What The Butler Saw

John Dorney as Doctor Prentice, Alana Jackson as Geraldine Barclay. Photo by Sheila Burnett

Review by Martine Silkstone

In many ways, What the Butler Saw is your classic farce. Short and swift, with a wealth of comic misunderstanding, misdirection, and mistaken identity. But wait… 

This is a farce by Joe Orton – the scandalous 60s playwright - and it is worth remembering that the adjective ‘Ortonesque’ is now used to describe a kind of dark, cynical, shocking comedy. 

And, make no mistake, that’s certainly what you get here!

Alana Jackson as Geraldine Barclay, John Dorney as Doctor Prentice, Jack Lord as Doctor Rance. Photo by Sheila Burnett

No subject matter was off the table and, while the fast-paced dialogue was as clever and witty as can be, at times the content (rape, incest, child abuse, I could go on) made the laughter somewhat uncomfortable - just as the writer wanted, I suspect.

Perhaps that is why the audience on opening night was rather quiet - it wasn’t the straightforward, innocuous fun they had expected. Perhaps they weren’t prepared for the fearless, irreverent script. Or perhaps it was just Ipswich on a Tuesday night, who knows, but for all the energy on the stage, the evening fell a little bit flat. A show like this needs the energy to come from the audience too.

Holly Smith as Mrs Prentice and Alex Cardall as Nicholas Beckett. Photo by Sheila Burnett

It is certainly no reflection on the cast of six who are all great in their respective roles.

John Dorney is a perfect mix of John Cleese and Kenneth Branagh as lascivious psychiatrist, Doctor Prentice. Opening the play with his interview and clumsy seduction of prospective secretary, Geraldine Barclay (Alana Jackson), he is interrupted by the return of his wife and hides the now naked Geraldine behind a curtain. His subsequent attempts to cover up his philandering set the scene for everything that follows.

Jack Lord is all fast-paced superiority as the increasingly maniacal clinic inspector, Doctor Rance, who sees madness in all things. Alex Cardell brings a cheeky (in more ways than one) element to bell-boy blackmailer, Nicholas Beckett, managing to be convincing as both devious seducer of married women and sweet coquette in a fitted leopard-print dress – no mean feat. Jon-Paul Rowden is all honour and duty as Sergeant Match, and I must make special mention of Holly Smith as Mrs Prentice. As the neglected and sexually voracious wife, she is suitably haughty and proper, while still managing to be vulnerable and more than a little wicked.

Jon-Paul Rowden as Sergeant Match. Phot by Sheila Burnett

This talented cast were (almost) flawless on opening night and this is a fast-paced, wordy, physical performance with many costume changes (mostly on stage) and so much character swapping it makes your head spin. Throw in some cross-dressing, long-lost twins, and a bickering couple, and you have a well-written comedy that would make Shakespeare proud. 

I didn’t know anything about the play and, yes, I found some of the humour slightly unsettling, but I think if I had known what to expect it would have been OK. Sometimes it’s good to be taken out of your comfort zone and if you can do it with laughter, all the better.

In conclusion: you need to go with an open mind – expect to be shocked, expect a ‘grown up’ performance, and expect to see Winston Churchill’s overly large penis – then all will be well.

What The Butler Saw is at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich until 8 June.

FOR FULL SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE