‘What the Butler Saw’

Circle Players take on Joe Orton’s comic masterpiece.

By: Stuart Duncan

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Jon Heron (left) and John Correll in Circle


Players’ What the Butler Saw.


   There is no imagining what British playwright Joe Orton might have accomplished had not his skull been crushed by a hammer wielded by his elder (by 7 years) lover. The two men had lived together for 16 years, during which time Orton’s career had skyrocketed (his best known play was Loot) while his companion, also a writer, foundered. Only one of Orton’s plays, What the Butler Saw, was produced posthumously, and it is the most outrageous and, many would argue, the funniest.
   Many community groups shun Orton’s works, presumably unwilling to face the criticism that might follow from the playwright’s "edgy" dialogue. Orton himself once wrote: "In the right hands, verbs and nouns can create panic." Circle Players of Piscataway apparently have no fear, and its current revival of the 1967 comic masterpiece manages to avoid nudity, if only barely, and then plunges head-on into ripping apart almost anything of British decency in sight.
   Right from the beginning we realize we can expect a peephole glimpse of manners and mores. We are in the examining office of Dr. Prentice (played with as much restraint as he dares by the veteran John Correll), a prominent psychiatrist. He apparently is hiring a new secretary, as becomes obvious when he requests her to "remove all your clothes and lie down on the couch."
   The luscious young thing (Debbie Barr) follows instructions beautifully and before we are through Prentice’s wife (played by Correll’s real-life wife, Linda) plus a hapless hotel bellhop (Marc Lazarow) and a rugged police sergeant (Scott Kutcher) are running around in their underwear. Appropriately enough the sergeant wears Union Jack boxers. We also get plenty of cross-dressing for those who feel left out. Also joining the mayhem is a government psychiatrist (Jon Heron), who might just be the zaniest of the lot.
   The farce is fast and very funny, so don’t be tempted to take your maiden aunt to the show unless she is certifiable or unless she can spell and pronounce some of the antics. Even the calmer dialogue here has double and triple meanings: example: "Despite all appearances to the contrary, my wife is harder to get into than the reading room at the British Museum."
   This indeed is "edgy" material for a community group, but sell-out performances on opening weekend suggest a welcoming audience, perhaps fed up with sanitized television shows. Circle Players recently has staged some fine Shakespearean comedies, with considerable success, so it is broadening its base. Of course good performances help and this cast is superb. The Corells, husband and wife, are excellent farceurs. Jon Heron is a delicious whacko — his Malvolio in Twelfth Night still tickles the memory buds. Two of the others are making their debuts with the Players and the third is on his second show. Credit director Rob Pherson not only with great timing, but a keen eye for new talent.
What the Butler Saw continues at Circle Players, 416 Victoria Ave., Piscataway, through May 8. Performances: Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m. Tickets cost $15 Fri.-Sat., $12 Sun.; seniors/students $14 Fri.-Sat., $11 Sun. For information, call (732) 968-7555. On the Web: www.circleplayers.com