The Haymarket, Basingstoke
Tuesday 21 – Saturday 25 May 2024
Tickets are priced at £29 (Fri - Sat), £25 (Tue - Thu), £22 (2.30pm). Over 65s £2 off, under 25s and f/t students £12 (includes £4 booking fee).

London Classic Theatre return with What The Butler Saw, at The Haymarket.

Within the pristine walls of his private psychiatric clinic, Doctor Prentice is interviewing a new secretary. Geraldine wants the position but seems underqualified and uncertain about her parentage. Mrs Prentice appears, flushed and in urgent need of a drink, following an illicit encounter with Nick Beckett, blackmailer and bell boy at the Station Hotel. In the meantime, Doctor Rance, a Government Inspector and Sergeant Match, a policeman, arrive amidst increasing chaos with searching questions of their own.

What The Butler Saw is Joe Orton’s final, most ambitious play, manic farce and masterclass in fearless comic writing. No institution, political view or tradition is safe, as Orton focuses his wicked sense of humour on a range of targets, including the establishment, an ex-Prime Minister, cross-dressing, misogyny, and the medical profession. He brings together an array of distinctive characters, placing them in a series of improbable situations, unflinchingly exploring comic territory few playwrights before or since have dared to visit.

The production is suitable for ages 14 and over (contains strong language and subject matter which the playwright very much hoped audiences would find offensive).

Contact the Anvil Arts box office on 01256 844244 or visit https://www.anvilarts.org.uk/events/what-the-butler-saw.