Prick Up Your Ears

Thursday, 17 September 2009 - Sunday, 6 December 2009

Comedy Theatre, Panton Street, Piccadilly, SW1Y 4DN

How Much: £55.00 (Highest Price) , £18.00 (Lowest Price)

A dark, richly amusing portrait of an artistic relationship turning fatally sour. Created by Simon Bent (who brilliantly adapted John Irving's A Prayer For Owen Meanie) this is a new piece about the life of one of Britain's greatest playwrights, Joe Orton. This show stars Chris New as Orton and Con O'Neill as his nemesis Kenneth Halliwell.

Orton was eventually battered to death by his erstwhile lover and writing partner Halliwell, but Prick Up Your Ears is set five years earlier, as the duo plot a path together to the heart of London's literary scene. As we now know, Halliwell got less credit than Orton, and ended up a house husband while his partner was feted all over town. As we also know, he didn't think much of that.

Edgy, savagely funny and full of menace, this is a play that avoids simplistic judgements and captures two very enigmatic, but brilliant characters. Their youthful happiness is of course overshadowed by what we know, but what joy it is!