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Hal and Dennis, two close friends and likely-lads, turn to armed robbery as they raid the bank next to the funeral parlour where Dennis works. Hal’s mother has just died so they hide the money in her coffin, removing her body to leave enough room for the loot. Inspector Truscott arrives to investigate the deceased’s nurse, Fay, while the boys, aided and abetted by Fay, try to keep him off their trail.
Dave Bunyan (Truscott) commanded the stage, while newcomer Matt Orton (Hal) remained totally focused, showing good comic timing. Although Julia Piper (Fay) seemed nervous with some of her dialogue, her physical stage presence and timing was always impressive.
The problem with this production was that it was mostly too slow; the cast (with the exception of Bunyan and Orton) were generally not quick enough in picking up their dialogue cues to keep this challenging farce at the cutting edge.
Scene South
The Daily Echo, Monday, May 7, 2007
| McLeavey | Mike Vaughan |
| Fay | Julia Piper |
| Hal | Matt Orton |
| Dennis | Richard Calver |
| Truscott | Dave Bunyan |
| Meadows | Steve Reynolds |
Joe Orton’s 1966 play, Loot, is a boisterously irreverent black comedy. Mrs McLeavy is dead. Her psychotic nurse Fay may have had something to do with it. Meanwhile, Hal McLeavy and his boyfriend Dennis are struggling to hide their gains from a bank robbery. Hal’s mother’s coffin looks promising, but to make room for the loot, they have to put the body in the cupboard. Enter Inspector Truscott – cunningly disguised as a man from the Waterboard – looking for the thieves.
| Directors | Simon Goodison Diana Orton |
| Prompt | Audrey Eccles |
| Technical Director | Peter Taylor |
| Props and costumes | Lyn Howard Joyce Woodhead |
| Wreaths | Sarah O’Connor |
| Set building | George O’Connor Chris Orton James Batchelor Members of the cast and production team |
| Publicity | James Batchelor Rosemarie Parker |
| Box Office | Martin James |
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