Monkey off his back
Theatre Junction's Mark Lawes takes another crack at What the Butler Saw
PREVIEW
WHAT THE BUTLER SAW
Theatre Junction
Runs until October 26
Dr. Betty Mitchell Theatre
Jubilee Auditorium
Don’t let the title fool you. What the Butler Saw, Theatre Junction’s season opener, is not that mannered chamber comedy your grandparents loved, nor is it a clever murder mystery in the spirit of Agatha Christie, nor is it even a dramatic representation of the British serving class. It is, instead, playwright Joe Orton’s ingenious, dark farce of the psychiatric world, containing drunken nymphomaniacs, crazed psychiatrists, pseudo-transvestites, incestuous homosexuals and likable rapists.
Director Mark Lawes is certainly familiar with the twisted territory of What the Butler Saw. Having directed the play for Theatre Junction nearly a decade ago, he is keenly aware of the pitfalls and nuances contained within Orton’s anarchistic play. His past experience makes him the perfect candidate to tackle the material this time around.
"This is a totally new production," says Shauna Baird, who plays the alcoholic nymphomaniac Mrs. Prentice. "Mark didn’t feel he got it right the first time so he wants to try again."
The second time around can be daunting for a director, but Lawes is likely to be very happy with the outcome of this production. He’s assembled a group of pros who share his excitement, and are dedicated to his vision. Not only do they love What the Butler Saw, but they are in tune with its finer points:
"Orton’s talking about a society in complete breakdown," says Baird. "The line between sanity and madness has been crossed and the sane are probably madder than the mad are."
Veteran actor Grant Reddick – who plays the always oblivious Dr. Rance – adds: "The thing is that madness is a way to deal with a mad world. And this is the mad world of… the 1960s, the end of the socialist era in England. It was a time when the state seemed to be the Big Brother that controlled everybody’s lives."
Furthermore, Baird points out that What the Butler Saw is a satirical criticism of this period in England – a spirited attack on a former empire’s stifling traditions. Orton was steeped in a culture that repressed sexuality and creative thought, that treated homosexuality as a disease or a criminal act, making the dark side of What the Butler Saw practically unavoidable.
Luckily, it’s as funny as it scathing, and Lawes is in complete control of the seemingly paradoxical requirements of criticism and laughter. He’s fulfilling those requirements with strict devotion to the script. Orton’s insane world includes guns, blood, rope ladders, booze and undergarments, and they’re all present in Theatre Junction’s production.
And to ensure that his actors are at home in Orton’s mad world, Lawes has crafted a rehearsal style that’s as manic as the play itself: Baird, Reddick and their fellows had the books out of their hands three days into rehearsal. Whether they had their lines memorized or not, Lawes had them moving around in character – paraphrasing if necessary.
"The law of playing farce is that you must believe the situation," says Reddick. "If you don’t, then no one else will buy into it."
Lawes is determined to make his actors believe that Orton’s insanity is sane, making sure, at all times, that they’re playing it straight. As Reddick points out, "No matter how absurd the premise is, the character within has to believe it." And believe it they do.
But what about the title? What does it mean?
What the Butler Saw is actually a reference to a naughty old nickelodeon found on England’s boardwalks. If one were to drop a coin into the machine, one would see what the butler saw – an innocent chambermaid stripping out of her clothes. Whether the figurative chambermaid in Orton’s play is Dr. Prentice (Martin Evans), Mrs. Prentice, Geraldine (Elana McMurtry), Nicholas (Joel Smith) or Sergeant Match (Jim Leyden), the title is appropriate – enough clothes are taken off, traded or discarded to fill an empty Value Village.
Orton’s play may be full of the unexpected, but, this time, Lawes can expect that his demons will be exorcised. |
