Ellerslie Theatrical Society presents
LOOT
by Joe Orton
directed by Sian Davis
6 to 15 June 2013
On the day of Mrs McLeavy's funeral, Loot follows her teenage son Hal and the sexually excitable undertaker Dennis as
they attempt to stash the cash from their burglary of the bank next door. When Dennis is visited by Truscott of 'The
Yard' the boys realise the heat is on. Their only way out is to trust Mrs McLeavy's nurse, Fay, an ostensibly devout
catholic who, for a sizable fee, will help them shift the hot cash. Mrs McLeavy has been cold for days now... why not
use her coffin? Wild and anarchic, this hilarious black farce embodies the subversive spirit of swinging 1960s London.
When it was first staged in 1966, Loot shocked audiences with its satirical criticism of the Catholic Church and
religious hypocrisy. In the wake of the Church's abuse scandals, the play's power to shock may have diminished but its
brilliance as a dramatic invention has not. Loot remains a potent criticism of police corruption and the facade of
propriety. It contains good old-fashioned scurrilousness.
“Shagadelic! Kinky, sarcastic and gleefully disrespectful …” ~ Sun Herald, NSW
DIRECTORS VIEW
After much stage experience, Sian turned to directing in 1998 (not totally true as she’d directed school stuff as a
teacher). The 1998 opener was ‘Hedda Gabler’ and that really gave her a taste for the quality ‘stuff’. Since then she
has directed a mélange of the classical and most wonderful (in her book) and, occasionally, the not so entrancing.... an
eclectic mix in any case, which has ranged from Shakespeare (‘Twelfth Night’ for the University of Auckland’s Summer
Shakespeare in 2004) to ‘The Mousetrap’ (yes, that ‘The Mousetrap’) for Company Theatre in Dec. 2012- her ‘ditziest’, in
her accounting, (oh, come on, who couldn't miss that the butler did it!...unless they noticed there was no butler in
it). She has to admit that it was likely to have been the most popular of her productions with audiences. Over half of
those 26 productions (up to the time of writing) have been of NZ plays, she is proud to own. ‘Loot’ is not and has to
fall into the category of ‘comic classics’ to be done....... Sian says 'I like my comedy black, no sugar, and they don’t
come any painfully funnier or blacker than this!'
PERFORMANCE DATES
Thursday 6 to Saturday 8 March 2013 at 8pm
Sunday 9 March at 2pm
Tuesday 11 to Friday 14 March 8pm
Saturday 15 March at 2pm and 8pm
BOOKINGS
iTICKET – www.iticket.co.nz or phone 09 361 1000 (booking fee/delivery fee will apply)
TICKETS
Evening $22, $20 (discounted)
Matinee $16, $13 (discounted)
VENUE
Stables Theatre (Ellerslie War Memorial Community Centre, Cnr Main Highway & Arthur St, Ellerslie, Auckland
McLeavy and Nurse Fay (Nurse Fay moves in on husband number 8) – (left to right) – Bill Crisp, T-Ann Manora
ENDS