BLACK comedy in the form of 'Entertaining Mr. Sloane', by Joe Orton, comes to the Torch Theatre, Milford Haven, next weekend.
Kath and her elderly father, Kemp, live in a house in the middle of a rubbish dump, haunted by the ghosts of their past. Their bleak existence is interrupted by the arrival of a new lodger, the enigmatic Mr. Sloane. Provocative and sexually ambiguous, Sloane soon has both Kath and her brother Ed competing for his favours. But all is not as it seems. Behind Sloane's superficially nonchalant demeanour lies a calculating psychopath with a dark and secretive past. Seduction, blackmail and murder lie waiting in the wings...
'Entertaining Mr. Sloane' was first staged at the Arts Theatre in London in 1964, winning the London Critics 'Variety' Award for 'Best Play of the Year'. Its unique blend of farce and black comedy beautifully captures the suppressed desires of the period.
Joe Orton was born in Leicester in 1933 and was battered to death by his lover, Kenneth Halliwell, in 1967. His plays include: 'Loot', 'What the Butler Saw', 'The Erpingham Camp' and 'The Ruffian on the Stair'.
'Entertaining Mr. Sloane' plays at the Torch Theatre for one night only on Saturday, November 15, at 7.30 pm. Tickets, priced at £9 (£7 discount price), may be purchased from the box office on 01646 695267.
With seven critically acclaimed productions since their debut in April 2000, the London Classic Theatre Company has established a reputation for producing bold, imaginative theatre of the highest quality.