What the Butler Saw
What the Butler Saw by Joe Orton is one of the funniest, wackiest plays to be seen. Playing at the Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles and directed by Alan Patrick Kenny, it is farce unlimited.
First of all, there is no butler in this farce. Are we, the audience, supposed to represent the butler? Perhaps so, since we are the only ones to see the wild carryings-on that takes place on the stage. The setting is a consulting room of an exclusive private psychiatric clinic in London (perfectly designed by Ellen Lenbergs) headed Dr. Prentice (John Walcutt).
Dr. Prentice is interviewing a young woman, Geraldine Barclay (Amanda Troop), for a position as his secretary. When he asks her to remove her clothes, the naive Ms Barclay doesn't quite understand why this is necessary for her interview as a secretary. But, of course, we in the audience do! While undressing in a bed enclosed by curtains, Mrs. Prentiss shows up in the consulting room to tell her husband that he has to hire Nicholas Beckett (Ciaran Joyce) as his secretary. Why? Because she promised him the job to keep him from blackmailing her. Meanwhile, a government inspector, Dr. Rance (Geoffrey Wade) comes to inspect the clinic and all chaos ensues. Every person involved in the plot is taken out of context as being psychotic by Dr. Lance, particularly when Nicholas and Geraldine end up dressing as their opposite sex. (You have to see it to know why!) The arrival of Sergeant Match (Jerry Della Salla) to arrest Nicholas adds more to the confusion as he becomes involved in the caprice. As a top psychiatrist, Dr. Lance takes it upon himself to self-diagnose everyone's case. By his analyses, he appears to be more out-of-it than any of the other characters.
If all of this baffles you, it is because the entire two acts of this play are a laugh-a-minute, very fast-paced, but so completely fun to watch and wonder, "how will it end?"
And when it does, it ends on a completely unexpected note. I can't point out any one of the actors in this play, as every one of them gives a smashing performance.
What the Butler Saw plays at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble through March 11, 2012. Reservations are available by calling (3410) 477-2055, or online at www.odysseytheatre.com where you can also get the schedule of performances.