Homage to Orton
The 40th anniversary of the death of Joe Orton this year received a tribute the playwright would have relished courtesy of Paper Zoo Theatre Company, with a double bill of The Ruffian on the Stair and Funeral Games.
Paper Zoo reprised their earlier production of Funeral Games at Bradford College and offered a searing rendition of Ruffian on the Stair at the Yorkshire Craft Centre on 7th and 8th September. Unflinching, provocative and revelling in flawed humanity, the contrasting plays highlighted Orton’s genius and the chutzpah of this still young company.
Ruffian is a tense and angry play, less humorous than Funeral Games and PZ’s sensitive playing exposed the misery and fear behind the taboos and dark secrets of the 3 characters. As events unfolded to a tragic conclusion, all were blighted by their inability to express love, whether incestuously, for a partner, or even a goldfish, until it was too late.
David Peel stepped away from his more usual roles showcasing his considerable musical and comedic talents, to convince as Mike, a brutish contract killer tortured by the supposed deception of the woman he abuses. Damien O’Keeffe captured the victim hood of Wilson as well as his humour and menace, manipulating and terrorising former prostitute Joyce to force a confrontation with Mike. The sheer despair, panic and depression of Joyce, physically and emotionally trapped, was played with such affecting subtlety by Julia O’Keeffe that her almost broken presence lingered long after the final applause.
Combined with the riotous Funeral Games, featuring the remainder of this talented company, this was an evening which showed what the world of theatre lost with Orton's premature death and why Bradford is truly fortunate to be blessed with a theatre company as courageous as Paper Zoo.
Ruffian starred College lecturers Damien and Julia plus former part-time student Dave. Both plays were skill fully directed by former student Laura Milnes.
You can see highlights here
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