The Ruffian On The Stair

Joe Orton’s wicked wit jumped out of the first exchange of his first play and the twisted text proved to be the backbone of this low-key production. The simple premise of a young thug terrorising an unhappy couple was unravelled to reveal a sinister back story full of sexual peccadilloes and shady pasts – both real and imagined. With the male leads often hard to hear and unconvincing as the revenge-hungry predator and the Irish cuckold, it was left to Ellie Markwick, as the vulnerable and put-upon lady of the house, to raise this above a simple read-through.

Dukebox Theatre, 23 May 2013

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