What the Butler Saw
What the Butler Saw is a play by Joe Orton.
In the world of British playwrights known for writing comedy, where the landscape is dominated by the likes of Alan Ayckbourn or even Ray Cooney, there is Joe Orton. What the Butler Saw is typical of that British style of dry humor. But, it has a seamier edge to it than Ayckbourn or Cooney. For example, at one point, the police sergeant (a staple of this genre) says, During that period he is alleged to have misconducted himself with a party of school children. Later, the sergeant accuses Marriage excuses no one from the freaks roll-call. At the same time, it is typical of the style:
- MRS. PRENTICE. You told Dr. Rance that she was burning the golliwogs . Was that a lie?
- PRENTICE. It may have been. I cant remember.
The choice of golliwogsfurther illustrates the dark comedy. Its a typical farce. The play opens with a Doctor examining a beautiful young girl in a job interview. He convinces her to undress as part of the interview. When his wife enters, he attempts to cover up his activity by hiding the girl behind a curtain. With this, the farce is off and running. Soon, the girl is dressed like a boy and a boy is dressed like a girl, Winston Churchill is missing body parts and the Doctor is digging himself further and further into trouble by piling up more and more ridiculous lies. The script is rich with great lines:
- PRENTICE. Im not mad. It only looks that way.
- RANCE. Your actions today would get the Archbishop of Canterbury declared non-compos.
- PRENTICE. Im not the Archbishop of Canterbury.
- RANCE. That will come at a later stage of your illness.
But, the dark humor of the play is evident, especially in Act II. Doctor Rance talks about how he will use the situation to develop a new book. The final chapters of my book are knitting together: incest, buggery, outrageous women and strange love-cults catering for depraved appetites. All the fashionable bric-a-brac.
By the end, Nick confesses to his lies and an ending complete with gun play, quick changes and mad dashes across the stage. The play concludes with a long confession which includes a dues ex-machina-esque return of the once-left-for-dead police sergeant, descending from the sky-light on a rope ladder.
What the Butler Saw is a different, dark version of the British farce and a great introduction for me to the writing of Joe Orton.