View source for Entertaining Mr Sloane

{{Short description|1963 play by Joe Orton}}
{{about|the play|the film adaptation|Entertaining Mr Sloane (film)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox play
| name       = Entertaining Mr Sloane
| image      = Entertaining Mr. Sloane.jpg
| caption    = Methuen Drama edition cover, 2001
| writer     = [[Joe Orton]]
| characters = {{plainlist|
* '''Sloane''', ''a young, good-looking psychopath''
* '''Kath''', ''a middle-aged landlady''
* '''Ed''', ''Kath's brother''
* '''Kemp''', ''Kath and Ed's father''}}
| genre      = [[Black comedy]]
| setting    = A house on the edge of a rubbish dump
| subject    = A landlady and her brother entice a psychopathic young man into sexual liaisons
| premiere   = 6 May 1964
| place      = [[Arts Theatre|New Arts Theatre]]<br>London, England
}}
'''''Entertaining Mr Sloane''''' is a three-act [[Play (theatre)|play]] written in 1963 by the English playwright [[Joe Orton]].<ref>[1] Lahr, John. ''Prick up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton''. New York: Knopf, 1978, p. 128  {{ISBN|0394501535}}</ref> It was first produced in London at the [[Arts Theatre|New Arts Theatre]] on 6 May 1964 and transferred to the [[West End theatre|West End's]] [[Wyndham's Theatre]] on 29 June 1964.<ref>Orton (1976, 64).</ref>

==Plot summary==

===Act 1===
Mr Sloane, a young man looking for a place to board, happens by the residence of Kath, a middle-aged landlady whose home is on the outskirts of a rubbish dump. Kath is eager to have Mr Sloane as a tenant at her home, which she shares with her nearly-blind father Kemp. Getting acquainted with Mr Sloane, Kath is open about a previous relationship she had which led to her bearing a child; her brother insisted that she give it up for adoption because it was conceived out of wedlock. Mr Sloane reveals he is himself an orphan, though vague about his parents' death, except that they "passed away together". Kath's father immediately distrusts Mr Sloane, believing him to be the man who killed his employer some years earlier. After Kemp and Sloane have an altercation that gets Sloane stabbed in the leg, Kath starts making subtle advances toward the young man. When he tries to reciprocate, Kath facetiously warns him not to betray her trust. Her brother Ed soon arrives and is dismayed to see his sister's new boarder. Kemp has an estranged relationship with his son as he found him to be "committing some kind of felony in the bedroom" as a teenager. Despite Ed's initial opposition to Mr Sloane staying with his sister, after speaking with him, Ed eventually relents and even offers him a job as his chauffeur. As Sloane recovers from his injury, Kath returns wearing a transparent negligee and seemingly seduces Mr Sloane as the lights go down and Act One ends.

===Act 2===
The action resumes "some months later" and begins with Mr Sloane recounting an evening in which a young woman gave him her telephone number. Kath ambiguously hints at her jealousy, then reveals that she is pregnant and concerned that her brother will strongly disapprove. Ed arrives soon after and discovers that Mr Sloane took his car out [[Joyride (crime)|joyriding]] the night before with his friends. Upon finding out that they also had a woman with them, Ed divulges that he feels women are crude, and misleading. Ed advises Sloane to pack his things as he will be on call as his assistant at all hours. When Sloane leaves the room to pack, Kemp mildly attempts to reconcile with his son, and conveys that Kath and Sloane have been sleeping together and he believes that Kath is pregnant. When confronted, Sloane confirms he has been sleeping with Kath, but claims that she "threw herself" at him. A short time later, Ed departs to buy cigarettes, and Kemp returns to confront Sloane as his employer's murderer. Sloane eventually attacks Kemp, resulting in his death.

===Act 3===
Upon finding his dead father, Ed is initially insistent that justice be served and Sloane be turned over to the police. However, Sloane persuades Ed to fabricate a story to make the death appear an accident, in exchange for his servitude. When Kath discovers the dead body, she is apprehensive to stray from the truth especially given Sloane's intention to go and live with her brother. Sloane finds himself in a predicament: if he stays with Kath, Ed will report the murder to the authorities, and vice versa if he chooses to leave with Ed. Ultimately, a compromise is reached that will result in the pair "sharing" Mr. Sloane a few months at a time.

==Productions==
The play premiered in the West End in 1964, thanks to the financial support of [[Terence Rattigan]], who had seen the play at the New Arts Theatre, rated it highly and put up £3,000 in sponsorship.<ref>Lahr, John(1978) ''Prick Up Your Ears'', Knopf, New York</ref> It was directed by Patrick Dromgoole and starred [[Madge Ryan]] as Kath, [[Dudley Sutton]] as Sloane, [[Charles Lamb (actor)|Charles Lamb]] as Kemp, and [[Peter Vaughan]] as Ed. It was designed by [[Timothy O'Brien (theatre designer)|Timothy O'Brien]], with costumes supervised by Tazeena Firth.

The Broadway production, directed by [[Alan Schneider]], opened at the [[Lyceum Theatre (Broadway)|Lyceum Theatre]] on 12 October 1965 and closed after 13 performances. It starred [[Sheila Hancock]] as Kath, [[Dudley Sutton]] as Sloane, [[Lee Montague]] as Ed, and George Turner as Kemp. William Ritman designed the sets and costumes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/entertaining-mr-sloane-3252|title=Entertaining Mr. Sloane – Broadway Play – Original – IBDB|first=The Broadway|last=League|publisher=Internet Broadway Database|access-date=28 September 2017|archive-date=21 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021121651/https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/entertaining-mr-sloane-3252|url-status=live}}</ref>

The play was revived as part of the Joe Orton Festival at the [[Royal Court Theatre]] in London. Directed by [[Roger Croucher]], it opened on 17 April 1975 and subsequently transferred to the [[Duke of York's Theatre]] in July. It starred [[Beryl Reid]] as Kath, [[Malcolm McDowell]] as Sloane, [[James Ottaway]] as Kemp, and [[Ronald Fraser (actor)|Ronald Fraser]] as Ed. [[Harry H. Corbett]] later took over as Ed and [[Kenneth Cranham]] as Sloane. [[John Gunter (designer)|John Gunter]] designed the sets and Deirdre Clancy supervised the costumes. It closed in October 1975.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REMTpknTAQYC&q=entertaining+mr+sloane+1975+royal+court+beryl+reid&pg=PA495|title=Blood on the Stage, 1950–1975: Milestone Plays of Crime, Mystery, and Detection|first=Amnon|last=Kabatchnik|date=14 April 2011|publisher=Scarecrow Press|isbn=9780810877849}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U8_aAgAAQBAJ&q=entertaining+mr+sloane+1975+royal+court+beryl+reid&pg=PT52|title=Orton Complete Plays: Entertaining Mr Sloane; Loot; What the Butler; Ruffian; Erpingham Camp; Funeral Games; Good & ...|first=Joe|last=Orton|date=20 March 2014|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9781408177983}}</ref>

A subsequent London production at the [[Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith]] in 1981 was directed by [[Kenneth Williams]] and starred [[Barbara Windsor]] as Kath.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/28th-march-1981/31/breath-of-life|title=Breath of life » 28 Mar 1981 » The Spectator Archive|access-date=28 September 2017|archive-date=29 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929045220/http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/28th-march-1981/31/breath-of-life|url-status=live}}</ref> Windsor reprised the role for a national tour in 1993 co-starring [[John Challis]], [[Christopher Villiers]], and [[Kenneth Waller]], directed by John David, produced by Lee Dean, and designed by Mark Bailey.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.paulferris.org/productions/entertaining-mr-sloane/
|title=Entertaining Mr Sloane
|year=2021
|work=Paul Ferris.org
|publisher=Paul Ferris
|access-date=23 September 2021
|archive-date=25 October 2021
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025034757/http://www.paulferris.org/productions/entertaining-mr-sloane/
|url-status=live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/2012/barbara-windsor/|title=An Evening with Barbara Windsor » The Cinema Museum, London|access-date=28 September 2017|archive-date=29 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929091638/http://www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/2012/barbara-windsor/|url-status=live}}</ref>

An Off Broadway Revival in 1982 at the [[Cherry Lane Theatre]] won the [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival]]. Produced by Howard Feuer, Jeremy Ritzer, Laurence Gordon and Sidney Shlenker and directed by John Tillinger, it starred Maxwell Caulfield as Sloane, Barbara Bryne as Kath, Gwyllum Evans as Kemp, and Jerome Dempsey as Ed.

In 1985 [[Greg Hersov]] directed a production at the [[Royal Exchange, Manchester]] with [[Adam Ant]] as Sloane, [[Sylvia Syms]] as Kath and [[James Maxwell (actor)|James Maxwell]] as Ed.<ref>{{cite web |date=15 February 2007 |title=Royal Exchange: Timeline |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-news/royal-exchange-timeline-1042941 |access-date=4 October 2025 |archive-date=12 October 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251012095507/https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/theatre-news/royal-exchange-timeline-1042941 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/adam-ant-sylvia-syms-and-james-maxwell-at-a-press-news-photo/95849393|title=Entertaining Mr Sloane Press Conference|date=18 January 2010|access-date=4 October 2025|archive-date=29 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929045610/https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/adam-ant-sylvia-syms-and-james-maxwell-at-a-press-news-photo/95849393#adam-ant-sylvia-syms-and-james-maxwell-at-a-press-conference-for-the-picture-id95849393|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Roundabout Theatre Company]] revived the play in 2005 under the direction of [[Scott Ellis]]. It starred [[Alec Baldwin]] as Ed, [[Chris Carmack]] as Sloane, [[Jan Maxwell]] as Kath, and [[Richard Easton]] as Kemp. The design team included [[Allen Moyer]] (sets), Michael Krass (costumes), Ken Posner (lights), and [[John Gromada]] (original music and sound).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2006/legit/reviews/entertaining-mr-sloane-6-1200517661/|title=Entertaining Mr. Sloane|first=David|last=Rooney|date=16 March 2006|access-date=20 December 2017|archive-date=29 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929045200/http://variety.com/2006/legit/reviews/entertaining-mr-sloane-6-1200517661/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1997 [[Dominic Cooke]] directed a production for [[Terry Hands]]' inaugural season at [[Clwyd Theatr Cymru]], which was staged in the [[Emlyn Williams]] Theatre, and starred [[Joe McFadden]] as Sloane, [[Robert Blythe (actor)|Robert Blythe]] as Ed, Lynne Verrall as Kath, and [[Jimmy Gardner (actor)|Jimmy Gardner]] as Kemp.

In 2007, the [[Melbourne Theatre Company]] staged a production at the Fairfax Theatre in the Melbourne Arts Centre in Melbourne. Directed by Simon Phillips, it starred Richard Piper as Ed, [[Ben Guerens]] as Sloane, [[Amanda Muggleton]] as Kath, and [[Bob Hornery]] as Kemp. It was designed by Shaun Gorton, with music by [[David Chesworth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.australianstage.com.au/reviews/melbourne/entertaining-mr-sloane--mtc-93.html|title=Entertaining Mr Sloane – MTC|website=australianstage.com.au}}</ref>

From 29 January 2009, a production at the [[Trafalgar Studios]] in London starred [[Imelda Staunton]] as Kath, [[Mathew Horne]] as Sloane, [[Simon Paisley Day]] as Ed and [[Richard Bremmer]] as Kemp.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/feb/02/entertaining-mr-sloane-review |title=Theatre review: Entertaining Mr Sloane |first=Michael |last=Billington |date=2 February 2009 |website=The Guardian |access-date=4 October 2021 |archive-date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923075252/http://theguardian.com/stage/2009/feb/02/entertaining-mr-sloane-review |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="playbill2" /> Horne collapsed during a performance on 2 April 2009 with a suspected virus.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7979891.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Mathew Horne collapses on stage | date=2 April 2009 | access-date=2 May 2010 | archive-date=7 April 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407111648/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7979891.stm | url-status=live }}</ref> The show played at the Trafalgar until 11 April 2009.<ref name="playbill2">{{cite web |url=https://www.playbill.com/article/entertaining-mr-sloane-begins-performances-in-londons-west-end-jan-22-com-157228 |title=''Entertaining Mr. Sloane'' Begins Performances in London's West End 22 Jan. |last=Shenton |first=Mark |date=22 January 2009 |website=Playbill |access-date=4 October 2021 |archive-date=4 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211004164943/https://www.playbill.com/article/entertaining-mr-sloane-begins-performances-in-londons-west-end-jan-22-com-157228 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A 2012 production at the [[Comédie des Champs-Élysées]] in Paris, directed by [[Michel Fau]] (as ''Que faire de Mr Sloane?'') featured [[Gaspard Ulliel]] in the title role, [[Charlotte de Turckheim]] as Kath and Fau as Eddie.<ref>[https://www.lesarchivesduspectacle.net/?IDX_Spectacle=58418 Que faire de Mr Sloane ? de Joe Orton page at the Les Archives du Spectacle website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221108174857/https://www.lesarchivesduspectacle.net/?IDX_Spectacle=58418 |date=8 November 2022 }} accessed 3 November 2022.</ref>

==Screen adaptations==
A television adaptation was broadcast by [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] in the ''Playhouse'' series on 15 July 1968, and directed by [[Peter Moffatt]]. It starred [[Sheila Hancock]] as Kath, [[Edward Woodward]] as Ed, [[Clive Francis]] as Sloane, and [[Arthur Lovegrove]] as Kemp. Originally made in monochrome on [[videotape]] by [[Associated-Rediffusion]], it [[Lost television broadcast#Wiping|survives]] as a [[Kinescope|telerecording]].<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1335133/|title=BFI Screenonline: Entertaining Mr Sloane (1970)|publisher=BFI Screenonline|access-date=10 December 2008|archive-date=25 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525044249/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/1335133/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Clive Exton]] wrote the screenplay for a [[Entertaining Mr Sloane (film)|1970 feature film]] directed by [[Douglas Hickox]] and starring Beryl Reid, [[Peter McEnery]], [[Harry Andrews]] and [[Alan Webb (actor)|Alan Webb]].<ref name="auto"/><ref name="four">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-british-moguls-nat-cohen-part-four-cohen-vs-bryan-forbes-1969-71/|magazine=Filmink|access-date=24 January 2025|date=24 January 2025|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|title=Forgotten British Moguls – Nat Cohen Part Four: Cohen vs Bryan Forbes (1969-71)}}</ref>

==Awards==
* 1982 [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival]]
* 1996 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Banham, Martin, ed. 1998. ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre.'' Cambridge: Cambridge UP. {{ISBN|0-521-43437-8}}.
* Bigsby, C. W. E. 1982. ''Joe Orton.'' Contemporary Writers ser. London: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-416-31690-5}}.
* Burke, Arthur. 2001. ''Laughter in the Dark – The Plays of Joe Orton.'' Billericay, Essex: Greenwich Exchange. {{ISBN|1-871551-56-0}}.
* Charney, Maurice. 1984. ''Joe Orton.'' Grove Press Modern Dramatists ser. NY: Grove P. {{ISBN|0-394-54241-X}}.
* [[Francesca Coppa|Coppa, Francesca]], ed. 2002. ''Joe Orton: A Casebook.'' Casebooks on Modern Dramatists ser. London: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-8153-3627-6}}.
* DiGaetani, John Louis. 2008. ''Stages of Struggle: Modern Playwrights and Their Psychological Inspirations.'' Jefferson: McFarland. {{ISBN|0-7864-3157-1}}.
* {{cite book | editor-last=Napierkowski | editor-first=Marie Rose  | chapter=Entertaining Mr Sloane: Introduction. | title=Drama for Students | volume=3 | location=Detroit | publisher=Gale | year=1998 | chapter-url=http://www.enotes.com/entertaining-mr/introduction | access-date=18 October 2008}}
* Orton, Joe. 1976. ''The Complete Plays.'' London: Methuen. {{ISBN|0-413-34610-2}}.
* {{cite book | last=Orton | first=Joe | title=Entertaining Mr Sloane | location=London | publisher=Hamish Hamilton| year=1964 | isbn=9781472522054 | oclc=3174347}}
* Ruskino, Susan. 1995. ''Joe Orton.'' Twayne's English Authors ser. Boston: Twayne. {{ISBN|0-8057-7034-8}}.
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{IBDB show|3354}}
* {{ibdb title|3252}}
* {{iobdb show| Entertaining Mr Sloane}}

{{Joe Orton}}
{{Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival}}

[[Category:1960s in comedy]]
[[Category:1964 plays]]
[[Category:British black comedy plays]]
[[Category:British plays adapted for television]]
[[Category:British plays adapted into films]]
[[Category:Broadway plays]]
[[Category:Drama Desk Award–winning plays]]
[[Category:LGBTQ comedy and humour]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related plays]]
[[Category:Off-Broadway plays]]
[[Category:Plays by Joe Orton]]
[[Category:West End plays]]