joe orton, playwright

In the literary world the "Ortonesque" refers to that which is both macabre and outrageous. This term not only defines the works of Joe Orton, but it acts as a description for both the life and death of this playwright. He was born John Kingsley Orton on January 1, 1933 to a working class couple in Leicester, England. He spent the first eighteen years of his short life in Leicester where he attended secretarial school, acted in plays, and lost several odd jobs. In 1950, Orton moved to London to attend the Royal Academy of Art. It was during these three years, that he met Kenneth Halliwell a man seven years his senior.

Halliwell and Orton became partners and moved into a small flat together. Halliwell, who was living off an inheritance at the time, took Orton under his wing. He taught Orton Greek drama, and the English literary classics. The couple began writing novels together, but none of them were ever accepted for publication. In 1957, Orton's independent talent began to emerge and he started submitting his own work. But in 1962, before success hit, Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell spent six months in prison for stealing and defacing library books at an Islington library.

Not long after his release from prison, Orton's radio play Ruffian on the Stair was accepted by the BBC. A year later, in 1964, the radio play was aired, when Orton was already basking in the success of the production of his Entertaining Mr. Sloane at the New Arts Theatre.

In 1966, Orton's third play Loot was performed, which brought Orton even more recognition. The release of three other plays quickly followed, The Good and Faithful Servant (1964), The Erpingham Camp (1967), and Funeral Games (1966). In the midst of his fame, Orton also wrote a screenplay for the Beatles called Up Against It, but it was rejected. Orton completed his last full length play What the Butler Saw in 1967.

Halliwell who was once Orton's literary guide had difficulties dealing with Orton's success. Failing at his own attempts at art, Halliwell became insecure and bitter about their relationship. On August 9, 1967 Halliwell acted upon these emotions, beating Orton to death with a hammer and then taking his own life.

After only four years in the limelight, Orton's life was cut short. Today Orton's works continue to be examined and performed. While his work is sometimes criticized for being trivial, Orton is often regarded as the great farceur of his time. His early works, two novels of which he wrote with Halliwell, were published recently after the manuscripts were released by his sister Leonie Orton-Bartnett.