and Halliwell's early love affair in such a way as to evoke a sweet and breezy romance novel; and because the two did share a very similar wit and an ambition to be artists, their early love story is quite moving at times.
But, of course Lahr takes great pains to make it clear that even in the halcyon days there were signs of Halliwell's unstable personality; which, Orton tended to brush-off, as most people do when intoxicated by a new lover. Also, Orton would soon become indebted to Halliwell; for it was he who pushed the wayward Orton to become a playwright.
John Lahr – Theatre Stories
John Lahr, as a theater hound himself, and surely a fan of great theatre stories, relays some real beauties from Joe Orton’s too-short life.
As when Joe Orton, just as he is beginning his ascent to stardom, is summoned to dinner with Brian Epstein, the manager of The Beatles; who has desires for Orton to write something for the boys.
(Incidentally, this story is one of the more poignant passages in Prick Up Your Ears; as Orton selfishly refuses to take Halliwell with him to the meeting; and Lahr's portrait of a sad and lonely Halliwell stewing at home is quite heart-breaking)
The Beatles were apparently tired of their slapstick style films, and longed to make something a little darker; as witnessed by Orton, when upon arrival he discovers a newly mustached Paul McCartney, clearly in the midst of transformation, as he and his band-mates were recording Sgt. Pepper.
Another great story Lahr tells will surely thrill fans of the late, great television series, Deadwood: a young Ian McShane (Al Sweringin) gets in an uproarious fist fight with Orton during rehearsals for the young playwright’s masterpiece, Loot. The incident leaves Joe Orton with a black eye and Ian McShane a great theatre story.
Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell – A Star is Born
Like the classic Judy Garland movie, A Star is Born, as soon as Joe Orton begins to taste even a modicum of success (which quickly blooms into full-blown stardom), Halliwell's envy and insecurity begins to eat away at his sanity.
Add this to an already fragile relationship that had run its natural course, and the result is disaster; which, in a perfect world (or an imperfect one), would lead to a bitter and ugly separation, not murder/suicide.
Perhaps, Kenneth Halliwell was Salieri to Orton's Mozart. John Lahr tells the story of a man who did have innate talent, but was too smothered by depression and bitterness to ever truly excel on his own. In the end, while Orton was out making his mark in the world, Halliwell busied himself with intricate (and quite intriguing) collages, one of which decorated the wall of the flat where the two dead lovers were found.
* Paperback: 320 pages
* Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (October 30, 2000)
* ISBN-10: 0520226666
* ISBN-13: 978-0520226661
Joe Orton’s plays:
* Fred and Madge (1959)
* The Visitors (1961)
* The Ruffian on the Stair (1964)
* Entertaining Mr Sloane (1964)
* Loot (1965)
* The Erpingham Camp (1966)
* The Good and Faithful Servant (1967)
* Funeral Games (1968)
* What the Butler Saw (1969)
Martin G. Wood - M.G. Wood is a writer of screenplays, film and literary reviews, and poetry. M.G. Wood can often be found ...
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